---
title: A new bridge had lately been built across it, and in the middle of t… — Fairy Tales of Hans Christian Andersen · tree and pragmatics
description: A new bridge had lately been built across it, and in the middle of this bridge Little Claus stopped, and said, loud enough to be heard by the sexton, "Now what shall I do with this stupid chest; it is as heavy as if it were full of stones: I shall be tired if I roll it any farther, so I may as well 
---

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# Fairy Tales of Hans Christian Andersen, Little Claus and Big Claus, sentence 87

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A new bridge had lately been built across it, and in the middle of this bridge Little Claus stopped, and said, loud enough to be heard by the sexton, "Now what shall I do with this stupid chest; it is as heavy as if it were full of stones: I shall be tired if I roll it any farther, so I may as well throw it in the river; if it swims after me to my house, well and good, and if not, it will not much matter."

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**Who acts:** Little, sexton, bridge, it · **What happens:** build, stop, say, hear, do, be · **To what, where:** new bridge, river, middle, bridge, house · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
This is a sentence of «Fairy Tales of Hans Christian Andersen» by H. C. Andersen, Little Claus and Big Claus. The page gives its syntax tree — a dependency tree in the style of Universal Dependencies — and its pragmatics clause by clause: who acts (Little, sexton, bridge, it), 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:pg27200:71:87
# text = A new bridge had lately been built across it, and in the middle of this bridge Little Claus stopped, and said, loud enough to be heard by the sexton, "Now what shall I do with this stupid chest; it is as heavy as if it were full of stones: I shall be tired if I roll it any farther, so I may as well throw it in the river; if it swims after me to my house, well and good, and if not, it will not much matter."
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
2	new	new	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	amod	_	_
3	bridge	bridge	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	nsubj:pass	_	_
4	had	have	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	7	aux	_	_
5	lately	lately	ADV	RB	_	7	advmod	_	_
6	been	be	AUX	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part	7	aux:pass	_	_
7	built	build	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
8	across	across	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
9	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	7	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	20	punct	_	_
11	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	20	cc	_	_
12	in	in	ADP	IN	_	14	case	_	_
13	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	14	det	_	_
14	middle	middle	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	20	obl	_	_
15	of	of	ADP	IN	_	17	case	_	_
16	this	this	DET	DT	Number=Sing|PronType=Dem	17	det	_	_
17	bridge	bridge	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	14	nmod	_	_
18	Little	Little	ADJ	NNP	Degree=Pos	20	nsubj	_	_
19	Claus	Claus	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	18	flat	_	_
20	stopped	stop	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	7	parataxis	_	SpaceAfter=No
21	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	23	punct	_	_
22	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	23	cc	_	_
23	said	say	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	20	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
24	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	25	punct	_	_
25	loud	loud	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	23	xcomp	_	_
26	enough	enough	ADV	RB	_	25	advmod	_	_
27	to	to	PART	TO	_	29	mark	_	_
28	be	be	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	29	aux:pass	_	_
29	heard	hear	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	25	advcl	_	_
30	by	by	ADP	IN	_	32	case	_	_
31	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	32	det	_	_
32	sexton	sexton	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	29	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
33	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	39	punct	_	_
34	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	39	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
35	Now	now	ADV	RB	PronType=Dem	39	advmod	_	_
36	what	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	39	obj	_	_
37	shall	shall	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	39	aux	_	_
38	I	I	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Sing|Person=1|PronType=Prs	39	nsubj	_	_
39	do	do	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	23	ccomp	_	_
40	with	with	ADP	IN	_	43	case	_	_
41	this	this	DET	DT	Number=Sing|PronType=Dem	43	det	_	_
42	stupid	stupid	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	43	amod	_	_
43	chest	chest	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	39	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
44	;	;	PUNCT	,	_	48	punct	_	_
45	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	48	nsubj	_	_
46	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	48	cop	_	_
47	as	as	ADV	RB	_	48	advmod	_	_
48	heavy	heavy	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	7	conj	_	_
49	as	as	SCONJ	IN	_	53	mark	_	_
50	if	if	SCONJ	IN	_	53	mark	_	_
51	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	53	nsubj	_	_
52	were	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	53	cop	_	_
