---
title: Ascertain which statement concerning the passage "speaking the truth… — Dilemmas about truth and friendship · tree and pragmatics
description: Ascertain which statement concerning the passage "speaking the truth in love" (Ephesians 4:15) is consistent with Christian teaching. Exam question 4 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 
---

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# Exam question 4 · Dilemmas about truth and friendship

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Ascertain which statement concerning the passage "speaking the truth in love" (Ephesians 4:15) is consistent with Christian teaching.

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 2 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** you, passage, concerning · **What happens:** ascertain, concern, speak, be · **To what, where:** statement, passage, truth, love · **Speech:** someone speaks here

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This is exam question 4 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/#e4).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:religion-ethics:41-dilemmas-about-truth-and-friendship:e4:1
# text = Ascertain which statement concerning the passage "speaking the truth in love" (Ephesians 4:15) is consistent with Christian teaching.
1	Ascertain	ascertain	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
2	which	which	DET	WDT	PronType=Int	3	det	_	_
3	statement	statement	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obj	_	_
4	concerning	concern	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	19	csubj	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	passage	passage	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obj	_	_
7	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	8	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	speaking	speak	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	6	acl	_	_
9	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
10	truth	truth	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obj	_	_
11	in	in	ADP	IN	_	12	case	_	_
12	love	love	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	8	punct	_	_
14	(	(	PUNCT	-LRB-	_	15	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
15	Ephesians	Ephesian	PROPN	NNPS	Number=Plur	6	appos	_	_
16	4:15	4:15	NUM	CD	NumForm=Digit|NumType=Card	15	flat	_	SpaceAfter=No
17	)	)	PUNCT	-RRB-	_	15	punct	_	_
18	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	19	cop	_	_
19	consistent	consistent	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	acl	_	_
20	with	with	ADP	IN	_	22	case	_	_
21	Christian	Christian	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	22	amod	_	_
22	teaching	teaching	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	19	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
23	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	1	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **ascertain** | imperative | you *not said here* | which statement |  |  |  |  | vn discover-84 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent statement=Topic |
| 2 | **concern** | gerund |  | the passage |  |  |  |  | vn amuse-31.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Stimulus passage=Experiencer |
| 3 | **speak** *speech: other* *in a quote* | gerund | the passage *not said here* | the truth |  | love |  |  | tree rules |
| 4 | **is** | present | concerning | which statement *not said here* |  |  |  | with Christian teaching; consistent *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 · ← Mova's choice {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Honesty is required solely in respect of persons whom the speaker loves

```conllu
# sent_id = question:religion-ethics:41-dilemmas-about-truth-and-friendship:e4:o1:1
# text = Honesty is required solely in respect of persons whom the speaker loves
1	Honesty	honesty	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj:pass	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	aux:pass	_	_
3	required	require	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
4	solely	solely	ADV	RB	_	3	advmod	_	_
5	in	in	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
6	respect	respect	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	_
7	of	of	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
8	persons	person	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	6	nmod	_	_
9	whom	whom	PRON	WP	PronType=Rel	12	obj	_	_
10	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
11	speaker	speaker	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	nsubj	_	_
12	loves	love	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	8	acl:relcl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **require** | present · passive |  | Honesty |  | respect of persons |  | solely *property* | vn require-103-1 «NP V NP»: subject=Precondition |
| 2 | **love** | present | the speaker | persons |  |  |  |  | vn admire-31.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Experiencer whom=Stimulus |
| 3 | **respect** |  |  | persons |  |  |  |  | nom respect «cognition transitive»: of=patient |

### Option 2 · ✓ the right answer {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Honesty ought to be exercised with gentleness and regard for the welfare of the hearer

<!-- fold The tree, 15 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:religion-ethics:41-dilemmas-about-truth-and-friendship:e4:o2:1
# text = Honesty ought to be exercised with gentleness and regard for the welfare of the hearer
1	Honesty	honesty	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj:pass	_	_
2	ought	ought	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	5	aux	_	_
3	to	to	PART	TO	_	5	mark	_	_
4	be	be	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	5	aux:pass	_	_
5	exercised	exercise	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
6	with	with	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
7	gentleness	gentleness	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obl	_	_
8	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	9	cc	_	_
9	regard	regard	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	conj	_	_
10	for	for	ADP	IN	_	12	case	_	_
11	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	12	det	_	_
12	welfare	welfare	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	nmod	_	_
13	of	of	ADP	IN	_	15	case	_	_
14	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	15	det	_	_
15	hearer	hearer	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **exercise** | ought · passive |  | Honesty |  |  |  | with gentleness and regard for the welfare of the hearer | vn dress-41.1.1-1-1 «NP V NP»: subject=Patient |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Truth ought to be declared loudly and in public irrespective of its effect upon others

<!-- fold The tree, 15 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:religion-ethics:41-dilemmas-about-truth-and-friendship:e4:o3:1
# text = Truth ought to be declared loudly and in public irrespective of its effect upon others
1	Truth	Truth	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	5	nsubj	_	_
2	ought	ought	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	5	aux	_	_
3	to	to	PART	TO	_	5	mark	_	_
4	be	be	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	5	aux:pass	_	_
5	declared	declare	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
6	loudly	loudly	ADV	RB	_	5	advmod	_	_
7	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	9	cc	_	_
8	in	in	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
9	public	public	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	conj	_	_
10	irrespective	irrespective	ADV	RB	_	13	advmod	_	_
11	of	of	ADP	IN	_	13	case	_	_
12	its	its	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	13	nmod:poss	_	_
13	effect	effect	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obl	_	_
14	upon	upon	ADP	IN	_	15	case	_	_
15	others	other	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	13	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **declare** *speech: other* | ought · passive |  | Truth |  |  |  | of its effect upon others; loudly *property* | vn declare-29.4-1-1-1 «NP V NP»: subject=Attribute |
| 2 | **effect** |  | its *= it* |  |  |  |  | upon others | nom effect «phenomenon transitive»: poss=agent upon=obl |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Falsehood is permissible wheresoever it is expressed affectionately

```conllu
# sent_id = question:religion-ethics:41-dilemmas-about-truth-and-friendship:e4:o4:1
# text = Falsehood is permissible wheresoever it is expressed affectionately
1	Falsehood	falsehood	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	cop	_	_
3	permissible	permissible	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
4	wheresoever	wheresoever	ADV	RB	_	7	advmod	_	_
5	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	7	nsubj:pass	_	_
6	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	7	aux:pass	_	_
7	expressed	express	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	3	advcl	_	_
8	affectionately	affectionately	ADV	RB	_	7	advmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | Falsehood |  |  |  |  | permissible *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **express** | present · passive |  | Falsehood |  |  |  | affectionately, wheresoever *property* | vn reflexive\_appearance-48.1.2 «NP V NP»: subject=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: [Dilemmas about truth and friendship, exam 3](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/religion-ethics/41-dilemmas-about-truth-and-friendship/e3/)
- next →: [Finders keepers and what belongs to whom, test 1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/religion-ethics/42-finders-keepers-and-what-belongs-to-whom/t1/)
- ↑ back to [Dilemmas about truth and friendship](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/religion-ethics/41-dilemmas-about-truth-and-friendship/)