---
title: The potsherds were roasting the tree, huh? — Andersen tales, Ole the Tower-Keeper,… · tree and pragmatics
description: The potsherds were roasting the tree, huh? Test 5 · ★ of lesson 930 «Andersen tales, Ole the Tower-Keeper, part 141: Ole explains the six glasses, the tree in the dust-cart, and Death's omnibus» of the books course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and
---

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# Test 5 · ★ · Andersen tales, Ole the Tower-Keeper, part 141: Ole explai…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The potsherds were roasting the tree, huh?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 3 · **The right answer:** option 1 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** potsherds · **What happens:** roast · **To what, where:** tree

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 5 · ★ of lesson 930 «Andersen tales, Ole the Tower-Keeper, part 141: Ole explains the six glasses, the tree in the dust-cart, and Death's omnibus» 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/930-pg27200-part141/#t5).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:930-pg27200-part141:t5:1
# text = The potsherds were roasting the tree, huh?
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	potsherds	potsherd	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	nsubj	_	_
3	were	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	4	aux	_	_
4	roasting	roast	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	tree	tree	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	8	punct	_	_
8	huh	huh	INTJ	UH	_	4	discourse	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **roast** | past · progressive | the potsherds | the tree |  |  |  |  | vn cooking-45.3 «NP V NP.patient»: agent=Agent tree=Patient |

<!-- .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 -->
Yep, they said it was stupid and a green stick

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:930-pg27200-part141:t5:o1:1
# text = Yep, they said it was stupid and a green stick
1	Yep	yep	INTJ	UH	_	4	discourse	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	1	punct	_	_
3	they	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj	_	_
4	said	say	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
5	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	7	nsubj	_	_
6	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	7	cop	_	_
7	stupid	stupid	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	ccomp	_	_
8	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	11	cc	_	_
9	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
10	green	green	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	11	amod	_	_
11	stick	stick	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	conj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **say** *speech: assert* | past | they |  |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **is** | past | it |  |  |  |  | stupid *property* | tree rules |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Yeah, they said it was foolish and too green

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:930-pg27200-part141:t5:o2:1
# text = Yeah, they said it was foolish and too green
1	Yeah	yeah	INTJ	UH	_	4	discourse	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	1	punct	_	_
3	they	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj	_	_
4	said	say	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
5	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	7	nsubj	_	_
6	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	7	cop	_	_
7	foolish	foolish	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	ccomp	_	_
8	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	10	cc	_	_
9	too	too	ADV	RB	_	10	advmod	_	_
10	green	green	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	7	conj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **say** *speech: assert* | past | they |  |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **is** | past | it |  |  |  |  | foolish *property* | tree rules |
| 3 | **be** |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |

### Option 3 · ← Mova's choice {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Nope, they said it was a fine tree

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:930-pg27200-part141:t5:o3:1
# text = Nope, they said it was a fine tree
1	Nope	nope	INTJ	UH	_	4	discourse	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	1	punct	_	_
3	they	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj	_	_
4	said	say	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
5	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	9	nsubj	_	_
6	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	9	cop	_	_
7	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
8	fine	fine	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	9	amod	_	_
9	tree	tree	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	ccomp	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **say** *speech: assert* | past | they |  |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **is a** | past | it | a fine tree |  |  |  |  | tree rules |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Yep, they said it was stupid and a green stick, and they laughed at it while the fire roared in the old stove all night long

<!-- fold The tree, 26 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:930-pg27200-part141:t5:o4:1
# text = Yep, they said it was stupid and a green stick, and they laughed at it while the fire roared in the old stove all night long
1	Yep	yep	INTJ	UH	_	4	discourse	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	1	punct	_	_
3	they	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj	_	_
4	said	say	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
5	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	7	nsubj	_	_
6	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	7	cop	_	_
7	stupid	stupid	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	ccomp	_	_
8	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	11	cc	_	_
9	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
10	green	green	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	11	amod	_	_
11	stick	stick	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	15	punct	_	_
13	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	15	cc	_	_
14	they	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	15	nsubj	_	_
15	laughed	laugh	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	4	conj	_	_
16	at	at	ADP	IN	_	17	case	_	_
17	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	15	obl	_	_
18	while	while	SCONJ	IN	_	21	mark	_	_
19	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	20	det	_	_
20	fire	fire	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	21	nsubj	_	_
21	roared	roar	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	15	advcl	_	_
22	in	in	ADP	IN	_	25	case	_	_
23	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	25	det	_	_
24	old	old	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	25	amod	_	_
25	stove	stove	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	21	obl	_	_
26	all	all	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	27	det	_	_
27	night	night	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	21	obl:unmarked	_	_
28	long	long	ADV	RB	Degree=Pos	21	advmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **say** *speech: assert* | past | they |  |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **is** | past | it |  |  |  |  | stupid *property* | tree rules |
| 3 | **laugh** | past | they |  |  | stick |  |  | vn nonverbal\_expression-40.2 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 4 | **roar** | past | the fire |  |  | the old stove | night | long *property* | vn sound\_emission-43.2 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Theme in stove=Location |

<!-- 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 -->

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- ← previous: [Andersen tales, Ole the Tower-Keeper,…, test 4](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/930-pg27200-part141/t4/)
- next →: [Andersen tales, Ole the Tower-Keeper,…, test 6](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/930-pg27200-part141/t6/)
- ↑ back to [Andersen tales, Ole the Tower-Keeper, part 141: Ole explains the six glasses, the tree in the dust-cart, and Death's omnibus](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/930-pg27200-part141/)