---
title: Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the… — The park pond through the year: ducks,… · tree and pragmatics
description: Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the distinction between the coot and the moorhen? Exam question 1 of lesson 337 «The park pond through the year: ducks, coots, swans, dragonflies and ice» of the biology course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and prag
---

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# Exam question 1 · The park pond through the year: ducks, coots, swans, drago…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the distinction between the coot and the moorhen?

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

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 1 of lesson 337 «The park pond through the year: ducks, coots, swans, dragonflies and ice» 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/337-the-park-pond-through-the-year-ducks-coots-swans-dragonflies-and-ice/#e1).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:337-the-park-pond-through-the-year-ducks-coots-swans-dragonflies-and-ice:e1:1
# text = Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the distinction between the coot and the moorhen?
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	coot	coot	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	nmod	_	_
14	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	16	cc	_	_
15	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	16	det	_	_
16	moorhen	moorhen	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	13	conj	_	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 distinction |  |  |  | of the following statements; between the coot and the moorhen; 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 two birds are indistinguishable in all respects

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:337-the-park-pond-through-the-year-ducks-coots-swans-dragonflies-and-ice:e1:o1:1
# text = The two birds are indistinguishable in all respects
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
2	two	two	NUM	CD	NumForm=Word|NumType=Card	3	nummod	_	_
3	birds	bird	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	nsubj	_	_
4	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	cop	_	_
5	indistinguishable	indistinguishable	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
6	in	in	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	all	all	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	8	det	_	_
8	respects	respects	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | the two birds |  |  | all respects |  | indistinguishable *property* | tree rules |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The coot bears a white bill and frontal patch, whereas the moorhen bears a bill of red and yellow

<!-- fold The tree, 19 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:337-the-park-pond-through-the-year-ducks-coots-swans-dragonflies-and-ice:e1:o2:1
# text = The coot bears a white bill and frontal patch, whereas the moorhen bears a bill of red and yellow
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
2	coot	coot	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	compound	_	_
3	bears	bear	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	0	root	_	_
4	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
5	white	white	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	6	amod	_	_
6	bill	bill	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nmod	_	_
7	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	9	cc	_	_
8	frontal	frontal	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	9	amod	_	_
9	patch	patch	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	14	punct	_	_
11	whereas	whereas	SCONJ	IN	_	14	case	_	_
12	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	14	det	_	_
13	moorhen	moorhen	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	14	compound	_	_
14	bears	bear	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	6	appos	_	_
15	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	16	det	_	_
16	bill	bill	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	14	conj	_	_
17	of	of	ADP	IN	_	18	case	_	_
18	red	red	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	16	nmod	_	_
19	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	20	cc	_	_
20	yellow	yellow	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	18	conj	_	_
```

<!-- .note -->
The frames reader finds no event or fact in this sentence.

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The moorhen possesses lobed toes, whereas the coot possesses webbed feet

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:337-the-park-pond-through-the-year-ducks-coots-swans-dragonflies-and-ice:e1:o3:1
# text = The moorhen possesses lobed toes, whereas the coot possesses webbed feet
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	moorhen	moorhen	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	possesses	possess	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	lobed	lobe	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	5	amod	_	_
5	toes	toe	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	10	punct	_	_
7	whereas	whereas	SCONJ	IN	_	10	mark	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	coot	coot	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	nsubj	_	_
10	possesses	possess	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	conj	_	_
11	webbed	web	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	12	amod	_	_
12	feet	foot	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	10	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **possess** | present | the moorhen | lobed toes |  |  |  |  | vn own-100.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Pivot toe=Theme |
| 2 | **lobe** | participle |  |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 3 | **possess** | present | the coot | webbed feet |  |  |  |  | vn own-100.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Pivot foot=Theme |
| 4 | **web** | participle |  |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |

### Option 4 · ← Mova's choice {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The coot is white in plumage, whereas the moorhen is black

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:337-the-park-pond-through-the-year-ducks-coots-swans-dragonflies-and-ice:e1:o4:1
# text = The coot is white in plumage, whereas the moorhen is black
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	coot	coot	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
3	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	cop	_	_
4	white	white	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
5	in	in	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
6	plumage	plumage	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	12	punct	_	_
8	whereas	whereas	SCONJ	IN	_	12	mark	_	_
9	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
10	moorhen	moorhen	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	nsubj	_	_
11	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	12	cop	_	_
12	black	black	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	conj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | the coot |  |  | plumage |  | white *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **is** | present | the moorhen |  |  |  |  | black *property* | 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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