53	full	full	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	48	advcl	_	_
54	of	of	ADP	IN	_	55	case	_	_
55	stones	stone	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	53	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
56	:	:	PUNCT	:	_	60	punct	_	_
57	I	I	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Sing|Person=1|PronType=Prs	60	nsubj	_	_
58	shall	shall	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	60	aux	_	_
59	be	be	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	60	cop	_	_
60	tired	tired	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	53	parataxis	_	_
61	if	if	SCONJ	IN	_	63	mark	_	_
62	I	I	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Sing|Person=1|PronType=Prs	63	nsubj	_	_
63	roll	roll	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=1|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	60	advcl	_	_
64	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	63	obj	_	_
65	any	any	ADV	RB	_	66	advmod	_	_
66	farther	far	ADV	RBR	Degree=Cmp	63	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
67	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	73	punct	_	_
68	so	so	ADV	RB	_	73	advmod	_	_
69	I	I	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Sing|Person=1|PronType=Prs	73	nsubj	_	_
70	may	may	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	73	aux	_	_
71	as	as	ADV	RB	ExtPos=CCONJ	73	cc	_	_
72	well	well	ADV	RB	Degree=Pos	71	fixed	_	_
73	throw	throw	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	7	parataxis	_	_
74	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	73	obj	_	_
75	in	in	ADP	IN	_	77	case	_	_
76	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	77	det	_	_
77	river	river	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	73	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
78	;	;	PUNCT	,	_	81	punct	_	_
79	if	if	SCONJ	IN	_	81	mark	_	_
80	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	81	nsubj	_	_
81	swims	swim	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	73	advcl	_	_
82	after	after	ADP	IN	_	83	case	_	_
83	me	I	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Number=Sing|Person=1|PronType=Prs	81	obl	_	_
84	to	to	ADP	IN	_	86	case	_	_
85	my	my	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Sing|Person=1|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	86	nmod:poss	_	_
86	house	house	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	81	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
87	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	88	punct	_	_
88	well	well	INTJ	UH	_	81	discourse	_	_
89	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	90	cc	_	_
90	good	good	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	88	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
91	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	100	punct	_	_
92	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	100	cc	_	_
93	if	if	SCONJ	IN	_	94	mark	_	_
94	not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	100	advcl	_	SpaceAfter=No
95	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	94	punct	_	_
96	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	100	nsubj	_	_
97	will	will	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	100	aux	_	_
98	not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	100	advmod	_	_
99	much	much	ADV	RB	_	100	advmod	_	_
100	matter	matter	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	81	advcl	_	SpaceAfter=No
101	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	73	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
102	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	73	punct	_	_
```

## Pragmatics {#pragmatics}

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **build** | past · perfect · passive |  | a new bridge |  | river |  | lately *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **stop** | past | Little |  |  | the middle of this bridge |  |  | vn lodge-46 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Theme in middle=Location |
| 3 | **say** *speech: assert* | past | Little *not said here* |  |  |  |  | loud *property* | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent clause=Topic |
| 4 | **hear** | to-infinitive · passive | the sexton |  |  |  |  |  | vn see-30.1-1-1 «NP V PP.stimulus»: agent=Experiencer |
| 5 | **do** *in a quote* | shall | Little |  |  |  | now | with this stupid chest | vn act-114-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent what=Eventuality |
| 6 | **is** *in a quote* | present | bridge |  |  |  |  | heavy *property* | tree rules |
| 7 | **is** *in a quote* | past | bridge |  |  |  |  | of stones; full *property* | tree rules |
| 8 | **is** *in a quote* | shall | Little |  |  |  |  | tired *property* | tree rules |
| 9 | **roll** *a condition, not said to happen, in a quote* | present | Little | bridge |  |  |  | far *property* | vn run-51.3.2-2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent it=Theme |
| 10 | **throw** *in a quote* | may | Little | bridge |  | the river |  |  | vn throw-17.1-1-1 «NP V NP PP.destinations»: agent=Agent it=Theme in river=Destination |
| 11 | **swim** *a condition, not said to happen, in a quote* | present | bridge |  |  | my house | after Little |  | vn run-51.3.2-1 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Theme to house=Destination |
| 12 | **not** **matter** *in a quote* | future | it |  |  |  |  |  | vn matter-91 «NP V»: agent=Stimulus |

<!-- .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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