---
title: Ascertain the reason for which the protagonist's argument with the L… — Alice in Wonderland, chapter III, part… · tree and pragmatics
description: Ascertain the reason for which the protagonist's argument with the Lory could not be concluded. Exam question 2 of lesson 5 «Alice in Wonderland, chapter III, part 1: The driest thing and the Caucus-race» of the books course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the qu
---

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# Exam question 2 · Alice in Wonderland, chapter III, part 1: The driest thing…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Ascertain the reason for which the protagonist's argument with the Lory could not be concluded.

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 2 · **The right answer:** option 4 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** you, protagonist · **What happens:** ascertain, not conclude, argue · **To what, where:** reason, argument

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 2 of lesson 5 «Alice in Wonderland, chapter III, part 1: The driest thing and the Caucus-race» of the books course of Mova's primary school, asked in stiff, formal language. 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/5-alice-ch3-part1-a-caucus-race/#e2).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:5-alice-ch3-part1-a-caucus-race:e2:1
# text = Ascertain the reason for which the protagonist's argument with the Lory could not be concluded.
1	Ascertain	ascertain	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
2	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
3	reason	reason	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obj	_	_
4	for	for	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
5	which	which	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	16	obl	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	protagonist	protagonist	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	's	's	PART	POS	_	7	case	_	_
9	argument	argument	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	16	nsubj:outer	_	_
10	with	with	ADP	IN	_	12	case	_	_
11	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	12	det	_	_
12	Lory	Lory	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	9	nmod	_	_
13	could	could	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	16	aux	_	_
14	not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	16	advmod	_	_
15	be	be	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	16	aux:pass	_	_
16	concluded	conclude	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	3	acl:relcl	_	SpaceAfter=No
17	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	1	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **ascertain** | imperative | you *not said here* | the reason |  |  |  |  | vn discover-84 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent reason=Topic |
| 2 | **not** **conclude** | could · passive |  | the protagonist's argument with the Lory |  |  |  | for the reason | vn deduce-97.2 «NP V NP»: subject=Theme |
| 3 | **argue** |  | the protagonist |  |  |  |  | with the Lory | nom argument «communication transitive»: poss=agent with=obl |

<!-- .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.

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The Lory had escaped the argument by flying off to the tall tree with the Dodo

<!-- fold The tree, 16 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:5-alice-ch3-part1-a-caucus-race:e2:o1:1
# text = The Lory had escaped the argument by flying off to the tall tree with the Dodo
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	Lory	Lory	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
3	had	have	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	4	aux	_	_
4	escaped	escape	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	argument	argument	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obj	_	_
7	by	by	SCONJ	IN	_	8	mark	_	_
8	flying	fly	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	4	advcl	_	_
9	off	off	ADP	RP	_	8	compound:prt	_	_
10	to	to	ADP	IN	_	13	case	_	_
11	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	13	det	_	_
12	tall	tall	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	13	amod	_	_
13	tree	tree	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obl	_	_
14	with	with	ADP	IN	_	16	case	_	_
15	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	16	det	_	_
16	Dodo	Dodo	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	8	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **escape** | past · perfect | the Lory | the argument |  |  |  |  | vn escape-51.1-1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Theme argument=Initial\_Location |
| 2 | **fly off** | gerund | the Lory *not said here* |  |  |  |  | to the tall tree *result*; with the Dodo | vn run-51.3.2-2-1 «NP V PP.result»: agent=Theme to tree=Result |

### Option 2 · ← Mova's choice {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Alice refused to say her own age

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:5-alice-ch3-part1-a-caucus-race:e2:o2:1
# text = Alice refused to say her own age
1	Alice	Alice	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	2	nsubj	_	_
2	refused	refuse	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	to	to	PART	TO	_	4	mark	_	_
4	say	say	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	2	xcomp	_	_
5	her	her	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	7	nmod:poss	_	_
6	own	own	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	7	amod	_	_
7	age	age	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **refuse** | past | Alice |  |  |  |  |  | vn reject-77.2 «NP V S\_ING»: agent=Agent clause=Theme |
| 2 | **not** **say** *speech: assert* | to-infinitive | Alice *not said here* | Alice's own age |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V NP.topic»: agent=Agent age=Topic |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Alice could not prove her point, since the Lory was old and ignored every question

<!-- fold The tree, 15 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:5-alice-ch3-part1-a-caucus-race:e2:o3:1
# text = Alice could not prove her point, since the Lory was old and ignored every question
1	Alice	Alice	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
2	could	could	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	4	aux	_	_
3	not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	4	advmod	_	_
4	prove	prove	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
5	her	her	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	6	nmod:poss	_	_
6	point	point	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	12	punct	_	_
8	since	since	SCONJ	IN	_	12	mark	_	_
9	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
10	Lory	Lory	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	12	nsubj	_	_
11	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	12	cop	_	_
12	old	old	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	parataxis	_	_
13	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	14	cc	_	_
14	ignored	ignore	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	12	conj	_	_
15	every	every	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	16	det	_	_
16	question	question	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	14	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **not** **prove** | could | Alice | Alice's point |  |  |  |  | vn deduce-97.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent point=Theme |
| 2 | **is** | past | the Lory |  |  |  |  | old *property* | tree rules |
| 3 | **ignore** | participle | the Lory *not said here* | every question |  |  |  |  | vn neglect-75.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent question=Theme |
| 4 | **point** |  | Alice |  |  |  |  |  | nom point «cognition transitive»: poss=agent |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The Lory declined to disclose its age

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:5-alice-ch3-part1-a-caucus-race:e2:o4:1
# text = The Lory declined to disclose its age
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	Lory	Lory	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	declined	decline	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	to	to	PART	TO	_	5	mark	_	_
5	disclose	disclose	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	3	xcomp	_	_
6	its	its	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	7	nmod:poss	_	_
7	age	age	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **decline** | past | the Lory |  |  |  |  |  | vn reject-77.2 «NP V S\_ING»: agent=Agent clause=Theme |
| 2 | **not** **disclose** | to-infinitive | the Lory *not said here* | Lory's age |  |  |  |  | vn indicate-78-1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Pivot age=Topic |

<!-- 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: [Alice in Wonderland, chapter III, part…, exam 1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/5-alice-ch3-part1-a-caucus-race/e1/)
- next →: [Alice in Wonderland, chapter III, part…, exam 3](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/5-alice-ch3-part1-a-caucus-race/e3/)
- ↑ back to [Alice in Wonderland, chapter III, part 1: The driest thing and the Caucus-race](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/5-alice-ch3-part1-a-caucus-race/)