---
title: Which of the following describes the decisive criterion by which the… — PG 2435, How To Find Out A True Friend… · tree and pragmatics
description: Which of the following describes the decisive criterion by which the prince distinguished a true friend from a false one? Exam question 1 of lesson 721 «PG 2435, How To Find Out A True Friend, part 61: the prince tests two travelling companions with apples and finds a true friend» of the books cours
---

<!-- md -->
[Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/721-pg2435-part61/e1/)

<!-- crumbs -->
[home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [corpora](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/) / [questions](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/) / [Books](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/) / [PG 2435, How To Find Out A True Friend…](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/721-pg2435-part61/) / e1

# Exam question 1 · PG 2435, How To Find Out A True Friend, part 61: the princ…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Which of the following describes the decisive criterion by which the prince distinguished a true friend from a false one?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 2 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** prince · **What happens:** follow, describe, distinguish · **To what, where:** decisive criterion, true friend

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 1 of lesson 721 «PG 2435, How To Find Out A True Friend, part 61: the prince tests two travelling companions with apples and finds a true friend» of the books 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/books/721-pg2435-part61/#e1).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:721-pg2435-part61:e1:1
# text = Which of the following describes the decisive criterion by which the prince distinguished a true friend from a false one?
1	Which	which	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	5	obj	_	_
2	of	of	SCONJ	IN	_	5	mark	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	following	follow	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	5	nsubj	_	_
5	describes	describe	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
7	decisive	decisive	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	8	amod	_	_
8	criterion	criterion	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obj	_	_
9	by	by	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
10	which	which	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	13	obl	_	_
11	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	12	det	_	_
12	prince	prince	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	13	nsubj	_	_
13	distinguished	distinguish	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	8	acl:relcl	_	_
14	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	16	det	_	_
15	true	true	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	16	amod	_	_
16	friend	friend	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	13	obj	_	_
17	from	from	ADP	IN	_	20	case	_	_
18	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	20	det	_	_
19	false	false	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	20	amod	_	_
20	one	one	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	13	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
21	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	5	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 | **describe** | present |  | the decisive criterion |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 3 | **distinguish** | past | the prince | a true friend |  |  |  | by the decisive criterion; from a false one | vn distinguish-23.5-1 «NP V NP.theme PP.co-theme PP.instrument»: agent=Agent friend=Theme by which=Attribute from one=Co-Theme |

<!-- .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 -->
Ability to divide the bread fairly among friends

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:721-pg2435-part61:e1:o1:1
# text = Ability to divide the bread fairly among friends
1	Ability	ability	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
2	to	to	PART	TO	_	3	mark	_	_
3	divide	divide	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	1	acl	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	bread	bread	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	_
6	fairly	fairly	ADV	RB	_	3	advmod	_	_
7	among	among	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
8	friends	friend	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **divide** | to-infinitive |  | the bread |  |  |  | among friends; fairly *property* | vn multiply-108-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent bread=Theme |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Willingness to accept the smaller portion of the apple

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:721-pg2435-part61:e1:o2:1
# text = Willingness to accept the smaller portion of the apple
1	Willingness	willingness	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
2	to	to	PART	TO	_	3	mark	_	_
3	accept	accept	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	1	acl	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
5	smaller	small	ADJ	JJR	Degree=Cmp	6	amod	_	_
6	portion	portion	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	_
7	of	of	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	apple	apple	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **accept** | to-infinitive |  | the smaller portion of the apple |  |  |  |  | vn obtain-13.5.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent portion=Theme |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Willingness to accept the smaller portion of the apple, even when the friend is hungry and tired

<!-- fold The tree, 17 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:721-pg2435-part61:e1:o3:1
# text = Willingness to accept the smaller portion of the apple, even when the friend is hungry and tired
1	Willingness	willingness	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
2	to	to	PART	TO	_	3	mark	_	_
3	accept	accept	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
5	smaller	small	ADJ	JJR	Degree=Cmp	6	amod	_	_
6	portion	portion	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	_
7	of	of	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	apple	apple	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	16	punct	_	_
11	even	even	ADV	RB	_	16	advmod	_	_
12	when	when	SCONJ	WRB	_	16	mark	_	_
13	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	14	det	_	_
14	friend	friend	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	16	nsubj	_	_
15	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	16	cop	_	_
16	hungry	hungry	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	parataxis	_	_
17	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	18	cc	_	_
18	tired	tired	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	16	conj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **accept** | to-infinitive | Willingness | the smaller portion of the apple |  |  |  |  | vn obtain-13.5.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent portion=Theme |
| 2 | **is** | present | the friend |  |  |  |  | hungry *property* | tree rules |
| 3 | **be** |  | the friend *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Eagerness to grab the largest share for oneself at once

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:721-pg2435-part61:e1:o4:1
# text = Eagerness to grab the largest share for oneself at once
1	Eagerness	eagerness	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
2	to	to	PART	TO	_	3	mark	_	_
3	grab	grab	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	1	acl	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
5	largest	large	ADJ	JJS	Degree=Sup	6	amod	_	_
6	share	share	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	_
7	for	for	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
8	oneself	oneself	PRON	PRP	PronType=Prs|Reflex=Yes	6	nmod	_	_
9	at	at	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
10	once	once	ADV	RB	NumForm=Word|NumType=Mult	3	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **grab** | to-infinitive |  | the largest share |  |  |  | for oneself | vn steal-10.5-1 «NP V NP PP.beneficiary»: agent=Agent share=Theme for oneself=Beneficiary |

<!-- 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 -->

<!-- pn -->
- ← previous: [PG 2435, How To Find Out A True Friend…, test 12](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/721-pg2435-part61/t12/)
- next →: [PG 2435, How To Find Out A True Friend…, exam 2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/721-pg2435-part61/e2/)
- ↑ back to [PG 2435, How To Find Out A True Friend, part 61: the prince tests two travelling companions with apples and finds a true friend](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/721-pg2435-part61/)