---
title: The sentry, when he is relieved from his post, knows at least who wi… — Fairy Tales of Hans Christian Andersen · tree and pragmatics
description: The sentry, when he is relieved from his post, knows at least who will succeed him, and may whisper a few words to him, but the lamp did not know his successor, or he could have given him a few hints respecting rain, or mist, and could have informed him how far the moon's rays would rest on the pave
---

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# Fairy Tales of Hans Christian Andersen, The Old Street Lamp, sentence 28

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The sentry, when he is relieved from his post, knows at least who will succeed him, and may whisper a few words to him, but the lamp did not know his successor, or he could have given him a few hints respecting rain, or mist, and could have informed him how far the moon's rays would rest on the pavement, and from which side the wind generally blew, and so on.

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**Who acts:** sentry, lamp, few hints, rays, wind, moon · **What happens:** be, know, succeed, whisper, not know, give · **To what, where:** post, sentry, least, few words, successor, rain · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
This is a sentence of «Fairy Tales of Hans Christian Andersen» by H. C. Andersen, The Old Street Lamp. The page gives its syntax tree — a dependency tree in the style of Universal Dependencies — and its pragmatics clause by clause: who acts (sentry, lamp, few hints, rays), what happens, when and where, as Mova's frames read it from the tree.

<!-- .note-en -->
**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:pg27200:133:28
# text = The sentry, when he is relieved from his post, knows at least who will succeed him, and may whisper a few words to him, but the lamp did not know his successor, or he could have given him a few hints respecting rain, or mist, and could have informed him how far the moon's rays would rest on the pavement, and from which side the wind generally blew, and so on.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	sentry	sentry	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	7	punct	_	_
4	when	when	SCONJ	WRB	_	7	mark	_	_
5	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	7	nsubj	_	_
6	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	7	cop	_	_
7	relieved	relieved	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	2	acl:relcl	_	_
8	from	from	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
9	his	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	10	nmod:poss	_	_
10	post	post	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	12	punct	_	_
12	knows	know	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
13	at	at	ADP	IN	_	14	case	_	_
14	least	least	ADJ	JJS	Degree=Sup	17	obl	_	_
15	who	who	PRON	WP	PronType=Rel	17	nsubj	_	_
16	will	will	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	17	aux	_	_
17	succeed	succeed	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	12	ccomp	_	_
18	him	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	17	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
19	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	22	punct	_	_
20	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	22	cc	_	_
21	may	may	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	22	aux	_	_
22	whisper	whisper	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	17	conj	_	_
23	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	25	det	_	_
24	few	few	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	25	amod	_	_
25	words	word	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	22	obj	_	_
26	to	to	ADP	IN	_	27	case	_	_
27	him	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	22	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
28	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	34	punct	_	_
29	but	but	CCONJ	CC	_	34	cc	_	_
30	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	31	det	_	_
31	lamp	lamp	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	34	nsubj	_	_
32	did	do	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	34	aux	_	_
33	not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	34	advmod	_	_
34	know	know	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	12	conj	_	_
35	his	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	36	nmod:poss	_	_
36	successor	successor	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	34	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
37	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	42	punct	_	_
38	or	or	CCONJ	CC	_	42	cc	_	_
39	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	42	nsubj:pass	_	_
40	could	could	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	42	aux	_	_
41	have	have	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	42	aux	_	_
42	given	give	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	34	parataxis	_	_
43	him	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	42	obj	_	_
44	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	46	det	_	_
45	few	few	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	46	amod	_	_
46	hints	hint	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	42	obj	_	_
47	respecting	respect	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	46	acl	_	_
48	rain	rain	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	47	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
49	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	51	punct	_	_
50	or	or	CCONJ	CC	_	51	cc	_	_
51	mist	mist	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	48	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
52	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	56	punct	_	_
53	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	56	cc	_	_
54	could	could	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	56	aux	_	_
55	have	have	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	56	aux	_	_
56	informed	inform	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part	12	conj	_	_
57	him	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	56	iobj	_	_
58	how	how	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	59	advmod	_	_
59	far	far	ADV	RB	Degree=Pos	65	advmod	_	_
60	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	61	det	_	_
61	moon	moon	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	63	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
62	's	's	PART	POS	_	61	case	_	_
63	rays	ray	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	65	nsubj	_	_
64	would	would	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	65	aux	_	_
65	rest	rest	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	56	ccomp	_	_
66	on	on	ADP	IN	_	68	case	_	_
67	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	68	det	_	_
68	pavement	pavement	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	65	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
69	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	77	punct	_	_
70	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	77	cc	_	_
71	from	from	ADP	IN	_	73	case	_	_
72	which	which	DET	WDT	PronType=Int	73	det	_	_
73	side	side	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	77	obl	_	_
74	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	75	det	_	_
75	wind	wind	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	77	nsubj	_	_
76	generally	generally	ADV	RB	_	77	advmod	_	_
77	blew	blow	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	12	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
78	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	81	punct	_	_
79	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	81	cc	_	_
80	so	so	ADV	RB	_	81	advmod	_	_
81	on	on	ADV	RB	_	77	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
82	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	12	punct	_	_
```

## Pragmatics {#pragmatics}

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | sentry |  |  | sentry's post |  | relieved *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **know** | present | the sentry |  |  |  |  |  | vn comprehend-87.2-1-1-1 «NP V how S\_INF»: agent=Experiencer clause=Stimulus |
| 3 | **succeed** | future |  | sentry |  | least |  |  | tree rules |
| 4 | **whisper** *speech: assert* | may |  | a few words | sentry |  |  |  | vn manner\_speaking-37.3 «NP V NP PP.recipient»: agent=Agent word=Topic to he=Recipient |
| 5 | **not** **know** | past · do-support | the lamp | sentry's successor |  |  |  |  | vn comprehend-87.2-1-1-1 «NP V NP PP.attribute»: agent=Experiencer successor=Stimulus |
| 6 | **give** | could · perfect · passive |  | sentry |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 7 | **respect** | gerund | a few hints *not said here* | rain or mist |  |  |  |  | vn admire-31.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Experiencer rain=Stimulus |
| 8 | **inform** *speech: other* | could · perfect | the sentry *not said here* |  | thing |  |  |  | vn tell-37.2 «NP V NP.recipient S»: agent=Agent he=Recipient clause=Topic |
| 9 | **rest** | would | the moon's rays |  |  | the pavement |  | far *property* | vn spatial\_configuration-47.6-1 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Theme on pavement=Location |
| 10 | **blow** | past | the wind |  |  |  |  | from which side; generally *property* | vn split-23.2 «NP V PP.co-patient»: agent=Patient from side=Co-Patient |
| 11 | **ray** |  | the moon |  |  |  |  |  | nom ray «phenomenon transitive»: 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.

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**Text:** «Fairy Tales of Hans Christian Andersen» by H. C. Andersen, Project Gutenberg book 27200 (public domain in the USA). **Tree:** Mova's own parse, Elamur Cosmic License. **Frames:** Mova's frames reader (`prag`), the chapter read in order.

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