Test 14 · ★★ · Alice in Wonderland, chapter IX, part 1: The Mock Turtle's…

Looking back: the Duchess answered «Talking of axes, chop off her head!» in chapter VI. What was the pun?

Mova's choice: option 1 · The right answer: option 4 · wrong ✗ · Who acts: Duchess, pun · What happens: look back, answer, talk, be · Speech: someone speaks here

This is test 14 · ★★ of lesson 17 «Alice in Wonderland, chapter IX, part 1: The Mock Turtle's Story (the Duchess and her morals)» of the books course of Mova's primary school. The page gives the question's syntax tree — a dependency tree in the style of Universal Dependencies — and its pragmatics clause by clause, then the 4 options as the student saw them, each with its tree and pragmatics. Every text is parsed by Mova itself. How the student answered it, with the score of every option and why: the test at school.

The question

Sentence 1: Looking back: the Duchess answered «Talking of axes, chop off her head!» in chapter VI.

The words, one row each (CoNLL-U)

#	word	lemma	UPOS	features	head	relation
1	Looking	look	VERB	Tense=Pres VerbForm=Part	6 answered	advcl
2	back	back	ADV	_	1 Looking	advmod
3	:	:	PUNCT	_	1 Looking	punct
4	the	the	DET	Definite=Def PronType=Art	5 Duchess	det
5	Duchess	Duchess	PROPN	Number=Sing	6 answered	nsubj
6	answered	answer	VERB	Mood=Ind Number=Sing Person=3 Tense=Past VerbForm=Fin	root	root
7	«	«	PUNCT	_	8 Talking	punct
8	Talking	talk	VERB	Tense=Pres VerbForm=Part	6 answered	advcl
9	of	of	ADP	_	10 axes	case
10	axes	ax	NOUN	Number=Plur	8 Talking	obl
11	,	,	PUNCT	_	12 chop	punct
12	chop	chop	NOUN	Number=Sing	8 Talking	conj
13	off	off	ADP	_	15 head	case
14	her	her	PRON	Case=Gen Gender=Fem Number=Sing Person=3 Poss=Yes PronType=Prs	15 head	nmod:poss
15	head	head	NOUN	Number=Sing	12 chop	nmod
16	!	!	PUNCT	_	12 chop	punct
17	»	»	PUNCT	_	12 chop	punct
18	in	in	ADP	_	19 chapter	case
19	chapter	chapter	NOUN	Number=Sing	12 chop	nmod
20	VI	VI	NUM	NumForm=Roman NumType=Card	19 chapter	flat
21	.	.	PUNCT	_	6 answered	punct

#	verb	tense, mood	who	other	roles by
1	look back	gerund	the Duchess not said here		vn stimulus_subject-30.4 «NP V PP.attribute»: agent=Stimulus
2	answer speech: express	past	the Duchess		vn reciprocate-112-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent
3	talk in a quote	gerund	the Duchess not said here	of axes	vn talk-37.5 «NP V»: agent=Agent

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.

Sentence 2: What was the pun?

The words, one row each (CoNLL-U)

#	word	lemma	UPOS	features	head	relation
1	What	what	PRON	PronType=Int	root	root
2	was	be	AUX	Mood=Ind Number=Sing Person=3 Tense=Past VerbForm=Fin	1 What	cop
3	the	the	DET	Definite=Def PronType=Art	4 pun	det
4	pun	pun	NOUN	Number=Sing	1 What	nsubj
5	?	?	PUNCT	_	1 What	punct

#	verb	tense, mood	who	what, whom	to whom	where	when	other	roles by
1	is a	past	the pun						tree rules

The options

Option 1 · ← Mova's choice

The Duchess said «axes» and Alice thought she meant the sun

The words, one row each (CoNLL-U)

