---
title: Which of the following most accurately characterises the moral statu… — Keeping promises · tree and pragmatics
description: Which of the following most accurately characterises the moral status of a promise as set forth in this lesson? Exam question 1 of lesson 86 «Keeping promises» 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 c
---

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# Exam question 1 · Keeping promises

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Which of the following most accurately characterises the moral status of a promise as set forth in this lesson?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 2 · **The right answer:** option 2 · right ✓ · **What happens:** follow, characteris, set · **To what, where:** moral status, promise, lesson

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 1 of lesson 86 «Keeping promises» 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/86-keeping-promises/#e1).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:religion-ethics:86-keeping-promises:e1:1
# text = Which of the following most accurately characterises the moral status of a promise as set forth in this lesson?
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	10	det	_	_
9	moral	moral	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	10	amod	_	_
10	status	status	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obj	_	_
11	of	of	ADP	IN	_	13	case	_	_
12	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	13	det	_	_
13	promise	promise	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	nmod	_	_
14	as	as	SCONJ	IN	_	15	mark	_	_
15	set	set	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	13	acl	_	_
16	forth	forth	ADV	RB	_	15	advmod	_	_
17	in	in	ADP	IN	_	19	case	_	_
18	this	this	DET	DT	Number=Sing|PronType=Dem	19	det	_	_
19	lesson	lesson	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	15	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
20	?	?	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 |  | the moral status of a promise |  |  |  | accurately *property* | tree rules |
| 3 | **set** | participle |  | a promise *not said here* |  | this lesson |  | forth *property* | vn put-9.1-2 «NP V NP PP.destination»: agent=Agent in lesson=Destination |

<!-- .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 {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A promise may be set aside whenever a more agreeable alternative arises

```conllu
# sent_id = question:religion-ethics:86-keeping-promises:e1:o1:1
# text = A promise may be set aside whenever a more agreeable alternative arises
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	promise	promise	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj:pass	_	_
3	may	may	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	5	aux	_	_
4	be	be	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	5	aux:pass	_	_
5	set	set	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
6	aside	aside	ADV	RB	_	5	advmod	_	_
7	whenever	whenever	SCONJ	WRB	_	12	mark	_	_
8	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
9	more	more	ADV	RBR	Degree=Cmp	10	advmod	_	_
10	agreeable	agreeable	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	11	amod	_	_
11	alternative	alternative	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	nsubj	_	_
12	arises	arise	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	advcl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **set** | may · passive |  | a promise |  |  |  | aside *property* | vn other\_cos-45.4-1 «NP V NP ADJ»: subject=Result |
| 2 | **arise** | present | a agreeable alternative |  |  |  |  |  | vn appear-48.1.1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |

### Option 2 · ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A promise establishes a genuine duty, defeasible only by a weightier duty

```conllu
# sent_id = question:religion-ethics:86-keeping-promises:e1:o2:1
# text = A promise establishes a genuine duty, defeasible only by a weightier duty
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	promise	promise	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	establishes	establish	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
5	genuine	genuine	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	6	amod	_	_
6	duty	duty	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	8	punct	_	_
8	defeasible	defeasible	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	6	amod	_	_
9	only	only	ADV	RB	_	13	advmod	_	_
10	by	by	ADP	IN	_	13	case	_	_
11	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	13	det	_	_
12	weightier	weighty	ADJ	JJR	Degree=Cmp	13	amod	_	_
13	duty	duty	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **establish** | present | a promise | a genuine duty |  |  |  | by a weightier duty | vn establish-55.5-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent duty=Patient |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A promise establishes no duty whatsoever unless recorded in writing

```conllu
# sent_id = question:religion-ethics:86-keeping-promises:e1:o3:1
# text = A promise establishes no duty whatsoever unless recorded in writing
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	promise	promise	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	establishes	establish	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	no	no	DET	DT	PronType=Neg	5	det	_	_
5	duty	duty	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	_
6	whatsoever	whatsoever	ADV	RB	_	3	advmod	_	_
7	unless	unless	SCONJ	IN	_	8	mark	_	_
8	recorded	record	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	3	advcl	_	_
9	in	in	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
10	writing	writing	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **establish** | present | a promise | no duty |  |  |  | whatsoever *property* | vn establish-55.5-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent duty=Patient |
| 2 | **record** *a condition, not said to happen* | participle | a promise *not said here* |  |  | writing |  |  | vn scribble-25.2-1 «NP V NP PP.destination»: agent=Agent in writing=Destination |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A promise binds the promisee but not the promisor

```conllu
# sent_id = question:religion-ethics:86-keeping-promises:e1:o4:1
# text = A promise binds the promisee but not the promisor
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	promise	promise	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	binds	bind	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	promisee	promisee	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	_
6	but	but	CCONJ	CC	_	9	cc	_	_
7	not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	9	advmod	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	promisor	promisor	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	conj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **bind** | present | a promise | the promisee but the promisor |  |  |  |  | vn shake-22.3-2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent promisee=Patient |

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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: [Keeping promises, test 11](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/religion-ethics/86-keeping-promises/t11/)
- next →: [Keeping promises, exam 2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/religion-ethics/86-keeping-promises/e2/)
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