---
title: ★★★ Toad says his children are «playing with matches — and upsetting… — The Wind in the Willows, chapter VIII,… · tree and pragmatics
description: ★★★ Toad says his children are «playing with matches — and upsetting lamps». Why is that a strange thing for a loving parent to say so cheerfully? Test 15 · ★ of lesson 54 «The Wind in the Willows, chapter VIII, part 3: Toad's Adventures (no money, no pocket, and the engine-driver)» of the books cou
---

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# Test 15 · ★ · The Wind in the Willows, chapter VIII, part 3: Toad's Adve…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
★★★ Toad says his children are «playing with matches — and upsetting lamps». Why is that a strange thing for a loving parent to say so cheerfully?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 3 · **The right answer:** option 4 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** ★ ★, children · **What happens:** say, play, be · **To what, where:** strange thing · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 15 · ★ of lesson 54 «The Wind in the Willows, chapter VIII, part 3: Toad's Adventures (no money, no pocket, and the engine-driver)» 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/54-willows-ch8-part3-no-money-no-pocket/#t15).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* ★★★ Toad says his children are «playing with matches — and upsetting lamps».

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:54-willows-ch8-part3-no-money-no-pocket:t15:1
# text = ★★★ Toad says his children are «playing with matches — and upsetting lamps».
1	★	★	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	2	compound	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	★	★	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	★	★	ADP	IN	_	4	case	_	_
4	Toad	Toad	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	2	nmod	_	_
5	says	say	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
6	his	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	7	nmod:poss	_	_
7	children	child	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	10	nsubj	_	_
8	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	10	aux	_	_
9	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	10	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	playing	play	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	5	ccomp	_	_
11	with	with	ADP	IN	_	12	case	_	_
12	matches	match	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	10	obl	_	_
13	—	-	PUNCT	,	_	16	punct	_	_
14	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	16	cc	_	_
15	upsetting	upsetting	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	16	amod	_	_
16	lamps	lamp	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	parataxis	_	SpaceAfter=No
17	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	16	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
18	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **say** *speech: assert* | present | ★ ★ ★ Toad |  |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent clause=Topic |
| 2 | **play** *in a quote* | present · progressive | ★'s children |  |  |  |  | with matches | vn play-114.2-1 «NP V PP.theme»: agent=Agent with match=Theme |

<!-- .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:* Why is that a strange thing for a loving parent to say so cheerfully?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:54-willows-ch8-part3-no-money-no-pocket:t15:2
# text = Why is that a strange thing for a loving parent to say so cheerfully?
1	Why	why	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	6	advmod	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	6	cop	_	_
3	that	that	SCONJ	IN	_	6	mark	_	_
4	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
5	strange	strange	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	6	amod	_	_
6	thing	thing	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
7	for	for	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
8	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
9	loving	loving	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	10	amod	_	_
10	parent	parent	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nmod	_	_
11	to	to	PART	TO	_	12	mark	_	_
12	say	say	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	6	acl	_	_
13	so	so	ADV	RB	_	14	advmod	_	_
14	cheerfully	cheerfully	ADV	RB	_	12	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
15	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	6	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present |  | a strange thing |  |  |  | for a loving parent | tree rules |
| 2 | **say** *speech: assert* | to-infinitive |  |  |  |  |  | cheerfully *property* | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent |

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It's sweet, because children always love the lamps and matches at home

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:54-willows-ch8-part3-no-money-no-pocket:t15:o1:1
# text = It's sweet, because children always love the lamps and matches at home
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	's	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	cop	_	_
3	sweet	sweet	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	8	punct	_	_
5	because	because	SCONJ	IN	_	8	mark	_	_
6	children	child	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	8	nsubj	_	_
7	always	always	ADV	RB	PronType=Tot	8	advmod	_	_
8	love	love	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	conj	_	_
9	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
10	lamps	lamp	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	8	obj	_	_
11	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	12	cc	_	_
12	matches	match	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	10	conj	_	_
13	at	at	ADP	IN	_	14	case	_	_
14	home	home	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | It |  |  |  |  | sweet *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **love** | present | children | the lamps and matches |  | home |  | always *property* | vn admire-31.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Experiencer lamp=Stimulus |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It is a fine old saying

