--- title: The shark’s tooth on my necklace is a magic shark’s tooth, and I was… — Just so stories · tree and pragmatics description: The shark’s tooth on my necklace is a magic shark’s tooth, and I was always told that if anybody touched it without my leave they would immediately swell up or burst, but this child doesn’t swell up or burst, and that important Chief, Man-who-attends-strictly-to-his-business, who has not yet taken a --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2781/9/56/) [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/) / [Just so stories](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2781/) / [How the First Letter Was Written](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2781/9/) / 56 # Just so stories, How the First Letter Was Written, sentence 56 The shark’s tooth on my necklace is a magic shark’s tooth, and I was always told that if anybody touched it without my leave they would immediately swell up or burst, but this child doesn’t swell up or burst, and that important Chief, Man-who-attends-strictly-to-his-business, who has not yet taken any notice of me at all, doesn’t seem to be afraid that she will swell up or burst. **Who acts:** tooth, anybody, teeth, child, important Chief, business · **What happens:** be, tell, touch, swell up, burst, not swell up · **To what, where:** tooth, I, necklace, leave, business, notice · **Speech:** someone speaks here This is a sentence of «Just so stories» by Rudyard Kipling, How the First Letter Was Written. The page gives its syntax tree — a dependency tree in the style of Universal Dependencies — and its pragmatics clause by clause: who acts (tooth, anybody, teeth, child), 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:pg2781:9:56 # text = The shark’s tooth on my necklace is a magic shark’s tooth, and I was always told that if anybody touched it without my leave they would immediately swell up or burst, but this child doesn’t swell up or burst, and that important Chief, Man-who-attends-strictly-to-his-business, who has not yet taken any notice of me at all, doesn’t seem to be afraid that she will swell up or burst. 1 The the DET DT Definite=Def|PronType=Art 2 det _ _ 2 shark shark NOUN NN Number=Sing 4 nmod:poss _ SpaceAfter=No 3 ’s 's PART POS _ 2 case _ _ 4 tooth tooth NOUN NN Number=Sing 13 nsubj _ _ 5 on on ADP IN _ 7 case _ _ 6 my my PRON PRP$ Case=Gen|Number=Sing|Person=1|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs 7 nmod:poss _ _ 7 necklace necklace NOUN NN Number=Sing 4 nmod _ _ 8 is be AUX VBZ Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin 13 cop _ _ 9 a a DET DT Definite=Ind|PronType=Art 11 det _ _ 10 magic magic NOUN NN Number=Sing 11 compound _ _ 11 shark shark NOUN NN Number=Sing 13 nmod:poss _ SpaceAfter=No 12 ’s 's PART POS _ 11 case _ _ 13 tooth tooth NOUN NN Number=Sing 0 root _ SpaceAfter=No 14 , , PUNCT , _ 19 punct _ _ 15 and and CCONJ CC _ 19 cc _ _ 16 I I PRON PRP Case=Nom|Number=Sing|Person=1|PronType=Prs 19 nsubj:pass _ _ 17 was be AUX VBD Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=1|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin 19 aux:pass _ _ 18 always always ADV RB PronType=Tot 19 advmod _ _ 19 told tell VERB VBN Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass 13 acl:relcl _ _ 20 that that SCONJ IN _ 23 mark _ _ 21 if if SCONJ IN _ 23 mark _ _ 22 anybody anybody PRON NN Number=Sing|PronType=Ind 23 nsubj _ _ 23 touched touch VERB VBD Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin 19 ccomp _ _ 24 it it PRON PRP Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs 23 obj _ _ 25 without without ADP IN _ 27 case _ _ 26 my my PRON PRP$ Case=Gen|Number=Sing|Person=1|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs 27 nmod:poss _ _ 27 leave leave NOUN NN Number=Sing 23 obl _ _ 28 they they PRON PRP Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs 31 nsubj _ _ 29 would would AUX MD VerbForm=Fin 31 aux _ _ 30 immediately immediately ADV RB _ 31 advmod _ _ 31 swell swell VERB VB VerbForm=Inf 27 acl:relcl _ _ 32 up up ADP RP _ 31 compound:prt _ _ 33 or or CCONJ CC _ 34 cc _ _ 34 burst burst VERB VB VerbForm=Inf 31 conj _ SpaceAfter=No 35 , , PUNCT , _ 41 punct _ _ 36 but but CCONJ CC _ 41 cc _ _ 37 this this DET DT Number=Sing|PronType=Dem 38 det _ _ 38 child child NOUN NN Number=Sing 41 nsubj _ _ 39 does do AUX VBZ Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin 41 aux _ SpaceAfter=No 40 n’t not PART RB Polarity=Neg 41 advmod _ _ 41 swell swell VERB VB VerbForm=Inf 13 parataxis _ _ 42 up up ADP RP _ 41 compound:prt _ _ 43 or or CCONJ CC _ 44 cc _ _ 44 burst burst VERB VB VerbForm=Inf 41 conj _ SpaceAfter=No 45 , , PUNCT , _ 49 punct _ _ 46 and and CCONJ CC _ 49 cc _ _ 47 that that PRON DT Number=Sing|PronType=Dem 49 nsubj _ _ 48 important important ADJ JJ Degree=Pos 49 amod _ _ 49 Chief Chief PROPN NNP Number=Sing 13 conj _ SpaceAfter=No 50 , , PUNCT , _ 51 punct _ _ 51 Man Man PROPN NNP Number=Sing 49 appos _ SpaceAfter=No 52 - - PUNCT HYPH _ 51 punct _ SpaceAfter=No 53 who who PRON WP PronType=Rel 55 nsubj _ SpaceAfter=No 54 - - PUNCT HYPH _ 53 punct _ SpaceAfter=No 55 attends attend VERB VBZ Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin 49 acl:relcl _ SpaceAfter=No 56 - - PUNCT HYPH _ 63 punct _ SpaceAfter=No 57 strictly strictly ADV RB _ 63 advmod _ SpaceAfter=No 58 - - PUNCT HYPH _ 63 punct _ SpaceAfter=No 59 to to ADP IN _ 63 case _ SpaceAfter=No 60 - - PUNCT HYPH _ 59 punct _ SpaceAfter=No 61 his his PRON PRP$ Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs 63 nmod:poss _ SpaceAfter=No 62 - - PUNCT HYPH _ 63 punct _ SpaceAfter=No 63 business business NOUN NN Number=Sing 55 obj _ SpaceAfter=No 64 , , PUNCT , _ 69 punct _ _ 65 who who PRON WP PronType=Rel 69 nsubj _ _ 66 has have AUX VBZ Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin 69 aux _ _ 67 not not PART RB Polarity=Neg 69 advmod _ _ 68 yet yet ADV RB _ 69 advmod _ _ 69 taken take VERB VBN Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part 63 conj _ _ 70 any any DET DT PronType=Ind 71 det _ _ 71 notice notice NOUN NN Number=Sing 69 obj _ _ 72 of of ADP IN _ 73 case _ _ 73 me I PRON PRP Case=Acc|Number=Sing|Person=1|PronType=Prs 71 nmod _ _ 74 at at ADP IN _ 75 case _ _ 75 all all DET DT PronType=Tot 69 obl _ SpaceAfter=No 76 , , PUNCT , _ 79 punct _ _ 77 does do AUX VBZ Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin 79 aux _ SpaceAfter=No 78 n’t not PART RB Polarity=Neg 79 advmod _ _ 79 seem seem VERB VB VerbForm=Inf 55 conj _ _ 80 to to PART TO _ 82 mark _ _ 81 be be AUX VB VerbForm=Inf 82 cop _ _ 82 afraid afraid ADJ JJ Degree=Pos 79 xcomp _ _ 83 that that SCONJ IN _ 86 mark _ _ 84 she she PRON PRP Case=Nom|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs 86 nsubj _ _ 85 will will AUX MD VerbForm=Fin 86 aux _ _ 86 swell swell VERB VB VerbForm=Inf 82 xcomp _ _ 87 up up ADP RP _ 86 compound:prt _ _ 88 or or CCONJ CC _ 89 cc _ _ 89 burst burst VERB VB VerbForm=Inf 86 conj _ SpaceAfter=No 90 . . PUNCT . _ 13 punct _ _ ``` ## Pragmatics {#pragmatics} | # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 1 | **is a** | present | the shark's tooth on my necklace | a magic shark's tooth and important Chief | | | | | tree rules | | 2 | **tell** *speech: assert* | past · passive | a magic shark's tooth and important Chief *not said here* | I | | | | always *property* | vn transfer\_mesg-37.1.1-1-1 «NP V NP what S»: subject=Recipient clause=Topic | | 3 | **touch** *a condition, not said to happen* | past | anybody | necklace | | | | without my leave | vn contiguous\_location-47.8-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Theme it=Co-Theme | | 4 | **swell up** | would | teeth *= tooth* | my leave *not said here* | | | | immediately *property* | vn calibratable\_cos-45.6.1-1 «NP.patient V NP.extent PP.source PP.goal»: agent=Patient leave=Extent | | 5 | **burst** | infinitive | teeth *= tooth* *not said here* | | | | | | vn appear-48.1.1 «NP V»: agent=Theme | | 6 | **not** **swell up** | present · do-support | this child | | | | | | vn calibratable\_cos-45.6.1-1 «NP.attribute V»: agent=Attribute | | 7 | **burst** | infinitive | this child *not said here* | | | | | | vn appear-48.1.1 «NP V»: agent=Theme | | 8 | **attend** | present | important Chief | man's business | | | | | vn attend-107.4-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Theme business=Goal | | 9 | **not** **take** | present · perfect | man's business | any notice of me | | all | yet | | vn get-13.5.1 «NP V NP PP.source NP.asset»: agent=Agent notice=Theme at all=Asset | | 10 | **not** **seem** | present · do-support | important Chief *not said here* | | | | | | vn seem-109-1-1-1 «NP V S\_INF»: agent=Theme | | 11 | **is** | to-infinitive | important Chief *not said here* | | | | | afraid *property* | tree rules | | 12 | **swell up** | future | child | | | | | | vn calibratable\_cos-45.6.1-1 «NP.attribute V»: agent=Attribute | | 13 | **burst** | infinitive | child *not said here* | | | | | | vn appear-48.1.1 «NP V»: agent=Theme | | 14 | **notice** | | | me | | | | | nom notice «communication transitive»: of=patient | 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:** «Just so stories» by Rudyard Kipling, Project Gutenberg book 2781 (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 55](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2781/9/55/) - next →: [sentence 57](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2781/9/57/) - ↑ back to [How the First Letter Was Written](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2781/9/)