---
title: But he forgot that to go back absent, and dreamy, and indifferent, w… — The Green Fairy Book · tree and pragmatics
description: But he forgot that to go back absent, and dreamy, and indifferent, when he had before been gay and ardent about everything, was the surest way of awakening suspicion; and when, in response to the jesting questions which were put to him upon the subject, he only blushed and returned evasive answers, 
---

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# The Green Fairy Book, Prince Narcissus and the Princess Potentilla, sentence 30

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
But he forgot that to go back absent, and dreamy, and indifferent, when he had before been gay and ardent about everything, was the surest way of awakening suspicion; and when, in response to the jesting questions which were put to him upon the subject, he only blushed and returned evasive answers, all the ladies were certain that he had lost his heart, and did their utmost to discover who was the happy possessor of it.

<!-- .vintro -->
**Who acts:** absence, surest way, ladies · **What happens:** forget, not go back, be, awaken, put, blush · **To what, where:** surest way, suspicion, response, absence, subject, evasive answers

<!-- .vabout -->
This is a sentence of «The Green Fairy Book» by Andrew Lang, Prince Narcissus and the Princess Potentilla. The page gives its syntax tree — a dependency tree in the style of Universal Dependencies — and its pragmatics clause by clause: who acts (absence, surest way, ladies), 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:pg7277:11:30
# text = But he forgot that to go back absent, and dreamy, and indifferent, when he had before been gay and ardent about everything, was the surest way of awakening suspicion; and when, in response to the jesting questions which were put to him upon the subject, he only blushed and returned evasive answers, all the ladies were certain that he had lost his heart, and did their utmost to discover who was the happy possessor of it.
1	But	but	CCONJ	CC	_	3	cc	_	_
2	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj	_	_
3	forgot	forget	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	that	that	ADV	RB	_	3	advmod	_	_
5	to	to	PART	TO	_	6	mark	_	_
6	go	go	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	3	xcomp	_	_
7	back	back	ADV	RB	_	6	advmod	_	_
8	absent	absent	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	6	xcomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	11	punct	_	_
10	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	11	cc	_	_
11	dreamy	dreamy	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	parataxis	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	14	punct	_	_
13	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	14	cc	_	_
14	indifferent	indifferent	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	11	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
15	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	21	punct	_	_
16	when	when	SCONJ	WRB	_	21	mark	_	_
17	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	21	nsubj	_	_
18	had	have	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	21	aux	_	_
19	before	before	ADV	RB	_	21	advmod	_	_
20	been	be	AUX	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part	21	cop	_	_
21	gay	gay	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	11	parataxis	_	_
22	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	23	cc	_	_
23	ardent	ardent	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	21	conj	_	_
24	about	about	ADP	IN	_	25	case	_	_
25	everything	everything	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Tot	23	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
26	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	30	punct	_	_
27	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	30	cop	_	_
28	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	30	det	_	_
29	surest	sure	ADJ	JJS	Degree=Sup	30	amod	_	_
30	way	way	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	parataxis	_	_
31	of	of	SCONJ	IN	_	32	mark	_	_
32	awakening	awaken	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	30	acl	_	_
33	suspicion	suspicion	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	32	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
34	;	;	PUNCT	:	_	36	punct	_	_
35	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	36	cc	_	_
36	when	when	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	3	parataxis	_	SpaceAfter=No
37	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	39	punct	_	_
38	in	in	ADP	IN	_	39	case	_	_
39	response	response	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	parataxis	_	_
40	to	to	ADP	IN	_	43	case	_	_
41	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	43	det	_	_
42	jesting	jesting	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	43	compound	_	_
43	questions	question	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	39	nmod	_	_
44	which	which	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	46	nsubj:pass	_	_
45	were	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	46	aux:pass	_	_
46	put	put	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	39	acl	_	_
47	to	to	ADP	IN	_	48	case	_	_
48	him	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	46	obl	_	_
49	upon	upon	ADP	IN	_	51	case	_	_
50	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	51	det	_	_
51	subject	subject	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	46	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
52	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	55	punct	_	_
53	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	55	nsubj	_	_
54	only	only	ADV	RB	_	55	advmod	_	_
55	blushed	blush	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	46	parataxis	_	_
56	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	57	cc	_	_
57	returned	return	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	55	conj	_	_
58	evasive	evasive	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	59	amod	_	_
59	answers	answer	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	57	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
60	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	65	punct	_	_
61	all	all	DET	PDT	PronType=Tot	63	det:predet	_	_
62	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	63	det	_	_
63	ladies	lady	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	65	nsubj	_	_
64	were	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	65	cop	_	_
65	certain	certain	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	55	conj	_	_
66	that	that	SCONJ	IN	_	69	mark	_	_
67	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	69	nsubj	_	_
68	had	have	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	69	aux	_	_
69	lost	lose	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part	65	advcl	_	_
70	his	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	71	nmod:poss	_	_
71	heart	heart	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	69	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
72	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	74	punct	_	_
73	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	74	cc	_	_
74	did	do	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	3	conj	_	_
75	their	their	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Plur|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	76	nmod:poss	_	_
76	utmost	utmost	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	74	xcomp	_	_
77	to	to	PART	TO	_	78	mark	_	_
78	discover	discover	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	76	xcomp	_	_
79	who	who	PRON	WP	PronType=Rel	83	nsubj	_	_
80	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	83	cop	_	_
81	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	83	det	_	_
82	happy	happy	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	83	amod	_	_
83	possessor	possessor	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	78	ccomp	_	_
84	of	of	ADP	IN	_	85	case	_	_
85	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	83	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
86	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

## Pragmatics {#pragmatics}

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **forget** | past | absence |  |  |  |  | that *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **not** **go back** | to-infinitive | absence *not said here* |  |  |  |  | absent *property* | vn convert-26.6.2 «NP V S\_ING»: agent=Patient |
| 3 | **is** | past · perfect | absence |  |  |  |  | before, gay *property* | tree rules |
| 4 | **be** |  | absence *not said here* |  |  |  |  | about everything | tree rules |
| 5 | **is a** | past |  | the surest way |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 6 | **awaken** | gerund | the surest way *not said here* | suspicion |  |  |  |  | vn appear-48.1.1 «PP.location V NP»: agent=Location suspicion=Theme |
| 7 | **put** | past · passive |  | response to the jesting questions | absence | the subject |  |  | vn put-9.1-2 «NP V PP.destination NP»: subject=Theme upon subject=Destination |
| 8 | **blush** | past | absence |  |  |  |  |  | vn hiccup-40.1.1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 9 | **return** | past | absence *not said here* | evasive answers |  |  |  |  | vn send-11.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent answer=Theme |
| 10 | **is** | past | all ladies |  |  |  |  | certain *property* | tree rules |
| 11 | **lose** | past · perfect | absence | absence's heart |  |  |  |  | vn succeed-74-3-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent heart=Eventuality |
| 12 | **do** | past | absence *not said here* |  |  |  |  | utmost *property* | vn act-114-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 13 | **discover** | to-infinitive | absence *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn discover-84-1 «NP V PP.topic S\_ING»: agent=Agent |
| 14 | **is a** | past |  | the happy possessor |  |  |  | of possessor | tree rules |

<!-- .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:** «The Green Fairy Book» by Andrew Lang, Project Gutenberg book 7277 (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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