---
title: Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the… — Gaols, magistrates and old punishments… · tree and pragmatics
description: Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the principle that a punishment should fit the crime? Exam question 4 of lesson 84 «Gaols, magistrates and old punishments: from the stocks to the Children Act of 1908» of the history course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency
---

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# Exam question 4 · Gaols, magistrates and old punishments: from the stocks to…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the principle that a punishment should fit the crime?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 4 · **The right answer:** option 1 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** punishment · **What happens:** follow, characteris, fit · **To what, where:** principle, crime

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This is exam question 4 of lesson 84 «Gaols, magistrates and old punishments: from the stocks to the Children Act of 1908» of the history 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/history/84-gaols-magistrates-and-old-punishments-from-the-stocks-to-the-children-act-of-1908/#e4).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:history:84-gaols-magistrates-and-old-punishments-from-the-stocks-to-the-children-act-of-1908:e4:1
# text = Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the principle that a punishment should fit the crime?
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	principle	principle	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obj	_	_
11	that	that	SCONJ	IN	_	15	mark	_	_
12	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	13	det	_	_
13	punishment	punishment	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	15	nsubj	_	_
14	should	should	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	15	aux	_	_
15	fit	fit	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	10	acl	_	_
16	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	17	det	_	_
17	crime	crime	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	15	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
18	?	?	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 principle |  |  |  | of the following statements; accurately *property* | tree rules |
| 3 | **fit** | should | a punishment | the crime |  |  |  |  | vn adjust-26.9 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent crime=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 · ✓ the right answer {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Lesser offences ought to receive lesser punishments and graver offences graver ones

```conllu
# sent_id = question:history:84-gaols-magistrates-and-old-punishments-from-the-stocks-to-the-children-act-of-1908:e4:o1:1
# text = Lesser offences ought to receive lesser punishments and graver offences graver ones
1	Lesser	less	ADJ	JJR	Degree=Cmp	2	amod	_	_
2	offences	offence	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	nsubj	_	_
3	ought	ought	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	5	aux	_	_
4	to	to	PART	TO	_	5	mark	_	_
5	receive	receive	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
6	lesser	less	ADJ	JJR	Degree=Cmp	7	amod	_	_
7	punishments	punishment	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	obj	_	_
8	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	10	cc	_	_
9	graver	grave	ADJ	JJR	Degree=Cmp	10	amod	_	_
10	offences	offence	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	7	conj	_	_
11	graver	grave	ADJ	JJR	Degree=Cmp	12	amod	_	_
12	ones	one	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **receive** | ought | Lesser offences | lesser punishments and graver offences |  |  |  |  | vn admit-64.3-1 «NP V NP ADV»: agent=Agent punishment=Theme one=Location |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
All offences, however slight or however grave, ought to receive identical punishments

```conllu
# sent_id = question:history:84-gaols-magistrates-and-old-punishments-from-the-stocks-to-the-children-act-of-1908:e4:o2:1
# text = All offences, however slight or however grave, ought to receive identical punishments
1	All	all	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	2	det	_	_
2	offences	offence	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	12	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	5	punct	_	_
4	however	however	ADV	RB	_	5	advmod	_	_
5	slight	slight	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	2	amod	_	_
6	or	or	CCONJ	CC	_	8	cc	_	_
7	however	however	ADV	RB	_	8	advmod	_	_
8	grave	grave	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	2	punct	_	_
10	ought	ought	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	12	aux	_	_
11	to	to	PART	TO	_	12	mark	_	_
12	receive	receive	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
13	identical	identical	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	14	amod	_	_
14	punishments	punishment	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	12	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **receive** | ought | all offences | identical punishments |  |  |  |  | vn obtain-13.5.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent punishment=Theme |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The punishment ought to be chosen at random by the court

```conllu
# sent_id = question:history:84-gaols-magistrates-and-old-punishments-from-the-stocks-to-the-children-act-of-1908:e4:o3:1
# text = The punishment ought to be chosen at random by the court
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	punishment	punishment	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nsubj:pass	_	_
3	ought	ought	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	6	aux	_	_
4	to	to	PART	TO	_	6	mark	_	_
5	be	be	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	6	aux:pass	_	_
6	chosen	choose	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
7	at	at	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
8	random	random	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obl	_	_
9	by	by	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
10	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
11	court	court	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **choose** | ought · passive | the court | the punishment |  | random |  |  | vn get-13.5.1 «NP V NP PP.source NP.asset»: agent=Agent subject=Theme at random=Asset |

### Option 4 · ← Mova's choice {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The punishment ought to depend upon the wealth of the offender

```conllu
# sent_id = question:history:84-gaols-magistrates-and-old-punishments-from-the-stocks-to-the-children-act-of-1908:e4:o4:1
# text = The punishment ought to depend upon the wealth of the offender
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	punishment	punishment	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj	_	_
3	ought	ought	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	5	aux	_	_
4	to	to	PART	TO	_	5	mark	_	_
5	depend	depend	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
6	upon	upon	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	wealth	wealth	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obl	_	_
9	of	of	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
10	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
11	offender	offender	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **depend** | ought | the punishment |  |  |  |  | upon the wealth of the offender | vn rely-70 «NP V PP.theme S\_ING»: 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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- ↑ back to [Gaols, magistrates and old punishments: from the stocks to the Children Act of 1908](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/history/84-gaols-magistrates-and-old-punishments-from-the-stocks-to-the-children-act-of-1908/)