---
title: Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the… — Verbs: doing words and being words · tree and pragmatics
description: Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the word "is" in the sentence "The sky is blue"? Exam question 2 of lesson 3 «Verbs: doing words and being words» of the language course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of each optio
---

<!-- md -->
[Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/language/3-verbs-doing-words-and-being-words/e2/)

<!-- crumbs -->
[home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [corpora](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/) / [questions](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/) / [Language](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/language/) / [Verbs: doing words and being words](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/language/3-verbs-doing-words-and-being-words/) / e2

# Exam question 2 · Verbs: doing words and being words

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the word "is" in the sentence "The sky is blue"?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 3 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** sky · **What happens:** follow, characteris, be · **To what, where:** word, sentence · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 2 of lesson 3 «Verbs: doing words and being words» 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/3-verbs-doing-words-and-being-words/#e2).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:3-verbs-doing-words-and-being-words:e2:1
# text = Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the word "is" in the sentence "The sky is blue"?
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	word	word	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obj	_	_
11	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	16	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	16	cop	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	12	punct	_	_
14	in	in	ADP	IN	_	16	case	_	_
15	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	16	det	_	_
16	sentence	sentence	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	appos	_	_
17	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	21	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
18	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	19	det	_	_
19	sky	sky	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	21	nsubj	_	_
20	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	21	cop	_	_
21	blue	blue	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	16	parataxis	_	SpaceAfter=No
22	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	21	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
23	?	?	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 word |  |  |  | of the following statements; accurately *property* | tree rules |
| 3 | **is** | present |  |  |  | the sentence |  |  | tree rules |
| 4 | **is** *in a quote* | present | the sky |  |  |  |  | blue *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 is an adjective qualifying the colour

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:3-verbs-doing-words-and-being-words:e2:o1:1
# text = It is an adjective qualifying the colour
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	cop	_	_
3	an	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	adjective	adjective	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
5	qualifying	qualify	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	4	acl	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	colour	colour	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | It | a adjective |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **qualify** | gerund | a adjective *not said here* | the colour |  |  |  |  | tree rules |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It is a noun denoting the atmosphere

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:3-verbs-doing-words-and-being-words:e2:o2:1
# text = It is a noun denoting the atmosphere
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	cop	_	_
3	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	noun	noun	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
5	denoting	denote	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	4	acl	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	atmosphere	atmosphere	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | It | a noun |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **denote** | gerund | a noun *not said here* | the atmosphere |  |  |  |  | vn indicate-78 «NP V NP»: agent=Pivot atmosphere=Topic |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It is a form of the verb "be", denoting a state rather than an action

<!-- fold The tree, 15 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:3-verbs-doing-words-and-being-words:e2:o3:1
# text = It is a form of the verb "be", denoting a state rather than an action
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	cop	_	_
3	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	form	form	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
5	of	of	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	verb	verb	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nmod	_	_
8	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	9	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	be	be	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	7	acl	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	9	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	12	punct	_	_
12	denoting	denote	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	4	appos	_	_
13	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	14	det	_	_
14	state	state	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	obj	_	_
15	rather	rather	ADV	RB	ExtPos=CCONJ	18	cc	_	_
16	than	than	ADP	IN	_	15	fixed	_	_
17	an	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	18	det	_	_
18	action	action	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	conj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | It | a form |  |  |  | of the verb | tree rules |
| 2 | **denote** | gerund |  | a state |  |  |  |  | vn indicate-78 «NP V NP»: agent=Pivot state=Topic |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It is not a word of any recognised class

```conllu
# sent_id = question:language:3-verbs-doing-words-and-being-words:e2:o4:1
# text = It is not a word of any recognised class
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	5	nsubj	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	cop	_	_
3	not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	5	advmod	_	_
4	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	word	word	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
6	of	of	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
7	any	any	DET	DT	PronType=Ind	9	det	_	_
8	recognised	recognise	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	9	amod	_	_
9	class	class	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **not** **is a** | present | It | a word |  |  |  | of any recognised class | tree rules |
| 2 | **recognise** | participle |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn comprehend-87.2-1 «NP V S\_ING»: agent=Experiencer |

<!-- 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 -->

<!-- pn -->
- ← previous: [Verbs: doing words and being words, exam 1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/language/3-verbs-doing-words-and-being-words/e1/)
- next →: [Verbs: doing words and being words, exam 3](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/language/3-verbs-doing-words-and-being-words/e3/)
- ↑ back to [Verbs: doing words and being words](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/language/3-verbs-doing-words-and-being-words/)