---
title: Whereas a pupil asserts that he is "merely repeating what he heard",… — How to handle gossip: is it true, is i… · tree and pragmatics
description: Whereas a pupil asserts that he is "merely repeating what he heard", determine the correct characterisation of his conduct. Exam question 2 of lesson 49 «How to handle gossip: is it true, is it kind, would I say it to their face» of the adult life course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency
---

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# Exam question 2 · How to handle gossip: is it true, is it kind, would I say…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Whereas a pupil asserts that he is "merely repeating what he heard", determine the correct characterisation of his conduct.

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 1 · right ✓ · **Who acts:** pupil, you · **What happens:** assert, repeat, hear, determine, characterise, conduct · **To what, where:** correct characterisation, conduct

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 2 of lesson 49 «How to handle gossip: is it true, is it kind, would I say it to their face» 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/49-how-to-handle-gossip/#e2).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:adult-life:49-how-to-handle-gossip:e2:1
# text = Whereas a pupil asserts that he is "merely repeating what he heard", determine the correct characterisation of his conduct.
1	Whereas	whereas	SCONJ	IN	_	4	mark	_	_
2	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
3	pupil	pupil	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
4	asserts	assert	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	16	advcl	_	_
5	that	that	SCONJ	IN	_	10	mark	_	_
6	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	10	nsubj	_	_
7	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	10	aux	_	_
8	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	10	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	merely	merely	ADV	RB	_	10	advmod	_	_
10	repeating	repeat	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	4	advcl	_	_
11	what	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	10	obj	_	_
12	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	13	nsubj	_	_
13	heard	hear	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	11	acl:relcl	_	SpaceAfter=No
14	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	13	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
15	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	16	punct	_	_
16	determine	determine	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
17	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	19	det	_	_
18	correct	correct	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	19	amod	_	_
19	characterisation	characterisation	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	16	obj	_	_
20	of	of	ADP	IN	_	22	case	_	_
21	his	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	22	nmod:poss	_	_
22	conduct	conduct	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	19	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
23	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	16	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **assert** | present | a pupil |  |  |  |  |  | vn conjecture-29.5 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **repeat** *in a quote* | present · progressive | pupil |  |  |  |  | merely *property* | vn begin-55.1-1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent what=Eventuality |
| 3 | **hear** *in a quote* | past | pupil |  |  |  |  |  | vn see-30.1-1-1 «NP V PP.stimulus»: agent=Experiencer |
| 4 | **determine** | imperative | you *not said here* | the correct characterisation of pupil's conduct |  |  |  |  | vn discover-84 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent characterisation=Topic |
| 5 | **characterise** |  |  | pupil's conduct |  |  |  |  | nom characterisation «communication transitive»: of=patient |
| 6 | **conduct** |  | pupil |  |  |  |  |  | nom conduct «act transitive»: poss=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 · ✓ the right answer {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
He is participating in the spreading of the rumour

```conllu
# sent_id = question:adult-life:49-how-to-handle-gossip:e2:o1:1
# text = He is participating in the spreading of the rumour
1	He	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	aux	_	_
3	participating	participate	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	_
4	in	in	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	spreading	spreading	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	_
7	of	of	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	rumour	rumour	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **participate** | present · progressive | He |  |  |  |  | in the spreading of the rumour | vn cooperate-73.1-2 «NP V PP.theme»: agent=Agent in spreading=Theme |
| 2 | **spread** |  |  | the rumour |  |  |  |  | nom spreading «event transitive»: of=patient |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
He bears no responsibility whatsoever for the rumour

```conllu
# sent_id = question:adult-life:49-how-to-handle-gossip:e2:o2:1
# text = He bears no responsibility whatsoever for the rumour
1	He	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	bears	bear	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	0	root	_	_
3	no	no	DET	DT	PronType=Neg	4	det	_	_
4	responsibility	responsibility	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	nmod:unmarked	_	_
5	whatsoever	whatsoever	ADV	RB	_	2	advmod	_	_
6	for	for	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	rumour	rumour	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .note -->
The frames reader finds no event or fact in this sentence.

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
He is reporting a verified fact to his peers

```conllu
# sent_id = question:adult-life:49-how-to-handle-gossip:e2:o3:1
# text = He is reporting a verified fact to his peers
1	He	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	aux	_	_
3	reporting	report	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	_
4	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
5	verified	verified	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	6	amod	_	_
6	fact	fact	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	_
7	to	to	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
8	his	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	9	nmod:poss	_	_
9	peers	peer	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **report** | present · progressive | He | a verified fact | his peers |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V NP PP.recipient»: agent=Agent fact=Topic to peer=Recipient |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
He is the sole originator of the rumour

```conllu
# sent_id = question:adult-life:49-how-to-handle-gossip:e2:o4:1
# text = He is the sole originator of the rumour
1	He	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	5	nsubj	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	cop	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
4	sole	sole	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	amod	_	_
5	originator	originator	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
6	of	of	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	rumour	rumour	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | He | the sole originator |  |  |  | of the rumour | tree rules |

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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.

<!-- /div -->

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