---
title: Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the… — What language is: sounds, words and ru… · tree and pragmatics
description: Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the phenomenon designated "language"? Exam question 1 of lesson 1 «What language is: sounds, words and rules everyone shares» of the language course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and o
---

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# Exam question 1 · What language is: sounds, words and rules everyone shares

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the phenomenon designated "language"?

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

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 1 of lesson 1 «What language is: sounds, words and rules everyone shares» of the language 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/language/1-what-language-is-sounds-words-and-rules/#e1).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:1-what-language-is-sounds-words-and-rules:e1:1
# text = Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the phenomenon designated "language"?
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	phenomenon	phenomenon	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obj	_	_
11	designated	designate	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	10	acl	_	_
12	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	13	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	language	language	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
14	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	13	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
15	?	?	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 phenomenon |  |  |  | of the following statements; accurately *property* | tree rules |
| 3 | **designate** | participle | the phenomenon *not said here* | language |  |  |  |  | vn appoint-29.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent language=Theme |

<!-- .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 {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The written conventions observed solely by adult persons

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:1-what-language-is-sounds-words-and-rules:e1:o1:1
# text = The written conventions observed solely by adult persons
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
2	written	write	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	3	amod	_	_
3	conventions	convention	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	0	root	_	_
4	observed	observe	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	3	acl	_	_
5	solely	solely	ADV	RB	_	4	advmod	_	_
6	by	by	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	adult	adult	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	8	amod	_	_
8	persons	person	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **write** | participle |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn scribble-25.2-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **observe** | participle |  | the written conventions *not said here* |  |  |  | by adult persons; solely *property* | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
An inventory of words contained exclusively within printed dictionaries of the nation

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:1-what-language-is-sounds-words-and-rules:e1:o2:1
# text = An inventory of words contained exclusively within printed dictionaries of the nation
1	An	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	inventory	inventory	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
3	of	of	ADP	IN	_	4	case	_	_
4	words	word	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	nmod	_	_
5	contained	contain	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	4	acl	_	_
6	exclusively	exclusively	ADV	RB	_	5	advmod	_	_
7	within	within	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
8	printed	print	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	9	amod	_	_
9	dictionaries	dictionary	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	obl	_	_
10	of	of	ADP	IN	_	12	case	_	_
11	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	12	det	_	_
12	nation	nation	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **contain** | participle |  | words *not said here* |  |  |  | within printed dictionaries of the nation; exclusively *property* | vn comprise-107.2-2 «NP V NP»: agent=Pivot |
| 2 | **print** | participle |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn scribble-25.2-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Any vocal emission produced by a human or other animal

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:1-what-language-is-sounds-words-and-rules:e1:o3:1
# text = Any vocal emission produced by a human or other animal
1	Any	any	DET	DT	PronType=Ind	3	det	_	_
2	vocal	vocal	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	amod	_	_
3	emission	emission	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
4	produced	produce	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	3	acl	_	_
5	by	by	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
6	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
7	human	human	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	10	amod	_	_
8	or	or	CCONJ	CC	_	9	cc	_	_
9	other	other	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	7	conj	_	_
10	animal	animal	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **produce** | participle |  | any vocal emission *not said here* |  |  |  | by a human animal | vn create-26.4 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A system of words and rules held in common by a community for the conveyance of meaning

<!-- fold The tree, 17 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:1-what-language-is-sounds-words-and-rules:e1:o4:1
# text = A system of words and rules held in common by a community for the conveyance of meaning
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	system	system	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	nsubj	_	_
3	of	of	ADP	IN	_	4	case	_	_
4	words	word	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	nmod	_	_
5	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	6	cc	_	_
6	rules	rule	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	conj	_	_
7	held	hold	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
8	in	in	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
9	common	common	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	7	obl	_	_
10	by	by	ADP	IN	_	12	case	_	_
11	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	12	det	_	_
12	community	community	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obl	_	_
13	for	for	ADP	IN	_	15	case	_	_
14	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	15	det	_	_
15	conveyance	conveyance	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obl	_	_
16	of	of	ADP	IN	_	17	case	_	_
17	meaning	meaning	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	15	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **hold** | participle | a system of words and rules |  |  | common |  | by a community; for the conveyance of meaning | vn exist-47.1 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Theme in common=Location |
| 2 | **convey** |  |  | meaning |  |  |  |  | nom conveyance «communication transitive»: of=patient |

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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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