---
title: Which of the following most accurately characterises the distinction… — Where money comes from · tree and pragmatics
description: Which of the following most accurately characterises the distinction between a salary and wages? Exam question 1 of lesson 5 «Where money comes from» of the adult life course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of each option; Mova's choice was wrong
---

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# Exam question 1 · Where money comes from

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Which of the following most accurately characterises the distinction between a salary and wages?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 4 · **The right answer:** option 2 · wrong ✗ · **What happens:** follow, characteris · **To what, where:** distinction

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This is exam question 1 of lesson 5 «Where money comes from» 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/5-where-money-comes-from/#e1).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:adult-life:5-where-money-comes-from:e1:1
# text = Which of the following most accurately characterises the distinction between a salary and wages?
1	Which	which	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	7	nsubj	_	_
2	of	of	SCONJ	IN	_	7	mark	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
4	following	follow	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	7	csubj	_	_
5	most	most	ADV	RBS	Degree=Sup	6	advmod	_	_
6	accurately	accurately	ADV	RB	_	7	advmod	_	_
7	characterises	characteris	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	distinction	distinction	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obj	_	_
10	between	between	ADP	IN	_	12	case	_	_
11	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	12	det	_	_
12	salary	salary	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	nmod	_	_
13	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	14	cc	_	_
14	wages	wage	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	12	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
15	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	7	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 distinction |  |  |  | between a salary and wages; accurately *property* | tree rules |

<!-- .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 {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Both are sums paid exclusively upon retirement

```conllu
# sent_id = question:adult-life:5-where-money-comes-from:e1:o1:1
# text = Both are sums paid exclusively upon retirement
1	Both	both	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	3	det	_	_
2	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	cop	_	_
3	sums	sum	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	0	root	_	_
4	paid	pay	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	3	acl	_	_
5	exclusively	exclusively	ADV	RB	_	4	advmod	_	_
6	upon	upon	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
7	retirement	retirement	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obl:agent	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present |  | both sums |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **pay** | participle |  | both sums *not said here* |  |  |  | exclusively *property* | vn pay-68-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A salary is a fixed annual sum paid in instalments; wages vary with the hours worked

<!-- fold The tree, 16 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:adult-life:5-where-money-comes-from:e1:o2:1
# text = A salary is a fixed annual sum paid in instalments; wages vary with the hours worked
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	salary	salary	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	nsubj	_	_
3	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	7	cop	_	_
4	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
5	fixed	fix	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	7	amod	_	_
6	annual	annual	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	7	amod	_	_
7	sum	sum	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
8	paid	pay	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	7	acl	_	_
9	in	in	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
10	instalments	instalment	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	8	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	;	;	PUNCT	:	_	13	punct	_	_
12	wages	wage	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	13	nsubj	_	_
13	vary	vary	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	7	parataxis	_	_
14	with	with	ADP	IN	_	16	case	_	_
15	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	16	det	_	_
16	hours	hour	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	17	obl	_	_
17	worked	work	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	13	ccomp	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **fix** | participle |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn shake-22.3-2 «NP V ADV-Middle»: agent=Patient |
| 2 | **is a** | present | a salary | a fixed annual sum |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 3 | **pay** | participle |  | a fixed annual sum *not said here* |  | instalments |  |  | vn pay-68-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent |
| 4 | **vary** | present | wages |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 5 | **work** | past | wages *not said here* |  |  |  | hour |  | vn employment-95.3 «NP V»: agent=Agent |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A salary varies with the hours worked; wages are a fixed annual sum paid in instalments

<!-- fold The tree, 16 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:adult-life:5-where-money-comes-from:e1:o3:1
# text = A salary varies with the hours worked; wages are a fixed annual sum paid in instalments
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	salary	salary	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	varies	vary	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	with	with	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	hours	hour	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	7	obl	_	_
7	worked	work	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	3	ccomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	;	;	PUNCT	:	_	14	punct	_	_
9	wages	wage	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	14	nsubj	_	_
10	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	14	cop	_	_
11	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	14	det	_	_
12	fixed	fix	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	14	amod	_	_
13	annual	annual	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	14	amod	_	_
14	sum	sum	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	parataxis	_	_
15	paid	pay	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	14	acl	_	_
16	in	in	ADP	IN	_	17	case	_	_
17	instalments	instalment	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	15	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **vary** | present | a salary |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **work** | past | a salary *not said here* |  |  |  | hour |  | vn employment-95.3 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 3 | **fix** | participle |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn shake-22.3-2 «NP V ADV-Middle»: agent=Patient |
| 4 | **is a** | present | wages | a fixed annual sum |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 5 | **pay** | participle |  | a fixed annual sum *not said here* |  | instalments |  |  | vn pay-68-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent |

### Option 4 · ← Mova's choice {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A salary is paid by the government; wages are paid by the employer

```conllu
# sent_id = question:adult-life:5-where-money-comes-from:e1:o4:1
# text = A salary is paid by the government; wages are paid by the employer
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	salary	salary	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj:pass	_	_
3	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	aux:pass	_	_
4	paid	pay	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
5	by	by	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	government	government	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obl:agent	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	;	;	PUNCT	:	_	11	punct	_	_
9	wages	wage	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	11	nsubj:pass	_	_
10	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	11	aux:pass	_	_
11	paid	pay	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	4	conj	_	_
12	by	by	ADP	IN	_	14	case	_	_
13	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	14	det	_	_
14	employer	employer	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	obl:agent	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **pay** | present · passive | the government | a salary |  |  |  |  | vn pay-68-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent subject=Asset |
| 2 | **pay** | present · passive | the employer | wages |  |  |  |  | vn pay-68-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent subject=Asset |

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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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