Irish Fairy Tales, Chapter XIII, sentence 9
Listening in the dark to the bundle of noises which make a noise he could disentangle them and assign a place and a reason to each gradation of sound that formed the chorus: there was the patter of a rabbit, and there the scurrying of a hare; a bush rustled yonder, but that brief rustle was a bird; that pressure was a wolf, and this hesitation a fox; the scraping yonder was but a rough leaf against bark, and the scratching beyond it was a ferret’s claw.
Who acts: noises, Listening, sound, patter, bush, brief rustle · What happens: listen, make, disentangle, assign, form, be · To what, where: noise, ear, place, chorus, bird, wolf
This is a sentence of «Irish Fairy Tales» by James Stephens, Chapter XIII. The page gives its syntax tree — a dependency tree in the style of Universal Dependencies — and its pragmatics clause by clause: who acts (noises, Listening, sound, patter), 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
The words, one row each (CoNLL-U)
| # | word | lemma | UPOS | features | head | relation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Listening | listen | VERB | VerbForm=Ger | 16 disentangle | csubj |
| 2 | in | in | ADP | _ | 4 dark | case |
| 3 | the | the | DET | Definite=Def PronType=Art | 4 dark | det |
| 4 | dark | dark | NOUN | Number=Sing | 1 Listening | obl |
| 5 | to | to | ADP | _ | 7 bundle | case |
| 6 | the | the | DET | Definite=Def PronType=Art | 7 bundle | det |
| 7 | bundle | bundle | NOUN | Number=Sing | 1 Listening | obl |
| 8 | of | of | ADP | _ | 9 noises | case |
| 9 | noises | noise | NOUN | Number=Plur | 7 bundle | nmod |
| 10 | which | which | PRON | PronType=Rel | 11 make | nsubj |
| 11 | make | make | VERB | Mood=Ind Number=Plur Person=3 Tense=Pres VerbForm=Fin | 9 noises | acl:relcl |
| 12 | a | a | DET | Definite=Ind PronType=Art | 13 noise | det |
| 13 | noise | noise | NOUN | Number=Sing | 11 make | obj |
| 14 | he | he | PRON | Case=Nom Gender=Masc Number=Sing Person=3 PronType=Prs | 11 make | xcomp |
| 15 | could | could | AUX | VerbForm=Fin | 16 disentangle | aux |
| 16 | disentangle | disentangle | VERB | VerbForm=Inf | root | root |
| 17 | them | they | PRON | Case=Acc Number=Plur Person=3 PronType=Prs | 16 disentangle | obj |
| 18 | and | and | CCONJ | _ | 19 assign | cc |
| 19 | assign | assign | VERB | VerbForm=Inf | 16 disentangle | conj |
| 20 | a | a | DET | Definite=Ind PronType=Art | 21 place | det |
| 21 | place | place | NOUN | Number=Sing | 19 assign | obj |
| 22 | and | and | CCONJ | _ | 24 reason | cc |
| 23 | a | a | DET | Definite=Ind PronType=Art | 24 reason | det |
| 24 | reason | reason | NOUN | Number=Sing | 21 place | conj |
| 25 | to | to | ADP | _ | 27 gradation | case |
| 26 | each | each | DET | PronType=Tot | 27 gradation | det |
| 27 | gradation | gradation | NOUN | Number=Sing | 24 reason | nmod |
| 28 | of | of | ADP | _ | 29 sound | case |
| 29 | sound | sound | NOUN | Number=Sing | 27 gradation | nmod |
| 30 | that | that | PRON | PronType=Rel | 31 formed | nsubj |
| 31 | formed | form | VERB | Mood=Ind Number=Sing Person=3 Tense=Past VerbForm=Fin | 29 sound | acl:relcl |
