---
title: Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the… — Avoir: to have · tree and pragmatics
description: Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the expression "il y a"? Exam question 3 of lesson 29 «Avoir: to have» of the French 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 3 · Avoir: to have

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the expression "il y a"?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 1 · right ✓ · **What happens:** follow, characteris · **To what, where:** expression

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 3 of lesson 29 «Avoir: to have» of the French 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/french/29-avoir-to-have/#e3).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:french:29-avoir-to-have:e3:1
# text = Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the expression "il y a"?
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	expression	expression	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obj	_	_
11	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	10	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	il	il	X	FW	Foreign=Yes	13	nsubj	_	_
13	y	y	X	FW	_	10	nmod	_	_
14	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	10	appos	_	SpaceAfter=No
15	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	14	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
16	?	?	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 expression  y |  |  |  | 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 · ✓ the right answer {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It signifies "there is" or "there are", irrespective of number

<!-- fold The tree, 10 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:french:29-avoir-to-have:e3:o1:1
# text = It signifies "there is" or "there are", irrespective of number
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	signifies	signify	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	2	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	there	there	PRON	EX	PronType=Dem	5	expl	_	_
5	is	be	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	2	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	5	punct	_	_
7	or	or	CCONJ	CC	_	10	cc	_	_
8	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	10	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	there	there	PRON	EX	PronType=Dem	10	expl	_	_
10	are	be	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	2	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	10	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	15	punct	_	_
13	irrespective	irrespective	ADV	RB	_	15	advmod	_	_
14	of	of	ADP	IN	_	15	case	_	_
15	number	number	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	conj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **signify** | present | It |  |  |  |  |  | vn representation-110.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Pivot |
| 2 | **be** *in a quote* | present |  |  |  | there |  |  | vn exist-47.1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 3 | **be** *in a quote* | present |  |  |  | there |  |  | vn exist-47.1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It signifies "it is", applicable to the weather only

```conllu
# sent_id = question:french:29-avoir-to-have:e3:o2:1
# text = It signifies "it is", applicable to the weather only
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	signifies	signify	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	5	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	5	nsubj	_	_
5	is	be	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	2	ccomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	5	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	8	punct	_	_
8	applicable	applicable	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	2	conj	_	_
9	to	to	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
10	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
11	weather	weather	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obl	_	_
12	only	only	ADV	RB	_	8	advmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **signify** | present | It |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **be** *in a quote* | present | it |  |  |  |  |  | vn exist-47.1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It signifies "he has", applicable to persons only

```conllu
# sent_id = question:french:29-avoir-to-have:e3:o3:1
# text = It signifies "he has", applicable to persons only
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	signifies	signify	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	2	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	5	nsubj	_	_
5	has	have	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	2	parataxis	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	5	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	8	punct	_	_
8	applicable	applicable	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	2	conj	_	_
9	to	to	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
10	persons	person	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	8	obl	_	_
11	only	only	ADV	RB	_	8	advmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **signify** | present | It |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **have** *in a quote* | present | he |  |  |  |  |  | vn birth-28.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It signifies "there is", applicable to a single item only

```conllu
# sent_id = question:french:29-avoir-to-have:e3:o4:1
# text = It signifies "there is", applicable to a single item only
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	signifies	signify	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	2	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	there	there	PRON	EX	PronType=Dem	5	expl	_	_
5	is	be	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	2	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	5	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	8	punct	_	_
8	applicable	applicable	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	2	conj	_	_
9	to	to	ADP	IN	_	12	case	_	_
10	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	12	det	_	_
11	single	single	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	12	amod	_	_
12	item	item	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obl	_	_
13	only	only	ADV	RB	_	12	advmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **signify** | present | It |  |  |  |  |  | vn representation-110.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Pivot |
| 2 | **be** *in a quote* | present |  |  |  | there |  |  | vn exist-47.1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |

<!-- 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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