---
title: Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the… — Pigeons: head bobbing, homing and city… · tree and pragmatics
description: Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the ancestry of the urban pigeon? Exam question 2 of lesson 221 «Pigeons: head bobbing, homing and city cliffs» of the biology course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of each option; 
---

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# Exam question 2 · Pigeons: head bobbing, homing and city cliffs

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the ancestry of the urban pigeon?

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

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 2 of lesson 221 «Pigeons: head bobbing, homing and city cliffs» 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/221-pigeons-head-bobbing-homing-and-city-cliffs/#e2).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:221-pigeons-head-bobbing-homing-and-city-cliffs:e2:1
# text = Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the ancestry of the urban pigeon?
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	ancestry	ancestry	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obj	_	_
11	of	of	ADP	IN	_	14	case	_	_
12	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	14	det	_	_
13	urban	urban	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	14	amod	_	_
14	pigeon	pigeon	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	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 ancestry of the urban pigeon |  |  |  | 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 descended from the wood pigeon of deciduous forests

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:221-pigeons-head-bobbing-homing-and-city-cliffs:e2:o1:1
# text = It is descended from the wood pigeon of deciduous forests
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	descended	descend	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
4	from	from	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
6	wood	wood	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	compound	_	_
7	pigeon	pigeon	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	_
8	of	of	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
9	deciduous	deciduous	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	10	amod	_	_
10	forests	forest	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	7	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **descend** | present · passive |  | It |  | the wood pigeon of deciduous forests |  |  | vn meander-47.7-1 «PP.location V NP»: subject=Theme |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It is descended from gulls domesticated in harbours

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:221-pigeons-head-bobbing-homing-and-city-cliffs:e2:o2:1
# text = It is descended from gulls domesticated in harbours
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	descended	descend	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
4	from	from	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
5	gulls	gull	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	obl	_	_
6	domesticated	domesticate	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	5	acl	_	_
7	in	in	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
8	harbours	harbour	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	6	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **descend** | present · passive |  | It |  | gulls |  |  | vn meander-47.7-1 «PP.location V NP»: subject=Theme |
| 2 | **domesticate** | participle |  | gulls *not said here* |  | harbours |  |  | vn remedy-45.7-1 «NP V ADV-Middle»: agent=Patient |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It is a species which originated within cities and has no wild ancestor

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:221-pigeons-head-bobbing-homing-and-city-cliffs:e2:o3:1
# text = It is a species which originated within cities and has no wild ancestor
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	which	which	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	6	nsubj	_	_
6	originated	originate	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	4	acl:relcl	_	_
7	within	within	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
8	cities	city	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	6	obl	_	_
9	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	10	cc	_	_
10	has	have	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	6	conj	_	_
11	no	no	DET	DT	PronType=Neg	13	det	_	_
12	wild	wild	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	13	amod	_	_
13	ancestor	ancestor	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | It | a species |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **originate** | past | a species |  |  |  |  | within cities | vn establish-55.5-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent |
| 3 | **have** | present | a species *not said here* | no wild ancestor |  |  |  |  | vn birth-28.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent ancestor=Patient |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It is descended from the rock dove, a species nesting upon sea cliffs

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:221-pigeons-head-bobbing-homing-and-city-cliffs:e2:o4:1
# text = It is descended from the rock dove, a species nesting upon sea cliffs
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	descended	descend	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
4	from	from	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
6	rock	rock	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	compound	_	_
7	dove	dove	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	10	punct	_	_
9	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
10	species	species	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	conj	_	_
11	nesting	nest	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	10	acl	_	_
12	upon	upon	ADP	IN	_	14	case	_	_
13	sea	sea	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	14	compound	_	_
14	cliffs	cliff	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	11	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **descend** | present · passive |  | It |  | the rock dove and a species |  |  | vn meander-47.7-1 «PP.location V NP»: subject=Theme |
| 2 | **nest** | gerund | a species *not said here* |  |  |  |  | upon sea cliffs | vn berry-13.7 «NP V»: agent=Agent |

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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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- ← previous: [Pigeons: head bobbing, homing and city…, exam 1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/biology/221-pigeons-head-bobbing-homing-and-city-cliffs/e1/)
- next →: [Pigeons: head bobbing, homing and city…, exam 3](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/biology/221-pigeons-head-bobbing-homing-and-city-cliffs/e3/)
- ↑ back to [Pigeons: head bobbing, homing and city cliffs](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/biology/221-pigeons-head-bobbing-homing-and-city-cliffs/)