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:54-willows-ch8-part3-no-money-no-pocket:t15:o2:1
# text = It is a fine old saying
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	6	nsubj	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	6	cop	_	_
3	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
4	fine	fine	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	6	amod	_	_
5	old	old	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	6	amod	_	_
6	saying	saying	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
```

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

### Option 3 · ← Mova's choice {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It's dangerous, yet he calls them «the little innocents»: this shows Toad is a loving father who has never once been careless

<!-- fold The tree, 23 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:54-willows-ch8-part3-no-money-no-pocket:t15:o3:1
# text = It's dangerous, yet he calls them «the little innocents»: this shows Toad is a loving father who has never once been careless
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	's	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	cop	_	_
3	dangerous	dangerous	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	7	punct	_	_
5	yet	yet	CCONJ	CC	_	7	cc	_	_
6	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	7	nsubj	_	_
7	calls	call	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	conj	_	_
8	them	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	7	obj	_	_
9	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	12	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	12	det	_	_
11	little	little	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	12	amod	_	_
12	innocents	innocent	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	7	xcomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	12	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
14	:	:	PUNCT	:	_	16	punct	_	_
15	this	this	PRON	DT	Number=Sing|PronType=Dem	16	nsubj	_	_
16	shows	show	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	conj	_	_
17	Toad	Toad	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	21	nsubj	_	_
18	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	21	cop	_	_
19	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	21	det	_	_
20	loving	loving	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	21	amod	_	_
21	father	father	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	16	ccomp	_	_
22	who	who	PRON	WP	PronType=Rel	23	nsubj	_	_
23	has	have	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	21	acl:relcl	_	_
24	never	never	ADV	RB	PronType=Neg	23	advmod	_	_
25	once	once	ADV	RB	NumForm=Word|NumType=Mult	27	advmod	_	_
26	been	be	AUX	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part	27	cop	_	_
27	careless	careless	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	23	xcomp	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | It |  |  |  |  | dangerous *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **call** | present | he | them *= they* |  |  |  |  | vn initiate\_communication-37.4.2-1 «NP V NP.recipient»: agent=Agent they=Recipient |
| 3 | **show** | present | this |  |  |  |  |  | vn transfer\_mesg-37.1.1-1-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 4 | **is a** | present | Toad | a loving father |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 5 | **not** **have** | present | a loving father |  |  |  |  |  | vn birth-28.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent |
| 6 | **is** | participle | a loving father *not said here* |  |  |  |  | careless, once *property* | tree rules |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It's dangerous, yet he calls them «the little innocents»: he is making it up

<!-- fold The tree, 15 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:54-willows-ch8-part3-no-money-no-pocket:t15:o4:1
# text = It's dangerous, yet he calls them «the little innocents»: he is making it up
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	's	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	cop	_	_
3	dangerous	dangerous	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	7	punct	_	_
5	yet	yet	CCONJ	CC	_	7	cc	_	_
6	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	7	nsubj	_	_
7	calls	call	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	conj	_	_
8	them	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	7	obj	_	_
9	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	12	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	12	det	_	_
11	little	little	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	12	amod	_	_
12	innocents	innocent	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	7	xcomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	12	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
14	:	:	PUNCT	:	_	17	punct	_	_
15	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	17	nsubj	_	_
16	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	17	aux	_	_
17	making	make	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	3	conj	_	_
18	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	17	obj	_	_
19	up	up	ADP	RP	_	17	compound:prt	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | It |  |  |  |  | dangerous *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **call** | present | he | them *= they* |  |  |  |  | vn initiate\_communication-37.4.2-1 «NP V NP.recipient»: agent=Agent they=Recipient |
| 3 | **make up** | present · progressive | he | it |  |  |  |  | vn comprise-107.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Theme it=Pivot |

<!-- 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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- next →: [The Wind in the Willows, chapter VIII,…, exam 1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/54-willows-ch8-part3-no-money-no-pocket/e1/)
- ↑ back to [The Wind in the Willows, chapter VIII, part 3: Toad's Adventures (no money, no pocket, and the engine-driver)](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/54-willows-ch8-part3-no-money-no-pocket/)