---
title: It is given that two governments have issued a communiqué describing… — Soft words for hard things: politics a… · tree and pragmatics
description: It is given that two governments have issued a communiqué describing "a full and frank exchange of views". Select the response consistent with customary diplomatic usage. Exam question 2 of lesson 24 «Soft words for hard things: politics and government spin» of the euphemisms course of Mova's primar
---

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# Exam question 2 · Soft words for hard things: politics and government spin

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It is given that two governments have issued a communiqué describing "a full and frank exchange of views". Select the response consistent with customary diplomatic usage.

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 2 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** communiqué, you · **What happens:** give, issue, describe, exchange, select · **To what, where:** It, two governments, full exchange, views, response

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This is exam question 2 of lesson 24 «Soft words for hard things: politics and government spin» of the euphemisms 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/euphemisms/24-government-spin/#e2).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* It is given that two governments have issued a communiqué describing "a full and frank exchange of views".

```conllu
# sent_id = question:euphemisms:24-government-spin:e2:1
# text = It is given that two governments have issued a communiqué describing "a full and frank exchange of views".
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	_	8	mark	_	_
5	two	two	NUM	CD	NumForm=Word|NumType=Card	6	nummod	_	_
6	governments	government	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	8	nsubj:pass	_	_
7	have	have	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	8	aux	_	_
8	issued	issue	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	3	advcl	_	_
9	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
10	communiqué	communiqué	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obj	_	_
11	describing	describe	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	10	acl	_	_
12	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	17	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	17	det	_	_
14	full	full	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	17	amod	_	_
15	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	16	cc	_	_
16	frank	frank	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	14	conj	_	_
17	exchange	exchange	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	obl	_	_
18	of	of	ADP	IN	_	19	case	_	_
19	views	view	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	17	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
20	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	17	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
21	.	.	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 | **issue** | present · perfect · passive |  | two governments |  |  |  |  | vn future\_having-13.3 «NP V NP.goal NP»: subject=Goal communiqué=Theme |
| 3 | **describe** | gerund | a communiqué *not said here* | a full exchange of views |  |  |  |  | vn characterize-29.2-1-1 «NP V S\_ING»: agent=Agent |
| 4 | **exchange** *in a quote* |  |  | views |  |  |  |  | nom exchange «phenomenon 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.

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 2:* Select the response consistent with customary diplomatic usage.

```conllu
# sent_id = question:euphemisms:24-government-spin:e2:2
# text = Select the response consistent with customary diplomatic usage.
1	Select	select	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
2	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
3	response	response	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obj	_	_
4	consistent	consistent	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	amod	_	_
5	with	with	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
6	customary	customary	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	compound	_	_
7	diplomatic	diplomatic	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	8	amod	_	_
8	usage	usage	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	.	.	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 response |  |  |  |  | vn obtain-13.5.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent response=Theme |

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 · ← Mova's choice {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The parties exchanged ceremonial gifts

```conllu
# sent_id = question:euphemisms:24-government-spin:e2:o1:1
# text = The parties exchanged ceremonial gifts
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	parties	party	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	nsubj	_	_
3	exchanged	exchange	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	ceremonial	ceremonial	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	compound	_	_
5	gifts	gift	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **exchange** | past | the parties | ceremonial gifts |  |  |  |  | vn exchange-13.6.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent gift=Theme |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The parties disagreed substantially

```conllu
# sent_id = question:euphemisms:24-government-spin:e2:o2:1
# text = The parties disagreed substantially
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	parties	party	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	nsubj	_	_
3	disagreed	disagree	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	substantially	substantially	ADV	RB	_	3	advmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **disagree** | past | the parties |  |  |  |  | substantially *property* | vn correspond-36.1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The parties concluded a binding treaty

```conllu
# sent_id = question:euphemisms:24-government-spin:e2:o3:1
# text = The parties concluded a binding treaty
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	parties	party	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	nsubj	_	_
3	concluded	conclude	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
5	binding	binding	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	compound	_	_
6	treaty	treaty	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **conclude** | past | the parties | a binding treaty |  |  |  |  | vn deduce-97.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent treaty=Theme |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The parties declined to meet

```conllu
# sent_id = question:euphemisms:24-government-spin:e2:o4:1
# text = The parties declined to meet
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	parties	party	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	nsubj	_	_
3	declined	decline	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	to	to	PART	TO	_	5	mark	_	_
5	meet	meet	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	3	xcomp	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **decline** | past | the parties |  |  |  |  |  | vn reject-77.2 «NP V S\_ING»: agent=Agent clause=Theme |
| 2 | **not** **meet** | to-infinitive | the parties *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn meet-36.3-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |

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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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- ← previous: [Soft words for hard things: politics a…, exam 1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/euphemisms/24-government-spin/e1/)
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