---
title: What would have happened if the pebbles had stayed pebbles? — Alice in Wonderland, chapter IV, part… · tree and pragmatics
description: What would have happened if the pebbles had stayed pebbles? Test 4 · ★★ of lesson 8 «Alice in Wonderland, chapter IV, part 2: Little Bill, the pebbles and the puppy» of the books course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of each option; Mova's choic
---

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# Test 4 · ★★ · Alice in Wonderland, chapter IV, part 2: Little Bill, the…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
What would have happened if the pebbles had stayed pebbles?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 4 · **The right answer:** option 2 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** pebbles · **What happens:** happen, stay · **To what, where:** pebbles

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 4 · ★★ of lesson 8 «Alice in Wonderland, chapter IV, part 2: Little Bill, the pebbles and the puppy» 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/8-alice-ch4-part2-little-bill/#t4).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:8-alice-ch4-part2-little-bill:t4:1
# text = What would have happened if the pebbles had stayed pebbles?
1	What	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	4	nsubj	_	_
2	would	would	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	4	aux	_	_
3	have	have	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	4	aux	_	_
4	happened	happen	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	_
5	if	if	SCONJ	IN	_	9	mark	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	pebbles	pebble	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	9	nsubj	_	_
8	had	have	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	9	aux	_	_
9	stayed	stay	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part	4	advcl	_	_
10	pebbles	pebble	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	9	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **happen** | would · perfect |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn occur-48.3-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 2 | **stay** *a condition, not said to happen* | past · perfect | the pebbles | pebbles |  |  |  |  | vn lodge-46 «NP V ADV»: agent=Theme pebble=Location |

<!-- .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 -->
The pebbles would have rolled out the window and Alice would have been trapped in the wood with the puppy and the caterpillar

<!-- fold The tree, 23 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:8-alice-ch4-part2-little-bill:t4:o1:1
# text = The pebbles would have rolled out the window and Alice would have been trapped in the wood with the puppy and the caterpillar
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	pebbles	pebble	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	nsubj:pass	_	_
3	would	would	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	5	aux	_	_
4	have	have	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	5	aux	_	_
5	rolled	roll	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
6	out	out	ADP	RP	_	5	compound:prt	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	window	window	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obl	_	_
9	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	14	cc	_	_
10	Alice	Alice	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	14	nsubj:pass	_	_
11	would	would	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	14	aux	_	_
12	have	have	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	14	aux	_	_
13	been	be	AUX	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part	14	aux:pass	_	_
14	trapped	trap	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	5	conj	_	_
15	in	in	ADP	IN	_	17	case	_	_
16	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	17	det	_	_
17	wood	wood	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	14	obl	_	_
18	with	with	ADP	IN	_	20	case	_	_
19	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	20	det	_	_
20	puppy	puppy	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	17	nmod	_	_
21	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	23	cc	_	_
22	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	23	det	_	_
23	caterpillar	caterpillar	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	17	conj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **roll out** | would · perfect · passive |  | the pebbles |  |  |  | the window *obl* | vn run-51.3.2-2 «NP V NP»: subject=Agent |
| 2 | **trap** | would · perfect · passive |  | Alice |  | the wood with the puppy and the caterpillar |  |  | vn pocket-9.10 «NP V NP PP.destination»: subject=Theme in wood=Destination |

### Option 2 · ✓ the right answer {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Alice would have had no cake and stayed stuck

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:8-alice-ch4-part2-little-bill:t4:o2:1
# text = Alice would have had no cake and stayed stuck
1	Alice	Alice	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
2	would	would	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	4	aux	_	_
3	have	have	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	4	aux	_	_
4	had	have	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	_
5	no	no	DET	DT	PronType=Neg	6	det	_	_
6	cake	cake	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obj	_	_
7	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	8	cc	_	_
8	stayed	stay	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	4	conj	_	_
9	stuck	stuck	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	8	xcomp	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **have** | would · perfect | Alice | no cake |  |  |  |  | vn birth-28.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent cake=Patient |
| 2 | **stay** | past | Alice *not said here* |  |  |  |  | stuck *property* | vn exist-47.1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
She would have kept her size and no cake

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:8-alice-ch4-part2-little-bill:t4:o3:1
# text = She would have kept her size and no cake
1	She	she	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj	_	_
2	would	would	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	4	aux	_	_
3	have	have	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	4	aux	_	_
4	kept	keep	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	_
5	her	her	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	6	nmod:poss	_	_
6	size	size	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obj	_	_
7	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	9	cc	_	_
8	no	no	DET	DT	PronType=Neg	9	det	_	_
9	cake	cake	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	conj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **keep** | would · perfect | She | her size and no cake |  |  |  |  | vn keep-15.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent size=Theme |

### Option 4 · ← Mova's choice {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Alice would have had no cake to eat, so she could never shrink or grow again, and would be stuck forever

<!-- fold The tree, 21 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:8-alice-ch4-part2-little-bill:t4:o4:1
# text = Alice would have had no cake to eat, so she could never shrink or grow again, and would be stuck forever
1	Alice	Alice	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
2	would	would	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	4	aux	_	_
3	have	have	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	4	aux	_	_
4	had	have	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	_
5	no	no	DET	DT	PronType=Neg	6	det	_	_
6	cake	cake	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obj	_	_
7	to	to	PART	TO	_	8	mark	_	_
8	eat	eat	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	6	acl	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	14	punct	_	_
10	so	so	ADV	RB	_	14	advmod	_	_
11	she	she	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	14	nsubj	_	_
12	could	could	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	14	aux	_	_
13	never	never	ADV	RB	PronType=Neg	14	advmod	_	_
14	shrink	shrink	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	4	parataxis	_	_
15	or	or	CCONJ	CC	_	16	cc	_	_
16	grow	grow	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	14	conj	_	_
17	again	again	ADV	RB	_	16	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
18	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	22	punct	_	_
19	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	22	cc	_	_
20	would	would	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	22	aux	_	_
21	be	be	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	22	cop	_	_
22	stuck	stuck	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	conj	_	_
23	forever	forever	ADV	RB	_	22	advmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **have** | would · perfect | Alice | no cake |  |  |  |  | vn birth-28.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent cake=Patient |
| 2 | **eat** | to-infinitive | Alice *not said here* | no cake *not said here* |  |  |  |  | vn eat-39.1-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 3 | **not** **shrink** | could | Alice |  |  |  |  |  | vn bend-45.2 «NP.patient V»: agent=Patient |
| 4 | **grow** | infinitive | Alice *not said here* |  |  |  | again |  | vn appear-48.1.1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 5 | **is** | would | Alice *not said here* |  |  |  |  | forever, stuck *property* | 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.

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- ← previous: [Alice in Wonderland, chapter IV, part…, test 3](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/8-alice-ch4-part2-little-bill/t3/)
- next →: [Alice in Wonderland, chapter IV, part…, test 5](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/8-alice-ch4-part2-little-bill/t5/)
- ↑ back to [Alice in Wonderland, chapter IV, part 2: Little Bill, the pebbles and the puppy](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/8-alice-ch4-part2-little-bill/)