---
title: Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the… — The bulldog next door who never likes… · tree and pragmatics
description: Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the assertion that a dog which barks persistently will not bite? Exam question 2 of lesson 456 «The bulldog next door who never likes you» of the everyday course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the q
---

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# Exam question 2 · The bulldog next door who never likes you

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the assertion that a dog which barks persistently will not bite?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 2 · **The right answer:** option 2 · right ✓ · **Who acts:** dog · **What happens:** follow, characteris, bark, not bite · **To what, where:** assertion

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 2 of lesson 456 «The bulldog next door who never likes you» 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/456-the-bulldog-next-door-who-never-likes-you/#e2).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:456-the-bulldog-next-door-who-never-likes-you:e2:1
# text = Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the assertion that a dog which barks persistently will not bite?
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	assertion	assertion	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obj	_	_
11	that	that	SCONJ	IN	_	19	mark	_	_
12	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	13	det	_	_
13	dog	dog	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	19	nsubj	_	_
14	which	which	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	15	nsubj	_	_
15	barks	bark	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	13	acl:relcl	_	_
16	persistently	persistently	ADV	RB	_	15	advmod	_	_
17	will	will	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	19	aux	_	_
18	not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	19	advmod	_	_
19	bite	bite	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	10	acl	_	SpaceAfter=No
20	?	?	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 assertion |  |  |  | of the following statements; accurately *property* | tree rules |
| 3 | **bark** | present | a dog |  |  |  |  | persistently *property* | vn animal\_sounds-38 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 4 | **not** **bite** | future | a dog | the assertion *not said here* |  |  |  |  | vn swat-18.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent assertion=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.

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It is true provided the dog is fed beforehand

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:456-the-bulldog-next-door-who-never-likes-you:e2:o1:1
# text = It is true provided the dog is fed beforehand
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	cop	_	_
3	true	true	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
4	provided	provide	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	8	mark	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	dog	dog	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	nsubj:pass	_	_
7	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	8	aux:pass	_	_
8	fed	feed	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	3	advcl	_	_
9	beforehand	beforehand	ADV	RB	_	8	advmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | It |  |  |  |  | true *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **provide** | participle |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn ensure-99 «NP V that S»: agent=Precondition |
| 3 | **feed** | present · passive |  | the dog |  |  |  | beforehand *property* | vn feeding-39.7 «NP V NP»: subject=Recipient |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It is unreliable, since such dogs may also bite

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:456-the-bulldog-next-door-who-never-likes-you:e2:o2:1
# text = It is unreliable, since such dogs may also bite
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	cop	_	_
3	unreliable	unreliable	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	10	punct	_	_
5	since	since	SCONJ	IN	_	10	mark	_	_
6	such	such	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	7	amod	_	_
7	dogs	dog	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	10	nsubj	_	_
8	may	may	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	10	aux	_	_
9	also	also	ADV	RB	_	10	advmod	_	_
10	bite	bite	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	3	conj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | It |  |  |  |  | unreliable *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **bite** | may | such dogs |  |  |  |  |  | vn swat-18.2 «NP V PP»: agent=Agent |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It applies to all breeds save bulldogs

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:456-the-bulldog-next-door-who-never-likes-you:e2:o3:1
# text = It applies to all breeds save bulldogs
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	applies	apply	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	to	to	SCONJ	IN	_	6	mark	_	_
4	all	all	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	5	det	_	_
5	breeds	breed	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	6	nsubj	_	_
6	save	save	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	2	advcl	_	_
7	bulldogs	bulldog	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	6	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **apply** | present | It |  |  |  |  |  | vn use-105.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **save** | present | all breeds | bulldogs |  |  |  |  | vn get-13.5.1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent bulldog=Theme |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It is a scientific law without exception

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:456-the-bulldog-next-door-who-never-likes-you:e2:o4:1
# text = It is a scientific law without exception
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	5	nsubj	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	cop	_	_
3	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
4	scientific	scientific	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	amod	_	_
5	law	law	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
6	without	without	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
7	exception	exception	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | It | a scientific law |  |  |  | without exception | tree rules |

<!-- 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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