---
title: Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the… — Trees · tree and pragmatics
description: Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the opening of the scales of a pine cone? Exam question 2 of lesson 60 «Trees» 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 was wrong.
---

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# Exam question 2 · Trees

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the opening of the scales of a pine cone?

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

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 2 of lesson 60 «Trees» 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/60-trees/#e2).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:60-trees:e2:1
# text = Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the opening of the scales of a pine cone?
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	opening	opening	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obj	_	_
11	of	of	ADP	IN	_	13	case	_	_
12	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	13	det	_	_
13	scales	scale	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	10	nmod	_	_
14	of	of	ADP	IN	_	17	case	_	_
15	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	17	det	_	_
16	pine	pine	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	17	compound	_	_
17	cone	cone	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	13	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
18	?	?	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 opening of the scales of a pine cone |  |  |  | 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 -->
The scales open in wet weather to admit rain

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:60-trees:e2:o1:1
# text = The scales open in wet weather to admit rain
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	scales	scale	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	nsubj	_	_
3	open	open	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
4	in	in	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
5	wet	wet	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	6	amod	_	_
6	weather	weather	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	_
7	to	to	PART	TO	_	8	mark	_	_
8	admit	admit	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	3	advcl	_	_
9	rain	rain	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **admit** *speech: other* | to-infinitive |  | rain |  |  |  |  | vn admit-64.3-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent rain=Theme |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The scales open nightly to release pollen

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:60-trees:e2:o2:1
# text = The scales open nightly to release pollen
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	scales	scale	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	nsubj	_	_
3	open	open	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	nightly	nightly	ADV	RB	_	3	advmod	_	_
5	to	to	PART	TO	_	6	mark	_	_
6	release	release	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	3	advcl	_	_
7	pollen	pollen	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **open** | present | the scales |  |  |  |  | nightly *property* | vn spatial\_configuration-47.6-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 2 | **release** | to-infinitive | the scales *not said here* | pollen |  |  |  |  | vn free-10.6.3-1 «NP V NP S\_ING»: agent=Causer pollen=Source |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The scales open only when a squirrel strikes the cone with sufficient force

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:60-trees:e2:o3:1
# text = The scales open only when a squirrel strikes the cone with sufficient force
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	scales	scale	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	nsubj	_	_
3	open	open	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	only	only	ADV	RB	_	3	advmod	_	_
5	when	when	SCONJ	WRB	_	8	mark	_	_
6	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	squirrel	squirrel	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	nsubj	_	_
8	strikes	strike	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	advcl	_	_
9	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
10	cone	cone	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obj	_	_
11	with	with	ADP	IN	_	13	case	_	_
12	sufficient	sufficient	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	13	amod	_	_
13	force	force	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **open** | present | the scales |  |  |  |  |  | vn spatial\_configuration-47.6-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 2 | **strike** | present | a squirrel | the cone |  |  |  | with sufficient force | vn hit-18.1-1 «NP V NP PP.instrument»: agent=Agent cone=Patient with force=Instrument |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The scales open in dry weather, permitting the dispersal of winged seeds

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:60-trees:e2:o4:1
# text = The scales open in dry weather, permitting the dispersal of winged seeds
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	scales	scale	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	nsubj	_	_
3	open	open	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	in	in	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
5	dry	dry	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	6	amod	_	_
6	weather	weather	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	8	punct	_	_
8	permitting	permit	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	3	advcl	_	_
9	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
10	dispersal	dispersal	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obj	_	_
11	of	of	ADP	IN	_	13	case	_	_
12	winged	wing	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	13	amod	_	_
13	seeds	seed	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	10	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **open** | present | the scales |  |  | dry weather |  |  | vn spatial\_configuration-47.6-1 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Theme in weather=Location |
| 2 | **permit** | gerund | the scales *not said here* | the dispersal of winged seeds |  |  |  |  | vn admit-64.3-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent dispersal=Theme |
| 3 | **wing** | participle |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn nonvehicle-51.4.2-1 «NP.agent V»: agent=Agent |
| 4 | **disperse** |  |  | winged seeds |  |  |  |  | nom dispersal «act transitive»: of=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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