---
title: The Hatter's riddle has no answer. Why might Carroll have written a… — Alice's word games: puns, parodies and… · tree and pragmatics
description: The Hatter's riddle has no answer. Why might Carroll have written a riddle like that? Test 6 · ★★★ 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
---

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# Test 6 · ★★★ · Alice's word games: puns, parodies and nonsense

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The Hatter's riddle has no answer. Why might Carroll have written a riddle like that?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 2 · **The right answer:** option 4 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** riddle, Hatter · **What happens:** have, riddle, write · **To what, where:** answer, Carroll

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 6 · ★★★ 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/#t6).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* The Hatter's riddle has no answer.

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:41-alice-s-word-games-puns-parodies-and-nonsense:t6:1
# text = The Hatter's riddle has no answer.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	Hatter	Hatter	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	4	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	's	's	PART	POS	_	2	case	_	_
4	riddle	riddle	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj	_	_
5	has	have	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
6	no	no	DET	DT	PronType=Neg	7	det	_	_
7	answer	answer	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **have** | present | the Hatter's riddle | no answer |  |  |  |  | vn birth-28.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent answer=Patient |
| 2 | **riddle** |  | the Hatter |  |  |  |  |  | nom riddle «communication intransitive»: poss=agent |

<!-- .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.

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 2:* Why might Carroll have written a riddle like that?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:41-alice-s-word-games-puns-parodies-and-nonsense:t6:2
# text = Why might Carroll have written a riddle like that?
1	Why	why	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	5	advmod	_	_
2	might	might	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	5	aux	_	_
3	Carroll	Carroll	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	5	nsubj:pass	_	_
4	have	have	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	aux	_	_
5	written	write	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
6	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	riddle	riddle	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obj	_	_
8	like	like	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
9	that	that	PRON	DT	Number=Sing|PronType=Dem	5	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **write** | might · perfect · passive |  | Carroll |  |  |  | like that | vn transfer\_mesg-37.1.1-1-1 «NP V NP-Dative NP»: subject=Recipient riddle=Topic |

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Because the answer was a secret only Alice Liddell knew

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:41-alice-s-word-games-puns-parodies-and-nonsense:t6:o1:1
# text = Because the answer was a secret only Alice Liddell knew
1	Because	because	SCONJ	IN	_	6	mark	_	_
2	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
3	answer	answer	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nsubj	_	_
4	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	6	cop	_	_
5	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	secret	secret	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	nsubj	_	_
7	only	only	ADV	RB	_	8	advmod	_	_
8	Alice	Alice	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	6	appos	_	_
9	Liddell	Liddell	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	8	flat	_	_
10	knew	know	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | past | the answer | a secret |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **know** | past | a secret |  |  |  |  |  | vn comprehend-87.2-1-1-1 «NP V»: agent=Experiencer |

### Option 2 · ← Mova's choice {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Because he forgot the answer while he was writing the book and never found his notes again

<!-- fold The tree, 17 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:41-alice-s-word-games-puns-parodies-and-nonsense:t6:o2:1
# text = Because he forgot the answer while he was writing the book and never found his notes again
1	Because	because	SCONJ	IN	_	3	mark	_	_
2	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj	_	_
3	forgot	forget	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	answer	answer	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	_
6	while	while	SCONJ	IN	_	9	mark	_	_
7	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	9	nsubj	_	_
8	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	9	aux	_	_
9	writing	write	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	3	advcl	_	_
10	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
11	book	book	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	obj	_	_
12	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	14	cc	_	_
13	never	never	ADV	RB	PronType=Neg	14	advmod	_	_
14	found	find	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	3	conj	_	_
15	his	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	16	nmod:poss	_	_
16	notes	note	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	14	obj	_	_
17	again	again	ADV	RB	_	14	advmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **forget** | past | he | the answer |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **write** | past · progressive | he | the book |  |  |  |  | vn scribble-25.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent book=Theme |
| 3 | **not** **find** | past | he *not said here* | his notes |  |  | again |  | vn discover-84 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent note=Topic |
| 4 | **note** |  | his *= he* |  |  |  |  |  | nom note «communication transitive»: poss=agent |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Because riddles were against the law in Victorian England

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:41-alice-s-word-games-puns-parodies-and-nonsense:t6:o3:1
# text = Because riddles were against the law in Victorian England
1	Because	because	SCONJ	IN	_	6	mark	_	_
2	riddles	riddle	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	6	nsubj	_	_
3	were	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	6	cop	_	_
4	against	against	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	law	law	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
7	in	in	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
8	Victorian	Victorian	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	9	compound	_	_
9	England	England	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	6	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | past | riddles |  |  | Victorian England |  | against the law | tree rules |

### Option 4 · ✓ the right answer {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
To show that Wonderland talk often sounds clever but means nothing

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:41-alice-s-word-games-puns-parodies-and-nonsense:t6:o4:1
# text = To show that Wonderland talk often sounds clever but means nothing
1	To	to	PART	TO	_	2	mark	_	_
2	show	show	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	that	that	SCONJ	IN	_	7	mark	_	_
4	Wonderland	Wonderland	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	5	compound	_	_
5	talk	talk	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	nsubj	_	_
6	often	often	ADV	RB	_	7	advmod	_	_
7	sounds	sound	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	2	ccomp	_	_
8	clever	clever	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	7	xcomp	_	_
9	but	but	CCONJ	CC	_	10	cc	_	_
10	means	mean	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	7	conj	_	_
11	nothing	nothing	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Neg	10	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **show** | to-infinitive |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn transfer\_mesg-37.1.1-1-1 «NP V how S»: agent=Agent clause=Topic |
| 2 | **sound** | present | Wonderland talk |  |  |  |  | clever, often *property* | vn stimulus\_subject-30.4 «NP V ADJ»: agent=Stimulus |
| 3 | **mean** | present | Wonderland talk *not said here* | nothing |  |  |  |  | vn intend-61.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent nothing=Topic |

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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's word games: puns, parodies and…, test 5](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/language/41-alice-s-word-games-puns-parodies-and-nonsense/t5/)
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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/)