---
title: A Victorian boatman says one horse on the towpath does the work of f… — Rivers, canals and boats: locks, weirs… · tree and pragmatics
description: A Victorian boatman says one horse on the towpath does the work of fifteen horses with carts. How can that be? Test 2 · ★★ of lesson 41 «Rivers, canals and boats: locks, weirs, water-mills, barges and how not to tip a rowing boat» of the technology course of Mova's primary school, with the dependenc
---

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# Test 2 · ★★ · Rivers, canals and boats: locks, weirs, water-mills, barge…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A Victorian boatman says one horse on the towpath does the work of fifteen horses with carts. How can that be?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 2 · **The right answer:** option 2 · right ✓ · **Who acts:** Victorian boatman, one horse, fifteen horses, that · **What happens:** say, do, work, be · **To what, where:** work · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 2 · ★★ of lesson 41 «Rivers, canals and boats: locks, weirs, water-mills, barges and how not to tip a rowing boat» of the technology 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/technology/41-rivers-canals-and-boats-locks-weirs-water-mills-barges-and-how-not-to-tip-a-rowing-boat/#t2).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* A Victorian boatman says one horse on the towpath does the work of fifteen horses with carts.

```conllu
# sent_id = question:technology:41-rivers-canals-and-boats-locks-weirs-water-mills-barges-and-how-not-to-tip-a-rowing-boat:t2:1
# text = A Victorian boatman says one horse on the towpath does the work of fifteen horses with carts.
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
2	Victorian	victorian	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	amod	_	_
3	boatman	boatman	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
4	says	say	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
5	one	one	NUM	CD	NumForm=Word|NumType=Card	6	nummod	_	_
6	horse	horse	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	nsubj	_	_
7	on	on	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	towpath	towpath	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nmod	_	_
10	does	do	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	ccomp	_	_
11	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	12	det	_	_
12	work	work	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	obj	_	_
13	of	of	ADP	IN	_	15	case	_	_
14	fifteen	fifteen	NUM	CD	NumForm=Word|NumType=Card	15	nummod	_	_
15	horses	horse	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	12	nmod	_	_
16	with	with	ADP	IN	_	17	case	_	_
17	carts	cart	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	15	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
18	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **say** *speech: assert* | present | a Victorian boatman |  |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent clause=Topic |
| 2 | **do** | present | one horse on the towpath | the work of fifteen horses with carts |  |  |  |  | vn act-114-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent work=Eventuality |
| 3 | **work** |  | fifteen horses with carts |  |  |  |  |  | nom work «act intransitive»: of=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:* How can that be?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:technology:41-rivers-canals-and-boats-locks-weirs-water-mills-barges-and-how-not-to-tip-a-rowing-boat:t2:2
# text = How can that be?
1	How	how	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	4	advmod	_	_
2	can	can	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	4	aux	_	_
3	that	that	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	4	nsubj	_	_
4	be	be	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **can** | can | that |  |  |  |  |  | vn exist-47.1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It was a lie, as boats are much harder to pull than carts

```conllu
# sent_id = question:technology:41-rivers-canals-and-boats-locks-weirs-water-mills-barges-and-how-not-to-tip-a-rowing-boat:t2:o1:1
# text = It was a lie, as boats are much harder to pull than carts
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj	_	_
2	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	4	cop	_	_
3	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	lie	lie	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	10	punct	_	_
6	as	as	SCONJ	IN	_	10	mark	_	_
7	boats	boat	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	10	nsubj	_	_
8	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	10	cop	_	_
9	much	much	ADV	RB	_	10	advmod	_	_
10	harder	hard	ADJ	JJR	Degree=Cmp	4	parataxis	_	_
11	to	to	PART	TO	_	12	mark	_	_
12	pull	pull	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	10	xcomp	_	_
13	than	than	ADP	IN	_	14	case	_	_
14	carts	cart	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	12	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | past | It | a lie |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **is** | present | boats |  |  |  |  | hard *property* | tree rules |
| 3 | **pull** | to-infinitive | boats *not said here* |  |  |  |  | than carts | vn slide-11.2 «NP V»: agent=Theme |

