---
title: They floated on swiftly, for the tide was in their favor, passing ov… — Fairy Tales of Hans Christian Andersen · tree and pragmatics
description: They floated on swiftly, for the tide was in their favor, passing over lakes, formed by the stream in its course; sometimes they seemed quite enclosed by reeds and water-plants, yet there was always room for them to pass out, although the old trees overhung the water and the old oaks stretched out t
---

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# Fairy Tales of Hans Christian Andersen, Ib and Little Christina, sentence 21

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
They floated on swiftly, for the tide was in their favor, passing over lakes, formed by the stream in its course; sometimes they seemed quite enclosed by reeds and water-plants, yet there was always room for them to pass out, although the old trees overhung the water and the old oaks stretched out their bare branches, as if they had turned up their sleeves and wished to show their knotty, naked arms.

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**Who acts:** bread, tide, room, old trees · **What happens:** float on, be, pass, form, seem, enclose · **To what, where:** lakes, water, old oaks, sleeves, knotty naked arms

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This is a sentence of «Fairy Tales of Hans Christian Andersen» by H. C. Andersen, Ib and Little Christina. The page gives its syntax tree — a dependency tree in the style of Universal Dependencies — and its pragmatics clause by clause: who acts (bread, tide, room, old trees), 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:pg27200:51:21
# text = They floated on swiftly, for the tide was in their favor, passing over lakes, formed by the stream in its course; sometimes they seemed quite enclosed by reeds and water-plants, yet there was always room for them to pass out, although the old trees overhung the water and the old oaks stretched out their bare branches, as if they had turned up their sleeves and wished to show their knotty, naked arms.
1	They	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	floated	float	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	on	on	ADP	RP	_	2	compound:prt	_	_
4	swiftly	swiftly	ADV	RB	_	2	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	12	punct	_	_
6	for	for	ADP	IN	_	12	case	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	tide	tide	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	nsubj	_	_
9	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	12	cop	_	_
10	in	in	ADP	IN	_	12	case	_	_
11	their	their	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Plur|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	12	nmod:poss	_	_
12	favor	favor	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	14	punct	_	_
14	passing	pass	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	2	advcl	_	_
15	over	over	ADP	IN	_	16	case	_	_
16	lakes	lake	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	14	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
17	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	18	punct	_	_
18	formed	form	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	16	acl	_	_
19	by	by	ADP	IN	_	21	case	_	_
20	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	21	det	_	_
21	stream	stream	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	18	obl	_	_
22	in	in	ADP	IN	_	24	case	_	_
23	its	its	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	24	nmod:poss	_	_
24	course	course	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	21	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
25	;	;	PUNCT	:	_	28	punct	_	_
26	sometimes	sometimes	ADV	RB	PronType=Ind	28	advmod	_	_
27	they	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	28	nsubj	_	_
28	seemed	seem	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	2	parataxis	_	_
29	quite	quite	ADV	RB	_	30	advmod	_	_
30	enclosed	enclose	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	28	xcomp	_	_
31	by	by	ADP	IN	_	32	case	_	_
32	reeds	reed	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	30	obl	_	_
33	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	36	cc	_	_
34	water	water	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	36	compound	_	SpaceAfter=No
35	-	-	PUNCT	HYPH	_	34	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
36	plants	plant	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	32	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
37	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	40	punct	_	_
38	yet	yet	CCONJ	CC	_	40	cc	_	_
39	there	there	PRON	EX	PronType=Dem	40	expl	_	_
40	was	be	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	28	parataxis	_	_
41	always	always	ADV	RB	PronType=Tot	42	advmod	_	_
42	room	room	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	40	nsubj	_	_
43	for	for	SCONJ	IN	_	46	mark	_	_
44	them	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	46	nsubj	_	_
45	to	to	PART	TO	_	46	mark	_	_
46	pass	pass	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	42	acl:relcl	_	_
47	out	out	ADP	RP	_	46	compound:prt	_	SpaceAfter=No
48	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	53	punct	_	_
49	although	although	SCONJ	IN	_	53	mark	_	_
50	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	52	det	_	_
51	old	old	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	52	amod	_	_
52	trees	tree	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	53	nsubj	_	_
53	overhung	overhang	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	46	parataxis	_	_
54	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	55	det	_	_
55	water	water	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	53	obj	_	_
56	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	60	cc	_	_
57	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	59	det	_	_
58	old	old	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	59	amod	_	_
59	oaks	oak	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	60	nsubj:pass	_	_
60	stretched	stretch	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	53	conj	_	_
61	out	out	ADP	RP	_	60	compound:prt	_	_
62	their	their	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Plur|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	64	nmod:poss	_	_
63	bare	bare	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	64	amod	_	_
64	branches	branch	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	60	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
65	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	70	punct	_	_
66	as	as	SCONJ	IN	_	70	mark	_	_
67	if	if	SCONJ	IN	_	70	mark	_	_
68	they	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	70	nsubj	_	_
69	had	have	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	70	aux	_	_
70	turned	turn	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part	60	conj	_	_
71	up	up	ADP	RP	_	70	compound:prt	_	_
72	their	their	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Plur|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	73	nmod:poss	_	_
73	sleeves	sleeve	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	70	obj	_	_
74	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	75	cc	_	_
75	wished	wish	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	70	conj	_	_
76	to	to	PART	TO	_	77	mark	_	_
77	show	show	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	75	xcomp	_	_
78	their	their	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Plur|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	82	nmod:poss	_	_
79	knotty	knotty	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	82	amod	_	SpaceAfter=No
80	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	79	punct	_	_
81	naked	naked	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	82	amod	_	_
82	arms	arm	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	77	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
83	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

