---
title: What was the reply of Little Toomai when questioned concerning the p… — The Jungle Book, Toomai of the Elephan… · tree and pragmatics
description: What was the reply of Little Toomai when questioned concerning the purpose of his elephant's training? Exam question 3 of lesson 625 «The Jungle Book, Toomai of the Elephants, part 26: Toomai is scolded, then brought before Petersen Sahib» of the books course of Mova's primary school, with the depen
---

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# Exam question 3 · The Jungle Book, Toomai of the Elephants, part 26: Toomai…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
What was the reply of Little Toomai when questioned concerning the purpose of his elephant's training?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 4 · **The right answer:** option 4 · right ✓ · **Who acts:** reply, training, elephant · **What happens:** be, question, concern, reply, purpose, train · **To what, where:** purpose, Little Toomai

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 3 of lesson 625 «The Jungle Book, Toomai of the Elephants, part 26: Toomai is scolded, then brought before Petersen Sahib» 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/625-pg236-part26/#e3).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:625-pg236-part26:e3:1
# text = What was the reply of Little Toomai when questioned concerning the purpose of his elephant's training?
1	What	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	0	root	_	_
2	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	1	cop	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	reply	reply	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	nsubj	_	_
5	of	of	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	Little	Little	ADJ	NNP	Degree=Pos	7	amod	_	_
7	Toomai	Toomai	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	4	nmod	_	_
8	when	when	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	9	advmod	_	_
9	questioned	question	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	7	acl	_	_
10	concerning	concern	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	9	advcl	_	_
11	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	12	det	_	_
12	purpose	purpose	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	obj	_	_
13	of	of	ADP	IN	_	17	case	_	_
14	his	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	15	nmod:poss	_	_
15	elephant	elephant	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	17	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
16	's	's	PART	POS	_	15	case	_	_
17	training	training	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
18	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	1	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | past | the reply of Little Toomai |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **question** *speech: other* | participle |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn interrogate-37.1.3 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent |
| 3 | **concern** | gerund |  | the purpose of Toomai's elephant's training |  |  |  |  | vn amuse-31.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Stimulus purpose=Experiencer |
| 4 | **reply** |  |  | Little Toomai |  |  |  |  | nom reply «communication transitive»: of=patient |
| 5 | **purpose** |  | Toomai's elephant's training |  |  |  |  |  | nom purpose «cognition intransitive»: of=agent |
| 6 | **train** |  | Toomai's elephant |  |  |  |  |  | nom training «act 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.

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
He said the corn was for the horses

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:625-pg236-part26:e3:o1:1
# text = He said the corn was for the horses
1	He	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	said	say	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	corn	corn	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
5	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	8	cop	_	_
6	for	for	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	horses	horse	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	conj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **say** *speech: assert* | past | He | the corn and the horses |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V NP.topic»: agent=Agent corn=Topic |
| 2 | **is** | past | He *not said here* |  |  |  |  | for the horses | tree rules |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
He said it was a trick for the sahib

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:625-pg236-part26:e3:o2:1
# text = He said it was a trick for the sahib
1	He	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	said	say	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	6	nsubj	_	_
4	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	6	cop	_	_
5	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	trick	trick	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	ccomp	_	_
7	for	for	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	sahib	sahib	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **say** *speech: assert* | past | He |  |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **is a** | past | it | a trick |  |  |  | for the sahib | tree rules |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
He answered that the trick was for melons, and that he had been taught it in the camp by his father

<!-- fold The tree, 21 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:625-pg236-part26:e3:o3:1
# text = He answered that the trick was for melons, and that he had been taught it in the camp by his father
1	He	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	answered	answer	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	that	that	SCONJ	IN	_	15	mark	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	trick	trick	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	15	nsubj:pass	_	_
6	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	15	aux:pass	_	_
7	for	for	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
8	melons	melon	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	15	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	15	punct	_	_
10	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	15	cc	_	_
11	that	that	SCONJ	IN	_	15	mark	_	_
12	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	15	nsubj:pass	_	_
13	had	have	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	15	aux	_	_
14	been	be	AUX	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part	15	aux:pass	_	_
15	taught	teach	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	2	ccomp	_	_
16	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	15	obj	_	_
17	in	in	ADP	IN	_	19	case	_	_
18	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	19	det	_	_
19	camp	camp	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	15	obl	_	_
20	by	by	ADP	IN	_	22	case	_	_
21	his	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	22	nmod:poss	_	_
22	father	father	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	15	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **answer** *speech: assert* | past | He |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **teach** *speech: other* | past · perfect · passive | his father | the trick | it | the camp |  | for melons | vn transfer\_mesg-37.1.1-1-1 «NP V NP-Dative NP»: agent=Agent subject=Recipient it=Topic |

### Option 4 · ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
He answered that the trick was for melons

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:625-pg236-part26:e3:o4:1
# text = He answered that the trick was for melons
1	He	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	answered	answer	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	that	that	SCONJ	IN	_	8	mark	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	trick	trick	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	nsubj	_	_
6	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	8	cop	_	_
7	for	for	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
8	melons	melon	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	ccomp	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **answer** *speech: assert* | past | He |  |  |  |  |  | vn reciprocate-112-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **is** | past | the trick |  |  |  |  | for melons | 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 -->

<!-- pn -->
- ← previous: [The Jungle Book, Toomai of the Elephan…, exam 2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/625-pg236-part26/e2/)
- next →: [The Jungle Book, Toomai of the Elephan…, exam 4](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/625-pg236-part26/e4/)
- ↑ back to [The Jungle Book, Toomai of the Elephants, part 26: Toomai is scolded, then brought before Petersen Sahib](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/625-pg236-part26/)