---
title: When one of his comrades heard what had happened, he said, ‘You bloc… — The Green Fairy Book · tree and pragmatics
description: When one of his comrades heard what had happened, he said, ‘You blockhead, you can’t have done it properly; just let me have a try,’ and with these words he seized his wife by the roots of her hair, cut her throat with a razor, and then took the pipe and blew into it with all his might but he couldn
---

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# The Green Fairy Book, The Biter Bit, part 1, sentence 92

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When one of his comrades heard what had happened, he said, ‘You blockhead, you can’t have done it properly; just let me have a try,’ and with these words he seized his wife by the roots of her hair, cut her throat with a razor, and then took the pipe and blew into it with all his might but he couldn’t bring her back to life.

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**Who acts:** one, rogue, You, me · **What happens:** hear, happen, say, blockhead, not do, let · **To what, where:** soul, me, try, wife, throat, pipe · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
This is a sentence of «The Green Fairy Book» by Andrew Lang, The Biter Bit, part 1. The page gives its syntax tree — a dependency tree in the style of Universal Dependencies — and its pragmatics clause by clause: who acts (one, rogue, You, me), 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:pg7277:26:92
# text = When one of his comrades heard what had happened, he said, ‘You blockhead, you can’t have done it properly; just let me have a try,’ and with these words he seized his wife by the roots of her hair, cut her throat with a razor, and then took the pipe and blew into it with all his might but he couldn’t bring her back to life.
1	When	when	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	6	advmod	_	_
2	one	one	NUM	CD	NumForm=Word|NumType=Card	6	nsubj	_	_
3	of	of	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
4	his	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	5	nmod:poss	_	_
5	comrades	comrade	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	nmod	_	_
6	heard	hear	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	12	advcl	_	_
7	what	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	9	nsubj	_	_
8	had	have	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	9	aux	_	_
9	happened	happen	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part	6	ccomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	6	punct	_	_
11	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	12	nsubj	_	_
12	said	say	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	16	punct	_	_
14	‘	'	PUNCT	``	_	16	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
15	You	you	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Person=2|PronType=Prs	16	nsubj	_	_
16	blockhead	blockhead	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	ccomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
17	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	22	punct	_	_
18	you	you	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Person=2|PronType=Prs	22	nsubj	_	_
19	ca	can	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	22	aux	_	SpaceAfter=No
20	n’t	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	22	advmod	_	_
21	have	have	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	22	aux	_	_
22	done	do	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part	12	conj	_	_
23	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	22	obj	_	_
24	properly	properly	ADV	RB	_	22	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
25	;	;	PUNCT	:	_	27	punct	_	_
26	just	just	ADV	RB	_	27	advmod	_	_
27	let	let	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	12	ccomp	_	_
28	me	I	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Number=Sing|Person=1|PronType=Prs	27	obj	_	_
29	have	have	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	27	xcomp	_	_
30	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	31	det	_	_
31	try	try	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	29	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
32	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	29	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
33	’	'	PUNCT	''	_	27	punct	_	_
34	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	39	cc	_	_
35	with	with	ADP	IN	_	37	case	_	_
36	these	this	DET	DT	Number=Plur|PronType=Dem	37	det	_	_
37	words	word	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	39	obl	_	_
38	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	39	nsubj	_	_
39	seized	seize	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	12	conj	_	_
40	his	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	41	nmod:poss	_	_
41	wife	wife	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	39	obj	_	_
42	by	by	ADP	IN	_	44	case	_	_
43	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	44	det	_	_
44	roots	root	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	39	obl	_	_
45	of	of	ADP	IN	_	47	case	_	_
46	her	her	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	47	nmod:poss	_	_
47	hair	hair	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	44	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
48	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	49	punct	_	_
49	cut	cut	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	12	parataxis	_	_
50	her	her	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	51	nmod:poss	_	_
51	throat	throat	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	49	obj	_	_
52	with	with	ADP	IN	_	54	case	_	_
53	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	54	det	_	_
54	razor	razor	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	49	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
55	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	58	punct	_	_
56	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	58	cc	_	_
57	then	then	ADV	RB	PronType=Dem	58	advmod	_	_
58	took	take	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	12	parataxis	_	_
59	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	60	det	_	_
60	pipe	pipe	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	58	obj	_	_
61	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	62	cc	_	_
62	blew	blow	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=1|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	58	conj	_	_
63	into	into	ADP	IN	_	64	case	_	_
64	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	62	obl	_	_
65	with	with	SCONJ	IN	_	68	mark	_	_
66	all	all	DET	PDT	PronType=Tot	68	det:predet	_	_
67	his	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	68	nmod:poss	_	_
68	might	might	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	62	advcl	_	_
69	but	but	CCONJ	CC	_	73	cc	_	_
70	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	73	nsubj	_	_
71	could	could	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	73	aux	_	SpaceAfter=No
72	n’t	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	73	advmod	_	_
73	bring	bring	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	58	conj	_	_
74	her	she	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	73	obj	_	_
75	back	back	ADV	RB	_	73	advmod	_	_
76	to	to	ADP	IN	_	77	case	_	_
77	life	life	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	73	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
78	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	12	punct	_	_
```

## Pragmatics {#pragmatics}

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **hear** | past | one of rogue's comrades |  |  |  |  |  | vn see-30.1-1-1 «NP V how S»: agent=Experiencer clause=Stimulus |
| 2 | **happen** | past · perfect |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn occur-48.3-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 3 | **say** *speech: assert* | past | rogue |  |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent clause=Topic |
| 4 | **blockhead** |  | You |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 5 | **not** **do** | can · perfect | you | soul |  |  |  | properly *property* | vn act-114-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent it=Eventuality |
| 6 | **let** | infinitive |  | me |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 7 | **have** | infinitive | me *not said here* | a try |  |  |  |  | vn birth-28.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent try=Patient |
| 8 | **seize** | past | rogue | rogue's wife |  |  |  | with this words; by the roots of woman's hair | vn obtain-13.5.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent wife=Theme |
| 9 | **cut** | past |  | woman's throat |  |  |  | with a razor | vn cut-21.1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent throat=Patient with razor=Instrument |
| 10 | **take** | past |  | the pipe |  |  | then |  | vn bring-11.3 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent pipe=Theme |
| 11 | **blow** | past |  |  |  | soul |  |  | vn build-26.1 «NP V NP.material PP.product»: agent=Agent into it=Product |
| 12 | **not** **bring back** | could | rogue | woman |  | life |  |  | vn bring-11.3-1 «NP V NP PP.destination»: agent=Agent she=Theme to life=Destination |

<!-- .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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