---
title: Whereas a child expresses both reluctance and curiosity regarding a… — The only child: a quiet house · tree and pragmatics
description: Whereas a child expresses both reluctance and curiosity regarding a prospective sibling, state the correct characterisation of such feelings. Exam question 4 of lesson 498 «The only child: a quiet house» of the everyday course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the 
---

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# Exam question 4 · The only child: a quiet house

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Whereas a child expresses both reluctance and curiosity regarding a prospective sibling, state the correct characterisation of such feelings.

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 2 · **The right answer:** option 4 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** child · **What happens:** express, regard, characterise · **To what, where:** reluctance, such feelings

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This is exam question 4 of lesson 498 «The only child: a quiet house» 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/498-the-only-child-a-quiet-house/#e4).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:498-the-only-child-a-quiet-house:e4:1
# text = Whereas a child expresses both reluctance and curiosity regarding a prospective sibling, state the correct characterisation of such feelings.
1	Whereas	whereas	SCONJ	IN	_	4	mark	_	_
2	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
3	child	child	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
4	expresses	express	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
5	both	both	CCONJ	CC	_	6	cc:preconj	_	_
6	reluctance	reluctance	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obj	_	_
7	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	8	cc	_	_
8	curiosity	curiosity	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	conj	_	_
9	regarding	regard	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	12	case	_	_
10	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	12	det	_	_
11	prospective	prospective	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	12	amod	_	_
12	sibling	sibling	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	14	punct	_	_
14	state	state	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	conj	_	_
15	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	17	det	_	_
16	correct	correct	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	17	amod	_	_
17	characterisation	characterisation	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obj	_	_
18	of	of	ADP	IN	_	20	case	_	_
19	such	such	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	20	amod	_	_
20	feelings	feeling	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	17	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
21	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **express** | present | a child | reluctance and curiosity regard a prospective sibling and state |  |  |  |  | vn send-11.1-1 «NP V NP-Dative NP»: agent=Agent reluctance=Destination characterisation=Theme |
| 2 | **regard** | gerund |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn assessment-34.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent |
| 3 | **characterise** |  |  | such feelings |  |  |  |  | nom characterisation «communication 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.

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
They demonstrate that the child is untruthful

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:498-the-only-child-a-quiet-house:e4:o1:1
# text = They demonstrate that the child is untruthful
1	They	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	demonstrate	demonstrate	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	that	that	SCONJ	IN	_	7	mark	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	child	child	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	nsubj	_	_
6	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	7	cop	_	_
7	untruthful	untruthful	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	2	ccomp	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **demonstrate** | present | They |  |  |  |  |  | vn transfer\_mesg-37.1.1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **is** | present | the child |  |  |  |  | untruthful *property* | tree rules |

### Option 2 · ← Mova's choice {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
They indicate the child wishes to be rid of the parents

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:498-the-only-child-a-quiet-house:e4:o2:1
# text = They indicate the child wishes to be rid of the parents
1	They	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	indicate	indicate	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	child	child	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj	_	_
5	wishes	wish	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	2	ccomp	_	_
6	to	to	PART	TO	_	8	mark	_	_
7	be	be	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	8	cop	_	_
8	rid	rid	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	ccomp	_	_
9	of	of	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
10	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
11	parents	parent	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	8	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **indicate** | present | They |  |  |  |  |  | vn indicate-78-1 «NP V how S»: agent=Pivot clause=Topic |
| 2 | **wish** | present | the child |  |  |  |  |  | vn wish-62 «NP V for NP S\_INF»: agent=Pivot |
| 3 | **is** *not said to happen* | to-infinitive |  |  |  |  |  | of the parents; rid *property* | tree rules |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
They oblige the parents to defer to the child's decision

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:498-the-only-child-a-quiet-house:e4:o3:1
# text = They oblige the parents to defer to the child's decision
1	They	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	oblige	oblige	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	parents	parent	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	obj	_	_
5	to	to	PART	TO	_	6	mark	_	_
6	defer	defer	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	2	advcl	_	_
7	to	to	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	child	child	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	's	's	PART	POS	_	9	case	_	_
11	decision	decision	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **oblige** | present | They | the parents |  |  |  |  | vn compel-59.1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent parent=Patient |
| 2 | **defer** | to-infinitive | They *not said here* |  |  |  |  | to the child's decision | vn acquiesce-95.1 «NP V PP.pivot»: agent=Agent to decision=Pivot |
| 3 | **decide** |  | the child |  |  |  |  |  | nom decision «act transitive»: poss=agent |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Mixed feelings of this kind are normal

```conllu
# sent_id = question:everyday:498-the-only-child-a-quiet-house:e4:o4:1
# text = Mixed feelings of this kind are normal
1	Mixed	mix	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	2	amod	_	_
2	feelings	feeling	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	7	nsubj	_	_
3	of	of	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
4	this	this	DET	DT	Number=Sing|PronType=Dem	5	det	_	_
5	kind	kind	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	nmod	_	_
6	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	7	cop	_	_
7	normal	normal	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **mix** | participle |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn mix-22.1-1-1 «NP V»: agent=Patient |
| 2 | **is** | present | Mixed feelings of this kind |  |  |  |  | normal *property* | tree rules |

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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: [The only child: a quiet house, exam 3](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/everyday/498-the-only-child-a-quiet-house/e3/)
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