---
title: Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the… — Chickens: eggs, pecking order and livi… · tree and pragmatics
description: Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the laying of eggs by the domestic hen? Exam question 1 of lesson 212 «Chickens: eggs, pecking order and living dinosaurs» of the biology course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of ea
---

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# Exam question 1 · Chickens: eggs, pecking order and living dinosaurs

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the laying of eggs by the domestic hen?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 2 · wrong ✗ · **What happens:** follow, characteris · **To what, where:** laying

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 1 of lesson 212 «Chickens: eggs, pecking order and living dinosaurs» 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/212-chickens-eggs-pecking-order-and-living-dinosaurs/#e1).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:212-chickens-eggs-pecking-order-and-living-dinosaurs:e1:1
# text = Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the laying of eggs by the domestic hen?
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	laying	laying	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obj	_	_
11	of	of	ADP	IN	_	12	case	_	_
12	eggs	egg	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	10	nmod	_	_
13	by	by	ADP	IN	_	16	case	_	_
14	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	16	det	_	_
15	domestic	domestic	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	16	amod	_	_
16	hen	hen	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
17	?	?	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 laying of eggs |  |  |  | of the following statements; by the domestic hen; 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 -->
Eggs are laid solely in the presence of a rooster, a hen kept alone ceasing to lay altogether

<!-- fold The tree, 18 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:212-chickens-eggs-pecking-order-and-living-dinosaurs:e1:o1:1
# text = Eggs are laid solely in the presence of a rooster, a hen kept alone ceasing to lay altogether
1	Eggs	egg	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	nsubj:pass	_	_
2	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	aux:pass	_	_
3	laid	lay	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
4	solely	solely	ADV	RB	_	3	advmod	_	_
5	in	in	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	presence	presence	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	_
8	of	of	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
9	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
10	rooster	rooster	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	13	punct	_	_
12	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	13	det	_	_
13	hen	hen	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	conj	_	_
14	kept	keep	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	13	acl	_	_
15	alone	alone	ADV	RB	_	14	xcomp	_	_
16	ceasing	cease	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	14	xcomp	_	_
17	to	to	PART	TO	_	18	mark	_	_
18	lay	lay	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	16	xcomp	_	_
19	altogether	altogether	ADV	RB	_	18	advmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **lay** | present · passive |  | Eggs |  | the presence of a rooster and a hen |  | solely *property* | vn put\_spatial-9.2 «NP V NP PP.destination»: subject=Theme in presence=Destination |
| 2 | **keep** | participle |  | a hen *not said here* |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 3 | **cease** | gerund | a hen *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn stop-55.4-1-1 «NP V S\_ING»: agent=Affector clause=Eventuality |
| 4 | **lay** | to-infinitive | a hen *not said here* |  |  |  |  | altogether *property* | vn create-26.4 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Eggs are laid irrespective of the presence of a rooster, those so laid being incapable of hatching

<!-- fold The tree, 17 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:212-chickens-eggs-pecking-order-and-living-dinosaurs:e1:o2:1
# text = Eggs are laid irrespective of the presence of a rooster, those so laid being incapable of hatching
1	Eggs	egg	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	nsubj:pass	_	_
2	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	aux:pass	_	_
3	laid	lay	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
4	irrespective	irrespective	ADV	RB	_	3	advmod	_	_
5	of	of	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	presence	presence	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	_
8	of	of	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
9	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
10	rooster	rooster	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	16	punct	_	_
12	those	that	DET	DT	Number=Plur|PronType=Dem	16	det	_	_
13	so	so	ADV	RB	_	14	advmod	_	_
14	laid	laid	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	16	amod	_	_
15	being	be	AUX	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	16	cop	_	_
16	incapable	incapable	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	conj	_	_
17	of	of	ADP	IN	_	18	case	_	_
18	hatching	hatching	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	16	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **lay** | present · passive |  | Eggs |  |  |  | of the presence of a rooster and that laid incapable; irrespective *property* | vn create-26.4 «NP V NP»: subject=Result |
| 2 | **is a** | gerund |  | that laid incapable |  |  |  | of hatching | tree rules |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The hen lays but a few eggs over her lifetime

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:212-chickens-eggs-pecking-order-and-living-dinosaurs:e1:o3:1
# text = The hen lays but a few eggs over her lifetime
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	hen	hen	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	lays	lay	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	but	but	CCONJ	CC	_	7	cc	_	_
5	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
6	few	few	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	7	amod	_	_
7	eggs	egg	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	obj	_	_
8	over	over	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
9	her	her	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	10	nmod:poss	_	_
10	lifetime	lifetime	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **lay** | present | the hen | a few eggs |  | hen's lifetime |  |  | vn put\_spatial-9.2 «NP V NP PP.destination»: agent=Agent egg=Theme over lifetime=Destination |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
All eggs so laid will hatch if warmed

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:212-chickens-eggs-pecking-order-and-living-dinosaurs:e1:o4:1
# text = All eggs so laid will hatch if warmed
1	All	all	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	2	det	_	_
2	eggs	egg	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	6	nsubj	_	_
3	so	so	ADV	RB	_	4	advmod	_	_
4	laid	lay	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	2	acl:relcl	_	_
5	will	will	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	6	aux	_	_
6	hatch	hatch	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
7	if	if	SCONJ	IN	_	8	mark	_	_
8	warmed	warm	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	6	advcl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **lay** | past | all eggs *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn create-26.4 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **hatch** | future | all eggs |  |  |  |  |  | vn grow-26.2.1 «NP.patient V PP.product»: agent=Patient |
| 3 | **warm** *a condition, not said to happen* | participle | all eggs *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn other\_cos-45.4 «NP.patient V»: agent=Patient |

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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: [Chickens: eggs, pecking order and livi…, test 11](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/biology/212-chickens-eggs-pecking-order-and-living-dinosaurs/t11/)
- next →: [Chickens: eggs, pecking order and livi…, exam 2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/biology/212-chickens-eggs-pecking-order-and-living-dinosaurs/e2/)
- ↑ back to [Chickens: eggs, pecking order and living dinosaurs](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/biology/212-chickens-eggs-pecking-order-and-living-dinosaurs/)