---
title: Identify the principal reason for which events reported in the news… — Tricks the mind plays: inner voices, s… · tree and pragmatics
description: Identify the principal reason for which events reported in the news may be perceived as more frequent than they are. Exam question 2 of lesson 27 «Tricks the mind plays: inner voices, superstitions and being sure but wrong» of the reflection course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree 
---

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# Exam question 2 · Tricks the mind plays: inner voices, superstitions and bei…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Identify the principal reason for which events reported in the news may be perceived as more frequent than they are.

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 3 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** you, events · **What happens:** identify, report, perceive, be · **To what, where:** news, principal reason

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 2 of lesson 27 «Tricks the mind plays: inner voices, superstitions and being sure but wrong» 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/27-tricks-the-mind-plays-inner-voices-superstitions-and-being-sure-but-wrong/#e2).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:reflection:27-tricks-the-mind-plays-inner-voices-superstitions-and-being-sure-but-wrong:e2:1
# text = Identify the principal reason for which events reported in the news may be perceived as more frequent than they are.
1	Identify	identify	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
2	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
3	principal	principal	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	amod	_	_
4	reason	reason	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	14	nsubj:pass	_	_
5	for	for	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
6	which	which	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	8	obl	_	_
7	events	event	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	8	nsubj	_	_
8	reported	report	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	4	acl:relcl	_	_
9	in	in	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
10	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
11	news	news	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obl	_	_
12	may	may	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	14	aux	_	_
13	be	be	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	14	aux:pass	_	_
14	perceived	perceive	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	1	ccomp	_	_
15	as	as	SCONJ	IN	_	17	mark	_	_
16	more	more	ADJ	JJR	Degree=Cmp	17	amod	_	_
17	frequent	frequent	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	14	xcomp	_	_
18	than	than	SCONJ	IN	_	20	mark	_	_
19	they	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	20	nsubj	_	_
20	are	be	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	17	advcl	_	SpaceAfter=No
21	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	1	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **identify** | imperative | you *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn characterize-29.2-1-1 «NP V S\_ING»: agent=Agent clause=Theme |
| 2 | **report** | past | events |  |  | the news |  | for the principal reason | vn prosecute-33.2 «NP V NP PP.theme»: agent=Agent for which=Theme |
| 3 | **perceive** | may · passive |  | the principal reason |  |  |  | frequent *property* | vn see-30.1-1 «NP V S»: subject=Stimulus |
| 4 | **does** | present | events *= event* |  |  |  |  |  | vn exist-47.1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |

<!-- .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 -->
All events are reported in proportion to their frequency

```conllu
# sent_id = question:reflection:27-tricks-the-mind-plays-inner-voices-superstitions-and-being-sure-but-wrong:e2:o1:1
# text = All events are reported in proportion to their frequency
1	All	all	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	2	det	_	_
2	events	event	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	nsubj:pass	_	_
3	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	aux:pass	_	_
4	reported	report	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
5	in	in	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
6	proportion	proportion	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obl	_	_
7	to	to	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
8	their	their	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Plur|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	9	nmod:poss	_	_
9	frequency	frequency	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **report** | present · passive |  | all events | events's frequency | proportion |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V NP PP.recipient»: subject=Topic to frequency=Recipient |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Reporting an event in the news causes its frequency to increase thereafter

```conllu
# sent_id = question:reflection:27-tricks-the-mind-plays-inner-voices-superstitions-and-being-sure-but-wrong:e2:o2:1
# text = Reporting an event in the news causes its frequency to increase thereafter
1	Reporting	report	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	7	csubj	_	_
2	an	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
3	event	event	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obj	_	_
4	in	in	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	news	news	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obl	_	_
7	causes	cause	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
8	its	its	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	9	nmod:poss	_	_
9	frequency	frequency	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obj	_	_
10	to	to	PART	TO	_	11	mark	_	_
11	increase	increase	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	7	advcl	_	_
12	thereafter	thereafter	ADV	RB	_	11	advmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **report** | gerund |  | a event |  | the news |  |  | vn prosecute-33.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent event=Patient |
| 2 | **cause** | present | Reporting | news's frequency |  |  |  |  | vn engender-27.1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Precondition frequency=Patient |
| 3 | **increase** | to-infinitive | Reporting *not said here* |  |  |  |  | thereafter *property* | vn caused\_calibratable\_cos-45.6.2-1 «NP V ADV-Middle»: agent=Patient |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The prominence of rare and alarming events renders them readily recalled

```conllu
# sent_id = question:reflection:27-tricks-the-mind-plays-inner-voices-superstitions-and-being-sure-but-wrong:e2:o3:1
# text = The prominence of rare and alarming events renders them readily recalled
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	prominence	prominence	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	nsubj	_	_
3	of	of	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
4	rare	rare	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	7	amod	_	_
5	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	6	cc	_	_
6	alarming	alarming	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	conj	_	_
7	events	event	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	nmod	_	_
8	renders	render	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
9	them	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	8	obj	_	_
10	readily	readily	ADV	RB	_	11	advmod	_	_
11	recalled	recall	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=1|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	8	advcl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **render** | present | the prominence of rare events | events *= event* |  |  |  |  | vn give-13.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent they=Theme |
| 2 | **recall** | past | the prominence of rare events *not said here* |  |  |  |  | readily *property* | vn banish-10.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Persons possess precise knowledge of statistical frequencies

```conllu
# sent_id = question:reflection:27-tricks-the-mind-plays-inner-voices-superstitions-and-being-sure-but-wrong:e2:o4:1
# text = Persons possess precise knowledge of statistical frequencies
1	Persons	person	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	nsubj	_	_
2	possess	possess	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	precise	precise	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	amod	_	_
4	knowledge	knowledge	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
5	of	of	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	statistical	statistical	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	7	amod	_	_
7	frequencies	frequency	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **possess** | present | Persons | precise knowledge of statistical frequencies |  |  |  |  | vn own-100.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Pivot knowledge=Theme |

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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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- ← previous: [Tricks the mind plays: inner voices, s…, exam 1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/reflection/27-tricks-the-mind-plays-inner-voices-superstitions-and-being-sure-but-wrong/e1/)
- next →: [Tricks the mind plays: inner voices, s…, exam 3](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/reflection/27-tricks-the-mind-plays-inner-voices-superstitions-and-being-sure-but-wrong/e3/)
- ↑ back to [Tricks the mind plays: inner voices, superstitions and being sure but wrong](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/reflection/27-tricks-the-mind-plays-inner-voices-superstitions-and-being-sure-but-wrong/)