---
title: Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the… — Coral reef builders: polyps, bleaching… · tree and pragmatics
description: Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the biological nature of a coral? Exam question 1 of lesson 172 «Coral reef builders: polyps, bleaching, sand from parrotfish and giant clams» of the biology course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of th
---

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# Exam question 1 · Coral reef builders: polyps, bleaching, sand from parrotfi…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the biological nature of a coral?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 4 · wrong ✗ · **What happens:** follow, characteris · **To what, where:** biological nature

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 1 of lesson 172 «Coral reef builders: polyps, bleaching, sand from parrotfish and giant clams» of the biology 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/biology/172-coral-reef-builders-polyps-bleaching-sand-from-parrotfish-and-giant-clams/#e1).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:172-coral-reef-builders-polyps-bleaching-sand-from-parrotfish-and-giant-clams:e1:1
# text = Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the biological nature of a coral?
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	11	det	_	_
10	biological	biological	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	11	amod	_	_
11	nature	nature	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obj	_	_
12	of	of	ADP	IN	_	14	case	_	_
13	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	14	det	_	_
14	coral	coral	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
15	?	?	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 biological nature of a coral |  |  |  | of the following statements; 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 · ← Mova's choice {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It is a single giant organism of the seaweed family

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:172-coral-reef-builders-polyps-bleaching-sand-from-parrotfish-and-giant-clams:e1:o1:1
# text = It is a single giant organism of the seaweed family
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	6	nsubj	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	6	cop	_	_
3	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
4	single	single	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	6	amod	_	_
5	giant	giant	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	6	amod	_	_
6	organism	organism	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
7	of	of	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
9	seaweed	seaweed	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	compound	_	_
10	family	family	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | It | a single giant organism |  |  |  | of the seaweed family | tree rules |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It is a species of marine plant

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:172-coral-reef-builders-polyps-bleaching-sand-from-parrotfish-and-giant-clams:e1:o2:1
# text = It is a species of marine plant
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	cop	_	_
3	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	species	species	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
5	of	of	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	marine	marine	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	7	amod	_	_
7	plant	plant	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | It | a species |  |  |  | of marine plant | tree rules |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It is a mineral formation devoid of life

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:172-coral-reef-builders-polyps-bleaching-sand-from-parrotfish-and-giant-clams:e1:o3:1
# text = It is a mineral formation devoid of life
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|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	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
4	mineral	mineral	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	amod	_	_
5	formation	formation	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
6	devoid	devoid	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	amod	_	_
7	of	of	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
8	life	life	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | It | a mineral formation |  |  |  |  | tree rules |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It is a colony of minute animals, termed polyps, which secrete skeletons of limestone

<!-- fold The tree, 14 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:172-coral-reef-builders-polyps-bleaching-sand-from-parrotfish-and-giant-clams:e1:o4:1
# text = It is a colony of minute animals, termed polyps, which secrete skeletons of limestone
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	cop	_	_
3	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	colony	colony	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
5	of	of	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	minute	minute	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	compound	_	_
7	animals	animal	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	10	punct	_	_
9	termed	term	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	10	amod	_	_
10	polyps	polyp	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	14	punct	_	_
12	which	which	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	14	nsubj	_	_
13	secrete	secrete	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	14	amod	_	_
14	skeletons	skeleton	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	10	nmod	_	_
15	of	of	ADP	IN	_	16	case	_	_
16	limestone	limestone	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	14	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | It | a colony and termed polyps |  |  |  | of minute animals | tree rules |
| 2 | **term** | participle |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn dub-29.3.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent |
| 3 | **skeleton** |  | termed polyps |  |  |  |  | of limestone | 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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- ← previous: [Coral reef builders: polyps, bleaching…, test 11](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/biology/172-coral-reef-builders-polyps-bleaching-sand-from-parrotfish-and-giant-clams/t11/)
- next →: [Coral reef builders: polyps, bleaching…, exam 2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/biology/172-coral-reef-builders-polyps-bleaching-sand-from-parrotfish-and-giant-clams/e2/)
- ↑ back to [Coral reef builders: polyps, bleaching, sand from parrotfish and giant clams](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/biology/172-coral-reef-builders-polyps-bleaching-sand-from-parrotfish-and-giant-clams/)