---
title: Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the… — Tunnels and what lies under the street · tree and pragmatics
description: Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the operation of a tunnel-boring machine? Exam question 1 of lesson 29 «Tunnels and what lies under the street» of the technology course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of each optio
---

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# Exam question 1 · Tunnels and what lies under the street

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the operation of a tunnel-boring machine?

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

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 1 of lesson 29 «Tunnels and what lies under the street» 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/29-tunnels-and-under-the-street/#e1).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:technology:29-tunnels-and-under-the-street:e1:1
# text = Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the operation of a tunnel-boring machine?
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	_	16	case	_	_
12	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	16	det	_	_
13	tunnel	tunnel	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	15	compound	_	SpaceAfter=No
14	-	-	PUNCT	HYPH	_	13	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
15	boring	boring	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	16	amod	_	_
16	machine	machine	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
17	?	?	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 a boring machine |  |  |  | of the following statements; accurately *property* | tree rules |
| 3 | **operate** |  |  | a boring machine |  |  |  |  | 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 -->
The machine excavates without any lining being installed

```conllu
# sent_id = question:technology:29-tunnels-and-under-the-street:e1:o1:1
# text = The machine excavates without any lining being installed
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	machine	machine	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	excavates	excavate	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	without	without	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
5	any	any	DET	DT	PronType=Ind	6	det	_	_
6	lining	lining	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	_
7	being	be	AUX	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	8	aux:pass	_	_
8	installed	install	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	6	acl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **excavate** | present | the machine |  |  |  |  | without any lining | vn search-35.2 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **install** | gerund · passive |  | any lining *not said here* |  |  |  |  | vn appoint-29.1 «NP V NP» |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A rotating cutting wheel excavates the rock or soil, whilst concrete segments are erected in rings behind the machine

<!-- fold The tree, 19 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:technology:29-tunnels-and-under-the-street:e1:o2:1
# text = A rotating cutting wheel excavates the rock or soil, whilst concrete segments are erected in rings behind the machine
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
2	rotating	rotate	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	4	amod	_	_
3	cutting	cutting	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	compound	_	_
4	wheel	wheel	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj	_	_
5	excavates	excavate	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	rock	rock	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obj	_	_
8	or	or	CCONJ	CC	_	9	cc	_	_
9	soil	soil	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	15	punct	_	_
11	whilst	whilst	SCONJ	IN	_	15	mark	_	_
12	concrete	concrete	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	13	compound	_	_
13	segments	segment	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	15	nsubj:pass	_	_
14	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	15	aux:pass	_	_
15	erected	erect	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	5	conj	_	_
16	in	in	ADP	IN	_	17	case	_	_
17	rings	ring	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	15	obl	_	_
18	behind	behind	ADP	IN	_	20	case	_	_
19	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	20	det	_	_
20	machine	machine	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	15	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **rotate** | gerund |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn modes\_of\_being\_with\_motion-47.3 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 2 | **excavate** | present | a rotating cutting wheel | the rock or soil |  |  |  |  | vn search-35.2 «NP V NP PP.theme»: agent=Agent rock=Location |
| 3 | **erect** | present · passive |  | concrete segments |  | rings |  | behind the machine | vn build-26.1 «NP V NP»: subject=Product |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The machine melts the rock by the application of heat

```conllu
# sent_id = question:technology:29-tunnels-and-under-the-street:e1:o3:1
# text = The machine melts the rock by the application of heat
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	machine	machine	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	melts	melt	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	rock	rock	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	_
6	by	by	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	application	application	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	_
9	of	of	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
10	heat	heat	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **melt** | present | the machine | the rock |  |  |  | by the application of heat | vn other\_cos-45.4-1 «NP V NP ADJ»: agent=Patient rock=Result |
| 2 | **apply** |  | heat |  |  |  |  |  | nom application «act intransitive»: of=agent |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The machine displaces the soil laterally without excavation

```conllu
# sent_id = question:technology:29-tunnels-and-under-the-street:e1:o4:1
# text = The machine displaces the soil laterally without excavation
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	machine	machine	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	displaces	displace	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	soil	soil	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	_
6	laterally	laterally	ADV	RB	_	3	advmod	_	_
7	without	without	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
8	excavation	excavation	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **displace** | present | the machine | the soil |  |  |  | without excavation; laterally *property* | tree rules |

<!-- 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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