---
title: ★★★ «just under where their chins would be if ducks had chins». What… — The Wind in the Willows, chapter II, p… · tree and pragmatics
description: ★★★ «just under where their chins would be if ducks had chins». What is the joke? Test 15 · ★★ of lesson 29 «The Wind in the Willows, chapter II, part 1: The Open Road (the Ducks' Ditty, and a visit to Toad Hall)» of the books course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics 
---

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# Test 15 · ★★ · The Wind in the Willows, chapter II, part 1: The Open Road…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
★★★ «just under where their chins would be if ducks had chins». What is the joke?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 4 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** chins, joke · **What happens:** be

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 15 · ★★ of lesson 29 «The Wind in the Willows, chapter II, part 1: The Open Road (the Ducks' Ditty, and a visit to Toad Hall)» of the books course of Mova's primary school. The page gives the question's syntax tree — a dependency tree in the style of Universal Dependencies — and its pragmatics clause by clause, then the 4 options as the student saw them, each with its tree and pragmatics. Every text is parsed by Mova itself. How the student answered it, with the score of every option and why: [the test at school](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/school-run/books/29-willows-ch2-part1-ducks-ditty-and-toad-hall/#t15).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* ★★★ «just under where their chins would be if ducks had chins».

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:29-willows-ch2-part1-ducks-ditty-and-toad-hall:t15:1
# text = ★★★ «just under where their chins would be if ducks had chins».
1	★	★	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	★	★	X	FW	Foreign=Yes	1	dep	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	★	★	X	FW	Foreign=Yes	1	dep	_	_
4	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	7	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	just	just	ADV	RB	_	7	advmod	_	_
6	under	under	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
7	where	where	ADV	WRB	PronType=Rel	3	acl:relcl	_	_
8	their	their	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Plur|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	9	nmod:poss	_	_
9	chins	chin	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	14	nsubj	_	_
10	would	would	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	14	aux	_	_
11	be	be	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	14	cop	_	_
12	if	if	SCONJ	IN	_	14	mark	_	_
13	ducks	duck	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	14	nsubj	_	_
14	had	have	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	7	ccomp	_	_
15	chins	chin	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	14	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
16	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	14	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
17	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	1	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** *in a quote* | would | their chins |  |  |  |  | have *property* | tree rules |

<!-- .note -->
One row per clause the reader finds. «not said here»: a role filled from the clause above. «roles by»: a VerbNet class and frame when one fits the verb, else the reader's rules on the tree.

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 2:* What is the joke?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:29-willows-ch2-part1-ducks-ditty-and-toad-hall:t15:2
# text = What is the joke?
1	What	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	0	root	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	1	cop	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	joke	joke	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	1	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | the joke |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 · ← Mova's choice {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It's a joke about the Mole's chin, which the ducks have been staring at all morning

<!-- fold The tree, 18 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:29-willows-ch2-part1-ducks-ditty-and-toad-hall:t15:o1:1
# text = It's a joke about the Mole's chin, which the ducks have been staring at all morning
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	's	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	cop	_	_
3	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	joke	joke	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
5	about	about	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	Mole	mole	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	's	's	PART	POS	_	7	case	_	_
9	chin	chin	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	16	punct	_	_
11	which	which	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	16	nsubj	_	_
12	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	13	det	_	_
13	ducks	duck	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	16	nsubj	_	_
14	have	have	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	16	aux	_	_
15	been	be	AUX	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part	16	aux	_	_
16	staring	stare	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	4	advcl	_	_
17	at	at	ADP	IN	_	19	case	_	_
18	all	all	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	19	det	_	_
19	morning	morning	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	16	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | It | a joke |  |  |  | about the Mole's chin | tree rules |
| 2 | **stare** | present · perfect · progressive | a joke |  |  |  | morning |  | vn peer-30.3 «NP V PP.theme»: agent=Agent |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Ducks have chins, but the Rat is tickling a place under the water where no duck would ever want to be tickled by anyone

