---
title: Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the… — Water, deserts and the shape of the land · tree and pragmatics
description: Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the largest desert upon the Earth? Exam question 1 of lesson 16 «Water, deserts and the shape of the land» of the myths course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of each option; Mova's 
---

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# Exam question 1 · Water, deserts and the shape of the land

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the largest desert upon the Earth?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 2 · **The right answer:** option 2 · right ✓ · **What happens:** follow, characteris · **To what, where:** largest desert

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This is exam question 1 of lesson 16 «Water, deserts and the shape of the land» of the myths 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/myths/16-water-deserts-and-the-shape-of-the-land/#e1).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:myths:16-water-deserts-and-the-shape-of-the-land:e1:1
# text = Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the largest desert upon the Earth?
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	11	det	_	_
10	largest	large	ADJ	JJS	Degree=Sup	11	amod	_	_
11	desert	desert	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obj	_	_
12	upon	upon	ADP	IN	_	14	case	_	_
13	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	14	det	_	_
14	Earth	Earth	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	11	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 largest desert |  |  |  | of the following statements; upon the Earth; 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 {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It is Arabia, a desert being defined by the absence of rivers

```conllu
# sent_id = question:myths:16-water-deserts-and-the-shape-of-the-land:e1:o1:1
# text = It is Arabia, a desert being defined by the absence of rivers
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	cop	_	_
3	Arabia	Arabia	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	6	punct	_	_
5	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	desert	desert	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	appos	_	_
7	being	be	AUX	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	8	aux:pass	_	_
8	defined	define	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	6	acl	_	_
9	by	by	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
10	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
11	absence	absence	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obl	_	_
12	of	of	ADP	IN	_	13	case	_	_
13	rivers	river	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	11	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | It | Arabia |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **define** | gerund · passive | the absence of rivers | a desert *not said here* |  |  |  |  | vn reflexive\_appearance-48.1.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent |
| 3 | **absent** |  |  | rivers |  |  |  |  | nom absence «state transitive»: of=patient |

### Option 2 · ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It is Antarctica, a desert being defined by scant precipitation

```conllu
# sent_id = question:myths:16-water-deserts-and-the-shape-of-the-land:e1:o2:1
# text = It is Antarctica, a desert being defined by scant precipitation
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	cop	_	_
3	Antarctica	Antarctica	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	6	punct	_	_
5	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	desert	desert	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	appos	_	_
7	being	be	AUX	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	8	aux:pass	_	_
8	defined	define	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	6	acl	_	_
9	by	by	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
10	scant	scant	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	11	amod	_	_
11	precipitation	precipitation	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | It | Antarctica |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **define** | gerund · passive | scant precipitation | a desert *not said here* |  |  |  |  | vn reflexive\_appearance-48.1.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It is the Gobi, a desert being defined by low temperature

```conllu
# sent_id = question:myths:16-water-deserts-and-the-shape-of-the-land:e1:o3:1
# text = It is the Gobi, a desert being defined by low temperature
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	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	Gobi	Gobi	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	7	punct	_	_
6	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	desert	desert	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	appos	_	_
8	being	be	AUX	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	9	aux:pass	_	_
9	defined	define	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	7	acl	_	_
10	by	by	ADP	IN	_	12	case	_	_
11	low	low	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	12	amod	_	_
12	temperature	temperature	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | It | the Gobi |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **define** | gerund · passive | low temperature | a desert *not said here* |  |  |  |  | vn reflexive\_appearance-48.1.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It is the Sahara, a desert being defined by the presence of sand

```conllu
# sent_id = question:myths:16-water-deserts-and-the-shape-of-the-land:e1:o4:1
# text = It is the Sahara, a desert being defined by the presence of sand
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	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	Sahara	Sahara	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	7	punct	_	_
6	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	desert	desert	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	appos	_	_
8	being	be	AUX	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	9	aux:pass	_	_
9	defined	define	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	7	acl	_	_
10	by	by	ADP	IN	_	12	case	_	_
11	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	12	det	_	_
12	presence	presence	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	obl	_	_
13	of	of	ADP	IN	_	14	case	_	_
14	sand	sand	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | It | the Sahara |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **define** | gerund · passive | the presence of sand | a desert *not said here* |  |  |  |  | vn reflexive\_appearance-48.1.2 «NP V NP»: 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.

<!-- /div -->

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- next →: [Water, deserts and the shape of the land, exam 2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/myths/16-water-deserts-and-the-shape-of-the-land/e2/)
- ↑ back to [Water, deserts and the shape of the land](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/myths/16-water-deserts-and-the-shape-of-the-land/)