| 32 | the | the | DET | Definite=Def PronType=Art | 33 chorus | det |
| 33 | chorus | chorus | NOUN | Number=Sing | 31 formed | obj |
| 34 | : | : | PUNCT | _ | 36 was | punct |
| 35 | there | there | PRON | PronType=Dem | 36 was | expl |
| 36 | was | be | VERB | Mood=Ind Number=Sing Person=3 Tense=Past VerbForm=Fin | 16 disentangle | parataxis |
| 37 | the | the | DET | Definite=Def PronType=Art | 38 patter | det |
| 38 | patter | patter | NOUN | Number=Sing | 36 was | nsubj |
| 39 | of | of | ADP | _ | 41 rabbit | case |
| 40 | a | a | DET | Definite=Ind PronType=Art | 41 rabbit | det |
| 41 | rabbit | rabbit | NOUN | Number=Sing | 38 patter | nmod |
| 42 | , | , | PUNCT | _ | 96 claw | punct |
| 43 | and | and | CCONJ | _ | 96 claw | cc |
| 44 | there | there | PRON | PronType=Dem | 96 claw | expl |
| 45 | the | the | DET | Definite=Def PronType=Art | 96 claw | det |
| 46 | scurrying | scurry | VERB | VerbForm=Ger | 96 claw | csubj |
| 47 | of | of | ADP | _ | 49 hare | case |
| 48 | a | a | DET | Definite=Ind PronType=Art | 49 hare | det |
| 49 | hare | hare | NOUN | Number=Sing | 46 scurrying | obl |
| 50 | ; | ; | PUNCT | _ | 53 rustled | punct |
| 51 | a | a | DET | Definite=Ind PronType=Art | 52 bush | det |
| 52 | bush | bush | NOUN | Number=Sing | 53 rustled | nsubj |
| 53 | rustled | rustle | VERB | Tense=Past VerbForm=Part Voice=Pass | 96 claw | advcl |
| 54 | yonder | yonder | ADV | _ | 53 rustled | advmod |
| 55 | , | , | PUNCT | _ | 62 bird | punct |
| 56 | but | but | CCONJ | _ | 62 bird | cc |
| 57 | that | that | DET | Number=Sing PronType=Dem | 59 rustle | det |
| 58 | brief | brief | ADJ | Degree=Pos | 59 rustle | amod |
| 59 | rustle | rustle | NOUN | Number=Sing | 62 bird | nsubj |
| 60 | was | be | AUX | Mood=Ind Number=Sing Person=3 Tense=Past VerbForm=Fin | 62 bird | cop |
| 61 | a | a | DET | Definite=Ind PronType=Art | 62 bird | det |
| 62 | bird | bird | NOUN | Number=Sing | 96 claw | nsubj |
| 63 | ; | ; | PUNCT | _ | 68 wolf | punct |
| 64 | that | that | DET | Number=Sing PronType=Dem | 65 pressure | det |
| 65 | pressure | pressure | NOUN | Number=Sing | 68 wolf | nsubj |
| 66 | was | be | AUX | Mood=Ind Number=Sing Person=3 Tense=Past VerbForm=Fin | 68 wolf | cop |
| 67 | a | a | DET | Definite=Ind PronType=Art | 68 wolf | det |
| 68 | wolf | wolf | NOUN | Number=Sing | 96 claw | nsubj |
| 69 | , | , | PUNCT | _ | 74 fox | punct |
| 70 | and | and | CCONJ | _ | 74 fox | cc |
| 71 | this | this | DET | Number=Sing PronType=Dem | 72 hesitation | det |
| 72 | hesitation | hesitation | NOUN | Number=Sing | 74 fox | nsubj |
| 73 | a | a | DET | Definite=Ind PronType=Art | 74 fox | det |
| 74 | fox | fox | NOUN | Number=Sing | 68 wolf | conj |
| 75 | ; | ; | PUNCT | _ | 77 scraping | punct |
| 76 | the | the | DET | Definite=Def PronType=Art | 77 scraping | det |
| 77 | scraping | scraping | NOUN | Number=Sing | 68 wolf | conj |
| 78 | yonder | yonder | ADV | _ | 77 scraping | advmod |
| 79 | was | be | AUX | Mood=Ind Number=Sing Person=3 Tense=Past VerbForm=Fin | 78 yonder | cop |