<!-- fold The tree, 24 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:29-willows-ch2-part1-ducks-ditty-and-toad-hall:t15:o2:1
# text = Ducks have chins, but the Rat is tickling a place under the water where no duck would ever want to be tickled by anyone
1	Ducks	duck	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	nsubj	_	_
2	have	have	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	chins	chin	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	9	punct	_	_
5	but	but	CCONJ	CC	_	9	cc	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	Rat	Rat	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	9	nsubj	_	_
8	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	9	aux	_	_
9	tickling	tickle	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	2	advcl	_	_
10	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
11	place	place	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	obj	_	_
12	under	under	ADP	IN	_	14	case	_	_
13	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	14	det	_	_
14	water	water	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	obl	_	_
15	where	where	ADV	WRB	PronType=Rel	20	advmod	_	_
16	no	no	DET	DT	PronType=Neg	17	det	_	_
17	duck	duck	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	20	nsubj	_	_
18	would	would	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	20	aux	_	_
19	ever	ever	ADV	RB	PronType=Ind	20	advmod	_	_
20	want	want	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	9	advcl	_	_
21	to	to	PART	TO	_	23	mark	_	_
22	be	be	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	23	aux:pass	_	_
23	tickled	tickle	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	20	xcomp	_	_
24	by	by	ADP	IN	_	25	case	_	_
25	anyone	anyone	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Ind	23	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **have** | present | Ducks | chins |  |  |  |  | vn birth-28.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent chin=Patient |
| 2 | **tickle** | present · progressive | the Rat | a place |  | the water |  |  | vn touch-20-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent place=Experiencer |
| 3 | **want** | would | no duck |  |  |  | ever |  | vn want-32.1-1-1 «NP V NP S\_INF»: agent=Pivot clause=Theme |
| 4 | **tickle** *not said to happen* | to-infinitive · passive | anyone |  |  |  |  |  | vn tingle-40.8.2 «NP V»: agent=Patient |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The Rat is making a silly joke about where the ducks' necks really are

<!-- fold The tree, 15 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:29-willows-ch2-part1-ducks-ditty-and-toad-hall:t15:o3:1
# text = The Rat is making a silly joke about where the ducks' necks really are
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	Rat	Rat	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
3	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	aux	_	_
4	making	make	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	_
5	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
6	silly	silly	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	7	amod	_	_
7	joke	joke	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obj	_	_
8	about	about	SCONJ	IN	_	9	mark	_	_
9	where	where	ADV	WRB	PronType=Rel	7	nmod	_	_
10	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
11	ducks	duck	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	13	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	'	's	PART	POS	_	11	case	_	_
13	necks	neck	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	9	nsubj	_	_
14	really	really	ADV	RB	_	9	advmod	_	_
15	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	cop	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | the Rat |  |  |  |  | make *property* | tree rules |

### Option 4 · ✓ the right answer {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Ducks don't have chins, so the Rat tickles a place that doesn't exist

<!-- fold The tree, 15 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:29-willows-ch2-part1-ducks-ditty-and-toad-hall:t15:o4:1
# text = Ducks don't have chins, so the Rat tickles a place that doesn't exist
1	Ducks	duck	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	nsubj	_	_
2	do	do	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	aux	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	n't	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	4	advmod	_	_
4	have	have	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
5	chins	chin	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	10	punct	_	_
7	so	so	ADV	RB	_	10	advmod	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	Rat	Rat	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	10	nsubj	_	_
10	tickles	tickle	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	parataxis	_	_
11	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	12	det	_	_
12	place	place	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	obj	_	_
13	that	that	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	16	nsubj	_	_
14	does	do	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	16	aux	_	SpaceAfter=No
15	n't	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	16	advmod	_	_
16	exist	exist	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	12	acl:relcl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **not** **have** | present · do-support | Ducks | chins |  |  |  |  | vn birth-28.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent chin=Patient |
| 2 | **tickle** | present | the Rat | a place |  |  |  |  | vn touch-20-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent place=Experiencer |
| 3 | **not** **exist** | present · do-support | a place |  |  |  |  |  | vn exist-47.1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |

<!-- div src -->

**Text:** the tests of Mova's primary school, written for Mova (`world/data/school/`), as the course runner gave them to the student. **Trees:** Mova's own parse — the `en` model on the CPU, when the site is built — not checked by a teacher; they may be wrong. **Frames:** Mova's frames reader (`prag`), each text read on its own. Elamur Cosmic License.

<!-- /div -->

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- ← previous: [The Wind in the Willows, chapter II, p…, test 14](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/29-willows-ch2-part1-ducks-ditty-and-toad-hall/t14/)
- next →: [The Wind in the Willows, chapter II, p…, test 16](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/29-willows-ch2-part1-ducks-ditty-and-toad-hall/t16/)
- ↑ back to [The Wind in the Willows, chapter II, part 1: The Open Road (the Ducks' Ditty, and a visit to Toad Hall)](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/29-willows-ch2-part1-ducks-ditty-and-toad-hall/)