--- title: Oh, they all stood still looking at me, when the one that wasn't car… — More English Fairy Tales · tree and pragmatics description: Oh, they all stood still looking at me, when the one that wasn't carrying the coffin came forward and, staring straight at me, said to me--yes, I tell 'ee, _said_ to me, with a squeaky voice, 'Tell Tom Tildrum that Tim Toldrum's dead,' and that's why I asked you if you knew who Tom Tildrum was, for --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg14241/29/38/) [home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [corpora](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/) / [tales](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/) / [More English Fairy Tales](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg14241/) / [More English Fairy Tales, part 15](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg14241/29/) / 38 # More English Fairy Tales, More English Fairy Tales, part 15, sentence 38 Oh, they all stood still looking at me, when the one that wasn't carrying the coffin came forward and, staring straight at me, said to me--yes, I tell 'ee, \_said\_ to me, with a squeaky voice, 'Tell Tom Tildrum that Tim Toldrum's dead,' and that's why I asked you if you knew who Tom Tildrum was, for how can I tell Tom Tildrum Tim Toldrum's dead if I don't know who Tom Tildrum is?" **Who acts:** Cats, one, I, \_, that, you · **What happens:** stand, look, not carry, come forward, stare, say · **To what, where:** coffin, me, ee, Tom, you · **Speech:** someone speaks here This is a sentence of «More English Fairy Tales» by Joseph Jacobs, More English Fairy Tales, part 15. The page gives its syntax tree — a dependency tree in the style of Universal Dependencies — and its pragmatics clause by clause: who acts (Cats, one, I, \_), what happens, when and where, as Mova's frames read it from the tree. **Parsed by Mova, not checked by a teacher.** This tree is Mova's own parse (the `en` model, on the CPU, when the site is built); it may be wrong. ## The tree {#tree} ```conllu # sent_id = book:pg14241:29:38 # text = Oh, they all stood still looking at me, when the one that wasn't carrying the coffin came forward and, staring straight at me, said to me--yes, I tell 'ee, _said_ to me, with a squeaky voice, 'Tell Tom Tildrum that Tim Toldrum's dead,' and that's why I asked you if you knew who Tom Tildrum was, for how can I tell Tom Tildrum Tim Toldrum's dead if I don't know who Tom Tildrum is?" 1 Oh oh INTJ UH _ 5 discourse _ SpaceAfter=No 2 , , PUNCT , _ 1 punct _ _ 3 they they PRON PRP Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs 5 nsubj _ _ 4 all all DET DT PronType=Tot 5 advmod _ _ 5 stood stand VERB VBD Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin 0 root _ _ 6 still still ADV RB _ 5 advmod _ _ 7 looking look VERB VBG Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part 5 advcl _ _ 8 at at ADP IN _ 9 case _ _ 9 me I PRON PRP Case=Acc|Number=Sing|Person=1|PronType=Prs 7 obl _ SpaceAfter=No 10 , , PUNCT , _ 20 punct _ _ 11 when when ADV WRB PronType=Int 20 advmod _ _ 12 the the DET DT Definite=Def|PronType=Art 13 det _ _ 13 one one NOUN NN Number=Sing 20 nsubj _ _ 14 that that PRON WDT PronType=Rel 17 nsubj _ _ 15 was be AUX VBD Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin 17 aux _ SpaceAfter=No 16 n't not PART RB Polarity=Neg 17 advmod _ _ 17 carrying carry VERB VBG Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part 13 acl:relcl _ _ 18 the the DET DT Definite=Def|PronType=Art 19 det _ _ 19 