---
title: Which of the following most accurately characterises the act termed… — Whistle-blowing: when to tell · tree and pragmatics
description: Which of the following most accurately characterises the act termed "whistle-blowing"? Exam question 1 of lesson 45 «Whistle-blowing: when to tell» 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 choice was ri
---

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# Exam question 1 · Whistle-blowing: when to tell

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Which of the following most accurately characterises the act termed "whistle-blowing"?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 1 · right ✓ · **Who acts:** act · **What happens:** follow, characteris, term · **To what, where:** whistle blowing

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 1 of lesson 45 «Whistle-blowing: when to tell» 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/45-whistle-blowing-when-to-tell/#e1).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:religion-ethics:45-whistle-blowing-when-to-tell:e1:1
# text = Which of the following most accurately characterises the act termed "whistle-blowing"?
1	Which	which	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	4	nsubj	_	_
2	of	of	ADP	IN	_	4	case	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	following	follow	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	_
5	most	most	ADV	RBS	Degree=Sup	6	advmod	_	_
6	accurately	accurately	ADV	RB	_	7	advmod	_	_
7	characterises	characteris	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	advcl	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	act	act	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	nsubj	_	_
10	termed	term	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	7	ccomp	_	_
11	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	14	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	whistle	whistle	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	14	compound	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	-	-	PUNCT	HYPH	_	14	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
14	blowing	blowing	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
15	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	14	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
16	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	4	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 |  |  |  |  |  | accurately *property* | tree rules |
| 3 | **term** | past | the act | whistle blowing |  |  |  |  | vn dub-29.3.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent blowing=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 disclosure to a competent authority of wrongdoing within a body to which the discloser belongs

<!-- fold The tree, 16 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:religion-ethics:45-whistle-blowing-when-to-tell:e1:o1:1
# text = The disclosure to a competent authority of wrongdoing within a body to which the discloser belongs
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	disclosure	disclosure	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	16	nsubj	_	_
3	to	to	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
4	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
5	competent	competent	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	6	amod	_	_
6	authority	authority	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	nmod	_	_
7	of	of	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
8	wrongdoing	wrongdoing	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nmod	_	_
9	within	within	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
10	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
11	body	body	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	nmod	_	_
12	to	to	ADP	IN	_	13	case	_	_
13	which	which	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	15	obl	_	_
14	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	15	det	_	_
15	discloser	discloser	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	conj	_	_
16	belongs	belong	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 | **belong** | present | the disclosure to a competent authority of wrongdoing within a body and the discloser |  |  |  |  |  | vn attend-107.4-2 «NP V PP»: agent=Theme |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The signalling of the commencement of a sporting fixture by an official

```conllu
# sent_id = question:religion-ethics:45-whistle-blowing-when-to-tell:e1:o2:1
# text = The signalling of the commencement of a sporting fixture by an official
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	signalling	signalling	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
3	of	of	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	commencement	commencement	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	nmod	_	_
6	of	of	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
7	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
8	sporting	sport	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	9	amod	_	_
9	fixture	fixture	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nmod	_	_
10	by	by	ADP	IN	_	12	case	_	_
11	an	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	12	det	_	_
12	official	official	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **sport** | gerund |  |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The concealment of wrongdoing in the interests of a group's reputation

```conllu
# sent_id = question:religion-ethics:45-whistle-blowing-when-to-tell:e1:o3:1
# text = The concealment of wrongdoing in the interests of a group's reputation
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	concealment	concealment	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
3	of	of	ADP	IN	_	4	case	_	_
4	wrongdoing	wrongdoing	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	nmod	_	_
5	in	in	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	interests	interest	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	nmod	_	_
8	of	of	ADP	IN	_	12	case	_	_
9	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
10	group	group	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	's	's	PART	POS	_	10	case	_	_
12	reputation	reputation	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **conceal** |  |  | wrongdoing |  | the interests of a group's reputation |  |  | nom concealment «state transitive»: of=patient in=place |
| 2 | **interest** |  |  | a group's reputation |  |  |  |  | nom interest «cognition transitive»: of=patient |
| 3 | **repute** |  | a group |  |  |  |  |  | nom reputation «state transitive»: poss=agent |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The circulation of false allegations with a view to injuring a rival

```conllu
# sent_id = question:religion-ethics:45-whistle-blowing-when-to-tell:e1:o4:1
# text = The circulation of false allegations with a view to injuring a rival
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	circulation	circulation	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
3	of	of	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
4	false	false	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	amod	_	_
5	allegations	allegation	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	nmod	_	_
6	with	with	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	view	view	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nmod	_	_
9	to	to	SCONJ	IN	_	10	mark	_	_
10	injuring	injure	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	8	acl	_	_
11	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	12	det	_	_
12	rival	rival	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **injure** | gerund |  | a rival |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **circulate** |  |  | false allegations with a view |  |  |  |  | nom circulation «communication transitive»: of=patient |

<!-- 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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- ← previous: [Whistle-blowing: when to tell, test 11](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/religion-ethics/45-whistle-blowing-when-to-tell/t11/)
- next →: [Whistle-blowing: when to tell, exam 2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/religion-ethics/45-whistle-blowing-when-to-tell/e2/)
- ↑ back to [Whistle-blowing: when to tell](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/religion-ethics/45-whistle-blowing-when-to-tell/)