---
title: Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the… — Where English came from · tree and pragmatics
description: Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the origins of the English language? Exam question 1 of lesson 22 «Where English came from» of the language course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of each option; Mova's choice was w
---

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# Exam question 1 · Where English came from

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the origins of the English language?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 3 · wrong ✗ · **What happens:** follow, characteris · **To what, where:** origins

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 1 of lesson 22 «Where English came from» 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/22-where-english-came-from/#e1).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:22-where-english-came-from:e1:1
# text = Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the origins of the English 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	origins	origin	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	8	obj	_	_
11	of	of	ADP	IN	_	14	case	_	_
12	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	14	det	_	_
13	English	English	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	14	amod	_	_
14	language	language	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	nmod	_	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 origins of the English language |  |  |  | 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 {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It was introduced by the Vikings in the eleventh century

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:22-where-english-came-from:e1:o1:1
# text = It was introduced by the Vikings in the eleventh century
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj:pass	_	_
2	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	3	aux:pass	_	_
3	introduced	introduce	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
4	by	by	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	Vikings	Viking	PROPN	NNPS	Number=Plur	3	obl	_	_
7	in	in	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
9	eleventh	eleventh	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos|NumForm=Word|NumType=Ord	10	amod	_	_
10	century	century	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **introduce** | past · passive | the Vikings | It |  |  | century |  | vn amalgamate-22.2-3-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent subject=Patient |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It derives directly and solely from Latin as spoken by the Roman garrisons stationed in Britain

<!-- fold The tree, 16 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:22-where-english-came-from:e1:o2:1
# text = It derives directly and solely from Latin as spoken by the Roman garrisons stationed in Britain
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	derives	derive	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	directly	directly	ADV	RB	_	2	advmod	_	_
4	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	5	cc	_	_
5	solely	solely	ADV	RB	_	3	conj	_	_
6	from	from	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
7	Latin	Latin	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	_
8	as	as	SCONJ	IN	_	9	mark	_	_
9	spoken	speak	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	2	parataxis	_	_
10	by	by	ADP	IN	_	13	case	_	_
11	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	13	det	_	_
12	Roman	roman	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	13	amod	_	_
13	garrisons	garrison	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	9	obl:agent	_	_
14	stationed	station	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	13	acl	_	_
15	in	in	ADP	IN	_	16	case	_	_
16	Britain	Britain	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	14	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **derive** | present | It |  |  | Latin |  | directly *property* | vn create-26.4 «NP V NP PP.material»: agent=Agent from latin=Material |
| 2 | **speak** *speech: other* | participle |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn talk-37.5 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 3 | **station** | participle |  | the Roman garrisons *not said here* |  | Britain |  |  | vn put-9.1 «NP V NP PP.destination»: agent=Agent in britain=Destination |

### Option 3 · ✓ the right answer {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It derives from the speech of Germanic settlers who arrived in Britain in the fifth century

<!-- fold The tree, 16 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:22-where-english-came-from:e1:o3:1
# text = It derives from the speech of Germanic settlers who arrived in Britain in the fifth century
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	derives	derive	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	from	from	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	speech	speech	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	_
6	of	of	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	Germanic	germanic	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	8	amod	_	_
8	settlers	settler	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	nmod	_	_
9	who	who	PRON	WP	PronType=Rel	10	nsubj	_	_
10	arrived	arrive	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	8	acl:relcl	_	_
11	in	in	ADP	IN	_	12	case	_	_
12	Britain	Britain	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	10	obl	_	_
13	in	in	ADP	IN	_	16	case	_	_
14	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	16	det	_	_
15	fifth	fifth	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	16	amod	_	_
16	century	century	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **derive** | present | It |  |  | the speech of Germanic settlers |  |  | vn create-26.4 «NP V NP PP.material»: agent=Agent from speech=Material |
| 2 | **arrive** | past | Germanic settlers |  |  | Britain | century |  | vn escape-51.1-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 3 | **speak** |  |  | Germanic settlers |  |  |  |  | nom speech «communication transitive»: of=patient |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It was the original language of the indigenous Britons since the most remote ages of prehistory

<!-- fold The tree, 16 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:22-where-english-came-from:e1:o4:1
# text = It was the original language of the indigenous Britons since the most remote ages of prehistory
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	5	nsubj	_	_
2	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	5	cop	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
4	original	original	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	amod	_	_
5	language	language	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
6	of	of	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
8	indigenous	indigenous	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	9	amod	_	_
9	Britons	Briton	PROPN	NNPS	Number=Plur	5	nmod	_	_
10	since	since	ADP	IN	_	14	case	_	_
11	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	14	det	_	_
12	most	most	ADV	RBS	Degree=Sup	13	advmod	_	_
13	remote	remote	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	14	amod	_	_
14	ages	age	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	nmod	_	_
15	of	of	ADP	IN	_	16	case	_	_
16	prehistory	prehistory	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	14	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | past | It | the original language |  |  | since the remote ages of prehistory | of the indigenous Britons | 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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- ← previous: [Where English came from, test 11](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/language/22-where-english-came-from/t11/)
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