---
title: Which of the following statements most accurately characterises a ch… — Hard things at home: broken promises,… · tree and pragmatics
description: Which of the following statements most accurately characterises a child's assertion of indifference concerning a parent's repeated absence? Exam question 1 of lesson 13 «Hard things at home: broken promises, silence, money and illness» of the reflection course of Mova's primary school, with the depe
---

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# Exam question 1 · Hard things at home: broken promises, silence, money and i…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Which of the following statements most accurately characterises a child's assertion of indifference concerning a parent's repeated absence?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 2 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** indifference, child, parent · **What happens:** follow, characteris, concern, repeat, assert, absent · **To what, where:** assertion, repeated absence, indifference

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This is exam question 1 of lesson 13 «Hard things at home: broken promises, silence, money and illness» of the reflection 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/reflection/13-hard-things-at-home-broken-promises-silence-money-and-illness/#e1).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:reflection:13-hard-things-at-home-broken-promises-silence-money-and-illness:e1:1
# text = Which of the following statements most accurately characterises a child's assertion of indifference concerning a parent's repeated absence?
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	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
10	child	child	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	's	's	PART	POS	_	10	case	_	_
12	assertion	assertion	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obj	_	_
13	of	of	ADP	IN	_	14	case	_	_
14	indifference	indifference	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	nmod	_	_
15	concerning	concern	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	14	acl	_	_
16	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	17	det	_	_
17	parent	parent	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	20	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
18	's	's	PART	POS	_	17	case	_	_
19	repeated	repeat	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	20	amod	_	_
20	absence	absence	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	15	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
21	?	?	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 |  | a child's assertion of indifference |  |  |  | of the following statements; accurately *property* | tree rules |
| 3 | **concern** | gerund | indifference *not said here* | a parent's repeated absence |  |  |  |  | vn amuse-31.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Stimulus absence=Experiencer |
| 4 | **repeat** | participle |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn begin-55.1-1-1 «NP.eventuality V»: agent=Eventuality |
| 5 | **assert** |  | a child | indifference |  |  |  |  | nom assertion «communication transitive»: poss=agent of=patient |
| 6 | **absent** |  | a parent |  |  |  |  |  | nom absence «state transitive»: poss=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 indicates that the child has forgotten the parent's promise

```conllu
# sent_id = question:reflection:13-hard-things-at-home-broken-promises-silence-money-and-illness:e1:o1:1
# text = It indicates that the child has forgotten the parent's promise
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	indicates	indicate	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	that	that	SCONJ	IN	_	7	mark	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	child	child	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	nsubj	_	_
6	has	have	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	7	aux	_	_
7	forgotten	forget	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part	2	ccomp	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	parent	parent	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	's	's	PART	POS	_	9	case	_	_
11	promise	promise	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **indicate** | present | It |  |  |  |  |  | vn indicate-78-1 «NP V how S»: agent=Pivot clause=Topic |
| 2 | **forget** | present · perfect | the child | the parent's promise |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 3 | **promise** |  | the parent |  |  |  |  |  | nom promise «communication transitive»: poss=agent |

### Option 2 · ✓ the right answer {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It commonly serves as a shield concealing genuine hurt

```conllu
# sent_id = question:reflection:13-hard-things-at-home-broken-promises-silence-money-and-illness:e1:o2:1
# text = It commonly serves as a shield concealing genuine hurt
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj	_	_
2	commonly	commonly	ADV	RB	_	3	advmod	_	_
3	serves	serve	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	as	as	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
5	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	shield	shield	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	_
7	concealing	conceal	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	6	acl	_	_
8	genuine	genuine	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	9	amod	_	_
9	hurt	hurt	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **serve** | present | It |  |  |  |  | as a shield; commonly *property* | vn masquerade-29.6-2 «NP V PP.attribute»: agent=Agent as shield=Attribute |
| 2 | **conceal** | gerund | a shield *not said here* | genuine hurt |  |  |  |  | vn concealment-16 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent hurt=Patient |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It constitutes an attempt to provoke the absent parent

```conllu
# sent_id = question:reflection:13-hard-things-at-home-broken-promises-silence-money-and-illness:e1:o3:1
# text = It constitutes an attempt to provoke the absent parent
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	constitutes	constitute	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	an	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	attempt	attempt	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
5	to	to	PART	TO	_	6	mark	_	_
6	provoke	provoke	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	4	acl	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
8	absent	absent	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	9	amod	_	_
9	parent	parent	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **constitute** | present | It | a attempt |  |  |  |  | vn comprise-107.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Theme attempt=Pivot |
| 2 | **provoke** | to-infinitive |  | the absent parent |  |  |  |  | vn amuse-31.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Stimulus parent=Experiencer |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It invariably signifies a genuine absence of feeling

```conllu
# sent_id = question:reflection:13-hard-things-at-home-broken-promises-silence-money-and-illness:e1:o4:1
# text = It invariably signifies a genuine absence of feeling
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj	_	_
2	invariably	invariably	ADV	RB	_	3	advmod	_	_
3	signifies	signify	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
5	genuine	genuine	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	6	amod	_	_
6	absence	absence	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	_
7	of	of	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
8	feeling	feeling	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **signify** | present | It | a genuine absence of feeling |  |  |  | invariably *property* | vn representation-110.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Pivot absence=Theme |
| 2 | **absent** |  |  | feeling |  |  |  |  | nom absence «state transitive»: of=patient |

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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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