---
title: Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the… — The candle and what burning is · tree and pragmatics
description: Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the combustion of a candle? Exam question 1 of lesson 11 «The candle and what burning is» of the chemistry course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of each option; Mova's choice was wr
---

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# Exam question 1 · The candle and what burning is

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

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 2 · **The right answer:** option 1 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** candle · **What happens:** follow, characteris, combust · **To what, where:** combustion

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 1 of lesson 11 «The candle and what burning is» of the chemistry 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/chemistry/11-the-candle-and-burning/#e1).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:chemistry:11-the-candle-and-burning:e1:1
# text = Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the combustion of a candle?
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	combustion	combustion	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obj	_	_
11	of	of	ADP	IN	_	13	case	_	_
12	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	13	det	_	_
13	candle	candle	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
14	?	?	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 combustion of a candle |  |  |  | of the following statements; accurately *property* | tree rules |
| 3 | **combust** |  | a candle |  |  |  |  |  | nom combustion «process intransitive»: of=agent |

<!-- .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 · ✓ the right answer {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The vaporised wax combines with oxygen, yielding carbon dioxide and water vapour

```conllu
# sent_id = question:chemistry:11-the-candle-and-burning:e1:o1:1
# text = The vaporised wax combines with oxygen, yielding carbon dioxide and water vapour
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
2	vaporised	vaporise	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	4	amod	_	_
3	wax	wax	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	compound	_	_
4	combines	combine	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	0	root	_	_
5	with	with	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
6	oxygen	oxygen	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	8	punct	_	_
8	yielding	yield	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	4	acl	_	_
9	carbon	carbon	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	compound	_	_
10	dioxide	dioxide	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obj	_	_
11	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	13	cc	_	_
12	water	water	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	13	compound	_	_
13	vapour	vapour	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	conj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **vaporise** | participle |  |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **yield** | gerund | the vaporised wax combines with oxygen *not said here* | carbon dioxide and water vapour |  |  |  |  | vn future\_having-13.3 «NP V NP.theme (PP)»: agent=Agent dioxide=Theme |

### Option 2 · ← Mova's choice {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The flame destroys the atoms of the wax

```conllu
# sent_id = question:chemistry:11-the-candle-and-burning:e1:o2:1
# text = The flame destroys the atoms of the wax
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	flame	flame	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	destroys	destroy	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	atoms	atom	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	obj	_	_
6	of	of	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	wax	wax	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **destroy** | present | the flame | the atoms of the wax |  |  |  |  | vn destroy-44 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent atom=Patient |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The solid wax combines directly with nitrogen

```conllu
# sent_id = question:chemistry:11-the-candle-and-burning:e1:o3:1
# text = The solid wax combines directly with nitrogen
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
2	solid	solid	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	amod	_	_
3	wax	wax	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
4	combines	combine	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
5	directly	directly	ADV	RB	_	4	advmod	_	_
6	with	with	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
7	nitrogen	nitrogen	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **combine** | present | the solid wax |  |  |  |  | with nitrogen; directly *property* | vn mix-22.1-1-1 «NP V PP.co-patient»: agent=Patient with nitrogen=Co-Patient |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The cotton wick alone is consumed, the wax remaining wholly intact and merely dripping

<!-- fold The tree, 14 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:chemistry:11-the-candle-and-burning:e1:o4:1
# text = The cotton wick alone is consumed, the wax remaining wholly intact and merely dripping
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
2	cotton	cotton	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	compound	_	_
3	wick	wick	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nsubj:pass	_	_
4	alone	alone	ADV	RB	_	3	advmod	_	_
5	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	6	aux:pass	_	_
6	consumed	consume	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	9	punct	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	wax	wax	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obl	_	_
10	remaining	remain	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	9	acl	_	_
11	wholly	wholly	ADV	RB	_	12	advmod	_	_
12	intact	intact	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	10	xcomp	_	_
13	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	15	cc	_	_
14	merely	merely	ADV	RB	_	15	advmod	_	_
15	dripping	drip	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	12	conj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **consume** | present · passive |  | the cotton wick |  |  |  | the wax *obl* | vn consume-66 «NP V NP»: subject=Asset |
| 2 | **remain** | gerund | the wax *not said here* |  |  |  |  | intact *property* | vn exist-47.1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 3 | **drip** | gerund | the wax *not said here* |  |  |  |  | merely *property* | vn substance\_emission-43.4-1 «NP V»: agent=Source |

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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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