---
title: Which of the following statements most accurately characterises a co… — Coral reefs, rockpools and the seashore · tree and pragmatics
description: Which of the following statements most accurately characterises a coral reef? Exam question 1 of lesson 9 «Coral reefs, rockpools and the seashore» 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 right.
---

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# Exam question 1 · Coral reefs, rockpools and the seashore

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

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 4 · **The right answer:** option 4 · right ✓ · **What happens:** follow, characteris · **To what, where:** coral reef

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 1 of lesson 9 «Coral reefs, rockpools and the seashore» 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/9-coral-reefs-rockpools-and-the-seashore/#e1).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:9-coral-reefs-rockpools-and-the-seashore:e1:1
# text = Which of the following statements most accurately characterises a coral reef?
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	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
10	coral	coral	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	11	amod	_	_
11	reef	reef	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	?	?	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 |  | a coral reef |  |  |  | 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 {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A coral reef is an accumulation of shells and pebbles deposited over many centuries by the action of waves

<!-- fold The tree, 19 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:9-coral-reefs-rockpools-and-the-seashore:e1:o1:1
# text = A coral reef is an accumulation of shells and pebbles deposited over many centuries by the action of waves
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
2	coral	coral	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	amod	_	_
3	reef	reef	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nsubj	_	_
4	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	6	cop	_	_
5	an	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	accumulation	accumulation	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	nsubj	_	_
7	of	of	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
8	shells	shell	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	6	nmod	_	_
9	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	10	cc	_	_
10	pebbles	pebble	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	8	conj	_	_
11	deposited	deposit	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
12	over	over	ADP	IN	_	14	case	_	_
13	many	many	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	14	amod	_	_
14	centuries	century	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	11	obl	_	_
15	by	by	ADP	IN	_	17	case	_	_
16	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	17	det	_	_
17	action	action	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	obl	_	_
18	of	of	ADP	IN	_	19	case	_	_
19	waves	wave	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	17	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | a coral reef | a accumulation |  |  |  | of shells and pebbles | tree rules |
| 2 | **deposit** | past | a accumulation |  |  |  | century | by the action of waves | vn put-9.1-1 «NP V NP PP.destination»: agent=Agent by action=Destination |
| 3 | **act** |  | waves |  |  |  |  |  | nom action «act intransitive»: of=agent |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A coral reef is a mass of petrified seaweed

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:9-coral-reefs-rockpools-and-the-seashore:e1:o2:1
# text = A coral reef is a mass of petrified seaweed
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
2	coral	coral	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	amod	_	_
3	reef	reef	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nsubj	_	_
4	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	6	cop	_	_
5	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	mass	mass	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
7	of	of	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
8	petrified	petrify	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	9	amod	_	_
9	seaweed	seaweed	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | a coral reef | a mass |  |  |  | of petrified seaweed | tree rules |
| 2 | **petrify** | participle |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn other\_cos-45.4 «NP.patient V»: agent=Patient |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A coral reef is a formation of volcanic rock

```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:9-coral-reefs-rockpools-and-the-seashore:e1:o3:1
# text = A coral reef is a formation of volcanic rock
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
2	coral	coral	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	amod	_	_
3	reef	reef	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nsubj	_	_
4	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	6	cop	_	_
5	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	formation	formation	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
7	of	of	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
8	volcanic	volcanic	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	9	amod	_	_
9	rock	rock	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | a coral reef | a formation |  |  |  | of volcanic rock | tree rules |

### Option 4 · ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A coral reef is a structure of limestone constructed by colonies of minute animals termed polyps

<!-- fold The tree, 16 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:biology:9-coral-reefs-rockpools-and-the-seashore:e1:o4:1
# text = A coral reef is a structure of limestone constructed by colonies of minute animals termed polyps
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
2	coral	coral	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	amod	_	_
3	reef	reef	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nsubj	_	_
4	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	6	cop	_	_
5	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	structure	structure	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
7	of	of	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
8	limestone	limestone	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nmod	_	_
9	constructed	construct	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	6	acl	_	_
10	by	by	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
11	colonies	colony	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	9	obl	_	_
12	of	of	ADP	IN	_	14	case	_	_
13	minute	minute	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	14	compound	_	_
14	animals	animal	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	11	nmod	_	_
15	termed	term	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	16	amod	_	_
16	polyps	polyp	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	14	conj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | a coral reef | a structure |  |  |  | of limestone | tree rules |
| 2 | **construct** | participle |  | a structure *not said here* |  |  |  | by colonies of minute animals and termed polyps | vn create-26.4 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent |
| 3 | **term** | participle |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn dub-29.3.2 «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.

<!-- /div -->

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- ← previous: [Coral reefs, rockpools and the seashore, test 11](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/biology/9-coral-reefs-rockpools-and-the-seashore/t11/)
- next →: [Coral reefs, rockpools and the seashore, exam 2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/biology/9-coral-reefs-rockpools-and-the-seashore/e2/)
- ↑ back to [Coral reefs, rockpools and the seashore](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/biology/9-coral-reefs-rockpools-and-the-seashore/)