---
title: Identify the principal distinction between the reporting of harm and… — Dilemmas about truth and friendship · tree and pragmatics
description: Identify the principal distinction between the reporting of harm and the telling of tales. Exam question 2 of lesson 41 «Dilemmas about truth and friendship» of the religion ethics course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of each option; Mova's cho
---

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# Exam question 2 · Dilemmas about truth and friendship

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Identify the principal distinction between the reporting of harm and the telling of tales.

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 4 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** you · **What happens:** identify, report, tell · **To what, where:** principal distinction, harm, tales · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 2 of lesson 41 «Dilemmas about truth and friendship» 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/41-dilemmas-about-truth-and-friendship/#e2).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:religion-ethics:41-dilemmas-about-truth-and-friendship:e2:1
# text = Identify the principal distinction between the reporting of harm and the telling of tales.
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	distinction	distinction	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obj	_	_
5	between	between	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	reporting	reporting	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nmod	_	_
8	of	of	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
9	harm	harm	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	nmod	_	_
10	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	12	cc	_	_
11	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	12	det	_	_
12	telling	telling	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	conj	_	_
13	of	of	ADP	IN	_	14	case	_	_
14	tales	tale	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	12	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
15	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	1	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **identify** | imperative | you *not said here* | the principal distinction |  |  |  | between the reporting of harm and the telling of tales | vn characterize-29.2-1-1 «NP V NP S\_ING»: agent=Agent distinction=Theme |
| 2 | **report** |  |  | harm |  |  |  |  | nom reporting «communication transitive»: of=patient |
| 3 | **tell** |  |  | tales |  |  |  |  | nom telling «communication 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 {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The former is invariably anonymous; the latter is invariably public

```conllu
# sent_id = question:religion-ethics:41-dilemmas-about-truth-and-friendship:e2:o1:1
# text = The former is invariably anonymous; the latter is invariably public
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	former	former	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	nsubj	_	_
3	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	cop	_	_
4	invariably	invariably	ADV	RB	_	5	advmod	_	_
5	anonymous	anonymous	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	;	;	PUNCT	:	_	11	punct	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	latter	latter	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	11	nsubj	_	_
9	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	11	cop	_	_
10	invariably	invariably	ADV	RB	_	11	advmod	_	_
11	public	public	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	conj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | the former |  |  |  |  | anonymous, invariably *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **is** | present | the latter |  |  |  |  | invariably, public *property* | tree rules |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The former is permitted only to adults; the latter only to minors

```conllu
# sent_id = question:religion-ethics:41-dilemmas-about-truth-and-friendship:e2:o2:1
# text = The former is permitted only to adults; the latter only to minors
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	former	former	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	nsubj	_	_
3	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	aux:pass	_	_
4	permitted	permit	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
5	only	only	ADV	RB	_	7	advmod	_	_
6	to	to	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
7	adults	adult	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	;	;	PUNCT	,	_	13	punct	_	_
9	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
10	latter	latter	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	13	nsubj	_	_
11	only	only	ADV	RB	_	13	advmod	_	_
12	to	to	ADP	IN	_	13	case	_	_
13	minors	minor	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **permit** | present · passive |  | the former |  |  |  | to adults; to minors | vn admit-64.3-1 «NP V NP»: subject=Theme |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The former concerns trivial and petty matters; the latter concerns grave and serious matters

<!-- fold The tree, 14 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:religion-ethics:41-dilemmas-about-truth-and-friendship:e2:o3:1
# text = The former concerns trivial and petty matters; the latter concerns grave and serious matters
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
2	former	former	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	amod	_	_
3	concerns	concern	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	0	root	_	_
4	trivial	trivial	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	7	amod	_	_
5	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	6	cc	_	_
6	petty	petty	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	conj	_	_
7	matters	matter	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	;	;	PUNCT	:	_	12	punct	_	_
9	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
10	latter	latter	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	11	amod	_	_
11	concerns	concern	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	12	nsubj	_	_
12	grave	grave	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	parataxis	_	_
13	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	15	cc	_	_
14	serious	serious	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	15	amod	_	_
15	matters	matter	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	12	conj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **grave** | present | the latter concerns |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The former is undertaken to protect a person; the latter to procure another's punishment

<!-- fold The tree, 15 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:religion-ethics:41-dilemmas-about-truth-and-friendship:e2:o4:1
# text = The former is undertaken to protect a person; the latter to procure another's punishment
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	former	former	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	nsubj	_	_
3	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	aux:pass	_	_
4	undertaken	undertake	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
5	to	to	PART	TO	_	6	mark	_	_
6	protect	protect	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	4	xcomp	_	_
7	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	person	person	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	;	;	PUNCT	:	_	11	punct	_	_
10	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
11	latter	latter	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	parataxis	_	_
12	to	to	PART	TO	_	13	mark	_	_
13	procure	procure	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	11	csubj	_	_
14	another	another	DET	DT	PronType=Ind	16	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
15	's	's	PART	POS	_	14	case	_	_
16	punishment	punishment	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	13	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **undertake** | present · passive |  | the former |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **protect** | to-infinitive |  |  | a person |  |  |  | vn defend-72.3 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent person=Beneficiary |
| 3 | **procure** | to-infinitive |  | another's punishment |  |  |  |  | vn get-13.5.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent punishment=Theme |

<!-- div src -->

**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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