---
title: Select the response that is consistent with the established facts co… — How to handle gossip: is it true, is i… · tree and pragmatics
description: Select the response that is consistent with the established facts concerning an assertion transmitted through a succession of four intermediaries. Exam question 3 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 scho
---

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# Exam question 3 · How to handle gossip: is it true, is it kind, would I say…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Select the response that is consistent with the established facts concerning an assertion transmitted through a succession of four intermediaries.

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 2 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** you, response, established facts · **What happens:** select, be, establish, concern, transmit · **To what, where:** response, assertion, succession

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 3 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/#e3).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:adult-life:49-how-to-handle-gossip:e3:1
# text = Select the response that is consistent with the established facts concerning an assertion transmitted through a succession of four intermediaries.
1	Select	select	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
2	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
3	response	response	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obj	_	_
4	that	that	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	6	nsubj	_	_
5	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	6	cop	_	_
6	consistent	consistent	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	acl:relcl	_	_
7	with	with	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
9	established	establish	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	10	amod	_	_
10	facts	fact	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	6	obl	_	_
11	concerning	concern	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	10	acl	_	_
12	an	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	13	det	_	_
13	assertion	assertion	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	obj	_	_
14	transmitted	transmit	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	13	acl	_	_
15	through	through	ADP	IN	_	17	case	_	_
16	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	17	det	_	_
17	succession	succession	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	14	obl	_	_
18	of	of	ADP	IN	_	20	case	_	_
19	four	four	NUM	CD	NumForm=Word|NumType=Card	20	nummod	_	_
20	intermediaries	intermediary	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	17	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
21	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	1	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **select** | imperative | you *not said here* | the response |  |  |  |  | vn obtain-13.5.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent response=Theme |
| 2 | **is** | present | the response |  |  |  |  | with the established facts; consistent *property* | tree rules |
| 3 | **establish** | participle |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn indicate-78-1-1 «NP V NP to be NP»: agent=Pivot |
| 4 | **concern** | gerund | the established facts *not said here* | a assertion |  |  |  |  | vn amuse-31.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Stimulus assertion=Experiencer |
| 5 | **transmit** | participle |  | a assertion *not said here* |  | a succession of four intermediaries |  |  | vn send-11.1-1 «NP V NP»: 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 is rendered more reliable by each additional intermediary through whom it passes

```conllu
# sent_id = question:adult-life:49-how-to-handle-gossip:e3:o1:1
# text = It is rendered more reliable by each additional intermediary through whom it passes
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj:pass	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	aux:pass	_	_
3	rendered	render	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
4	more	more	ADV	RBR	Degree=Cmp	5	advmod	_	_
5	reliable	reliable	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	xcomp	_	_
6	by	by	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
7	each	each	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	9	det	_	_
8	additional	additional	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	9	amod	_	_
9	intermediary	intermediary	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	_
10	through	through	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
11	whom	whom	PRON	WP	PronType=Rel	3	obl	_	_
12	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	13	nsubj	_	_
13	passes	pass	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	11	acl:relcl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **render** | present · passive | each additional intermediary | It |  |  |  | reliable *property* | vn give-13.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent subject=Theme |
| 2 | **pass** | present | intermediary |  |  |  |  |  | vn occur-48.3-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |

### Option 2 · ✓ the right answer {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It is likely to have been altered at each stage of transmission

```conllu
# sent_id = question:adult-life:49-how-to-handle-gossip:e3:o2:1
# text = It is likely to have been altered at each stage of transmission
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	cop	_	_
3	likely	likely	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
4	to	to	PART	TO	_	7	mark	_	_
5	have	have	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	7	aux	_	_
6	been	be	AUX	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part	7	aux:pass	_	_
7	altered	alter	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	3	xcomp	_	_
8	at	at	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
9	each	each	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	10	det	_	_
10	stage	stage	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obl	_	_
11	of	of	ADP	IN	_	12	case	_	_
12	transmission	transmission	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | It |  |  |  |  | likely *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **alter** | to-infinitive · perfect · passive |  |  |  | each stage of transmission |  |  | vn other\_cos-45.4 «NP.patient V» |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It may be verified only by the final intermediary

```conllu
# sent_id = question:adult-life:49-how-to-handle-gossip:e3:o3:1
# text = It may be verified only by the final intermediary
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj:pass	_	_
2	may	may	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	4	aux	_	_
3	be	be	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	4	aux:pass	_	_
4	verified	verify	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
5	only	only	ADV	RB	_	4	advmod	_	_
6	by	by	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
8	final	final	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	9	amod	_	_
9	intermediary	intermediary	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **verify** | may · passive | the final intermediary | It |  |  |  |  | vn indicate-78-1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Pivot subject=Topic |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It must be accepted once four persons have repeated it

```conllu
# sent_id = question:adult-life:49-how-to-handle-gossip:e3:o4:1
# text = It must be accepted once four persons have repeated it
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj:pass	_	_
2	must	must	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	4	aux	_	_
3	be	be	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	4	aux:pass	_	_
4	accepted	accept	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
5	once	once	ADV	RB	NumForm=Word|NumType=Mult	4	advmod	_	_
6	four	four	NUM	CD	NumForm=Word|NumType=Card	7	nummod	_	_
7	persons	person	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	9	nsubj:pass	_	_
8	have	have	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	9	aux	_	_
9	repeated	repeat	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	4	conj	_	_
10	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	9	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **accept** | must · passive |  | It |  |  |  | once *property* | vn obtain-13.5.2 «NP V NP»: subject=Theme |
| 2 | **repeat** | present · perfect · passive |  | four persons |  |  |  |  | tree rules |

<!-- div src -->

**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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