---
title: What would the Water Rat probably have said to this stranger at the… — The Wind in the Willows, chapter IX, p… · tree and pragmatics
description: What would the Water Rat probably have said to this stranger at the start of the book? Test 9 · ★ of lesson 58 «The Wind in the Willows, chapter IX, part 3: Wayfarers All (the Sea Rat from Constantinople)» of the books course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the q
---

<!-- md -->
[Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/58-willows-ch9-part3-the-sea-rat/t9/)

<!-- crumbs -->
[home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [corpora](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/) / [questions](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/) / [Books](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/) / [The Wind in the Willows, chapter IX, p…](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/58-willows-ch9-part3-the-sea-rat/) / t9

# Test 9 · ★ · The Wind in the Willows, chapter IX, part 3: Wayfarers All…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
What would the Water Rat probably have said to this stranger at the start of the book?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 2 · **The right answer:** option 4 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** Water Rat · **What happens:** say, start · **To what, where:** stranger, book · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 9 · ★ of lesson 58 «The Wind in the Willows, chapter IX, part 3: Wayfarers All (the Sea Rat from Constantinople)» 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/58-willows-ch9-part3-the-sea-rat/#t9).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:58-willows-ch9-part3-the-sea-rat:t9:1
# text = What would the Water Rat probably have said to this stranger at the start of the book?
1	What	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	8	obj	_	_
2	would	would	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	8	aux	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
4	Water	Water	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	5	compound	_	_
5	Rat	Rat	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	8	nsubj	_	_
6	probably	probably	ADV	RB	_	8	advmod	_	_
7	have	have	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	8	aux	_	_
8	said	say	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	_
9	to	to	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
10	this	this	DET	DT	Number=Sing|PronType=Dem	11	det	_	_
11	stranger	stranger	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obl	_	_
12	at	at	ADP	IN	_	14	case	_	_
13	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	14	det	_	_
14	start	start	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	nmod	_	_
15	of	of	ADP	IN	_	17	case	_	_
16	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	17	det	_	_
17	book	book	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	14	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
18	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	8	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **say** *speech: assert* | would · perfect | the Water Rat |  | this stranger at the start of the book |  |  | probably *property* | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V NP PP.recipient»: agent=Agent what=Topic to stranger=Recipient |
| 2 | **start** |  |  | the book |  |  |  |  | nom start «event transitive»: of=patient |

<!-- .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 -->
That he has no wish to travel beyond the river at all

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:58-willows-ch9-part3-the-sea-rat:t9:o1:1
# text = That he has no wish to travel beyond the river at all
1	That	that	PRON	DT	Number=Sing|PronType=Dem	3	nsubj	_	_
2	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj	_	_
3	has	have	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	no	no	DET	DT	PronType=Neg	5	det	_	_
5	wish	wish	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	_
6	to	to	PART	TO	_	7	mark	_	_
7	travel	travel	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	5	acl	_	_
8	beyond	beyond	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
9	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
10	river	river	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obl	_	_
11	at	at	ADP	IN	_	12	case	_	_
12	all	all	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	7	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **have** | present | That | no wish |  |  |  |  | vn birth-28.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent wish=Patient |
| 2 | **travel** | to-infinitive | That *not said here* | no wish *not said here* |  | all |  | beyond the river | vn run-51.3.2-1 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Theme beyond river=Trajectory |

### Option 2 · ← Mova's choice {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
That the Wide World doesn't matter and he never wants to go, and that he'd scold any stranger who talks of far lands

<!-- fold The tree, 25 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:58-willows-ch9-part3-the-sea-rat:t9:o2:1
# text = That the Wide World doesn't matter and he never wants to go, and that he'd scold any stranger who talks of far lands
1	That	that	PRON	DT	Number=Sing|PronType=Dem	4	nsubj	_	_
2	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
3	Wide	wide	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	amod	_	_
4	World	World	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	7	nsubj	_	_
5	does	do	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	7	aux	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	n't	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	7	advmod	_	_
7	matter	matter	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
8	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	11	cc	_	_
9	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	11	nsubj	_	_
10	never	never	ADV	RB	PronType=Neg	11	advmod	_	_
11	wants	want	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	7	conj	_	_
12	to	to	PART	TO	_	13	mark	_	_
13	go	go	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	11	xcomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
14	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	19	punct	_	_
15	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	19	cc	_	_
16	that	that	SCONJ	IN	_	19	mark	_	_
17	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	19	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
18	'd	would	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	19	aux	_	_
19	scold	scold	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	7	advcl	_	_
20	any	any	DET	DT	PronType=Ind	21	det	_	_
21	stranger	stranger	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	19	obj	_	_
22	who	who	PRON	WP	PronType=Rel	23	nsubj	_	_
23	talks	talk	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	21	acl:relcl	_	_
24	of	of	ADP	IN	_	26	case	_	_
25	far	far	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	26	amod	_	_
26	lands	land	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	23	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **not** **matter** | present · do-support | the Wide World |  |  |  |  |  | vn matter-91 «NP V»: agent=Stimulus |
| 2 | **not** **want** | present | World |  |  |  |  |  | vn want-32.1-1-1 «NP V NP S\_INF»: agent=Pivot clause=Theme |
| 3 | **go** *not said to happen* | to-infinitive | World *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn disappearance-48.2-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 4 | **scold** | would | World | any stranger |  |  |  |  | vn judgment-33.1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent stranger=Theme |
| 5 | **talk** | present | any stranger |  |  |  |  | of far lands | vn talk-37.5 «NP V»: agent=Agent |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
That the Wide World doesn't matter and he never wants to go, though he would secretly envy the stranger's freedom a little