coffin coffin NOUN NN Number=Sing 17 obj _ _ 20 came come VERB VBD Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin 5 parataxis _ _ 21 forward forward ADV RB _ 20 advmod _ _ 22 and and CCONJ CC _ 29 cc _ SpaceAfter=No 23 , , PUNCT , _ 22 punct _ _ 24 staring stare VERB VBG Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part 29 advcl _ _ 25 straight straight ADV RB _ 27 advmod _ _ 26 at at ADP IN _ 27 case _ _ 27 me I PRON PRP Case=Acc|Number=Sing|Person=1|PronType=Prs 24 obl _ SpaceAfter=No 28 , , PUNCT , _ 24 punct _ _ 29 said say VERB VBD Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin 20 conj _ _ 30 to to ADP IN _ 31 case _ _ 31 me I PRON PRP Case=Acc|Number=Sing|Person=1|PronType=Prs 29 obl _ SpaceAfter=No 32 -- -- PUNCT , _ 36 punct _ SpaceAfter=No 33 yes yes INTJ UH Polarity=Pos 36 discourse _ SpaceAfter=No 34 , , PUNCT , _ 33 punct _ _ 35 I I PRON PRP Case=Nom|Number=Sing|Person=1|PronType=Prs 36 nsubj _ _ 36 tell tell VERB VBP Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=1|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin 5 conj _ _ 37 ' 's PART POS _ 36 case _ SpaceAfter=No 38 ee ee NOUN NN Number=Sing 36 obj _ SpaceAfter=No 39 , , PUNCT , _ 41 punct _ _ 40 _ _ PROPN NNP Number=Sing 41 nsubj _ SpaceAfter=No 41 said say VERB VBD Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin 36 ccomp _ SpaceAfter=No 42 _ _ PUNCT NFP _ 41 punct _ _ 43 to to ADP IN _ 44 case _ _ 44 me I PRON PRP Case=Acc|Number=Sing|Person=1|PronType=Prs 41 obl _ SpaceAfter=No 45 , , PUNCT , _ 49 punct _ _ 46 with with ADP IN _ 49 case _ _ 47 a a DET DT Definite=Ind|PronType=Art 49 det _ _ 48 squeaky squeaky ADJ JJ Degree=Pos 49 amod _ _ 49 voice voice NOUN NN Number=Sing 41 obl _ SpaceAfter=No 50 , , PUNCT , _ 52 punct _ _ 51 ' ' PUNCT `` _ 52 punct _ SpaceAfter=No 52 Tell tell VERB VB VerbForm=Inf 49 parataxis _ _ 53 Tom Tom PROPN NNP Number=Sing 52 obj _ _ 54 Tildrum Tildrum PROPN NNP Number=Sing 53 flat _ _ 55 that that SCONJ IN _ 59 mark _ _ 56 Tim Tim PROPN NNP Number=Sing 57 compound _ _ 57 Toldrum Toldrum PROPN NNP Number=Sing 59 nsubj _ SpaceAfter=No 58 's 's PART POS _ 57 case _ _ 59 dead dead ADJ JJ Degree=Pos 52 advcl _ SpaceAfter=No 60 , , PUNCT , _ 49 punct _ SpaceAfter=No 61 ' ' PUNCT '' _ 49 punct _ _ 62 and and CCONJ CC _ 65 cc _ _ 63 that that PRON DT Number=Sing|PronType=Dem 65 nsubj _ SpaceAfter=No 64 's be AUX VBZ Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin 65 cop _ _ 65 why why ADV WRB PronType=Int 5 conj _ _ 66 I I PRON PRP Case=Nom|Number=Sing|Person=1|PronType=Prs 67 nsubj _ _ 67 asked ask VERB VBD Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=1|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin 5 parataxis _ _ 68 you you PRON PRP Case=Acc|Person=2|PronType=Prs 67 iobj _ _ 69 if if SCONJ IN _ 71 mark _ _ 70 you you PRON PRP Case=Nom|Person=2|PronType=Prs 71 nsubj _ _ 71 knew know VERB VBD Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=2|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin 67 advcl _ _ 72 who who PRON WP PronType=Rel 71 obj _ _ 73 Tom Tom PROPN NNP Number=Sing 81 nsubj _ _ 74 Tildrum Tildrum PROPN NNP Number=Sing 73 flat _ _ 75 was be AUX VBD Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin 81 cop _ SpaceAfter=No 76 , , PUNCT , _ 81 punct _ _ 77 for for SCONJ IN _ 81 mark _ _ 78 how how ADV WRB PronType=Int 81 advmod _ _ 79 can can AUX MD VerbForm=Fin 81 aux _ _ 80 I I PRON PRP Case=Nom|Number=Sing|Person=1|PronType=Prs 81 nsubj _ _ 81 tell tell VERB VB VerbForm=Inf 72 acl:relcl _ _ 82 