---
title: Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the… — Pulleys, gears and big machines · tree and pragmatics
description: Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the purpose of the counterweight of a lift? Exam question 3 of lesson 35 «Pulleys, gears and big machines» of the physics course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of each option; Mova'
---

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# Exam question 3 · Pulleys, gears and big machines

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the purpose of the counterweight of a lift?

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

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 3 of lesson 35 «Pulleys, gears and big machines» of the physics 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/physics/35-pulleys-gears-and-big-machines/#e3).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:physics:35-pulleys-gears-and-big-machines:e3:1
# text = Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the purpose of the counterweight of a lift?
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	purpose	purpose	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obj	_	_
11	of	of	ADP	IN	_	13	case	_	_
12	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	13	det	_	_
13	counterweight	counterweight	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	nmod	_	_
14	of	of	ADP	IN	_	16	case	_	_
15	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	16	det	_	_
16	lift	lift	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	13	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
17	?	?	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 purpose of the counterweight of a lift |  |  |  | of the following statements; accurately *property* | tree rules |
| 3 | **purpose** |  | the counterweight of a lift |  |  |  |  |  | nom purpose «cognition intransitive»: of=agent |

<!-- .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 prevents the car from ascending beyond the uppermost floor

```conllu
# sent_id = question:physics:35-pulleys-gears-and-big-machines:e3:o1:1
# text = It prevents the car from ascending beyond the uppermost floor
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	prevents	prevent	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	car	car	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
5	from	from	SCONJ	IN	_	6	mark	_	_
6	ascending	ascend	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	2	advcl	_	_
7	beyond	beyond	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
9	uppermost	uppermost	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	10	amod	_	_
10	floor	floor	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **prevent** | present | It | the car |  |  |  |  | vn forbid-64.4-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Causer car=Theme |
| 2 | **ascend** | gerund |  |  |  |  |  | beyond the uppermost floor | vn escape-51.1-1-3 «NP V»: agent=Theme |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It secures the doors in a closed position

```conllu
# sent_id = question:physics:35-pulleys-gears-and-big-machines:e3:o2:1
# text = It secures the doors in a closed position
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	secures	secure	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	doors	door	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	obj	_	_
5	in	in	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
6	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
7	closed	close	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	8	amod	_	_
8	position	position	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **secure** | present | It | the doors |  | a closed position |  |  | vn ensure-99 «NP V NP»: agent=Precondition door=Theme |
| 2 | **close** | participle |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn other\_cos-45.4 «NP.patient V»: agent=Patient |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It is held in reserve against the failure of the car

```conllu
# sent_id = question:physics:35-pulleys-gears-and-big-machines:e3:o3:1
# text = It is held in reserve against the failure of the car
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj:pass	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	aux:pass	_	_
3	held	hold	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
4	in	in	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
5	reserve	reserve	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	_
6	against	against	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	failure	failure	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	_
9	of	of	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
10	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
11	car	car	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **hold** | present · passive |  | It |  | reserve |  | against the failure of the car | vn keep-15.2 «NP V NP PP.location»: subject=Theme in reserve=Location |
| 2 | **fail** |  | the car |  |  |  |  |  | nom failure «act intransitive»: of=agent |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It balances the car so that the motor need raise only the difference in weight

<!-- fold The tree, 15 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:physics:35-pulleys-gears-and-big-machines:e3:o4:1
# text = It balances the car so that the motor need raise only the difference in weight
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	balances	balance	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	car	car	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
5	so	so	SCONJ	IN	ExtPos=SCONJ	9	mark	_	_
6	that	that	SCONJ	IN	_	5	fixed	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	motor	motor	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	nsubj	_	_
9	need	need	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	2	advcl	_	_
10	raise	raise	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	obj	_	_
11	only	only	ADV	RB	_	13	advmod	_	_
12	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	13	det	_	_
13	difference	difference	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	obj	_	_
14	in	in	ADP	IN	_	15	case	_	_
15	weight	weight	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **balance** | present | It | the car |  |  |  |  | vn spatial\_configuration-47.6-1 «PP.location V NP»: agent=Location car=Theme |
| 2 | **need** | present | the motor | raise |  | weight |  |  | tree rules |

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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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