<!-- fold The tree, 24 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:58-willows-ch9-part3-the-sea-rat:t9:o3:1
# text = That the Wide World doesn't matter and he never wants to go, though he would secretly envy the stranger's freedom a little
1	That	that	PRON	DT	Number=Sing|PronType=Dem	7	nsubj	_	_
2	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
3	Wide	wide	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	amod	_	_
4	World	World	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	7	nsubj	_	_
5	does	do	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	7	aux	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	n't	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	7	advmod	_	_
7	matter	matter	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
8	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	11	cc	_	_
9	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	11	nsubj	_	_
10	never	never	ADV	RB	PronType=Neg	11	advmod	_	_
11	wants	want	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	7	conj	_	_
12	to	to	PART	TO	_	13	mark	_	_
13	go	go	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	11	xcomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
14	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	19	punct	_	_
15	though	though	SCONJ	IN	_	19	mark	_	_
16	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	19	nsubj	_	_
17	would	would	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	19	aux	_	_
18	secretly	secretly	ADV	RB	_	19	advmod	_	_
19	envy	envy	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	7	conj	_	_
20	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	21	det	_	_
21	stranger	stranger	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	23	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
22	's	's	PART	POS	_	21	case	_	_
23	freedom	freedom	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	19	obj	_	_
24	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	25	det	_	_
25	little	little	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	19	obl:unmarked	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **not** **matter** | present · do-support | That |  |  |  |  |  | vn matter-91 «NP V»: agent=Stimulus |
| 2 | **not** **want** | present | World |  |  |  |  |  | vn want-32.1-1-1 «NP V NP S\_INF»: agent=Pivot clause=Theme |
| 3 | **go** *not said to happen* | to-infinitive | World *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn disappearance-48.2-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 4 | **envy** | would | World | the stranger's freedom |  |  |  | a little *obl:unmarked*; secretly *property* | vn admire-31.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Experiencer freedom=Stimulus |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
That the Wide World doesn't matter and he never wants to go

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:58-willows-ch9-part3-the-sea-rat:t9:o4:1
# text = That the Wide World doesn't matter and he never wants to go
1	That	that	PRON	DT	Number=Sing|PronType=Dem	7	nsubj	_	_
2	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
3	Wide	wide	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	amod	_	_
4	World	World	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	7	nsubj	_	_
5	does	do	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	7	aux	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	n't	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	7	advmod	_	_
7	matter	matter	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
8	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	11	cc	_	_
9	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	11	nsubj	_	_
10	never	never	ADV	RB	PronType=Neg	11	advmod	_	_
11	wants	want	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	7	conj	_	_
12	to	to	PART	TO	_	13	mark	_	_
13	go	go	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	11	xcomp	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **not** **matter** | present · do-support | That |  |  |  |  |  | vn matter-91 «NP V»: agent=Stimulus |
| 2 | **not** **want** | present | World |  |  |  |  |  | vn want-32.1-1-1 «NP V NP S\_INF»: agent=Pivot clause=Theme |
| 3 | **go** *not said to happen* | to-infinitive | World *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn disappearance-48.2-1 «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 -->

<!-- pn -->
- ← previous: [The Wind in the Willows, chapter IX, p…, test 8](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/58-willows-ch9-part3-the-sea-rat/t8/)
- next →: [The Wind in the Willows, chapter IX, p…, test 10](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/58-willows-ch9-part3-the-sea-rat/t10/)
- ↑ back to [The Wind in the Willows, chapter IX, part 3: Wayfarers All (the Sea Rat from Constantinople)](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/58-willows-ch9-part3-the-sea-rat/)