---
title: Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the… — Why planes fly · tree and pragmatics
description: Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the origin of the lift sustaining an aircraft in flight? Exam question 1 of lesson 22 «Why planes fly» of the technology course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of each option; Mova's
---

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# Exam question 1 · Why planes fly

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the origin of the lift sustaining an aircraft in flight?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 3 · **The right answer:** option 3 · right ✓ · **Who acts:** lift · **What happens:** follow, characteris, sustain · **To what, where:** origin, aircraft, flight

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 1 of lesson 22 «Why planes fly» 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/22-why-planes-fly/#e1).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:technology:22-why-planes-fly:e1:1
# text = Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the origin of the lift sustaining an aircraft in flight?
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	origin	origin	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obj	_	_
11	of	of	ADP	IN	_	13	case	_	_
12	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	13	det	_	_
13	lift	lift	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	nmod	_	_
14	sustaining	sustain	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	13	acl	_	_
15	an	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	16	det	_	_
16	aircraft	aircraft	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	14	obj	_	_
17	in	in	ADP	IN	_	18	case	_	_
18	flight	flight	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	14	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
19	?	?	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 origin of the lift |  |  |  | of the following statements; accurately *property* | tree rules |
| 3 | **sustain** | gerund | the lift *not said here* | a aircraft |  | flight |  |  | vn sustain-55.6 «NP V NP PP.instrument»: agent=Agent aircraft=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 {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The heat of the engines causes the aircraft to ascend

```conllu
# sent_id = question:technology:22-why-planes-fly:e1:o1:1
# text = The heat of the engines causes the aircraft to ascend
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	heat	heat	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nsubj	_	_
3	of	of	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	engines	engine	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	nmod	_	_
6	causes	cause	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	aircraft	aircraft	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obj	_	_
9	to	to	PART	TO	_	10	mark	_	_
10	ascend	ascend	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	8	acl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **cause** | present | the heat of the engines | the aircraft |  |  |  |  | vn engender-27.1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Precondition aircraft=Patient |
| 2 | **ascend** | to-infinitive | the heat of the engines *not said here* | the aircraft *not said here* |  |  |  |  | vn escape-51.1-1-3 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 3 | **heat** |  | the engines |  |  |  |  |  | nom heat «phenomenon intransitive»: of=agent |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The aircraft becomes lighter than air upon departing the ground

```conllu
# sent_id = question:technology:22-why-planes-fly:e1:o2:1
# text = The aircraft becomes lighter than air upon departing the ground
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	aircraft	aircraft	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	becomes	become	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	lighter	light	ADJ	JJR	Degree=Cmp	3	xcomp	_	_
5	than	than	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
6	air	air	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obl	_	_
7	upon	upon	SCONJ	IN	_	8	mark	_	_
8	departing	depart	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	3	advcl	_	_
9	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
10	ground	ground	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **become** | present | the aircraft |  |  |  |  | light *property* | vn become-109.1-1-1 «NP V PP.attribute»: agent=Patient |
| 2 | **depart** | gerund | the aircraft *not said here* | the ground |  |  |  |  | vn escape-51.1-1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Theme ground=Initial\_Location |

### Option 3 · ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The inclined wing deflects air downwards, whereupon the air exerts an upward force upon the wing

<!-- fold The tree, 16 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:technology:22-why-planes-fly:e1:o3:1
# text = The inclined wing deflects air downwards, whereupon the air exerts an upward force upon the wing
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
2	inclined	inclined	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	amod	_	_
3	wing	wing	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
4	deflects	deflect	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
5	air	air	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obj	_	_
6	downwards	downwards	ADV	RB	_	4	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	11	punct	_	_
8	whereupon	whereupon	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	11	advmod	_	_
9	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
10	air	air	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	nsubj	_	_
11	exerts	exert	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	conj	_	_
12	an	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	14	det	_	_
13	upward	upward	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	14	amod	_	_
14	force	force	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	obj	_	_
15	upon	upon	ADP	IN	_	17	case	_	_
16	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	17	det	_	_
17	wing	wing	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **deflect** | present | the inclined wing | air |  |  |  | downwards *property* | vn other\_cos-45.4 «NP V NP.patient»: agent=Agent air=Patient |
| 2 | **exert** | present | the air | a upward force |  |  |  | upon the wing; whereupon *property* | vn use-105.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent force=Theme |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The air above the wing is obliged to rejoin the air beneath it at the trailing edge

<!-- fold The tree, 17 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:technology:22-why-planes-fly:e1:o4:1
# text = The air above the wing is obliged to rejoin the air beneath it at the trailing edge
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	air	air	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	nsubj:pass	_	_
3	above	above	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	wing	wing	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	nmod	_	_
6	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	7	aux:pass	_	_
7	obliged	oblige	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
8	to	to	PART	TO	_	9	mark	_	_
9	rejoin	rejoin	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	7	xcomp	_	_
10	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
11	air	air	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	obj	_	_
12	beneath	beneath	ADP	IN	_	13	case	_	_
13	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	9	obl	_	_
14	at	at	ADP	IN	_	17	case	_	_
15	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	17	det	_	_
16	trailing	trailing	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	17	compound	_	_
17	edge	edge	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **oblige** | present · passive |  | the air above the wing |  |  |  |  | vn compel-59.1-1 «NP V NP S\_INF»: subject=Patient clause=Result |
| 2 | **rejoin** | to-infinitive |  | the air |  | the trailing edge |  | beneath air | vn mix-22.1-2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent air=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.

<!-- /div -->

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