---
title: Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the… — Parables: the Good Samaritan, the Prod… · tree and pragmatics
description: Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the conduct of the father in the parable of the Prodigal Son? Exam question 2 of lesson 14 «Parables: the Good Samaritan, the Prodigal Son and the Lost Sheep» of the religion ethics course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency t
---

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# Exam question 2 · Parables: the Good Samaritan, the Prodigal Son and the Los…

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the conduct of the father in the parable of the Prodigal Son?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 1 · right ✓ · **What happens:** follow, characteris, conduct · **To what, where:** conduct, parable, father

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This is exam question 2 of lesson 14 «Parables: the Good Samaritan, the Prodigal Son and the Lost Sheep» of the religion ethics 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/religion-ethics/14-parables-good-samaritan-prodigal-son-lost-sheep/#e2).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:religion-ethics:14-parables-good-samaritan-prodigal-son-lost-sheep:e2:1
# text = Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the conduct of the father in the parable of the Prodigal Son?
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	conduct	conduct	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	father	father	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	nmod	_	_
14	in	in	ADP	IN	_	16	case	_	_
15	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	16	det	_	_
16	parable	parable	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obl	_	_
17	of	of	ADP	IN	_	20	case	_	_
18	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	20	det	_	_
19	Prodigal	Prodigal	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	20	compound	_	_
20	Son	Son	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	16	nmod	_	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 |  | the conduct of the father |  | the parable of the Prodigal Son |  | of the following statements; accurately *property* | tree rules |
| 3 | **conduct** |  |  | the father |  |  |  |  | nom conduct «act transitive»: of=patient |

<!-- .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 · ✓ the right answer {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
He ran to receive his returning son and ordered a feast

```conllu
# sent_id = question:religion-ethics:14-parables-good-samaritan-prodigal-son-lost-sheep:e2:o1:1
# text = He ran to receive his returning son and ordered a feast
1	He	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	ran	run	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	to	to	PART	TO	_	4	mark	_	_
4	receive	receive	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	2	xcomp	_	_
5	his	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	7	nmod:poss	_	_
6	returning	return	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	7	amod	_	_
7	son	son	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obj	_	_
8	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	9	cc	_	_
9	ordered	order	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	2	conj	_	_
10	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
11	feast	feast	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **run** | past | He |  |  |  |  |  | vn use-105.1 «NP V NP S\_INF»: agent=Agent clause=Eventuality |
| 2 | **receive** | to-infinitive | He *not said here* | his returning son |  |  |  |  | vn obtain-13.5.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent son=Theme |
| 3 | **return** | gerund |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn escape-51.1-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 4 | **order** | past | He *not said here* | a feast |  |  |  |  | vn get-13.5.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent feast=Theme |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
He consented to receive him solely as a hired servant

```conllu
# sent_id = question:religion-ethics:14-parables-good-samaritan-prodigal-son-lost-sheep:e2:o2:1
# text = He consented to receive him solely as a hired servant
1	He	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	consented	consent	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	to	to	PART	TO	_	4	mark	_	_
4	receive	receive	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	2	xcomp	_	_
5	him	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	obj	_	_
6	solely	solely	ADV	RB	_	4	advmod	_	_
7	as	as	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
8	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
9	hired	hire	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	10	amod	_	_
10	servant	servant	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **consent** | past | He |  |  |  |  |  | vn acquiesce-95.1-1-1 «NP V S\_INF»: agent=Agent clause=Theme |
| 2 | **receive** | to-infinitive | He *not said here* | him *= he* |  |  |  | as a hired servant; solely *property* | vn obtain-13.5.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent he=Theme |
| 3 | **hire** | participle |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn get-13.5.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
He declined to receive him until restitution was made

```conllu
# sent_id = question:religion-ethics:14-parables-good-samaritan-prodigal-son-lost-sheep:e2:o3:1
# text = He declined to receive him until restitution was made
1	He	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	declined	decline	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	to	to	PART	TO	_	4	mark	_	_
4	receive	receive	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	2	xcomp	_	_
5	him	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	obj	_	_
6	until	until	SCONJ	IN	_	9	mark	_	_
7	restitution	restitution	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	nsubj:pass	_	_
8	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	9	aux:pass	_	_
9	made	make	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	4	advcl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **decline** | past | He |  |  |  |  |  | vn reject-77.2 «NP V S\_ING»: agent=Agent clause=Theme |
| 2 | **not** **receive** | to-infinitive | He *not said here* | him *= he* |  |  |  |  | vn obtain-13.5.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent he=Theme |
| 3 | **make** | past · passive |  | restitution |  |  |  |  | vn build-26.1-1 «NP.asset V NP»: subject=Product |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
He remained indifferent to his son's return

```conllu
# sent_id = question:religion-ethics:14-parables-good-samaritan-prodigal-son-lost-sheep:e2:o4:1
# text = He remained indifferent to his son's return
1	He	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	remained	remain	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	indifferent	indifferent	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	2	xcomp	_	_
4	to	to	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
5	his	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	6	nmod:poss	_	_
6	son	son	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	's	's	PART	POS	_	6	case	_	_
8	return	return	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **remain** | past | He |  |  |  |  | to his son's return; indifferent *property* | vn exist-47.1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 2 | **return** |  | his son |  |  |  |  |  | nom return «communication intransitive»: 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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- ← previous: [Parables: the Good Samaritan, the Prod…, exam 1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/religion-ethics/14-parables-good-samaritan-prodigal-son-lost-sheep/e1/)
- next →: [Parables: the Good Samaritan, the Prod…, exam 3](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/religion-ethics/14-parables-good-samaritan-prodigal-son-lost-sheep/e3/)
- ↑ back to [Parables: the Good Samaritan, the Prodigal Son and the Lost Sheep](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/religion-ethics/14-parables-good-samaritan-prodigal-son-lost-sheep/)