---
title: Why is «You are old, Father William» funnier if you know Southey's p… — Alice's word games: puns, parodies and… · tree and pragmatics
description: Why is «You are old, Father William» funnier if you know Southey's poem? Test 5 · ★★★ of lesson 41 «Alice's word games: puns, parodies and nonsense» of the language course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of each option; Mova's choice was wrong.
---

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# Test 5 · ★★★ · Alice's word games: puns, parodies and nonsense

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Why is «You are old, Father William» funnier if you know Southey's poem?

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

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 5 · ★★★ of lesson 41 «Alice's word games: puns, parodies and nonsense» of the language 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/language/41-alice-s-word-games-puns-parodies-and-nonsense/#t5).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:41-alice-s-word-games-puns-parodies-and-nonsense:t5:1
# text = Why is «You are old, Father William» funnier if you know Southey's poem?
1	Why	why	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	6	advmod	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	6	cop	_	_
3	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	6	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	You	you	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Person=2|PronType=Prs	6	nsubj	_	_
5	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=2|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	6	cop	_	_
6	old	old	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	9	punct	_	_
8	Father	Father	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	9	compound	_	_
9	William	William	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	6	vocative	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	9	punct	_	_
11	funnier	funny	ADJ	JJR	Degree=Cmp	6	conj	_	_
12	if	if	SCONJ	IN	_	14	mark	_	_
13	you	you	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Person=2|PronType=Prs	14	nsubj	_	_
14	know	know	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=2|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	11	advcl	_	_
15	Southey	Southey	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	17	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
16	's	's	PART	POS	_	15	case	_	_
17	poem	poem	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	14	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
18	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	6	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** *in a quote* | present | You |  |  |  |  | Father William *vocative*; old *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **be** |  | You *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 3 | **know** *a condition, not said to happen* | present | you | Southey's poem |  |  |  |  | vn comprehend-87.2-1-1-1 «NP V NP PP.attribute»: agent=Experiencer poem=Stimulus |

<!-- .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 · ← Mova's choice {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It is not funnier: the two poems are exactly the same

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:41-alice-s-word-games-puns-parodies-and-nonsense:t5:o1:1
# text = It is not funnier: the two poems are exactly the same
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	cop	_	_
3	not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	4	advmod	_	_
4	funnier	funny	ADJ	JJR	Degree=Cmp	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	:	:	PUNCT	:	_	12	punct	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
7	two	two	NUM	CD	NumForm=Word|NumType=Card	8	nummod	_	_
8	poems	poem	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	12	nsubj	_	_
9	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	12	cop	_	_
10	exactly	exactly	ADV	RB	_	12	advmod	_	_
11	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	12	det	_	_
12	same	same	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	conj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **not** **is** | present | It |  |  |  |  | funny *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **is** | present | the two poems |  |  |  |  | exactly, same *property* | tree rules |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Southey's poem was written in old French and nobody in England could understand a word of it

<!-- fold The tree, 18 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:41-alice-s-word-games-puns-parodies-and-nonsense:t5:o2:1
# text = Southey's poem was written in old French and nobody in England could understand a word of it
1	Southey	Southey	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	3	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	's	's	PART	POS	_	1	case	_	_
3	poem	poem	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj:pass	_	_
4	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	5	aux:pass	_	_
5	written	write	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
6	in	in	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	old	old	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	8	amod	_	_
8	French	French	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	5	obl	_	_
9	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	14	cc	_	_
10	nobody	nobody	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Neg	14	nsubj	_	_
11	in	in	ADP	IN	_	12	case	_	_
12	England	England	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	10	nmod	_	_
13	could	could	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	14	aux	_	_
14	understand	understand	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	5	conj	_	_
15	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	16	det	_	_
16	word	word	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	14	obj	_	_
17	of	of	ADP	IN	_	18	case	_	_
18	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	16	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **write** | past · passive |  | Southey's poem |  | old French |  |  | vn scribble-25.2-1 «NP V NP PP.destination»: subject=Theme in french=Destination |
| 2 | **understand** | could | nobody | a word of poem |  |  |  |  | vn comprehend-87.2-1-1-1 «NP V NP PP.attribute»: agent=Experiencer word=Stimulus |
| 3 | **word** |  |  | poem |  |  |  |  | nom word «communication transitive»: of=patient |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The serious old man becomes a silly one who stands on his head

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:41-alice-s-word-games-puns-parodies-and-nonsense:t5:o3:1
# text = The serious old man becomes a silly one who stands on his head
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
2	serious	serious	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	amod	_	_
3	old	old	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	amod	_	_
4	man	man	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj	_	_
5	becomes	become	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
6	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
7	silly	silly	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	8	amod	_	_
8	one	one	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	xcomp	_	_
9	who	who	PRON	WP	PronType=Rel	10	nsubj	_	_
10	stands	stand	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	8	acl:relcl	_	_
11	on	on	ADP	IN	_	13	case	_	_
12	his	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	13	nmod:poss	_	_
13	head	head	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **become** | present | the serious old man | a silly one |  |  |  |  | vn become-109.1-1-1 «NP V PP.attribute»: agent=Patient |
| 2 | **stand** | present | a silly one |  |  | man's head |  |  | vn assuming\_position-50 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Agent on head=Location |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Southey's poem is about a mouse who tells a sad tale

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:41-alice-s-word-games-puns-parodies-and-nonsense:t5:o4:1
# text = Southey's poem is about a mouse who tells a sad tale
1	Southey	Southey	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	3	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	's	's	PART	POS	_	1	case	_	_
3	poem	poem	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	nsubj	_	_
4	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	7	cop	_	_
5	about	about	ADV	RB	_	7	advmod	_	_
6	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	mouse	mouse	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
8	who	who	PRON	WP	PronType=Rel	9	nsubj	_	_
9	tells	tell	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	7	acl:relcl	_	_
10	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	12	det	_	_
11	sad	sad	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	12	amod	_	_
12	tale	tale	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | Southey's poem | a mouse |  |  |  | about *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **tell** *speech: assert* | present | a mouse | a sad tale |  |  |  |  | vn transfer\_mesg-37.1.1-1-1 «NP V NP.recipient»: agent=Agent tale=Recipient |

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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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- ↑ back to [Alice's word games: puns, parodies and nonsense](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/language/41-alice-s-word-games-puns-parodies-and-nonsense/)