---
title: Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the… — Bridges and skyscrapers · tree and pragmatics
description: Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the manner in which an arch sustains a load? Exam question 1 of lesson 30 «Bridges and skyscrapers» of the technology course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of each option; Mova's ch
---

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# Exam question 1 · Bridges and skyscrapers

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the manner in which an arch sustains a load?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 2 · **The right answer:** option 2 · right ✓ · **Who acts:** arch · **What happens:** follow, characteris, sustain · **To what, where:** manner, load

<!-- .vabout -->
This is exam question 1 of lesson 30 «Bridges and skyscrapers» 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/30-bridges-and-skyscrapers/#e1).

## The question {#question}

```conllu
# sent_id = question:technology:30-bridges-and-skyscrapers:e1:1
# text = Which of the following statements most accurately characterises the manner in which an arch sustains a load?
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	manner	manner	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obj	_	_
11	in	in	ADP	IN	_	12	case	_	_
12	which	which	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	15	obl	_	_
13	an	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	14	det	_	_
14	arch	arch	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	15	nsubj	_	_
15	sustains	sustain	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	10	acl:relcl	_	_
16	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	17	det	_	_
17	load	load	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	15	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
18	?	?	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 manner |  |  |  | of the following statements; accurately *property* | tree rules |
| 3 | **sustain** | present | a arch | a load |  | the manner |  |  | vn sustain-55.6 «NP V NP PP.instrument»: agent=Agent load=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 -->
Its keystone alone, being of iron, sustains the load

```conllu
# sent_id = question:technology:30-bridges-and-skyscrapers:e1:o1:1
# text = Its keystone alone, being of iron, sustains the load
1	Its	its	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	2	nmod:poss	_	_
2	keystone	keystone	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	nsubj	_	_
3	alone	alone	ADV	RB	_	2	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	7	punct	_	_
5	being	be	AUX	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	7	cop	_	_
6	of	of	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
7	iron	iron	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	2	punct	_	_
9	sustains	sustain	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
10	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
11	load	load	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	obj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | gerund | Its keystone and iron *not said here* |  |  |  |  | of iron | tree rules |
| 2 | **sustain** | present | Its keystone and iron | the load |  |  |  |  | vn sustain-55.6 «NP V NP PP.instrument»: agent=Agent load=Theme |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It transmits the load sideways and downwards into its abutments, so that its stones are compressed together

<!-- fold The tree, 17 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = question:technology:30-bridges-and-skyscrapers:e1:o2:1
# text = It transmits the load sideways and downwards into its abutments, so that its stones are compressed together
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	transmits	transmit	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	load	load	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
5	sideways	sideways	ADV	RB	_	2	advmod	_	_
6	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	7	cc	_	_
7	downwards	downwards	ADV	RB	_	5	conj	_	_
8	into	into	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
9	its	its	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	10	nmod:poss	_	_
10	abutments	abutment	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	17	punct	_	_
12	so	so	ADV	RB	_	17	advmod	_	_
13	that	that	SCONJ	IN	_	17	mark	_	_
14	its	its	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	15	nmod:poss	_	_
15	stones	stone	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	17	nsubj:pass	_	_
16	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	17	aux:pass	_	_
17	compressed	compress	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	2	conj	_	_
18	together	together	ADV	RB	_	17	advmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **transmit** | present | It | the load |  | load's abutments |  | sideways *property* | vn send-11.1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent load=Theme |
| 2 | **compress** | present · passive |  | load's stones |  |  |  | together *property* | vn bend-45.2 «NP V NP.patient»: subject=Patient |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Its stones are bonded by adhesive of exceptional strength

```conllu
# sent_id = question:technology:30-bridges-and-skyscrapers:e1:o3:1
# text = Its stones are bonded by adhesive of exceptional strength
1	Its	its	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	2	nmod:poss	_	_
2	stones	stone	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	nsubj:pass	_	_
3	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	aux:pass	_	_
4	bonded	bond	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
5	by	by	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
6	adhesive	adhesive	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obl	_	_
7	of	of	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
8	exceptional	exceptional	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	9	amod	_	_
9	strength	strength	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **bond** | present · passive | adhesive of exceptional strength | Its stones |  |  |  |  | vn shake-22.3-2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent subject=Patient |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The air beneath the arch supports it from below

```conllu
# sent_id = question:technology:30-bridges-and-skyscrapers:e1:o4:1
# text = The air beneath the arch supports it from below
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	air	air	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nsubj	_	_
3	beneath	beneath	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	arch	arch	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	nmod	_	_
6	supports	support	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
7	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	6	obj	_	_
8	from	from	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
9	below	below	ADV	RB	_	6	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **support** | present | the air beneath the arch | arch |  |  |  |  | vn admire-31.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Experiencer it=Stimulus |

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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 -->

<!-- pn -->
- ← previous: [Bridges and skyscrapers, test 12](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/technology/30-bridges-and-skyscrapers/t12/)
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