---
title: Ascertain the circumstance that occasioned Toad's ready compliance w… — The Wind in the Willows, chapter XI, p… · tree and pragmatics
description: Ascertain the circumstance that occasioned Toad's ready compliance with the Rat's instructions. Exam question 2 of lesson 65 «The Wind in the Willows, chapter XI, part 1: «Like Summer Tempests Came His Tears» (home at the Rat's, a telling-off, and bad news)» of the books course of Mova's primary sch
---

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# Exam question 2 · The Wind in the Willows, chapter XI, part 1: «Like Summer…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Ascertain the circumstance that occasioned Toad's ready compliance with the Rat's instructions.

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 4 · **The right answer:** option 3 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** you, circumstance, Toad, Rat · **What happens:** ascertain, occasion, comply, instruct · **To what, where:** circumstance, ready compliance

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 2 of lesson 65 «The Wind in the Willows, chapter XI, part 1: «Like Summer Tempests Came His Tears» (home at the Rat's, a telling-off, and bad news)» 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/65-willows-ch11-part1-why-steal-them/#e2).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:65-willows-ch11-part1-why-steal-them:e2:1
# text = Ascertain the circumstance that occasioned Toad's ready compliance with the Rat's instructions.
1	Ascertain	ascertain	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
2	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
3	circumstance	circumstance	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obj	_	_
4	that	that	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	5	nsubj	_	_
5	occasioned	occasion	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	3	acl:relcl	_	_
6	Toad	Toad	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	9	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	's	's	PART	POS	_	6	case	_	_
8	ready	ready	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	9	amod	_	_
9	compliance	compliance	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obj	_	_
10	with	with	ADP	IN	_	14	case	_	_
11	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	12	det	_	_
12	Rat	Rat	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	14	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	's	's	PART	POS	_	12	case	_	_
14	instructions	instruction	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	9	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
15	.	.	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 circumstance |  |  |  |  | vn discover-84 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent circumstance=Topic |
| 2 | **occasion** | past | the circumstance | Toad's ready compliance |  |  |  | with the Rat's instructions | tree rules |
| 3 | **comply** |  | Toad |  |  |  |  | with the Rat's instructions | nom compliance «act intransitive»: poss=agent with=obl |
| 4 | **instruct** |  | the Rat |  |  |  |  |  | nom instruction «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.

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A sudden fright at the sound of footsteps

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:65-willows-ch11-part1-why-steal-them:e2:o1:1
# text = A sudden fright at the sound of footsteps
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
2	sudden	sudden	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	amod	_	_
3	fright	fright	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
4	at	at	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	sound	sound	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nmod	_	_
7	of	of	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
8	footsteps	footstep	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	6	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .note -->
The frames reader finds no event or fact in this sentence.

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The Rat's stern warning about the Stoats and Weasels

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:65-willows-ch11-part1-why-steal-them:e2:o2:1
# text = The Rat's stern warning about the Stoats and Weasels
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	Rat	Rat	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	5	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	's	's	PART	POS	_	2	case	_	_
4	stern	stern	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	amod	_	_
5	warning	warning	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
6	about	about	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	Stoats	stoat	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	nmod	_	_
9	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	10	cc	_	_
10	Weasels	weasel	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	8	conj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **warn** |  | the Rat |  |  |  |  | about the Stoats and Weasels | nom warning «communication transitive»: poss=agent about=obl |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
His beholding his own reflection in the looking-glass

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:65-willows-ch11-part1-why-steal-them:e2:o3:1
# text = His beholding his own reflection in the looking-glass
1	His	his	PRON	PRP$	Gender=Masc|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	beholding	behold	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	_
3	his	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	5	nmod:poss	_	_
4	own	own	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	amod	_	_
5	reflection	reflection	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
6	in	in	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
8	looking	look	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	10	compound	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	-	-	PUNCT	HYPH	_	8	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	glass	glass	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **behold** | gerund | His *= he* | his own reflection |  | the looking glass |  |  | vn sight-30.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Experiencer reflection=Stimulus |
| 2 | **look** | gerund |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn stimulus\_subject-30.4 «NP V PP.attribute»: agent=Stimulus |

### Option 4 · ← Mova's choice {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
His catching sight of himself in the looking-glass, which made him feel ridiculous at last

<!-- fold The tree, 16 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:65-willows-ch11-part1-why-steal-them:e2:o4:1
# text = His catching sight of himself in the looking-glass, which made him feel ridiculous at last
1	His	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	3	nmod:poss	_	_
2	catching	catching	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	compound	_	_
3	sight	sight	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	13	nsubj	_	_
4	of	of	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
5	himself	himself	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs|Reflex=Yes	3	nmod	_	_
6	in	in	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
8	looking	look	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	10	compound	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	-	-	PUNCT	HYPH	_	8	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	glass	glass	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	13	punct	_	_
12	which	which	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	13	nsubj	_	_
13	made	make	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
14	him	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	13	obj	_	_
15	feel	feel	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	13	xcomp	_	_
16	ridiculous	ridiculous	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	15	xcomp	_	_
17	at	at	ADP	IN	_	18	case	_	_
18	last	last	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	16	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **look** | gerund |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn stimulus\_subject-30.4 «NP V PP.attribute»: agent=Stimulus |
| 2 | **make** | past | His catching sight of sight in the looking glass | him *= he* |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 3 | **feel** | infinitive | him *= he* *not said here* |  |  |  |  | ridiculous *property* | vn stimulus\_subject-30.4 «NP V ADJ»: agent=Stimulus |
| 4 | **sight** |  | His *= he* | sight |  | the looking glass |  |  | nom sight «cognition transitive»: poss=agent of=patient in=place |

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**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 XI, p…, exam 1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/65-willows-ch11-part1-why-steal-them/e1/)
- next →: [The Wind in the Willows, chapter XI, p…, exam 3](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/65-willows-ch11-part1-why-steal-them/e3/)
- ↑ back to [The Wind in the Willows, chapter XI, part 1: «Like Summer Tempests Came His Tears» (home at the Rat's, a telling-off, and bad news)](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/65-willows-ch11-part1-why-steal-them/)