---
title: Why is Toad's «quiet, steady, respectable life» promise hard to beli… — The Wind in the Willows, chapter XI, p… · tree and pragmatics
description: Why is Toad's «quiet, steady, respectable life» promise hard to believe? Test 6 · ★★ 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, with the dependency tr
---

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# Test 6 · ★★ · The Wind in the Willows, chapter XI, part 1: «Like Summer…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Why is Toad's «quiet, steady, respectable life» promise hard to believe?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 2 · **The right answer:** option 2 · right ✓ · **Who acts:** Toad · **What happens:** be, promise, believe

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 6 · ★★ 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. 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/#t6).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:65-willows-ch11-part1-why-steal-them:t6:1
# text = Why is Toad's «quiet, steady, respectable life» promise hard to believe?
1	Why	why	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	0	root	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	1	cop	_	_
3	Toad	Toad	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	13	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	's	's	PART	POS	_	3	case	_	_
5	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	11	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	quiet	quiet	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	11	amod	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	6	punct	_	_
8	steady	steady	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	11	amod	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	8	punct	_	_
10	respectable	respectable	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	11	amod	_	_
11	life	life	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	appos	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	11	punct	_	_
13	promise	promise	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	1	advcl:relcl	_	_
14	hard	hard	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	13	xcomp	_	_
15	to	to	PART	TO	_	16	mark	_	_
16	believe	believe	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	14	xcomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
17	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	1	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present |  |  |  |  |  | why *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **promise** *speech: promise* | present | Toad |  |  |  |  | hard *property* | vn promise-37.13 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent |
| 3 | **believe** | to-infinitive | Toad *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn admire-31.2 «NP V that S»: agent=Experiencer |

<!-- .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 has never kept a promise made to any friend

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:65-willows-ch11-part1-why-steal-them:t6:o1:1
# text = He has never kept a promise made to any friend
1	He	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj:pass	_	_
2	has	have	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	aux	_	_
3	never	never	ADV	RB	PronType=Neg	4	advmod	_	_
4	kept	keep	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
5	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	promise	promise	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obj	_	_
7	made	make	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	6	acl	_	_
8	to	to	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
9	any	any	DET	DT	PronType=Ind	10	det	_	_
10	friend	friend	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obl:agent	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **not** **keep** | present · perfect · passive |  | He |  |  |  |  | vn sustain-55.6-1 «NP V NP ADJ»: subject=Theme promise=Attribute |
| 2 | **make** | participle |  | a promise *not said here* |  |  |  |  | vn build-26.1-1 «NP.asset V NP»: agent=Asset |

### Option 2 · ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
He mentions a new motor-boat idea in the same breath

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:65-willows-ch11-part1-why-steal-them:t6:o2:1
# text = He mentions a new motor-boat idea in the same breath
1	He	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	mentions	mention	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
4	new	new	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	8	amod	_	_
5	motor	motor	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	compound	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	-	-	PUNCT	HYPH	_	5	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	boat	boat	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	compound	_	_
8	idea	idea	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
9	in	in	ADP	IN	_	12	case	_	_
10	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	12	det	_	_
11	same	same	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	12	amod	_	_
12	breath	breath	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **mention** *speech: other* | present | He | a new boat idea |  | the same breath |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V NP.topic»: agent=Agent idea=Topic |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
He keeps losing his house and his money

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:65-willows-ch11-part1-why-steal-them:t6:o3:1
# text = He keeps losing his house and his money
1	He	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	keeps	keep	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	losing	lose	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	2	xcomp	_	_
4	his	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	5	nmod:poss	_	_
5	house	house	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	_
6	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	8	cc	_	_
7	his	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	8	nmod:poss	_	_
8	money	money	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	conj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **keep** | present | He |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **lose** | gerund | He *not said here* | his house and his money |  |  |  |  | vn succeed-74-3-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent house=Eventuality |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
He has just been chased by stoats and promised to behave, but he still talks about cars

<!-- fold The tree, 17 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:65-willows-ch11-part1-why-steal-them:t6:o4:1
# text = He has just been chased by stoats and promised to behave, but he still talks about cars
1	He	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	5	nsubj:pass	_	_
2	has	have	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	aux	_	_
3	just	just	ADV	RB	_	5	advmod	_	_
4	been	be	AUX	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part	5	aux:pass	_	_
5	chased	chase	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
6	by	by	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
7	stoats	stoat	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	obl	_	_
8	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	9	cc	_	_
9	promised	promise	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	5	conj	_	_
10	to	to	PART	TO	_	11	mark	_	_
11	behave	behave	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	9	xcomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	16	punct	_	_
13	but	but	CCONJ	CC	_	16	cc	_	_
14	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	16	nsubj	_	_
15	still	still	ADV	RB	_	16	advmod	_	_
16	talks	talk	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	conj	_	_
17	about	about	ADP	IN	_	18	case	_	_
18	cars	car	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	16	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **chase** | present · perfect · passive | stoats | He |  |  |  |  | vn chase-51.6 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent subject=Theme |
| 2 | **promise** *speech: promise* | past | stoats *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn promise-37.13 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent clause=Topic |
| 3 | **behave** *not said to happen* | to-infinitive | stoats *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn masquerade-29.6-1 «NP V PP.attribute»: agent=Agent |
| 4 | **talk** | present | he |  |  |  | still | about cars | vn talk-37.5 «NP V PP.topic»: agent=Agent about car=Topic |

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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…, test 5](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/65-willows-ch11-part1-why-steal-them/t5/)
- next →: [The Wind in the Willows, chapter XI, p…, test 7](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/65-willows-ch11-part1-why-steal-them/t7/)
- ↑ 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/)