---
title: Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the… — Handwriting: holding the pencil and jo… · tree and pragmatics
description: Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the tripod grip? Exam question 1 of lesson 5 «Handwriting: holding the pencil and joining up» of the English course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of each option; Mova's choice was 
---

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# Exam question 1 · Handwriting: holding the pencil and joining up

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the tripod grip?

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

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 1 of lesson 5 «Handwriting: holding the pencil and joining up» of the English 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/english/5-handwriting-holding-the-pencil-and-joining-up/#e1).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:5-handwriting-holding-the-pencil-and-joining-up:e1:1
# text = Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the tripod grip?
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	11	det	_	_
10	tripod	tripod	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	compound	_	_
11	grip	grip	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 |  | the tripod grip |  |  |  | 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 · ← Mova's choice {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The pencil is held between the third and fourth fingers

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:5-handwriting-holding-the-pencil-and-joining-up:e1:o1:1
# text = The pencil is held between the third and fourth fingers
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	pencil	pencil	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj:pass	_	_
3	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	aux:pass	_	_
4	held	hold	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
5	between	between	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
7	third	third	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos|NumForm=Word|NumType=Ord	10	amod	_	_
8	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	9	cc	_	_
9	fourth	fourth	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos|NumForm=Word|NumType=Ord	7	conj	_	_
10	fingers	finger	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **hold** | present · passive |  | the pencil |  | the third fingers |  |  | vn keep-15.2 «NP V NP PP.location»: subject=Theme between finger=Location |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The pencil is held between the thumb and forefinger and supported by the middle finger

<!-- fold The tree, 15 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:5-handwriting-holding-the-pencil-and-joining-up:e1:o2:1
# text = The pencil is held between the thumb and forefinger and supported by the middle finger
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	pencil	pencil	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj:pass	_	_
3	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	aux:pass	_	_
4	held	hold	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
5	between	between	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	thumb	thumb	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obl	_	_
8	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	9	cc	_	_
9	forefinger	forefinger	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	conj	_	_
10	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	11	cc	_	_
11	supported	support	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	4	conj	_	_
12	by	by	ADP	IN	_	15	case	_	_
13	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	15	det	_	_
14	middle	middle	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	15	amod	_	_
15	finger	finger	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **hold** | present · passive |  | the pencil |  | the thumb and forefinger |  |  | vn keep-15.2 «NP V NP PP.location»: subject=Theme between thumb=Location |
| 2 | **support** | participle |  |  |  |  |  | by the middle finger | vn admire-31.2 «NP V that S»: agent=Experiencer |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The pencil is grasped firmly in the closed fist and propelled across the page by the muscles of the arm and shoulder

<!-- fold The tree, 22 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:5-handwriting-holding-the-pencil-and-joining-up:e1:o3:1
# text = The pencil is grasped firmly in the closed fist and propelled across the page by the muscles of the arm and shoulder
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	pencil	pencil	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj:pass	_	_
3	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	aux:pass	_	_
4	grasped	grasp	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
5	firmly	firmly	ADV	RB	_	4	advmod	_	_
6	in	in	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
8	closed	close	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	9	amod	_	_
9	fist	fist	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obl	_	_
10	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	11	cc	_	_
11	propelled	propel	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	4	conj	_	_
12	across	across	ADP	IN	_	14	case	_	_
13	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	14	det	_	_
14	page	page	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	obl	_	_
15	by	by	ADP	IN	_	17	case	_	_
16	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	17	det	_	_
17	muscles	muscle	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	11	obl	_	_
18	of	of	ADP	IN	_	20	case	_	_
19	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	20	det	_	_
20	arm	arm	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	17	nmod	_	_
21	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	22	cc	_	_
22	shoulder	shoulder	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	20	conj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **grasp** | present · passive |  | the pencil |  | the closed fist |  | firmly *property* | vn comprehend-87.2-1 «NP V NP»: subject=Stimulus |
| 2 | **close** | participle |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn other\_cos-45.4 «NP.patient V»: agent=Patient |
| 3 | **propel** | participle |  |  |  | the page |  | by the muscles of the arm and shoulder | tree rules |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The pencil is balanced upon the palm and guided by the wrist

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:5-handwriting-holding-the-pencil-and-joining-up:e1:o4:1
# text = The pencil is balanced upon the palm and guided by the wrist
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	pencil	pencil	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj:pass	_	_
3	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	aux:pass	_	_
4	balanced	balance	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
5	upon	upon	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	palm	palm	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obl	_	_
8	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	9	cc	_	_
9	guided	guide	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	4	conj	_	_
10	by	by	ADP	IN	_	12	case	_	_
11	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	12	det	_	_
12	wrist	wrist	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **balance** | present · passive |  | the pencil |  | the palm |  |  | vn spatial\_configuration-47.6-1 «NP V NP.theme PP»: subject=Theme upon palm=Location |
| 2 | **guide** | participle |  |  |  |  |  | by the wrist | vn accompany-51.7 «NP V NP PP.destination»: agent=Agent by wrist=Destination |

<!-- 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: [Handwriting: holding the pencil and jo…, test 12](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/english/5-handwriting-holding-the-pencil-and-joining-up/t12/)
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- ↑ back to [Handwriting: holding the pencil and joining up](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/english/5-handwriting-holding-the-pencil-and-joining-up/)