---
title: Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the… — The platypus and the echidna: mammals… · tree and pragmatics
description: Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the monotremes? Exam question 1 of lesson 43 «The platypus and the echidna: mammals that lay eggs» of the biology course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of each option; Mova's choice
---

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# Exam question 1 · The platypus and the echidna: mammals that lay eggs

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

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

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 1 of lesson 43 «The platypus and the echidna: mammals that lay eggs» 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/43-platypus-and-echidna/#e1).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:43-platypus-and-echidna:e1:1
# text = Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the monotremes?
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	monotremes	monotreme	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	8	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	?	?	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 monotremes |  |  |  | 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 -->
They are mammals which give birth to young of exceptional size and strength

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:43-platypus-and-echidna:e1:o1:1
# text = They are mammals which give birth to young of exceptional size and strength
1	They	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj	_	_
2	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	cop	_	_
3	mammals	mammal	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	0	root	_	_
4	which	which	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	5	nsubj	_	_
5	give	give	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	acl:relcl	_	_
6	birth	birth	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obj	_	_
7	to	to	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
8	young	young	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obl	_	_
9	of	of	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
10	exceptional	exceptional	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	11	amod	_	_
11	size	size	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	nmod	_	_
12	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	13	cc	_	_
13	strength	strength	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	conj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | They | mammals |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **give** | present | mammals | birth | young of exceptional size and strength |  |  |  | vn give-13.1-1 «NP V NP PP.recipient»: agent=Agent birth=Theme to young=Recipient |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
They are reptiles which have acquired fur and the capacity to produce milk

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:43-platypus-and-echidna:e1:o2:1
# text = They are reptiles which have acquired fur and the capacity to produce milk
1	They	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj	_	_
2	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	cop	_	_
3	reptiles	reptile	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	0	root	_	_
4	which	which	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	6	nsubj:pass	_	_
5	have	have	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	6	aux	_	_
6	acquired	acquire	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	3	acl:relcl	_	_
7	fur	fur	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obj	_	_
8	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	10	cc	_	_
9	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
10	capacity	capacity	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	conj	_	_
11	to	to	PART	TO	_	12	mark	_	_
12	produce	produce	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	10	acl	_	_
13	milk	milk	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | They | reptiles and the capacity |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **acquire** | present · perfect · passive |  | reptiles and the capacity |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 3 | **produce** | to-infinitive | They *not said here* | milk |  |  |  |  | vn create-26.4 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent milk=Result |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
They are birds which have lost the capacity for flight

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:43-platypus-and-echidna:e1:o3:1
# text = They are birds which have lost the capacity for flight
1	They	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj	_	_
2	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	cop	_	_
3	birds	bird	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	0	root	_	_
4	which	which	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	6	nsubj:pass	_	_
5	have	have	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	6	aux	_	_
6	lost	lose	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	3	acl:relcl	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	capacity	capacity	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obj	_	_
9	for	for	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
10	flight	flight	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | They | birds |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **lose** | present · perfect · passive |  | birds |  |  |  | for flight | tree rules |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
They are mammals bearing fur and nourishing their young with milk, yet laying eggs

<!-- fold The tree, 14 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:43-platypus-and-echidna:e1:o4:1
# text = They are mammals bearing fur and nourishing their young with milk, yet laying eggs
1	They	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj	_	_
2	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	cop	_	_
3	mammals	mammal	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	0	root	_	_
4	bearing	bear	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	3	acl	_	_
5	fur	fur	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obj	_	_
6	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	7	cc	_	_
7	nourishing	nourish	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	4	conj	_	_
8	their	their	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Plur|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	9	nmod:poss	_	_
9	young	young	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obj	_	_
10	with	with	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
11	milk	milk	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	15	punct	_	_
13	yet	yet	CCONJ	CC	_	15	cc	_	_
14	laying	lay	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	15	amod	_	_
15	eggs	egg	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	conj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | They | mammals yet laying eggs |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **bear** | gerund | mammals yet laying eggs *not said here* | fur |  |  |  |  | vn birth-28.2-1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent fur=Patient |
| 3 | **nourish** | gerund | mammals yet laying eggs *not said here* | mammals's young |  |  |  | with milk | vn subjugate-42.3 «NP V NP PP.instrument»: agent=Agent young=Patient with milk=Instrument |
| 4 | **lay** | gerund |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn create-26.4 «NP V NP»: 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.

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