---
title: This our aunt had destined as a legacy for a worthy old spinster who… — Fairy Tales of Hans Christian Andersen · tree and pragmatics
description: This our aunt had destined as a legacy for a worthy old spinster who had no friends; it was to be devoted to a yearly subscription for a place in the second tier, on the left side, for the Saturday evening, "for on that evening two pieces were always given," it said in the will; and the only conditi
---

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# Fairy Tales of Hans Christian Andersen, Our Aunt, sentence 103

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This our aunt had destined as a legacy for a worthy old spinster who had no friends; it was to be devoted to a yearly subscription for a place in the second tier, on the left side, for the Saturday evening, "for on that evening two pieces were always given," it said in the will; and the only condition laid upon the person who enjoyed the legacy was, that she should think, every Saturday evening, of our aunt, who was lying in her grave.

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**Who acts:** aunt, worthy old spinster, spinster, person, only condition · **What happens:** destine, have, devote, give, say, lay · **To what, where:** friends, spinster, left side, two pieces, only condition, legacy · **Speech:** someone speaks here

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This is a sentence of «Fairy Tales of Hans Christian Andersen» by H. C. Andersen, Our Aunt. The page gives its syntax tree — a dependency tree in the style of Universal Dependencies — and its pragmatics clause by clause: who acts (aunt, worthy old spinster, spinster, person), 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:pg27200:139:103
# text = This our aunt had destined as a legacy for a worthy old spinster who had no friends; it was to be devoted to a yearly subscription for a place in the second tier, on the left side, for the Saturday evening, "for on that evening two pieces were always given," it said in the will; and the only condition laid upon the person who enjoyed the legacy was, that she should think, every Saturday evening, of our aunt, who was lying in her grave.
1	This	this	DET	DT	Number=Sing|PronType=Dem	3	det	_	_
2	our	our	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Plur|Person=1|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	3	nmod:poss	_	_
3	aunt	aunt	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj	_	_
4	had	have	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	5	aux	_	_
5	destined	destine	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	_
6	as	as	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	legacy	legacy	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obl	_	_
9	for	for	ADP	IN	_	13	case	_	_
10	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	13	det	_	_
11	worthy	worthy	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	13	amod	_	_
12	old	old	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	13	amod	_	_
13	spinster	spinster	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obl	_	_
14	who	who	PRON	WP	PronType=Rel	15	nsubj	_	_
15	had	have	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	13	acl:relcl	_	_
16	no	no	DET	DT	PronType=Neg	17	det	_	_
17	friends	friend	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	15	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
18	;	;	PUNCT	,	_	23	punct	_	_
19	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	23	nsubj:pass	_	_
20	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	23	aux:pass	_	_
21	to	to	PART	TO	_	23	mark	_	_
22	be	be	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	23	aux:pass	_	_
23	devoted	devote	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	5	parataxis	_	_
24	to	to	ADP	IN	_	27	case	_	_
25	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	27	det	_	_
26	yearly	yearly	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	27	amod	_	_
27	subscription	subscription	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	23	obl	_	_
28	for	for	ADP	IN	_	30	case	_	_
29	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	30	det	_	_
30	place	place	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	23	obl	_	_
31	in	in	ADP	IN	_	34	case	_	_
32	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	34	det	_	_
33	second	second	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos|NumForm=Word|NumType=Ord	34	amod	_	_
34	tier	tier	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	30	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
35	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	39	punct	_	_
36	on	on	ADP	IN	_	39	case	_	_
37	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	39	det	_	_
38	left	left	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	39	amod	_	_
39	side	side	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	23	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
40	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	44	punct	_	_
41	for	for	ADP	IN	_	44	case	_	_
42	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	44	det	_	_
43	Saturday	Saturday	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	44	compound	_	_
44	evening	evening	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	23	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
45	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	44	punct	_	_
46	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	44	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
47	for	for	ADP	IN	_	50	case	_	_
48	on	on	ADP	IN	_	50	case	_	_
49	that	that	DET	DT	Number=Sing|PronType=Dem	50	det	_	_
50	evening	evening	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	23	obl	_	_
51	two	two	NUM	CD	NumForm=Word|NumType=Card	52	nummod	_	_
52	pieces	piece	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	55	nsubj:pass	_	_
53	were	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	55	aux:pass	_	_
54	always	always	ADV	RB	PronType=Tot	55	advmod	_	_
55	given	give	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	23	parataxis	_	SpaceAfter=No
56	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	59	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
57	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	59	punct	_	_
58	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	59	nsubj	_	_
59	said	say	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	55	conj	_	_
60	in	in	ADP	IN	_	62	case	_	_
61	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	62	det	_	_
62	will	will	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	59	ccomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
63	;	;	PUNCT	:	_	81	punct	_	_
64	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	81	cc	_	_
65	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	67	det	_	_
66	only	only	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	67	amod	_	_
67	condition	condition	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	81	nsubj	_	_
68	laid	lay	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	67	acl	_	_
69	upon	upon	ADP	IN	_	71	case	_	_
70	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	71	det	_	_
71	person	person	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	68	obl	_	_
72	who	who	PRON	WP	PronType=Rel	73	nsubj	_	_
73	enjoyed	enjoy	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	71	acl:relcl	_	_
74	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	75	det	_	_
75	legacy	legacy	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	73	obj	_	_
76	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	81	cop	_	SpaceAfter=No
77	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	81	punct	_	_
78	that	that	SCONJ	IN	_	81	mark	_	_
79	she	she	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	81	nsubj	_	_
80	should	should	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	81	aux	_	_
81	think	think	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	5	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
82	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	85	punct	_	_
83	every	every	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	85	det	_	_
84	Saturday	Saturday	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	85	compound	_	_
85	evening	evening	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	81	obl:unmarked	_	SpaceAfter=No
86	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	89	punct	_	_
87	of	of	ADP	IN	_	89	case	_	_
88	our	our	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Plur|Person=1|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	89	nmod:poss	_	_
89	aunt	aunt	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	81	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
90	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	93	punct	_	_
91	who	who	PRON	WP	PronType=Rel	93	nsubj	_	_
92	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	93	aux	_	_
93	lying	lie	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	89	acl:relcl	_	_
94	in	in	ADP	IN	_	96	case	_	_
95	her	her	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	96	nmod:poss	_	_
96	grave	grave	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	93	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
97	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	_
```

## Pragmatics {#pragmatics}

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **destine** | past · perfect | our aunt |  |  |  |  | as a legacy; for a worthy old spinster | tree rules |
| 2 | **have** | past | a worthy old spinster | no friends |  |  |  |  | vn birth-28.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent friend=Patient |
| 3 | **devote** | past · passive |  | spinster |  | the left side | evening | to a yearly subscription; for a place in the second tier | tree rules |
| 4 | **give** *in a quote* | past · passive |  | two pieces |  |  |  | always *property* | vn give-13.1-1 «NP V NP»: subject=Theme |
| 5 | **say** *speech: assert* | past | spinster |  |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent |
| 6 | **lay** | participle |  | the only condition *not said here* |  |  |  | upon the person | vn put\_spatial-9.2 «NP V NP PP.destination»: agent=Agent upon person=Destination |
| 7 | **enjoy** | past | the person | the legacy |  |  |  |  | vn admire-31.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Experiencer legacy=Stimulus |
| 8 | **is** | should · past | the only condition |  |  |  | evening | of our aunt; think *property* | tree rules |
| 9 | **lie** | past · progressive | our aunt |  |  | aunt's grave |  |  | vn assuming\_position-50 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Agent in grave=Location |

<!-- .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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