---
title: Which of the following statements most accurately characterises an a… — Letting a friend down: broken promises… · tree and pragmatics
description: Which of the following statements most accurately characterises an adequate apology? Exam question 1 of lesson 4 «Letting a friend down: broken promises and spilled secrets» of the reflection course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of each option;
---

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# Exam question 1 · Letting a friend down: broken promises and spilled secrets

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Which of the following statements most accurately characterises an adequate apology?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 3 · **The right answer:** option 4 · wrong ✗ · **What happens:** follow, characteris · **To what, where:** adequate apology

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This is exam question 1 of lesson 4 «Letting a friend down: broken promises and spilled secrets» 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/4-letting-a-friend-down-broken-promises-and-spilled-secrets/#e1).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:reflection:4-letting-a-friend-down-broken-promises-and-spilled-secrets:e1:1
# text = Which of the following statements most accurately characterises an adequate apology?
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	an	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
10	adequate	adequate	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	11	amod	_	_
11	apology	apology	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	?	?	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 adequate apology |  |  |  | of the following statements; 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 obliges the injured party to restore complete trust immediately

```conllu
# sent_id = question:reflection:4-letting-a-friend-down-broken-promises-and-spilled-secrets:e1:o1:1
# text = It obliges the injured party to restore complete trust immediately
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	obliges	oblige	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
4	injured	injured	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	amod	_	_
5	party	party	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
6	to	to	PART	TO	_	7	mark	_	_
7	restore	restore	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	5	acl	_	_
8	complete	complete	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	9	amod	_	_
9	trust	trust	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obj	_	_
10	immediately	immediately	ADV	RB	_	7	advmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **oblige** | present | It | the injured party |  |  |  |  | vn compel-59.1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent party=Patient |
| 2 | **restore** | to-infinitive |  | complete trust |  |  |  | immediately *property* | vn contribute-13.2 «NP V NP.theme (PP)»: agent=Agent trust=Theme |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It consists solely of a brief written message despatched electronically

```conllu
# sent_id = question:reflection:4-letting-a-friend-down-broken-promises-and-spilled-secrets:e1:o2:1
# text = It consists solely of a brief written message despatched electronically
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	consists	consist	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	solely	solely	ADV	RB	_	8	advmod	_	_
4	of	of	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
5	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
6	brief	brief	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	compound	_	_
7	written	write	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	8	amod	_	_
8	message	message	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
9	despatched	despatch	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	8	acl	_	_
10	electronically	electronically	ADV	RB	_	9	advmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **consist** | present | It | a brief written message |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **write** | participle |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn scribble-25.2-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 3 | **despatch** | participle |  | a brief written message *not said here* |  |  |  | electronically *property* | tree rules |

### Option 3 · ← Mova's choice {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It is effective only where the injured party apologises first

```conllu
# sent_id = question:reflection:4-letting-a-friend-down-broken-promises-and-spilled-secrets:e1:o3:1
# text = It is effective only where the injured party apologises first
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	effective	effective	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
4	only	only	ADV	RB	_	9	advmod	_	_
5	where	where	ADV	WRB	PronType=Rel	9	advmod	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
7	injured	injure	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	8	amod	_	_
8	party	party	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	nsubj	_	_
9	apologises	apologise	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	advcl	_	_
10	first	first	ADV	RB	NumForm=Word|NumType=Ord	9	advmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | It |  |  |  |  | effective *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **injure** | participle |  |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 3 | **apologise** *speech: apologize* | present | the injured party |  |  |  |  | first *property* | tree rules |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It acknowledges the wrong without excuse and is accompanied by altered conduct

```conllu
# sent_id = question:reflection:4-letting-a-friend-down-broken-promises-and-spilled-secrets:e1:o4:1
# text = It acknowledges the wrong without excuse and is accompanied by altered conduct
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	acknowledges	acknowledge	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	wrong	wrong	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	2	obj	_	_
5	without	without	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
6	excuse	excuse	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	_
7	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	9	cc	_	_
8	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	9	aux:pass	_	_
9	accompanied	accompany	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	2	conj	_	_
10	by	by	ADP	IN	_	12	case	_	_
11	altered	alter	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	12	amod	_	_
12	conduct	conduct	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **acknowledge** | present | It | the wrong |  |  |  | without excuse | vn confess-37.10 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent wrong=Topic |
| 2 | **accompany** | present · passive | altered conduct |  |  |  |  |  | vn accompany-51.7 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent |
| 3 | **alter** | participle |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn other\_cos-45.4 «NP.patient V»: agent=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.

<!-- /div -->

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- ← previous: [Letting a friend down: broken promises…, test 11](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/reflection/4-letting-a-friend-down-broken-promises-and-spilled-secrets/t11/)
- next →: [Letting a friend down: broken promises…, exam 2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/reflection/4-letting-a-friend-down-broken-promises-and-spilled-secrets/e2/)
- ↑ back to [Letting a friend down: broken promises and spilled secrets](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/reflection/4-letting-a-friend-down-broken-promises-and-spilled-secrets/)