---
title: Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the… — How to argue: counter-arguments and re… · tree and pragmatics
description: Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the practice designated "steel-manning"? Exam question 1 of lesson 40 «How to argue: counter-arguments and respect» of the religion ethics course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of e
---

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# Exam question 1 · How to argue: counter-arguments and respect

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the practice designated "steel-manning"?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 1 · right ✓ · **Who acts:** practice · **What happens:** follow, characteris, designate · **To what, where:** practice, steel manning

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 1 of lesson 40 «How to argue: counter-arguments and respect» 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/40-how-to-argue-counter-arguments-and-respect/#e1).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:religion-ethics:40-how-to-argue-counter-arguments-and-respect:e1:1
# text = Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the practice designated "steel-manning"?
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	designated	designate	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	10	acl	_	_
12	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	15	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	steel	steel	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	15	compound	_	SpaceAfter=No
14	-	-	PUNCT	HYPH	_	15	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
15	manning	manning	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
16	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	15	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
17	?	?	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 | **designate** | participle | the practice *not said here* | steel manning |  |  |  |  | vn appoint-29.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent manning=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 · ✓ the right answer {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The statement of an opposing view in its strongest form prior to reply

```conllu
# sent_id = question:religion-ethics:40-how-to-argue-counter-arguments-and-respect:e1:o1:1
# text = The statement of an opposing view in its strongest form prior to reply
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	statement	statement	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	_	_
11	prior	prior	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	2	amod	_	_
12	to	to	PART	TO	_	13	mark	_	_
13	reply	reply	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	11	xcomp	_	_
```

<!-- .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 | **reply** *speech: assert* | to-infinitive |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn respond-113 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 3 | **state** |  |  | a opposing view in view's strongest form |  |  |  |  | nom statement «communication transitive»: of=patient |
| 4 | **form** |  | view |  |  |  |  |  | nom form «communication transitive»: poss=agent |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The declining of any engagement whatsoever with an opposing view

```conllu
# sent_id = question:religion-ethics:40-how-to-argue-counter-arguments-and-respect:e1:o2:1
# text = The declining of any engagement whatsoever with an opposing view
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	declining	declining	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
3	of	of	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
4	any	any	DET	DT	PronType=Ind	5	det	_	_
5	engagement	engagement	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	nmod	_	_
6	whatsoever	whatsoever	ADV	RB	_	5	advmod	_	_
7	with	with	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
8	an	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
9	opposing	oppose	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	10	amod	_	_
10	view	view	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	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 |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The repetition of one's own view until the opponent concedes

```conllu
# sent_id = question:religion-ethics:40-how-to-argue-counter-arguments-and-respect:e1:o3:1
# text = The repetition of one's own view until the opponent concedes
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	repetition	repetition	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	nsubj	_	_
3	of	of	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
4	one	one	PRON	PRP	Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	7	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	's	's	PART	POS	_	4	case	_	_
6	own	own	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	7	amod	_	_
7	view	view	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	nmod	_	_
8	until	until	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
9	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
10	opponent	opponent	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	nmod	_	_
11	concedes	concede	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **concede** | present | the repetition of one's own view until the opponent |  |  |  |  |  | vn future\_having-13.3 «NP V NP.theme (PP)»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **repeat** |  | one's own view until the opponent |  |  |  |  |  | nom repetition «event intransitive»: of=agent |
| 3 | **view** |  | one |  |  |  | until the opponent |  | nom view «cognition transitive»: poss=agent until=obl |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The statement of an opposing view in its weakest form prior to reply

```conllu
# sent_id = question:religion-ethics:40-how-to-argue-counter-arguments-and-respect:e1:o4:1
# text = The statement of an opposing view in its weakest form prior to reply
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	statement	statement	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	weakest	weak	ADJ	JJS	Degree=Sup	10	amod	_	_
10	form	form	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nmod	_	_
11	prior	prior	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	2	amod	_	_
12	to	to	PART	TO	_	13	mark	_	_
13	reply	reply	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	11	xcomp	_	_
```

<!-- .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 | **reply** *speech: assert* | to-infinitive |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn respond-113 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 3 | **state** |  |  | a opposing view in view's weakest form |  |  |  |  | nom statement «communication 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.

<!-- /div -->

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- ← previous: [How to argue: counter-arguments and re…, test 12](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/religion-ethics/40-how-to-argue-counter-arguments-and-respect/t12/)
- next →: [How to argue: counter-arguments and re…, exam 2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/religion-ethics/40-how-to-argue-counter-arguments-and-respect/e2/)
- ↑ back to [How to argue: counter-arguments and respect](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/religion-ethics/40-how-to-argue-counter-arguments-and-respect/)