---
title: «Half a pair of socks» — what is the joke? — The Wind in the Willows, chapter VIII,… · tree and pragmatics
description: «Half a pair of socks» — what is the joke? Test 8 · ★ of lesson 55 «The Wind in the Willows, chapter VIII, part 4: Toad's Adventures (the chase, the tunnel and the night wood)» of the books course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of each option; M
---

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# Test 8 · ★ · The Wind in the Willows, chapter VIII, part 4: Toad's Adve…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
«Half a pair of socks» — what is the joke?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 3 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** pair · **What happens:** be · **To what, where:** joke

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 8 · ★ of lesson 55 «The Wind in the Willows, chapter VIII, part 4: Toad's Adventures (the chase, the tunnel and the night wood)» 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/55-willows-ch8-part4-the-chase-and-the-tunnel/#t8).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:55-willows-ch8-part4-the-chase-and-the-tunnel:t8:1
# text = «Half a pair of socks» — what is the joke?
1	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	4	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	Half	half	DET	PDT	NumForm=Word|NumType=Frac|PronType=Ind	4	det:predet	_	_
3	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	pair	pair	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
5	of	of	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
6	socks	sock	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	4	punct	_	_
8	—	-	PUNCT	:	_	12	punct	_	_
9	what	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	12	nsubj	_	_
10	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	12	cop	_	_
11	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	12	det	_	_
12	joke	joke	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

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

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 · ← Mova's choice {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It means the laundry lost one sock of two

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:55-willows-ch8-part4-the-chase-and-the-tunnel:t8:o1:1
# text = It means the laundry lost one sock of two
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	means	mean	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	laundry	laundry	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj	_	_
5	lost	lose	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	2	ccomp	_	_
6	one	one	NUM	CD	NumForm=Word|NumType=Card	7	nummod	_	_
7	sock	sock	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obj	_	_
8	of	of	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
9	two	two	NUM	CD	NumForm=Word|NumType=Card	7	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **mean** | present | It |  |  |  |  |  | vn intend-61.2-1 «NP V S»: agent=Agent clause=Topic |
| 2 | **lose** | past | the laundry | one sock of two |  |  |  |  | vn succeed-74-3-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent sock=Eventuality |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The fox says the washerwoman has lost one sock, which is why the pair is broken

<!-- fold The tree, 16 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:55-willows-ch8-part4-the-chase-and-the-tunnel:t8:o2:1
# text = The fox says the washerwoman has lost one sock, which is why the pair is broken
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	fox	fox	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	says	say	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	washerwoman	washerwoman	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	nsubj:pass	_	_
6	has	have	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	7	aux	_	_
7	lost	lose	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	3	ccomp	_	_
8	one	one	NUM	CD	NumForm=Word|NumType=Card	9	nummod	_	_
9	sock	sock	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	13	punct	_	_
11	which	which	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	13	nsubj	_	_
12	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	13	cop	_	_
13	why	why	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	9	acl:relcl	_	_
14	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	15	det	_	_
15	pair	pair	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	17	nsubj:pass	_	_
16	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	17	aux:pass	_	_
17	broken	break	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	13	advcl:relcl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **say** *speech: assert* | present | the fox |  |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent clause=Topic |
| 2 | **lose** | present · perfect · passive |  | the washerwoman |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 3 | **is** | present | one sock |  |  |  |  | why *property* | tree rules |
| 4 | **break** | present · passive |  | the pair |  |  |  |  | vn hurt-40.8.3-1-1 «NP V NP»: subject=Patient |

### Option 3 · ✓ the right answer {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Half a pair is one sock, as if the washerwoman lost one

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:55-willows-ch8-part4-the-chase-and-the-tunnel:t8:o3:1
# text = Half a pair is one sock, as if the washerwoman lost one
1	Half	half	DET	PDT	NumForm=Word|NumType=Frac|PronType=Ind	3	det:predet	_	_
2	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
3	pair	pair	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nsubj	_	_
4	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	6	cop	_	_
5	one	one	NUM	CD	NumForm=Word|NumType=Card	6	nummod	_	_
6	sock	sock	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	12	punct	_	_
8	as	as	SCONJ	IN	_	12	mark	_	_
9	if	if	SCONJ	IN	_	12	mark	_	_
10	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
11	washerwoman	washerwoman	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	nsubj	_	_
12	lost	lose	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	6	conj	_	_
13	one	one	NUM	CD	NumForm=Word|NumType=Card	12	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | half pair | one sock |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **lose** *a condition, not said to happen* | past | the washerwoman | one |  |  |  |  | vn succeed-74-3-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent one=Eventuality |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The fox means that Toad has stolen half of a pair of socks from the laundry of the inn

<!-- fold The tree, 19 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:55-willows-ch8-part4-the-chase-and-the-tunnel:t8:o4:1
# text = The fox means that Toad has stolen half of a pair of socks from the laundry of the inn
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	fox	fox	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	means	mean	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	that	that	SCONJ	IN	_	7	mark	_	_
5	Toad	Toad	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	7	nsubj:pass	_	_
6	has	have	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	7	aux	_	_
7	stolen	steal	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	3	ccomp	_	_
8	half	half	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing|NumForm=Word|NumType=Frac	7	obj	_	_
9	of	of	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
10	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
11	pair	pair	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	nmod	_	_
12	of	of	ADP	IN	_	13	case	_	_
13	socks	sock	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	11	nmod	_	_
14	from	from	ADP	IN	_	16	case	_	_
15	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	16	det	_	_
16	laundry	laundry	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obl	_	_
17	of	of	ADP	IN	_	19	case	_	_
18	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	19	det	_	_
19	inn	inn	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	16	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **mean** | present | the fox |  |  |  |  |  | vn intend-61.2-1 «NP V S»: agent=Agent clause=Topic |
| 2 | **steal** | present · perfect · passive |  | Toad |  | the laundry of the inn |  |  | vn steal-10.5-1 «NP V NP NP»: subject=Beneficiary half=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 VIII,…, test 7](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/55-willows-ch8-part4-the-chase-and-the-tunnel/t7/)
- next →: [The Wind in the Willows, chapter VIII,…, test 9](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/55-willows-ch8-part4-the-chase-and-the-tunnel/t9/)
- ↑ back to [The Wind in the Willows, chapter VIII, part 4: Toad's Adventures (the chase, the tunnel and the night wood)](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/55-willows-ch8-part4-the-chase-and-the-tunnel/)