---
title: It is given that the barge-woman declined Toad's offer to steer. Asc… — The Wind in the Willows, chapter X, pa… · tree and pragmatics
description: It is given that the barge-woman declined Toad's offer to steer. Ascertain the reason she advanced. Exam question 2 of lesson 61 «The Wind in the Willows, chapter X, part 1: The Further Adventures of Toad (free, the canal and the barge-woman's washing)» of the books course of Mova's primary school, 
---

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# Exam question 2 · The Wind in the Willows, chapter X, part 1: The Further Ad…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It is given that the barge-woman declined Toad's offer to steer. Ascertain the reason she advanced.

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 4 · **The right answer:** option 1 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** barge woman, Toad, you, woman · **What happens:** give, decline, steer, offer, ascertain, advance · **To what, where:** It, offer, reason

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 2 of lesson 61 «The Wind in the Willows, chapter X, part 1: The Further Adventures of Toad (free, the canal and the barge-woman's washing)» 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/61-willows-ch10-part1-the-barge-woman/#e2).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* It is given that the barge-woman declined Toad's offer to steer.

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:61-willows-ch10-part1-the-barge-woman:e2:1
# text = It is given that the barge-woman declined Toad's offer to steer.
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj:pass	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	aux:pass	_	_
3	given	give	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
4	that	that	SCONJ	IN	_	9	mark	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
6	barge	barge	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	compound	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	-	-	PUNCT	HYPH	_	6	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	woman	woman	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	nsubj	_	_
9	declined	decline	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	3	advcl	_	_
10	Toad	Toad	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	12	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	's	's	PART	POS	_	10	case	_	_
12	offer	offer	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	obj	_	_
13	to	to	PART	TO	_	14	mark	_	_
14	steer	steer	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	9	advcl	_	SpaceAfter=No
15	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **give** | present · passive |  | It |  |  |  |  | vn give-13.1-1 «NP V NP»: subject=Theme |
| 2 | **decline** | past | the barge woman | Toad's offer |  |  |  |  | vn reject-77.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent offer=Theme |
| 3 | **steer** | to-infinitive | the barge woman *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn accompany-51.7 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent |
| 4 | **offer** |  | Toad |  |  |  |  |  | nom offer «communication transitive»: poss=agent |

<!-- .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:* Ascertain the reason she advanced.

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:61-willows-ch10-part1-the-barge-woman:e2:2
# text = Ascertain the reason she advanced.
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	she	she	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	5	nsubj	_	_
5	advanced	advance	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	3	acl:relcl	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	.	.	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 | **advance** | past | woman | the reason *not said here* |  |  |  |  | vn caused\_calibratable\_cos-45.6.2-1 «NP V NP.patient»: agent=Causer reason=Patient |

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 · ✓ the right answer {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
That steering a barge requires practice

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:61-willows-ch10-part1-the-barge-woman:e2:o1:1
# text = That steering a barge requires practice
1	That	that	PRON	DT	Number=Sing|PronType=Dem	2	nsubj	_	_
2	steering	steer	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	5	csubj	_	_
3	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	barge	barge	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
5	requires	require	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
6	practice	practice	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **steer** | gerund | That | a barge |  |  |  |  | vn accompany-51.7 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent barge=Theme |
| 2 | **require** | present | steering | practice |  |  |  |  | vn require-103-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Theme practice=Precondition |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Because she did not trust a stranger with her husband's valuable boat and cargo at all

<!-- fold The tree, 17 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:61-willows-ch10-part1-the-barge-woman:e2:o2:1
# text = Because she did not trust a stranger with her husband's valuable boat and cargo at all
1	Because	because	SCONJ	IN	_	5	mark	_	_
2	she	she	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	5	nsubj	_	_
3	did	do	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	5	aux	_	_
4	not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	5	advmod	_	_
5	trust	trust	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
6	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	stranger	stranger	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obj	_	_
8	with	with	ADP	IN	_	13	case	_	_
9	her	her	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	10	nmod:poss	_	_
10	husband	husband	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	13	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	's	's	PART	POS	_	10	case	_	_
12	valuable	valuable	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	13	amod	_	_
13	boat	boat	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obl	_	_
14	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	15	cc	_	_
15	cargo	cargo	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	13	conj	_	_
16	at	at	ADP	IN	_	17	case	_	_
17	all	all	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	5	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **not** **trust** | past · do-support | she | a stranger |  | all |  | with her husband's valuable boat and cargo | vn fulfilling-13.4.1 «NP V NP-Fulfilling PP.theme»: agent=Agent stranger=Recipient with boat=Theme |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Because a gentleman like Toad would certainly damage the boat and the rope, and cost her

<!-- fold The tree, 16 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:61-willows-ch10-part1-the-barge-woman:e2:o3:1
# text = Because a gentleman like Toad would certainly damage the boat and the rope, and cost her
1	Because	because	SCONJ	IN	_	8	mark	_	_
2	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
3	gentleman	gentleman	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	nsubj	_	_
4	like	like	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
5	Toad	Toad	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	3	nmod	_	_
6	would	would	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	8	aux	_	_
7	certainly	certainly	ADV	RB	_	8	advmod	_	_
8	damage	damage	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	16	advcl	_	_
9	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
10	boat	boat	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obj	_	_
11	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	13	cc	_	_
12	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	13	det	_	_
13	rope	rope	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
14	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	16	punct	_	_
15	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	16	cc	_	_
16	cost	cost	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
17	her	she	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	16	iobj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **damage** | would | a gentleman like Toad | the boat and the rope |  |  |  | certainly *property* | vn destroy-44 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent boat=Patient |
| 2 | **cost** | imperative | you *not said here* |  | Toad |  |  |  | vn cost-54.2 «NP V NP.value»: agent=Theme she=Value |

### Option 4 · ← Mova's choice {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Because he is a stranger to the canal

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:61-willows-ch10-part1-the-barge-woman:e2:o4:1
# text = Because he is a stranger to the canal
1	Because	because	SCONJ	IN	_	5	mark	_	_
2	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	5	nsubj	_	_
3	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	cop	_	_
4	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	stranger	stranger	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
6	to	to	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	canal	canal	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nmod	_	_
```

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

<!-- 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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- ↑ back to [The Wind in the Willows, chapter X, part 1: The Further Adventures of Toad (free, the canal and the barge-woman's washing)](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/61-willows-ch10-part1-the-barge-woman/)