---
title: Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the… — Crocodiles and alligators · tree and pragmatics
description: Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the distinction between the snout of an alligator and that of a crocodile? Exam question 1 of lesson 29 «Crocodiles and alligators» of the biology course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question 
---

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# Exam question 1 · Crocodiles and alligators

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the distinction between the snout of an alligator and that of a crocodile?

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

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 1 of lesson 29 «Crocodiles and alligators» 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/29-crocodiles-and-alligators/#e1).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:29-crocodiles-and-alligators:e1:1
# text = Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the distinction between the snout of an alligator and that of a crocodile?
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	distinction	distinction	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obj	_	_
11	between	between	ADP	IN	_	13	case	_	_
12	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	13	det	_	_
13	snout	snout	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	nmod	_	_
14	of	of	ADP	IN	_	16	case	_	_
15	an	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	16	det	_	_
16	alligator	alligator	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	13	nmod	_	_
17	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	18	cc	_	_
18	that	that	PRON	DT	Number=Sing|PronType=Dem	10	conj	_	_
19	of	of	ADP	IN	_	21	case	_	_
20	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	21	det	_	_
21	crocodile	crocodile	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	18	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
22	?	?	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 distinction |  |  |  | of the following statements; between the snout of a alligator; 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 -->
The crocodile possesses a beak

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:29-crocodiles-and-alligators:e1:o1:1
# text = The crocodile possesses a beak
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	crocodile	crocodile	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	possesses	possess	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	beak	beak	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **possess** | present | the crocodile | a beak |  |  |  |  | vn own-100.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Pivot beak=Theme |

### Option 2 · ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The alligator's is broad and U-shaped; the crocodile's is narrower and V-shaped

<!-- fold The tree, 16 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:29-crocodiles-and-alligators:e1:o2:1
# text = The alligator's is broad and U-shaped; the crocodile's is narrower and V-shaped
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	alligator	alligator	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	's	's	PART	POS	_	2	case	_	_
4	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	cop	_	_
5	broad	broad	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
6	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	9	cc	_	_
7	U	U	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	9	compound	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	-	-	PUNCT	HYPH	_	7	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	shaped	shape	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	5	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	;	;	PUNCT	:	_	15	punct	_	_
11	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	12	det	_	_
12	crocodile	crocodile	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	15	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	's	's	PART	POS	_	12	case	_	_
14	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	15	cop	_	_
15	narrower	narrow	ADJ	JJR	Degree=Cmp	5	parataxis	_	_
16	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	19	cc	_	_
17	V	v	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	19	compound	_	SpaceAfter=No
18	-	-	PUNCT	HYPH	_	17	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
19	shaped	shape	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	15	conj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | the alligator |  |  |  |  | broad *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **shape** | participle | the alligator *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn build-26.1-1 «NP.asset V NP»: agent=Asset |
| 3 | **is** | present | the crocodile |  |  |  |  | narrow *property* | tree rules |
| 4 | **shape** | participle | the crocodile *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn build-26.1-1 «NP.asset V NP»: agent=Asset |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The alligator's is narrow; the crocodile's is broad and square

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:29-crocodiles-and-alligators:e1:o3:1
# text = The alligator's is narrow; the crocodile's is broad and square
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	alligator	alligator	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	's	's	PART	POS	_	2	case	_	_
4	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	cop	_	_
5	narrow	narrow	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	;	;	PUNCT	:	_	11	punct	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	crocodile	crocodile	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	's	's	PART	POS	_	8	case	_	_
10	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	11	cop	_	_
11	broad	broad	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	conj	_	_
12	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	13	cc	_	_
13	square	square	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	11	conj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | the alligator |  |  |  |  | narrow *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **is** | present | the crocodile |  |  |  |  | broad *property* | tree rules |
| 3 | **be** |  | the crocodile *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Both are identical in every respect

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:29-crocodiles-and-alligators:e1:o4:1
# text = Both are identical in every respect
1	Both	both	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	3	nsubj	_	_
2	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	cop	_	_
3	identical	identical	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
4	in	in	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
5	every	every	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	6	det	_	_
6	respect	respect	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | Both |  |  | every respect |  | identical *property* | tree rules |

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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: [Crocodiles and alligators, test 11](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/biology/29-crocodiles-and-alligators/t11/)
- next →: [Crocodiles and alligators, exam 2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/biology/29-crocodiles-and-alligators/e2/)
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