---
title: According to the parlor-cat, what did the kiss between Rudy and Babe… — Andersen's Tales, The Ice Maiden, part… · tree and pragmatics
description: According to the parlor-cat, what did the kiss between Rudy and Babette signify in the presence of the miller? Exam question 3 of lesson 860 «Andersen's Tales, The Ice Maiden, part 71: Rudy captures the eaglet and brings it to the mill, while the Ice Maiden mocks the railway» of the books course of 
---

<!-- md -->
[Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/860-pg27200-part71/e3/)

<!-- crumbs -->
[home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [corpora](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/) / [questions](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/) / [Books](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/) / [Andersen's Tales, The Ice Maiden, part…](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/860-pg27200-part71/) / e3

# Exam question 3 · Andersen's Tales, The Ice Maiden, part 71: Rudy captures t…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
According to the parlor-cat, what did the kiss between Rudy and Babette signify in the presence of the miller?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 4 · **The right answer:** option 3 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** kiss · **What happens:** accord, do, signify

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 3 of lesson 860 «Andersen's Tales, The Ice Maiden, part 71: Rudy captures the eaglet and brings it to the mill, while the Ice Maiden mocks the railway» 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/860-pg27200-part71/#e3).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:860-pg27200-part71:e3:1
# text = According to the parlor-cat, what did the kiss between Rudy and Babette signify in the presence of the miller?
1	According	accord	VERB	VBG	ExtPos=ADP|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	6	case	_	_
2	to	to	ADP	IN	_	1	fixed	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
4	parlor	parlor	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	compound	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	-	-	PUNCT	HYPH	_	4	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	cat	cat	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	9	punct	_	_
8	what	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	9	nsubj	_	_
9	did	do	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
10	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
11	kiss	kiss	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	16	nsubj	_	_
12	between	between	ADP	IN	_	13	case	_	_
13	Rudy	Rudy	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	11	nmod	_	_
14	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	15	cc	_	_
15	Babette	Babette	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	13	conj	_	_
16	signify	signify	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	9	parataxis	_	_
17	in	in	ADP	IN	_	19	case	_	_
18	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	19	det	_	_
19	presence	presence	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	16	obl	_	_
20	of	of	ADP	IN	_	22	case	_	_
21	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	22	det	_	_
22	miller	miller	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	19	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
23	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	9	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **accord** | gerund |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn future\_having-13.3 «NP V NP.theme (PP)»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **do** | past |  |  |  |  |  | accord the parlor cat | vn act-114-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 3 | **signify** | present | the kiss between Rudy and Babette |  |  |  |  | in the presence of the miller | vn representation-110.1 «NP V NP PP.attribute»: agent=Pivot in presence=Attribute |

<!-- .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 -->
It meant nothing, dear.

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:860-pg27200-part71:e3:o1:1
# text = It meant nothing, dear.
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	meant	mean	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	nothing	nothing	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Neg	2	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	5	punct	_	_
5	dear	dear	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	amod	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **mean** | past | It | nothing |  |  |  |  | vn intend-61.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent nothing=Topic |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It showed a fondness, which the miller could not quite approve of at all.

<!-- fold The tree, 14 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:860-pg27200-part71:e3:o2:1
# text = It showed a fondness, which the miller could not quite approve of at all.
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	showed	show	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	fondness	fondness	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	12	punct	_	_
6	which	which	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	12	obj	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	miller	miller	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	nsubj	_	_
9	could	could	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	12	aux	_	_
10	not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	12	advmod	_	_
11	quite	quite	ADV	RB	_	12	advmod	_	_
12	approve	approve	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	4	acl:relcl	_	_
13	of	of	ADP	IN	_	15	case	_	_
14	at	at	ADP	IN	_	15	case	_	_
15	all	all	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	12	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
16	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **show** | past | It | a fondness |  |  |  |  | vn transfer\_mesg-37.1.1-1-1 «NP V NP.recipient»: agent=Agent fondness=Recipient |
| 2 | **not** **approve** | could | the miller | a fondness |  |  |  | of all | vn allow-64.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent which=Beneficiary |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It signified an engagement, which was as good as a formal betrothal.

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:860-pg27200-part71:e3:o3:1
# text = It signified an engagement, which was as good as a formal betrothal.
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	signified	signify	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	an	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	engagement	engagement	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	9	punct	_	_
6	which	which	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	9	nsubj	_	_
7	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	9	cop	_	_
8	as	as	ADV	RB	_	9	advmod	_	_
9	good	good	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	acl:relcl	_	_
10	as	as	ADP	IN	_	13	case	_	_
11	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	13	det	_	_
12	formal	formal	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	13	amod	_	_
13	betrothal	betrothal	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
14	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **signify** | past | It | a engagement |  |  |  |  | vn representation-110.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Pivot engagement=Theme |
| 2 | **is** | past | a engagement |  |  |  |  | as a formal betrothal; good *property* | tree rules |

### Option 4 · ← Mova's choice {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A simple friendly greeting.

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:860-pg27200-part71:e3:o4:1
# text = A simple friendly greeting.
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
2	simple	simple	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	amod	_	_
3	friendly	friendly	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	amod	_	_
4	greeting	greeting	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

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

<!-- div src -->

**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 -->

<!-- pn -->
- ← previous: [Andersen's Tales, The Ice Maiden, part…, exam 2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/860-pg27200-part71/e2/)
- next →: [Andersen's Tales, The Ice Maiden, part…, exam 4](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/860-pg27200-part71/e4/)
- ↑ back to [Andersen's Tales, The Ice Maiden, part 71: Rudy captures the eaglet and brings it to the mill, while the Ice Maiden mocks the railway](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/860-pg27200-part71/)