---
title: ok, lizards in the tree gossiping, what were they on about? — Andersen, The Flower Vase and The Elfi… · tree and pragmatics
description: ok, lizards in the tree gossiping, what were they on about? Test 6 · ★ of lesson 822 «Andersen, The Flower Vase and The Elfin Hill, part 33: the wicked brother dies, the bees punish him, and the elves prepare a grand feast» of the books course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and p
---

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# Test 6 · ★ · Andersen, The Flower Vase and The Elfin Hill, part 33: the…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
ok, lizards in the tree gossiping, what were they on about?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 2 · **The right answer:** option 1 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** tree, lizards · **What happens:** gossip, be · **To what, where:** lizards

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 6 · ★ of lesson 822 «Andersen, The Flower Vase and The Elfin Hill, part 33: the wicked brother dies, the bees punish him, and the elves prepare a grand feast» 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/822-pg27200-part33/#t6).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:822-pg27200-part33:t6:1
# text = ok, lizards in the tree gossiping, what were they on about?
1	ok	ok	INTJ	UH	_	3	discourse	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	1	punct	_	_
3	lizards	lizard	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	11	nsubj	_	_
4	in	in	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	tree	tree	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nmod	_	_
7	gossiping	gossip	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	6	acl	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	11	punct	_	_
9	what	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	11	nsubj	_	_
10	were	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	11	cop	_	_
11	they	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	0	root	_	_
12	on	on	ADP	IN	_	13	case	_	_
13	about	about	ADV	RB	_	11	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
14	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	11	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **gossip** *speech: other* | gerund | the tree *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn chit\_chat-37.6 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **is a** | past | lizards in the tree | lizards *= lizard* |  |  |  |  | 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.

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 · ✓ the right answer {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Loads of buzzing at the elfin hill

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:822-pg27200-part33:t6:o1:1
# text = Loads of buzzing at the elfin hill
1	Loads	load	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	0	root	_	_
2	of	of	SCONJ	IN	_	3	mark	_	_
3	buzzing	buzz	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	1	acl	_	_
4	at	at	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
6	elfin	elfin	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	compound	_	_
7	hill	hill	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **buzz** | gerund | Loads *not said here* |  |  |  |  | at the elfin hill | vn animal\_sounds-38 «NP V PP.stimulus»: agent=Agent at hill=Stimulus |

### Option 2 · ← Mova's choice {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
They were gossiping about the elf king's wedding feast and the odd smell coming from the old tree roots

<!-- fold The tree, 20 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:822-pg27200-part33:t6:o2:1
# text = They were gossiping about the elf king's wedding feast and the odd smell coming from the old tree roots
1	They	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj	_	_
2	were	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	3	aux	_	_
3	gossiping	gossip	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	_
4	about	about	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
6	elf	elf	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	compound	_	_
7	king	king	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	's	's	PART	POS	_	7	case	_	_
9	wedding	wedding	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	compound	_	_
10	feast	feast	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	_
11	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	14	cc	_	_
12	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	14	det	_	_
13	odd	odd	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	14	amod	_	_
14	smell	smell	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	conj	_	_
15	coming	come	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	14	acl	_	_
16	from	from	ADP	IN	_	20	case	_	_
17	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	20	det	_	_
18	old	old	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	20	amod	_	_
19	tree	tree	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	20	compound	_	_
20	roots	root	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	15	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **gossip** *speech: other* | past · progressive | They |  |  |  |  | about the elf king's wedding feast and the odd smell | vn chit\_chat-37.6 «NP V PP.topic»: agent=Agent about feast=Topic |
| 2 | **come** | gerund | the odd smell *not said here* |  |  | the old tree roots |  |  | vn escape-51.1-1 «NP V PP.initial\_location»: agent=Theme from root=Initial\_Location |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Loads of chatter about the goblin

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:822-pg27200-part33:t6:o3:1
# text = Loads of chatter about the goblin
1	Loads	load	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	0	root	_	_
2	of	of	ADP	IN	_	3	case	_	_
3	chatter	chatter	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	nmod	_	_
4	about	about	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	goblin	goblin	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nmod	_	_
```

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

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Loads of buzzing and rumbling at the elfin hill, which kept the first one awake all night long

<!-- fold The tree, 18 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:822-pg27200-part33:t6:o4:1
# text = Loads of buzzing and rumbling at the elfin hill, which kept the first one awake all night long
1	Loads	load	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	12	nsubj	_	_
2	of	of	ADP	IN	_	3	case	_	_
3	buzzing	buzzing	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	nmod	_	_
4	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	5	cc	_	_
5	rumbling	rumble	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	3	conj	_	_
6	at	at	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
8	elfin	elfin	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	compound	_	_
9	hill	hill	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	12	punct	_	_
11	which	which	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	12	nsubj	_	_
12	kept	keep	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
13	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	15	det	_	_
14	first	first	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos|NumForm=Word|NumType=Ord	15	amod	_	_
15	one	one	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	obj	_	_
16	awake	awake	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	12	xcomp	_	_
17	all	all	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	18	det	_	_
18	night	night	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	obl:unmarked	_	_
19	long	long	ADV	RB	Degree=Pos	12	advmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **rumble** | gerund | Loads of buzzing *not said here* |  |  | the elfin hill |  |  | vn sound\_emission-43.2 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Theme at hill=Location |
| 2 | **keep** | past | Loads of buzzing | the first one |  |  | night | awake, long *property* | vn keep-15.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent one=Theme |

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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: [Andersen, The Flower Vase and The Elfi…, test 5](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/822-pg27200-part33/t5/)
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- ↑ back to [Andersen, The Flower Vase and The Elfin Hill, part 33: the wicked brother dies, the bees punish him, and the elves prepare a grand feast](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/822-pg27200-part33/)