---
title: It is given that the syllables ěr and èr differ solely in tone. Sele… — The body · tree and pragmatics
description: It is given that the syllables ěr and èr differ solely in tone. Select the statement that accurately characterises their respective meanings. Exam question 2 of lesson 18 «The body» of the Chinese street course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of 
---

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# Exam question 2 · The body

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It is given that the syllables ěr and èr differ solely in tone. Select the statement that accurately characterises their respective meanings.

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 4 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** syllables, you, statement · **What happens:** give, differ, select, characteris, mean · **To what, where:** It, tone, statement, respective meanings

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 2 of lesson 18 «The body» of the Chinese street 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/chinese-street/18-the-body/#e2).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* It is given that the syllables ěr and èr differ solely in tone.

```conllu
# sent_id = question:chinese-street:18-the-body:e2:1
# text = It is given that the syllables ěr and èr differ solely in tone.
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj:pass	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	aux:pass	_	_
3	given	give	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
4	that	that	SCONJ	IN	_	10	mark	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	syllables	syllable	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	10	nsubj	_	_
7	ěr	ěr	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	appos	_	_
8	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	9	cc	_	_
9	èr	èr	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	conj	_	_
10	differ	differ	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	advcl	_	_
11	solely	solely	ADV	RB	_	10	advmod	_	_
12	in	in	ADP	IN	_	13	case	_	_
13	tone	tone	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
14	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **give** | present · passive |  | It |  |  |  |  | vn give-13.1-1 «NP V NP»: subject=Theme |
| 2 | **differ** | present | the syllables |  |  | tone |  | solely *property* | vn correspond-36.1 «NP V»: agent=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.

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 2:* Select the statement that accurately characterises their respective meanings.

```conllu
# sent_id = question:chinese-street:18-the-body:e2:2
# text = Select the statement that accurately characterises their respective meanings.
1	Select	select	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
2	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
3	statement	statement	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obj	_	_
4	that	that	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	6	nsubj	_	_
5	accurately	accurately	ADV	RB	_	6	advmod	_	_
6	characterises	characteris	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	acl:relcl	_	_
7	their	their	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Plur|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	9	nmod:poss	_	_
8	respective	respective	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	9	amod	_	_
9	meanings	meaning	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	6	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	1	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **select** | imperative | you *not said here* | the statement |  |  |  |  | vn obtain-13.5.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent statement=Theme |
| 2 | **characteris** | present | the statement | syllables's respective meanings |  |  |  | accurately *property* | tree rules |
| 3 | **mean** |  | syllables *= syllable* |  |  |  |  |  | nom meaning «communication transitive»: poss=agent |

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 · ← Mova's choice {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
ěr denotes two; èr pertains to the ear and to hearing

```conllu
# sent_id = question:chinese-street:18-the-body:e2:o1:1
# text = ěr denotes two; èr pertains to the ear and to hearing
1	ěr	ěr	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	2	nsubj	_	_
2	denotes	denote	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	two	two	NUM	CD	NumForm=Word|NumType=Card	2	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	;	;	PUNCT	:	_	6	punct	_	_
5	èr	èr	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nsubj	_	_
6	pertains	pertain	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	2	conj	_	_
7	to	to	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	ear	ear	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obl	_	_
10	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	12	cc	_	_
11	to	to	ADP	IN	_	12	case	_	_
12	hearing	hearing	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	conj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **denote** | present | ěr | two |  |  |  |  | vn indicate-78 «NP V NP»: agent=Pivot two=Topic |
| 2 | **pertain** | present | èr |  |  |  |  | to the ear and hearing | vn relate-86.2-2 «NP V PP.co-theme»: agent=Theme to ear=Co-Theme |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Both denote the number two, whatever the tone

```conllu
# sent_id = question:chinese-street:18-the-body:e2:o2:1
# text = Both denote the number two, whatever the tone
1	Both	both	CCONJ	CC	_	2	cc:preconj	_	_
2	denote	denote	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	number	number	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
5	two	two	NUM	CD	NumForm=Word|NumType=Card	4	nummod	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	7	punct	_	_
7	whatever	whatever	PRON	WP	PronType=Rel	2	parataxis	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	tone	tone	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	nsubj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **denote** | imperative | you *not said here* | the number |  |  |  |  | vn indicate-78 «NP V NP»: agent=Pivot number=Topic |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Both denote the ear

```conllu
# sent_id = question:chinese-street:18-the-body:e2:o3:1
# text = Both denote the ear
1	Both	both	CCONJ	CC	_	2	cc:preconj	_	_
2	denote	denote	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	ear	ear	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **denote** | imperative | you *not said here* | the ear |  |  |  |  | vn indicate-78 «NP V NP»: agent=Pivot ear=Topic |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
ěr (dipping) pertains to the ear; èr (falling) denotes two

<!-- fold The tree, 10 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:chinese-street:18-the-body:e2:o4:1
# text = ěr (dipping) pertains to the ear; èr (falling) denotes two
1	ěr	ěr	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	5	nsubj	_	_
2	(	(	PUNCT	-LRB-	_	3	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	dipping	dip	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	1	acl	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	)	)	PUNCT	-RRB-	_	3	punct	_	_
5	pertains	pertain	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
6	to	to	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	ear	ear	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	;	;	PUNCT	,	_	14	punct	_	_
10	èr	èr	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	14	nsubj	_	_
11	(	(	PUNCT	-LRB-	_	12	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	falling	fall	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	10	acl	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	)	)	PUNCT	-RRB-	_	12	punct	_	_
14	denotes	denote	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	conj	_	_
15	two	two	NUM	CD	NumForm=Word|NumType=Card	14	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **dip** | gerund | ěr *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn meander-47.7-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 2 | **pertain** | present | ěr |  |  |  |  | to the ear | vn relate-86.2-2 «NP V PP.co-theme»: agent=Theme to ear=Co-Theme |
| 3 | **fall** | gerund | èr *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn occur-48.3 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 4 | **denote** | present | èr | two |  |  |  |  | vn indicate-78 «NP V NP»: agent=Pivot two=Topic |

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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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