Tom Tom PROPN NNP Number=Sing 81 obj _ _ 83 Tildrum Tildrum PROPN NNP Number=Sing 82 flat _ _ 84 Tim Tim PROPN NNP Number=Sing 82 conj _ _ 85 Toldrum Toldrum PROPN NNP Number=Sing 84 flat _ SpaceAfter=No 86 's 's PART POS _ 84 case _ _ 87 dead dead ADJ JJ Degree=Pos 81 ccomp _ _ 88 if if SCONJ IN _ 92 mark _ _ 89 I I PRON PRP Case=Nom|Number=Sing|Person=1|PronType=Prs 92 nsubj _ _ 90 do do AUX VBP Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=1|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin 92 aux _ SpaceAfter=No 91 n't not PART RB Polarity=Neg 92 advmod _ _ 92 know know VERB VB VerbForm=Inf 81 advcl _ _ 93 who who PRON WP PronType=Int 92 ccomp _ _ 94 Tom Tom PROPN NNP Number=Sing 93 nsubj _ _ 95 Tildrum Tildrum PROPN NNP Number=Sing 94 flat _ _ 96 is be AUX VBZ Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin 93 cop _ SpaceAfter=No 97 ? ? PUNCT . _ 5 punct _ SpaceAfter=No 98 " " PUNCT '' _ 5 punct _ _ ``` ## Pragmatics {#pragmatics} | # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 1 | **stand** | past | Cats *= cat* | | | | still | | vn assuming\_position-50 «NP V»: agent=Agent | | 2 | **look** | gerund | Cats *= cat* *not said here* | | | | | at me | vn peer-30.3 «NP V PP.theme»: agent=Agent at i=Theme | | 3 | **not** **carry** | past · progressive | the one | the coffin | | | | | vn carry-11.4 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent coffin=Theme | | 4 | **come forward** | past | the one | | | | | forward *property* | vn escape-51.1-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme | | 5 | **stare** | gerund | | | | | | at me | vn peer-30.3 «NP V PP.theme»: agent=Agent at i=Theme | | 6 | **say** *speech: assert* | past | the one *not said here* | | me | | | | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V PP.recipient S-Quote»: agent=Agent to i=Recipient | | 7 | **tell** *speech: assert* | present | I | ee | | | | | vn transfer\_mesg-37.1.1-1-1 «NP V NP S\_INF»: agent=Agent ee=Recipient clause=Topic | | 8 | **say** *speech: assert* | past | \_ | | me | | | with a squeaky voice | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V PP.recipient S-Quote»: agent=Agent to i=Recipient | | 9 | **tell** *speech: assert* | infinitive | | | Tom | | | | vn transfer\_mesg-37.1.1-1-1 «NP V NP.recipient»: agent=Agent tom=Recipient | | 10 | **is** | present | that | | | | | why *property* | tree rules | | 11 | **ask** *speech: ask* | past | I | | you | | | | vn inquire-37.1.2 «NP V NP.recipient»: agent=Agent you=Recipient | | 12 | **know** *a condition, not said to happen* | past | you | | | | | | vn comprehend-87.2-1-1-1 «NP V NP PP.attribute»: agent=Experiencer who=Stimulus | | 13 | **is** | can · past | Tom | | | | | tell *property* | tree rules | | 14 | **not** **know** *a condition, not said to happen* | present · do-support | I | | | | | | vn comprehend-87.2-1-1-1 «NP V»: agent=Experiencer | | 15 | **is a** | present | Tom | | | | | | tree rules | 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. **Text:** «More English Fairy Tales» by Joseph Jacobs, Project Gutenberg book 14241 (public domain in the USA). **Tree:** Mova's own parse, Elamur Cosmic License. **Frames:** Mova's frames reader (`prag`), the chapter read in order. - ← previous: [sentence 37](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg14241/29/37/) - next →: [sentence 39](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg14241/29/39/) - ↑ back to [More English Fairy Tales, part 15](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg14241/29/)