#	word	lemma	UPOS	features	head	relation
1	The	the	DET	Definite=Def PronType=Art	2 Duchess	det
2	Duchess	Duchess	PROPN	Number=Sing	3 said	nsubj
3	said	say	VERB	Mood=Ind Number=Sing Person=3 Tense=Past VerbForm=Fin	root	root
4	«	«	PUNCT	_	5 axes	punct
5	axes	ax	NOUN	Number=Plur	3 said	obj
6	»	»	PUNCT	_	5 axes	punct
7	and	and	CCONJ	_	9 thought	cc
8	Alice	Alice	PROPN	Number=Sing	9 thought	nsubj
9	thought	think	VERB	Mood=Ind Number=Sing Person=3 Tense=Past VerbForm=Fin	3 said	conj
10	she	she	PRON	Case=Nom Gender=Fem Number=Sing Person=3 PronType=Prs	11 meant	nsubj
11	meant	mean	VERB	Mood=Ind Number=Sing Person=3 Tense=Past VerbForm=Fin	9 thought	ccomp
12	the	the	DET	Definite=Def PronType=Art	13 sun	det
13	sun	sun	NOUN	Number=Sing	11 meant	obj

#	verb	tense, mood	who	what, whom	roles by
1	say speech: assert	past	the Duchess	axes	vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V NP.topic»: agent=Agent ax=Topic
2	think speech: other	past	Alice		vn consider-29.9-2 «NP V how S»: agent=Agent clause=Theme
3	mean	past	Alice	the sun	vn intend-61.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent sun=Topic

Option 2

Alice said «axis», and the Duchess heard «ax», a word for pig

The tree, 12 words

The words, one row each (CoNLL-U)

#	word	lemma	UPOS	features	head	relation
1	Alice	Alice	PROPN	Number=Sing	2 said	nsubj
2	said	say	VERB	Mood=Ind Number=Sing Person=3 Tense=Past VerbForm=Fin	root	root
3	«	«	PUNCT	_	4 axis	punct
4	axis	axis	NOUN	Number=Sing	2 said	obj
5	»	»	PUNCT	_	4 axis	punct
6	,	,	PUNCT	_	10 heard	punct
7	and	and	CCONJ	_	10 heard	cc
8	the	the	DET	Definite=Def PronType=Art	9 Duchess	det
9	Duchess	Duchess	PROPN	Number=Sing	10 heard	nsubj
10	heard	hear	VERB	Mood=Ind Number=Sing Person=3 Tense=Past VerbForm=Fin	2 said	conj
11	«	«	PUNCT	_	12 ax	punct
12	ax	ax	NOUN	Number=Sing	10 heard	obj
13	»	»	PUNCT	_	12 ax	punct
14	,	,	PUNCT	_	16 word	punct
15	a	a	DET	Definite=Ind PronType=Art	16 word	det
16	word	word	NOUN	Number=Sing	10 heard	obl
17	for	for	ADP	_	18 pig	case
18	pig	pig	NOUN	Number=Sing	16 word	nmod

#	verb	tense, mood	who	what, whom	to whom	where	when	other	roles by
1	say speech: assert	past	Alice	axis					vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V NP.topic»: agent=Agent axis=Topic
2	hear	past	the Duchess	ax				a word for pig obl	vn see-30.1-1-1 «NP V S»: agent=Experiencer ax=Stimulus

Option 3

Alice said «axis», and the Duchess heard «axes», tools for chopping, so the Queen's head was in danger of being chopped

The tree, 22 words

The words, one row each (CoNLL-U)

