---
title: Which of the following statements most accurately characterises a lie? — Why people lie, and what is not a lie · tree and pragmatics
description: Which of the following statements most accurately characterises a lie? Exam question 1 of lesson 195 «Why people lie, and what is not a lie» of the everyday course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of each option; Mova's choice was right.
---

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# Exam question 1 · Why people lie, and what is not a lie

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

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 2 · **The right answer:** option 2 · right ✓ · **What happens:** follow, characteris · **To what, where:** lie

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 1 of lesson 195 «Why people lie, and what is not a lie» of the everyday 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/everyday/195-why-people-lie/#e1).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:195-why-people-lie:e1:1
# text = Which of the following statements most accurately characterises a lie?
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	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
10	lie	lie	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	?	?	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 |  | a lie |  |  |  | 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 {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Saying anything untrue, whether or not anyone is being fooled

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:195-why-people-lie:e1:o1:1
# text = Saying anything untrue, whether or not anyone is being fooled
1	Saying	say	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	_
2	anything	anything	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Ind	1	obj	_	_
3	untrue	untrue	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	2	amod	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	1	punct	_	_
5	whether	whether	SCONJ	IN	ExtPos=SCONJ	11	mark	_	_
6	or	or	CCONJ	CC	_	5	fixed	_	_
7	not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	5	fixed	_	_
8	anyone	anyone	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Ind	11	nsubj:pass	_	_
9	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	11	aux	_	_
10	being	be	AUX	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	11	aux:pass	_	_
11	fooled	fool	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	1	advcl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **say** *speech: assert* | gerund |  | anything |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V NP.topic»: agent=Agent anything=Topic |
| 2 | **fool** | present · progressive · passive |  | anyone |  |  |  |  | vn trick-59.2 «NP V NP»: subject=Patient |

### Option 2 · ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Saying what one knows is false in order to make someone believe it

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:195-why-people-lie:e1:o2:1
# text = Saying what one knows is false in order to make someone believe it
1	Saying	say	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	6	csubj	_	_
2	what	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	4	obj	_	_
3	one	one	NUM	CD	NumForm=Word|NumType=Card	4	nsubj	_	_
4	knows	know	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	1	ccomp	_	_
5	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	6	cop	_	_
6	false	false	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
7	in	in	SCONJ	IN	ExtPos=SCONJ	10	mark	_	_
8	order	order	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	fixed	_	_
9	to	to	PART	TO	_	10	mark	_	_
10	make	make	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	6	advcl	_	_
11	someone	someone	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Ind	10	obj	_	_
12	believe	believe	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	10	xcomp	_	_
13	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	12	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **say** *speech: assert* | gerund |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V how S»: agent=Agent clause=Topic |
| 2 | **know** | present | one |  |  |  |  |  | vn comprehend-87.2-1-1-1 «NP V NP PP.attribute»: agent=Experiencer what=Stimulus |
| 3 | **is** | present | Saying |  |  |  |  | false *property* | tree rules |
| 4 | **make** | to-infinitive | Saying *not said here* | someone |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 5 | **believe** | infinitive | someone *not said here* | order |  |  |  |  | vn admire-31.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Experiencer it=Stimulus |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Telling a story or acting in a play that everyone knows

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:195-why-people-lie:e1:o3:1
# text = Telling a story or acting in a play that everyone knows
1	Telling	tell	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	11	csubj	_	_
2	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
3	story	story	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obj	_	_
4	or	or	CCONJ	CC	_	5	cc	_	_
5	acting	act	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	1	conj	_	_
6	in	in	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	play	play	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obl	_	_
9	that	that	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	10	det	_	_
10	everyone	everyone	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Tot	8	nmod:unmarked	_	_
11	knows	know	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **tell** *speech: assert* | gerund |  | a story |  |  |  |  | vn transfer\_mesg-37.1.1-1-1 «NP V NP.recipient»: agent=Agent story=Recipient |
| 2 | **act** | gerund |  |  |  | a play  everyone |  |  | vn act-114-1-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 3 | **know** | present | Telling |  |  |  |  |  | vn comprehend-87.2-1-1-1 «NP V»: agent=Experiencer |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Exaggerating, as in "I've told you a million times"

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:195-why-people-lie:e1:o4:1
# text = Exaggerating, as in "I've told you a million times"
1	Exaggerating	exaggerate	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	8	advcl	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	1	punct	_	_
3	as	as	SCONJ	IN	_	8	mark	_	_
4	in	in	ADP	IN	_	3	fixed	_	_
5	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	8	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	I	I	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Sing|Person=1|PronType=Prs	8	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	've	have	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=1|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	8	aux	_	_
8	told	tell	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	_
9	you	you	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Person=2|PronType=Prs	8	iobj	_	_
10	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
11	million	million	NUM	CD	NumForm=Word|NumType=Card	12	nummod	_	_
12	times	time	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	8	obl:unmarked	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	8	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **exaggerate** | gerund | I *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **tell** *speech: assert* *in a quote* | present · perfect | I |  | you |  | time |  | vn transfer\_mesg-37.1.1-1-1 «NP V NP.recipient»: agent=Agent you=Recipient |

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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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