---
title: Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the… — Grandma and Uncle on opposite sides: s… · tree and pragmatics
description: Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the practice described as "steelmanning"? Exam question 2 of lesson 15 «Grandma and Uncle on opposite sides: staying friends» of the politics course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and o
---

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# Exam question 2 · Grandma and Uncle on opposite sides: staying friends

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the practice described as "steelmanning"?

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

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 2 of lesson 15 «Grandma and Uncle on opposite sides: staying friends» of the politics 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/politics/15-grandma-and-uncle-on-opposite-sides-staying-friends/#e2).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:politics:15-grandma-and-uncle-on-opposite-sides-staying-friends:e2:1
# text = Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the practice described as "steelmanning"?
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	practice	practice	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obj	_	_
11	described	describe	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	10	acl	_	_
12	as	as	ADP	IN	_	14	case	_	_
13	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	14	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
14	steelmanning	steelmanning	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
15	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	14	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
16	?	?	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 practice |  |  |  | of the following statements; accurately *property* | tree rules |
| 3 | **describe** | participle |  | the practice *not said here* |  |  |  | as steelmanning | vn characterize-29.2-1-1 «NP V NP S\_ING»: agent=Agent as steelmanning=Attribute |

<!-- .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 refusal to listen to an opposing view

```conllu
# sent_id = question:politics:15-grandma-and-uncle-on-opposite-sides-staying-friends:e2:o1:1
# text = The refusal to listen to an opposing view
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	refusal	refusal	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
3	to	to	PART	TO	_	4	mark	_	_
4	listen	listen	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	2	acl	_	_
5	to	to	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
6	an	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
7	opposing	oppose	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	8	amod	_	_
8	view	view	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **listen** | to-infinitive |  |  |  |  |  | to a opposing view | vn peer-30.3 «NP V PP.theme»: agent=Agent to view=Theme |
| 2 | **oppose** | gerund |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn amalgamate-22.2-3 «NP V ADVP-Middle»: agent=Patient |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The presentation of an opposing view in its weakest form, in order that it may be defeated with the least effort

<!-- fold The tree, 21 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:politics:15-grandma-and-uncle-on-opposite-sides-staying-friends:e2:o2:1
# text = The presentation of an opposing view in its weakest form, in order that it may be defeated with the least effort
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	presentation	presentation	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	18	nsubj:pass	_	_
3	of	of	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
4	an	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
5	opposing	oppose	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	6	amod	_	_
6	view	view	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	nmod	_	_
7	in	in	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
8	its	its	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	10	nmod:poss	_	_
9	weakest	weak	ADJ	JJS	Degree=Sup	10	amod	_	_
10	form	form	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	13	punct	_	_
12	in	in	ADP	IN	_	13	case	_	_
13	order	order	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	conj	_	_
14	that	that	ADP	IN	_	15	case	_	_
15	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	13	nmod	_	_
16	may	may	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	18	aux	_	_
17	be	be	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	18	aux:pass	_	_
18	defeated	defeat	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
19	with	with	ADP	IN	_	22	case	_	_
20	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	22	det	_	_
21	least	least	ADJ	JJS	Degree=Sup	22	amod	_	_
22	effort	effort	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	18	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **oppose** | gerund |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn amalgamate-22.2-3 «NP V ADVP-Middle»: agent=Patient |
| 2 | **defeat** | may · passive |  | the presentation of a opposing view in presentation's weakest form and order that order |  |  |  | with the least effort | tree rules |
| 3 | **present** |  |  | a opposing view in presentation's weakest form and order that order |  |  |  |  | nom presentation «act transitive»: of=patient |
| 4 | **form** |  | presentation |  |  |  |  |  | nom form «communication transitive»: poss=agent |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The adoption of the opposing view as one's own

```conllu
# sent_id = question:politics:15-grandma-and-uncle-on-opposite-sides-staying-friends:e2:o3:1
# text = The adoption of the opposing view as one's own
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	adoption	adoption	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
3	of	of	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
5	opposing	oppose	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	6	amod	_	_
6	view	view	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	nmod	_	_
7	as	as	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
8	one	one	PRON	PRP	Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	10	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	's	's	PART	POS	_	8	case	_	_
10	own	own	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	6	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **oppose** | gerund |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn amalgamate-22.2-3 «NP V ADVP-Middle»: agent=Patient |
| 2 | **adopt** |  |  | the opposing view as one's own |  |  |  |  | nom adoption «act transitive»: of=patient |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The presentation of an opposing view in its strongest form, which does not entail agreement with it

<!-- fold The tree, 17 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:politics:15-grandma-and-uncle-on-opposite-sides-staying-friends:e2:o4:1
# text = The presentation of an opposing view in its strongest form, which does not entail agreement with it
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	presentation	presentation	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
3	of	of	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
4	an	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
5	opposing	oppose	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	6	amod	_	_
6	view	view	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	nmod	_	_
7	in	in	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
8	its	its	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	10	nmod:poss	_	_
9	strongest	strong	ADJ	JJS	Degree=Sup	10	amod	_	_
10	form	form	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	16	punct	_	_
12	which	which	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	16	nsubj	_	_
13	does	do	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	16	aux	_	_
14	not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	16	advmod	_	_
15	entail	entail	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	16	compound	_	_
16	agreement	agreement	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	appos	_	_
17	with	with	ADP	IN	_	18	case	_	_
18	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	16	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **oppose** | gerund |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn amalgamate-22.2-3 «NP V ADVP-Middle»: agent=Patient |
| 2 | **not** **agreement** | present · do-support | a opposing view in view's strongest form |  |  |  |  | with agreement | tree rules |
| 3 | **present** |  |  | a opposing view in view's strongest form |  |  |  |  | nom presentation «act transitive»: of=patient |
| 4 | **form** |  | view |  |  |  |  |  | nom form «communication transitive»: poss=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.

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