## Pragmatics {#pragmatics}

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **float on** | past | bread |  |  |  |  | swiftly *property* | vn run-51.3.2-2 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 2 | **is** | past | the tide |  |  |  |  | for bread's favor | tree rules |
| 3 | **pass** | gerund | bread *not said here* |  |  | lakes |  |  | vn occur-48.3-1 «NP V PP»: agent=Theme over lake=Location |
| 4 | **form** | participle |  | lakes *not said here* |  |  |  | by the stream in tide's course | vn appear-48.1.1 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Theme by stream=Location |
| 5 | **seem** | past | bread |  |  |  |  | sometimes *property* | vn seem-109-1-1-1 «NP V S\_INF»: agent=Theme clause=Attribute |
| 6 | **enclose** | participle | bread *not said here* |  |  |  |  | by reeds and water plants | vn contiguous\_location-47.8 «NP V NP»: agent=Theme |
| 7 | **be** | past | room |  |  | there |  |  | vn exist-47.1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 8 | **pass out** | to-infinitive | bread |  |  |  |  |  | vn change\_bodily\_state-40.8.4 «NP V»: agent=Experiencer |
| 9 | **overhang** | past | the old trees | the water |  |  |  |  | vn contiguous\_location-47.8 «NP V NP»: agent=Theme water=Co-Theme |
| 10 | **stretch out** | participle · passive |  | the old oaks |  |  |  |  | vn bend-45.2 «NP V NP ADJ»: subject=Patient branch=Result |
| 11 | **turn up** *a condition, not said to happen* | past · perfect | bread | bread's sleeves |  |  |  |  | vn appear-48.1.1 «PP.location V NP»: agent=Location sleeve=Theme |
| 12 | **wish** | past | bread *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn wish-62 «NP V for NP S\_INF»: agent=Pivot clause=Theme |
| 13 | **show** *not said to happen* | to-infinitive | bread *not said here* | bread's knotty naked arms |  |  |  |  | vn transfer\_mesg-37.1.1-1-1 «NP V NP.recipient»: agent=Agent arm=Recipient |

<!-- .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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