---
title: Given that a parent instructs a child to state falsely that the pare… — Pretend, cover stories and lies that b… · tree and pragmatics
description: Given that a parent instructs a child to state falsely that the parent is absent, identify the response most consistent with this lesson. Exam question 2 of lesson 85 «Pretend, cover stories and lies that become habits» of the religion ethics course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree
---

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# Exam question 2 · Pretend, cover stories and lies that become habits

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Given that a parent instructs a child to state falsely that the parent is absent, identify the response most consistent with this lesson.

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 3 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** parent, you · **What happens:** give, instruct, state, be, identify · **To what, where:** child, response

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 2 of lesson 85 «Pretend, cover stories and lies that become habits» 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/85-pretend-cover-stories-and-lies-that-become-habits/#e2).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:religion-ethics:85-pretend-cover-stories-and-lies-that-become-habits:e2:1
# text = Given that a parent instructs a child to state falsely that the parent is absent, identify the response most consistent with this lesson.
1	Given	give	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	5	mark	_	_
2	that	that	SCONJ	IN	_	5	mark	_	_
3	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	parent	parent	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj	_	_
5	instructs	instruct	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	17	advcl	_	_
6	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	child	child	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obj	_	_
8	to	to	PART	TO	_	9	mark	_	_
9	state	state	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	7	acl	_	_
10	falsely	falsely	ADV	RB	_	9	advmod	_	_
11	that	that	SCONJ	IN	_	15	mark	_	_
12	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	13	det	_	_
13	parent	parent	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	15	nsubj	_	_
14	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	15	cop	_	_
15	absent	absent	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	9	advcl	_	SpaceAfter=No
16	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	17	punct	_	_
17	identify	identify	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
18	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	19	det	_	_
19	response	response	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	17	obj	_	_
20	most	most	ADV	RBS	Degree=Sup	21	advmod	_	_
21	consistent	consistent	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	19	amod	_	_
22	with	with	ADP	IN	_	24	case	_	_
23	this	this	DET	DT	Number=Sing|PronType=Dem	24	det	_	_
24	lesson	lesson	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	21	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
25	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	17	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **give** | participle |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn break\_down-45.8 «NP V»: agent=Patient |
| 2 | **instruct** *speech: other* | present | a parent |  | a child |  |  |  | vn advise-37.9-1 «NP V NP.recipient»: agent=Agent child=Recipient |
| 3 | **state** *speech: other* | to-infinitive | a parent *not said here* |  |  |  |  | falsely *property* | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent |
| 4 | **is** | present | the parent |  |  |  |  | absent *property* | tree rules |
| 5 | **identify** | imperative | you *not said here* | the response |  |  |  |  | vn characterize-29.2-1-1 «NP V NP S\_ING»: agent=Agent response=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 {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A public complaint to the caller concerning the parent's conduct

```conllu
# sent_id = question:religion-ethics:85-pretend-cover-stories-and-lies-that-become-habits:e2:o1:1
# text = A public complaint to the caller concerning the parent's conduct
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
2	public	public	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	amod	_	_
3	complaint	complaint	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
4	to	to	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	caller	caller	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nmod	_	_
7	concerning	concern	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	3	acl	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	parent	parent	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	's	's	PART	POS	_	9	case	_	_
11	conduct	conduct	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **concern** | gerund | a public complaint to the caller *not said here* | the parent's conduct |  |  |  |  | vn amuse-31.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Stimulus conduct=Experiencer |
| 2 | **conduct** |  | the parent |  |  |  |  |  | nom conduct «act transitive»: poss=agent |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A falsehood exactly as instructed, the parent's authority being absolute in all matters within the household

<!-- fold The tree, 17 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:religion-ethics:85-pretend-cover-stories-and-lies-that-become-habits:e2:o2:1
# text = A falsehood exactly as instructed, the parent's authority being absolute in all matters within the household
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	falsehood	falsehood	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	15	nsubj	_	_
3	exactly	exactly	ADV	RB	_	5	advmod	_	_
4	as	as	SCONJ	IN	_	5	mark	_	_
5	instructed	instruct	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	2	acl:relcl	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	10	punct	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	parent	parent	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	's	's	PART	POS	_	8	case	_	_
10	authority	authority	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	appos	_	_
11	being	be	AUX	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	12	cop	_	_
12	absolute	absolute	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	10	amod	_	_
13	in	in	ADP	IN	_	14	case	_	_
14	all	all	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	12	obl	_	_
15	matters	matter	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
16	within	within	ADP	IN	_	18	case	_	_
17	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	18	det	_	_
18	household	household	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	15	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **instruct** *speech: other* | participle |  | a falsehood *not said here* |  |  |  | exactly *property* | vn advise-37.9-1 «NP V PP.topic»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **is** | gerund |  |  |  | all |  | absolute *property* | tree rules |
| 3 | **matter** | present | a falsehood |  |  |  |  | within the household | vn matter-91 «NP V»: agent=Stimulus |

### Option 3 · ✓ the right answer {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A truthful and courteous formulation, such as "She cannot come to the telephone at present"

<!-- fold The tree, 16 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:religion-ethics:85-pretend-cover-stories-and-lies-that-become-habits:e2:o3:1
# text = A truthful and courteous formulation, such as "She cannot come to the telephone at present"
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
2	truthful	truthful	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	amod	_	_
3	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	4	cc	_	_
4	courteous	courteous	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	2	conj	_	_
5	formulation	formulation	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	13	punct	_	_
7	such	such	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos|ExtPos=SCONJ	13	mark	_	_
8	as	as	ADP	IN	_	7	fixed	_	_
9	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	13	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	She	she	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	13	nsubj	_	_
11	can	can	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	13	aux	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	13	advmod	_	_
13	come	come	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	5	conj	_	_
14	to	to	ADP	IN	_	16	case	_	_
15	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	16	det	_	_
16	telephone	telephone	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	13	obl	_	_
17	at	at	ADP	IN	_	18	case	_	_
18	present	present	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	13	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
19	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	18	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **not** **come** *in a quote* | can | She |  |  | present |  | to the telephone | vn escape-51.1-1 «NP V PP.initial\_location»: agent=Theme to telephone=Initial\_Location |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A refusal to answer the telephone on any occasion whatsoever

```conllu
# sent_id = question:religion-ethics:85-pretend-cover-stories-and-lies-that-become-habits:e2:o4:1
# text = A refusal to answer the telephone on any occasion whatsoever
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	refusal	refusal	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
3	to	to	PART	TO	_	4	mark	_	_
4	answer	answer	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	2	acl	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	telephone	telephone	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obj	_	_
7	on	on	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
8	any	any	DET	DT	PronType=Ind	9	det	_	_
9	occasion	occasion	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obl	_	_
10	whatsoever	whatsoever	ADV	RB	_	4	advmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **answer** *speech: assert* | to-infinitive |  | the telephone |  | any occasion |  | whatsoever *property* | vn reciprocate-112-1 «NP V PP»: agent=Agent telephone=Eventuality |

<!-- 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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