---
title: «I'd send Rat, if he wasn't a poet.» What is Badger joking about? — The Wind in the Willows, chapter XII,… · tree and pragmatics
description: «I'd send Rat, if he wasn't a poet.» What is Badger joking about? Test 7 · ★★★ of lesson 71 «The Wind in the Willows, chapter XII, part 2: The Return of Ulysses (four Heroes, five minutes and clean sheets)» of the books course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the 
---

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# Test 7 · ★★★ · The Wind in the Willows, chapter XII, part 2: The Return o…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
«I'd send Rat, if he wasn't a poet.» What is Badger joking about?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 3 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** I, Rat, Badger · **What happens:** send, not be, joke · **To what, where:** Rat, poet

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 7 · ★★★ of lesson 71 «The Wind in the Willows, chapter XII, part 2: The Return of Ulysses (four Heroes, five minutes and clean sheets)» 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/71-willows-ch12-part2-the-battle-of-toad-hall/#t7).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* «I'd send Rat, if he wasn't a poet.»

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:71-willows-ch12-part2-the-battle-of-toad-hall:t7:1
# text = «I'd send Rat, if he wasn't a poet.»
1	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	4	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	I	I	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Sing|Person=1|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	'd	would	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	4	aux	_	_
4	send	send	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
5	Rat	Rat	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	4	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	12	punct	_	_
7	if	if	SCONJ	IN	_	12	mark	_	_
8	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	12	nsubj	_	_
9	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	12	cop	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	n't	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	12	advmod	_	_
11	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	12	det	_	_
12	poet	poet	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	advcl	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
14	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **send** *in a quote* | would | I | Rat |  |  |  |  | vn confine-92-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent rat=Theme |
| 2 | **not** **is a** *a condition, not said to happen, in a quote* | past | Rat | a poet |  |  |  |  | tree rules |

<!-- .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:* What is Badger joking about?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:71-willows-ch12-part2-the-battle-of-toad-hall:t7:2
# text = What is Badger joking about?
1	What	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	4	obj	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	aux	_	_
3	Badger	Badger	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
4	joking	joke	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	_
5	about	about	ADV	RB	_	4	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **joke** *speech: other* | present · progressive | Badger |  |  |  |  | about *property* | tree rules |

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 · ← Mova's choice {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Poets are dreamy and might forget the job, so he's teasing Rat about it

<!-- fold The tree, 15 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:71-willows-ch12-part2-the-battle-of-toad-hall:t7:o1:1
# text = Poets are dreamy and might forget the job, so he's teasing Rat about it
1	Poets	poet	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	nsubj	_	_
2	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	cop	_	_
3	dreamy	dreamy	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
4	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	6	cc	_	_
5	might	might	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	6	aux	_	_
6	forget	forget	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	3	conj	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	job	job	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	13	punct	_	_
10	so	so	ADV	RB	_	13	advmod	_	_
11	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	13	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	's	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	13	aux	_	_
13	teasing	tease	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	3	parataxis	_	_
14	Rat	Rat	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	13	obj	_	_
15	about	about	ADP	IN	_	16	case	_	_
16	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	13	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | Poets |  |  |  |  | dreamy *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **forget** | might | Poets *not said here* | the job |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 3 | **tease** | present · progressive | he | Rat |  |  |  | about job | vn bully-59.5 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent rat=Patient |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Badger is joking that Rat would write poems instead of guarding the stoats

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:71-willows-ch12-part2-the-battle-of-toad-hall:t7:o2:1
# text = Badger is joking that Rat would write poems instead of guarding the stoats
1	Badger	Badger	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	aux	_	_
3	joking	joke	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	_
4	that	that	SCONJ	IN	_	7	mark	_	_
5	Rat	Rat	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	7	nsubj	_	_
6	would	would	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	7	aux	_	_
7	write	write	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	3	xcomp	_	_
8	poems	poem	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	7	obj	_	_
9	instead	instead	ADV	RB	ExtPos=SCONJ	11	mark	_	_
10	of	of	ADP	IN	_	9	fixed	_	_
11	guarding	guard	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	7	advcl	_	_
12	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	13	det	_	_
13	stoats	stoat	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	11	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **joke** *speech: other* | present · progressive | Badger |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **write** | would | Rat | poems |  |  |  |  | vn scribble-25.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent poem=Theme |
| 3 | **guard** | gerund | Rat *not said here* | the stoats |  |  |  |  | vn defend-72.3 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent stoat=Beneficiary |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Poets are dreamy and might forget the job

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:71-willows-ch12-part2-the-battle-of-toad-hall:t7:o3:1
# text = Poets are dreamy and might forget the job
1	Poets	poet	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	nsubj	_	_
2	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	cop	_	_
3	dreamy	dreamy	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
4	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	6	cc	_	_
5	might	might	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	6	aux	_	_
6	forget	forget	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	3	conj	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	job	job	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | Poets |  |  |  |  | dreamy *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **forget** | might | Poets *not said here* | the job |  |  |  |  | tree rules |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Rats are poor sentries at night

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:71-willows-ch12-part2-the-battle-of-toad-hall:t7:o4:1
# text = Rats are poor sentries at night
1	Rats	rat	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	nsubj	_	_
2	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	cop	_	_
3	poor	poor	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	amod	_	_
4	sentries	sentry	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	0	root	_	_
5	at	at	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
6	night	night	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | Rats | poor sentries |  |  | night |  | tree rules |

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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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- ↑ back to [The Wind in the Willows, chapter XII, part 2: The Return of Ulysses (four Heroes, five minutes and clean sheets)](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/71-willows-ch12-part2-the-battle-of-toad-hall/)