---
title: Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the… — Just So Stories, How the First Letter… · tree and pragmatics
description: Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the limitation of picture-writing demonstrated in this part? Exam question 4 of lesson 85 «Just So Stories, How the First Letter Was Written, part 2: the picture goes wrong and the whole Tribe comes» of the books course of Mova's primar
---

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# Exam question 4 · Just So Stories, How the First Letter Was Written, part 2:…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the limitation of picture-writing demonstrated in this part?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 2 · wrong ✗ · **What happens:** follow, characteris, demonstrate, limit · **To what, where:** limitation, picture writing, part

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 4 of lesson 85 «Just So Stories, How the First Letter Was Written, part 2: the picture goes wrong and the whole Tribe comes» 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/85-justso-first-letter-2-the-whole-tribe-comes/#e4).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:85-justso-first-letter-2-the-whole-tribe-comes:e4:1
# text = Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the limitation of picture-writing demonstrated in this part?
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	limitation	limitation	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obj	_	_
11	of	of	ADP	IN	_	14	case	_	_
12	picture	picture	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	14	compound	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	-	-	PUNCT	HYPH	_	12	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
14	writing	writing	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	nmod	_	_
15	demonstrated	demonstrate	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	14	acl	_	_
16	in	in	ADP	IN	_	18	case	_	_
17	this	this	DET	DT	Number=Sing|PronType=Dem	18	det	_	_
18	part	part	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	15	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
19	?	?	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 limitation of picture writing |  |  |  | of the following statements; accurately *property* | tree rules |
| 3 | **demonstrate** | participle |  | picture writing *not said here* |  | this part |  |  | vn transfer\_mesg-37.1.1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 4 | **limit** |  |  | picture writing |  |  |  |  | nom limitation «cognition transitive»: of=patient |

<!-- .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 -->
Pictures are always clear

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:85-justso-first-letter-2-the-whole-tribe-comes:e4:o1:1
# text = Pictures are always clear
1	Pictures	picture	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	nsubj	_	_
2	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	cop	_	_
3	always	always	ADV	RB	PronType=Tot	4	advmod	_	_
4	clear	clear	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | Pictures |  |  |  |  | always, clear *property* | tree rules |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A picture does not fix its meaning in words, and may be misunderstood

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:85-justso-first-letter-2-the-whole-tribe-comes:e4:o2:1
# text = A picture does not fix its meaning in words, and may be misunderstood
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	picture	picture	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj	_	_
3	does	do	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	aux	_	_
4	not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	5	advmod	_	_
5	fix	fix	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
6	its	its	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	7	nmod:poss	_	_
7	meaning	meaning	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obj	_	_
8	in	in	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
9	words	word	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	14	punct	_	_
11	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	14	cc	_	_
12	may	may	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	14	aux	_	_
13	be	be	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	14	aux:pass	_	_
14	misunderstood	misunderstand	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	5	advcl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **not** **fix** | present · do-support | a picture | picture's meaning |  | words |  |  | vn shake-22.3-2 «NP V NP together»: agent=Agent meaning=Patient |
| 2 | **misunderstand** | may · passive | a picture *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn comprehend-87.2 «NP V how S» |
| 3 | **mean** |  | picture |  |  |  |  |  | nom meaning «communication transitive»: poss=agent |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Pictures always need a drum to explain their meaning to every listener

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:85-justso-first-letter-2-the-whole-tribe-comes:e4:o3:1
# text = Pictures always need a drum to explain their meaning to every listener
1	Pictures	picture	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	nsubj	_	_
2	always	always	ADV	RB	PronType=Tot	3	advmod	_	_
3	need	need	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	drum	drum	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	_
6	to	to	PART	TO	_	7	mark	_	_
7	explain	explain	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	3	xcomp	_	_
8	their	their	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Plur|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	9	nmod:poss	_	_
9	meaning	meaning	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obj	_	_
10	to	to	ADP	IN	_	12	case	_	_
11	every	every	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	12	det	_	_
12	listener	listener	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **need** | present | Pictures | a drum |  |  |  | always *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **explain** *speech: assert* *not said to happen* | to-infinitive | a drum *not said here* | Pictures's meaning | every listener |  |  |  | vn transfer\_mesg-37.1.1 «NP V NP PP.recipient»: agent=Agent meaning=Topic to listener=Recipient |
| 3 | **mean** |  | Pictures *= picture* |  |  |  |  |  | nom meaning «communication transitive»: poss=agent |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Pictures can only show big things well

```conllu
# sent_id = question:books:85-justso-first-letter-2-the-whole-tribe-comes:e4:o4:1
# text = Pictures can only show big things well
1	Pictures	picture	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	nsubj	_	_
2	can	can	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	4	aux	_	_
3	only	only	ADV	RB	_	4	advmod	_	_
4	show	show	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
5	big	big	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	6	amod	_	_
6	things	thing	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	obj	_	_
7	well	well	ADV	RB	Degree=Pos	4	advmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **show** | can | Pictures | big things |  |  |  | well *property* | vn transfer\_mesg-37.1.1-1-1 «NP V NP.recipient»: agent=Agent thing=Recipient |

<!-- 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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- ← previous: [Just So Stories, How the First Letter…, exam 3](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/85-justso-first-letter-2-the-whole-tribe-comes/e3/)
- next →: [Just So Stories, How the First Letter…, test 1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/86-justso-first-letter-3-a-great-invention/t1/)
- ↑ back to [Just So Stories, How the First Letter Was Written, part 2: the picture goes wrong and the whole Tribe comes](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/books/85-justso-first-letter-2-the-whole-tribe-comes/)