---
title: Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the… — Trains and the Underground · tree and pragmatics
description: Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the operation of railway signals? Exam question 4 of lesson 21 «Trains and the Underground» of the technology course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of each option; Mova's choice was
---

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# Exam question 4 · Trains and the Underground

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the operation of railway signals?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 2 · wrong ✗ · **What happens:** follow, characteris, operate · **To what, where:** operation, railway signals

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 4 of lesson 21 «Trains and the Underground» of the technology 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/technology/21-trains-and-the-underground/#e4).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:technology:21-trains-and-the-underground:e4:1
# text = Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the operation of railway signals?
1	Which	which	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	8	nsubj	_	_
2	of	of	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
4	following	follow	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	5	amod	_	_
5	statements	statement	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	8	obl	_	_
6	most	most	ADV	RBS	Degree=Sup	7	advmod	_	_
7	accurately	accurately	ADV	RB	_	8	advmod	_	_
8	characterises	characteris	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
9	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
10	operation	operation	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obj	_	_
11	of	of	ADP	IN	_	13	case	_	_
12	railway	railway	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	13	compound	_	_
13	signals	signal	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	10	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
14	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	8	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 operation of railway signals |  |  |  | of the following statements; accurately *property* | tree rules |
| 3 | **operate** |  |  | railway signals |  |  |  |  | nom operation «state 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 -->
Each signal is changed at random so that drivers remain attentive

```conllu
# sent_id = question:technology:21-trains-and-the-underground:e4:o1:1
# text = Each signal is changed at random so that drivers remain attentive
1	Each	each	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	2	det	_	_
2	signal	signal	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
3	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	aux:pass	_	_
4	changed	change	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
5	at	at	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
6	random	random	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	obl	_	_
7	so	so	SCONJ	IN	ExtPos=SCONJ	10	mark	_	_
8	that	that	SCONJ	IN	_	7	fixed	_	_
9	drivers	driver	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	10	nsubj	_	_
10	remain	remain	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	advcl	_	_
11	attentive	attentive	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	10	xcomp	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **change** | present · passive |  | each signal |  | random |  |  | vn dress-41.1.1-1-1 «NP V NP»: subject=Patient |
| 2 | **remain** | present | drivers |  |  |  |  | attentive *property* | vn exist-47.1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The line is divided into sections, and a signal displays red whilst the section ahead is occupied by a train

<!-- fold The tree, 20 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:technology:21-trains-and-the-underground:e4:o2:1
# text = The line is divided into sections, and a signal displays red whilst the section ahead is occupied by a train
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	line	line	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj:pass	_	_
3	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	aux:pass	_	_
4	divided	divide	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	18	advcl	_	_
5	into	into	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
6	sections	section	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	11	punct	_	_
8	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	11	cc	_	_
9	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
10	signal	signal	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	nsubj	_	_
11	displays	display	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	conj	_	_
12	red	red	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	11	xcomp	_	_
13	whilst	whilst	SCONJ	IN	_	15	case	_	_
14	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	15	det	_	_
15	section	section	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	obl	_	_
16	ahead	ahead	ADV	RB	_	11	advmod	_	_
17	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	18	aux:pass	_	_
18	occupied	occupy	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
19	by	by	ADP	IN	_	21	case	_	_
20	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	21	det	_	_
21	train	train	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	18	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **divide** | present · passive |  | the line |  | sections |  |  | vn multiply-108-1 «NP V NP»: subject=Theme |
| 2 | **display** | present | a signal |  |  |  |  | whilst the section; ahead, red *property* | vn reflexive\_appearance-48.1.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent |
| 3 | **occupy** | present · passive |  |  |  |  |  | by a train | vn amuse-31.1 «NP V ADV-Middle» |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A signal displays red only during the hours of darkness

```conllu
# sent_id = question:technology:21-trains-and-the-underground:e4:o3:1
# text = A signal displays red only during the hours of darkness
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	signal	signal	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	displays	display	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	red	red	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	xcomp	_	_
5	only	only	ADV	RB	_	8	advmod	_	_
6	during	during	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	hours	hour	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	obl	_	_
9	of	of	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
10	darkness	darkness	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **display** | present | a signal |  |  |  | hour | red *property* | vn reflexive\_appearance-48.1.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Signals serve solely to inform passengers of the time

```conllu
# sent_id = question:technology:21-trains-and-the-underground:e4:o4:1
# text = Signals serve solely to inform passengers of the time
1	Signals	signal	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	nsubj	_	_
2	serve	serve	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	solely	solely	ADV	RB	_	2	advmod	_	_
4	to	to	PART	TO	_	5	mark	_	_
5	inform	inform	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	2	advcl	_	_
6	passengers	passenger	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	obj	_	_
7	of	of	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	time	time	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **serve** | present | Signals |  |  |  |  | solely *property* | vn masquerade-29.6-2 «NP V PP.attribute»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **inform** *speech: other* | to-infinitive | Signals *not said here* |  | passengers of the time |  |  |  | vn tell-37.2 «NP V NP.recipient»: agent=Agent passenger=Recipient |

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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.

<!-- /div -->

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- ← previous: [Trains and the Underground, exam 3](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/technology/21-trains-and-the-underground/e3/)
- next →: [Why planes fly, test 1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/technology/22-why-planes-fly/t1/)
- ↑ back to [Trains and the Underground](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/technology/21-trains-and-the-underground/)