#	word	lemma	UPOS	features	head	relation
1	Alice	Alice	PROPN	Number=Sing	2 said	nsubj
2	said	say	VERB	Mood=Ind Number=Sing Person=3 Tense=Past VerbForm=Fin	root	root
3	«	«	PUNCT	_	4 axis	punct
4	axis	axis	NOUN	Number=Sing	2 said	obj
5	»	»	PUNCT	_	4 axis	punct
6	,	,	PUNCT	_	10 heard	punct
7	and	and	CCONJ	_	10 heard	cc
8	the	the	DET	Definite=Def PronType=Art	9 Duchess	det
9	Duchess	Duchess	PROPN	Number=Sing	10 heard	nsubj
10	heard	hear	VERB	Mood=Ind Number=Sing Person=3 Tense=Past VerbForm=Fin	2 said	conj
11	«	«	PUNCT	_	12 axes	punct
12	axes	ax	NOUN	Number=Plur	10 heard	obj
13	»	»	PUNCT	_	12 axes	punct
14	,	,	PUNCT	_	15 tools	punct
15	tools	tool	NOUN	Number=Plur	10 heard	obl
16	for	for	ADP	_	17 chopping	case
17	chopping	chopping	NOUN	Number=Sing	15 tools	nmod
18	,	,	PUNCT	_	26 danger	punct
19	so	so	ADV	_	26 danger	advmod
20	the	the	DET	Definite=Def PronType=Art	21 Queen	det
21	Queen	Queen	PROPN	Number=Sing	23 head	nmod:poss
22	's	's	PART	_	21 Queen	case
23	head	head	NOUN	Number=Sing	26 danger	nsubj
24	was	be	AUX	Mood=Ind Number=Sing Person=3 Tense=Past VerbForm=Fin	26 danger	cop
25	in	in	ADP	_	26 danger	case
26	danger	danger	NOUN	Number=Sing	2 said	ccomp
27	of	of	SCONJ	_	29 chopped	mark
28	being	be	AUX	Tense=Pres VerbForm=Part	29 chopped	aux:pass
29	chopped	chop	VERB	Tense=Past VerbForm=Part Voice=Pass	26 danger	acl

#	verb	tense, mood	who	what, whom	where	other	roles by
1	say speech: assert	past	Alice	axis			vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V NP.topic»: agent=Agent axis=Topic
2	hear	past	the Duchess	axes		tools for chopping obl	vn see-30.1-1-1 «NP V S»: agent=Experiencer ax=Stimulus
3	is	past	the Queen's head		danger		tree rules
4	chop	gerund · passive		danger not said here			vn carve-21.2-2 «NP V ADVP-Middle»

Option 4 · ✓ the right answer

Alice said «axis», and the Duchess heard «axes», tools for chopping

The tree, 11 words

The words, one row each (CoNLL-U)

#	word	lemma	UPOS	features	head	relation
1	Alice	Alice	PROPN	Number=Sing	2 said	nsubj
2	said	say	VERB	Mood=Ind Number=Sing Person=3 Tense=Past VerbForm=Fin	root	root
3	«	«	PUNCT	_	4 axis	punct
4	axis	axis	NOUN	Number=Sing	2 said	obj
5	»	»	PUNCT	_	4 axis	punct
6	,	,	PUNCT	_	10 heard	punct
7	and	and	CCONJ	_	10 heard	cc
8	the	the	DET	Definite=Def PronType=Art	9 Duchess	det
9	Duchess	Duchess	PROPN	Number=Sing	10 heard	nsubj
10	heard	hear	VERB	Mood=Ind Number=Sing Person=3 Tense=Past VerbForm=Fin	2 said	conj
11	«	«	PUNCT	_	12 axes	punct
12	axes	ax	NOUN	Number=Plur	10 heard	obj
13	»	»	PUNCT	_	12 axes	punct
14	,	,	PUNCT	_	15 tools	punct
15	tools	tool	NOUN	Number=Plur	10 heard	obl
16	for	for	ADP	_	17 chopping	case
17	chopping	chopping	NOUN	Number=Sing	15 tools	nmod

#	verb	tense, mood	who	what, whom	to whom	where	when	other	roles by
1	say speech: assert	past	Alice	axis					vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V NP.topic»: agent=Agent axis=Topic
2	hear	past	the Duchess	axes				tools for chopping obl	vn see-30.1-1-1 «NP V S»: agent=Experiencer ax=Stimulus

Text: the tests of Mova's primary school, written for Mova (world/data/school/), as the course runner gave them to the student. Trees: Mova's own parse — the en model on the CPU, when the site is built — not checked by a teacher; they may be wrong. Frames: Mova's frames reader (prag), each text read on its own. Elamur Cosmic License.

This page in Markdown → https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/17-alice-the-mock-turtles-story-1/t14/