### Option 2 · ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A horse can pull about 30 tonnes by boat but about 2 tonnes by cart

<!-- fold The tree, 15 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:technology:41-rivers-canals-and-boats-locks-weirs-water-mills-barges-and-how-not-to-tip-a-rowing-boat:t2:o2:1
# text = A horse can pull about 30 tonnes by boat but about 2 tonnes by cart
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	horse	horse	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
3	can	can	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	4	aux	_	_
4	pull	pull	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
5	about	about	ADV	RB	_	6	advmod	_	_
6	30	30	NUM	CD	NumForm=Digit|NumType=Card	7	nummod	_	_
7	tonnes	tonne	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	obj	_	_
8	by	by	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
9	boat	boat	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obl	_	_
10	but	but	CCONJ	CC	_	13	cc	_	_
11	about	about	ADV	RB	_	12	advmod	_	_
12	2	2	NUM	CD	NumForm=Digit|NumType=Card	13	nummod	_	_
13	tonnes	tonne	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	conj	_	_
14	by	by	ADP	IN	_	15	case	_	_
15	cart	cart	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **pull about** | can | a horse | 30 tonnes |  |  |  | by boat; by cart | vn push-12-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent tonne=Theme |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The boat had fifteen more horses hidden inside it

```conllu
# sent_id = question:technology:41-rivers-canals-and-boats-locks-weirs-water-mills-barges-and-how-not-to-tip-a-rowing-boat:t2:o3:1
# text = The boat had fifteen more horses hidden inside it
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	boat	boat	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	had	have	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	fifteen	fifteen	NUM	CD	NumForm=Word|NumType=Card	6	nummod	_	_
5	more	more	ADJ	JJR	Degree=Cmp	6	amod	_	_
6	horses	horse	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	obj	_	_
7	hidden	hide	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	6	acl	_	_
8	inside	inside	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
9	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	7	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **have** | past | the boat | fifteen more horses |  |  |  |  | vn birth-28.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent horse=Patient |
| 2 | **hide** | participle |  | fifteen more horses *not said here* |  | boat |  |  | vn concealment-16-1 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Agent inside it=Location |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Canal horses ate fifteen times as much food as other horses

```conllu
# sent_id = question:technology:41-rivers-canals-and-boats-locks-weirs-water-mills-barges-and-how-not-to-tip-a-rowing-boat:t2:o4:1
# text = Canal horses ate fifteen times as much food as other horses
1	Canal	Canal	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	2	compound	_	_
2	horses	horse	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	nsubj	_	_
3	ate	eat	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	fifteen	fifteen	NUM	CD	NumForm=Word|NumType=Card	5	nummod	_	_
5	times	time	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	obl:unmarked	_	_
6	as	as	ADV	RB	_	7	advmod	_	_
7	much	much	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	8	amod	_	_
8	food	food	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	_
9	as	as	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
10	other	other	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	11	amod	_	_
11	horses	horse	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **eat** | past | Canal horses | much food |  |  | time | as other horses | vn eat-39.1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent food=Patient |

<!-- 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: [Rivers, canals and boats: locks, weirs…, test 1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/technology/41-rivers-canals-and-boats-locks-weirs-water-mills-barges-and-how-not-to-tip-a-rowing-boat/t1/)
- next →: [Rivers, canals and boats: locks, weirs…, test 3](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/technology/41-rivers-canals-and-boats-locks-weirs-water-mills-barges-and-how-not-to-tip-a-rowing-boat/t3/)
- ↑ back to [Rivers, canals and boats: locks, weirs, water-mills, barges and how not to tip a rowing boat](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/technology/41-rivers-canals-and-boats-locks-weirs-water-mills-barges-and-how-not-to-tip-a-rowing-boat/)