---
title: Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the… — Closed doors, whispers and secrets · tree and pragmatics
description: Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the declaration «Dad and I need to talk»? Exam question 1 of lesson 35 «Closed doors, whispers and secrets» of the adult life course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of each option; M
---

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# Exam question 1 · Closed doors, whispers and secrets

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the declaration «Dad and I need to talk»?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 4 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** I · **What happens:** follow, characteris, need, talk · **To what, where:** declaration

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 1 of lesson 35 «Closed doors, whispers and secrets» of the adult life course of Mova's primary school, asked in stiff, formal language. 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](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/school-run/adult-life/35-closed-doors-whispers-and-secrets/#e1).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:adult-life:35-closed-doors-whispers-and-secrets:e1:1
# text = Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the declaration «Dad and I need to talk»?
1	Which	which	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	8	nsubj	_	_
2	of	of	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
4	following	follow	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	5	amod	_	_
5	statements	statement	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	8	obl	_	_
6	most	most	ADV	RBS	Degree=Sup	7	advmod	_	_
7	accurately	accurately	ADV	RB	_	8	advmod	_	_
8	characterises	characteris	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
9	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
10	declaration	declaration	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obj	_	_
11	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	12	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	Dad	dad	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	conj	_	_
13	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	15	cc	_	_
14	I	I	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Sing|Person=1|PronType=Prs	15	nsubj	_	_
15	need	need	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=1|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	8	conj	_	_
16	to	to	PART	TO	_	17	mark	_	_
17	talk	talk	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	15	xcomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
18	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	15	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
19	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	8	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **follow** | gerund |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn occur-48.3-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 2 | **characteris** | present |  | the declaration and Dad |  |  |  | of the following statements; accurately *property* | tree rules |
| 3 | **need** *in a quote* | present | I |  |  |  |  |  | vn want-32.1-1-1 «NP V NP S\_INF»: agent=Pivot clause=Theme |
| 4 | **talk** *not said to happen, in a quote* | to-infinitive | I *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn talk-37.5 «NP V»: agent=Agent |

<!-- .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.

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 · ← Mova's choice {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It denotes invariably that a calamity has occurred

```conllu
# sent_id = question:adult-life:35-closed-doors-whispers-and-secrets:e1:o1:1
# text = It denotes invariably that a calamity has occurred
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	denotes	denote	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	invariably	invariably	ADV	RB	_	2	advmod	_	_
4	that	that	SCONJ	IN	_	8	mark	_	_
5	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	calamity	calamity	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	nsubj	_	_
7	has	have	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	8	aux	_	_
8	occurred	occur	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part	2	advcl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **denote** | present | It |  |  |  |  | invariably *property* | vn indicate-78 «NP V how S»: agent=Pivot |
| 2 | **occur** | present · perfect | a calamity |  |  |  |  |  | vn occur-48.3-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It denotes that a child is to be punished forthwith for misconduct

```conllu
# sent_id = question:adult-life:35-closed-doors-whispers-and-secrets:e1:o2:1
# text = It denotes that a child is to be punished forthwith for misconduct
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	denotes	denote	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	that	that	SCONJ	IN	_	9	mark	_	_
4	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	child	child	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	nsubj:pass	_	_
6	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	9	aux:pass	_	_
7	to	to	PART	TO	_	9	mark	_	_
8	be	be	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	9	aux:pass	_	_
9	punished	punish	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	2	advcl	_	_
10	forthwith	forthwith	ADV	RB	_	9	advmod	_	_
11	for	for	ADP	IN	_	12	case	_	_
12	misconduct	misconduct	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **denote** | present | It |  |  |  |  |  | vn indicate-78 «NP V how S»: agent=Pivot |
| 2 | **punish** | present · passive |  | a child |  |  |  | for misconduct; forthwith *property* | vn prosecute-33.2-1 «NP V NP PP.theme»: subject=Patient for misconduct=Theme |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It denotes an intention to watch television together

```conllu
# sent_id = question:adult-life:35-closed-doors-whispers-and-secrets:e1:o3:1
# text = It denotes an intention to watch television together
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	denotes	denote	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	an	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	intention	intention	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
5	to	to	PART	TO	_	6	mark	_	_
6	watch	watch	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	2	advcl	_	_
7	television	television	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obj	_	_
8	together	together	ADV	RB	_	6	advmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **denote** | present | It | a intention |  |  |  |  | vn indicate-78 «NP V NP»: agent=Pivot intention=Topic |
| 2 | **watch** | to-infinitive |  | television |  |  |  | together *property* | vn assessment-34.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent television=Theme |

### Option 4 · ✓ the right answer {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It denotes a private and serious conversation between the parents

```conllu
# sent_id = question:adult-life:35-closed-doors-whispers-and-secrets:e1:o4:1
# text = It denotes a private and serious conversation between the parents
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	denotes	denote	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
4	private	private	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	7	amod	_	_
5	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	6	cc	_	_
6	serious	serious	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	conj	_	_
7	conversation	conversation	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
8	between	between	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
9	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
10	parents	parent	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	7	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **denote** | present | It | a private conversation |  |  |  | between the parents | vn indicate-78 «NP V NP»: agent=Pivot conversation=Topic |

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**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.

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- ← previous: [Closed doors, whispers and secrets, test 11](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/adult-life/35-closed-doors-whispers-and-secrets/t11/)
- next →: [Closed doors, whispers and secrets, exam 2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/adult-life/35-closed-doors-whispers-and-secrets/e2/)
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