| 80 | but | but | CCONJ | _ | 83 leaf | cc |
| 81 | a | a | DET | Definite=Ind PronType=Art | 83 leaf | det |
| 82 | rough | rough | ADJ | Degree=Pos | 83 leaf | amod |
| 83 | leaf | leaf | NOUN | Number=Sing | 77 scraping | conj |
| 84 | against | against | ADP | _ | 85 bark | case |
| 85 | bark | bark | NOUN | Number=Sing | 83 leaf | nmod |
| 86 | , | , | PUNCT | _ | 89 scratching | punct |
| 87 | and | and | CCONJ | _ | 89 scratching | cc |
| 88 | the | the | DET | Definite=Def PronType=Art | 89 scratching | det |
| 89 | scratching | scratching | NOUN | Number=Sing | 77 scraping | conj |
| 90 | beyond | beyond | ADP | _ | 91 it | case |
| 91 | it | it | PRON | Case=Acc Gender=Neut Number=Sing Person=3 PronType=Prs | 89 scratching | nmod |
| 92 | was | be | AUX | Mood=Ind Number=Sing Person=3 Tense=Past VerbForm=Fin | 96 claw | cop |
| 93 | a | a | DET | Definite=Ind PronType=Art | 94 ferret | det |
| 94 | ferret | ferret | NOUN | Number=Sing | 96 claw | nmod:poss |
| 95 | ’s | 's | PART | _ | 94 ferret | case |
| 96 | claw | claw | NOUN | Number=Sing | 16 disentangle | obl |
| 97 | . | . | PUNCT | _ | 16 disentangle | punct |
Pragmatics
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | listen | gerund | to the bundle of noises; in the dark | vn peer-30.3 «NP V PP.theme»: agent=Agent in dark=Theme | |||||
| 2 | make | present | noises | a noise | vn build-26.1-1 «NP.asset V NP»: agent=Asset noise=Product | ||||
| 3 | disentangle | could | Listening | ear | vn separate-23.1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent they=Patient | ||||
| 4 | assign | infinitive | Listening not said here | a place and a reason to each gradation of sound | vn future_having-13.3 «NP V NP.theme (PP)»: agent=Agent place=Theme | ||||
| 5 | form | past | sound | the chorus | vn appear-48.1.1 «PP.location V NP»: agent=Location chorus=Theme | ||||
| 6 | be | past | the patter of a rabbit | there | vn exist-47.1 «NP V»: agent=Theme | ||||
| 7 | scurry | gerund | of a hare | vn run-51.3.2 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Theme of hare=Trajectory | |||||
| 8 | rustle | participle | a bush | yonder property | vn sound_emission-43.2 «NP V»: agent=Theme | ||||
| 9 | is a | past | that brief rustle | a bird | tree rules | ||||
| 10 | is a | past | that pressure | a wolf and a fox and the scraping but a rough leaf against bark and the scratching beyond hesitation | tree rules | ||||
| 11 | fox | this hesitation | tree rules | ||||||
| 12 | is | past | yonder property | tree rules | |||||
| 13 | is a | past | a bird | a ferret's claw | there | tree rules | |||
| 14 | gradate | sound | nom gradation «state transitive»: of=patient | ||||||
| 15 | patter | a rabbit | nom patter «communication intransitive»: of=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.
Text: «Irish Fairy Tales» by James Stephens, Project Gutenberg book 2892 (public domain in the USA). Tree: Mova's own parse, Elamur Cosmic License. Frames: Mova's frames reader (prag), the chapter read in order.
This page in Markdown → https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg2892/26/9/