---
title: accident — school dictionary · trees and pragmatics
description: «accident» in the school dictionary: An accident is something bad that happens by chance, often causing harm or damage, like a car crash or a fall. Every meaning for a pupil with its dependency tree and pragmatics.
---

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# accident

<!-- .vintro -->
**Who acts:** accident, I, it, Most accidents, He, you · **What happens:** be, happen, cause, plan, not mean, break · **To what, where:** something, harm, anything, accident, purpose, motorway · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
«accident» in the school dictionary: its 3 meanings for a pupil and its 9 examples, every sentence parsed by Mova itself — its syntax tree, a dependency tree in the style of Universal Dependencies, and its pragmatics clause by clause. The word in the dictionary, with its sense in the lessons: [accident in the school dictionary](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/accident.md).

## Meaning 1 {#m1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
An accident is something bad that happens by chance, often causing harm or damage, like a car crash or a fall.

<!-- fold The tree, 21 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:accident:m1:1
# text = An accident is something bad that happens by chance, often causing harm or damage, like a car crash or a fall.
1	An	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	accident	accident	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
3	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	cop	_	_
4	something	something	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Ind	0	root	_	_
5	bad	bad	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	amod	_	_
6	that	that	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	7	nsubj	_	_
7	happens	happen	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	acl:relcl	_	_
8	by	by	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
9	chance	chance	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	12	punct	_	_
11	often	often	ADV	RB	_	12	advmod	_	_
12	causing	cause	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	7	advcl	_	_
13	harm	harm	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	obj	_	_
14	or	or	CCONJ	CC	_	15	cc	_	_
15	damage	damage	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	13	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
16	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	20	punct	_	_
17	like	like	ADP	IN	_	20	case	_	_
18	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	20	det	_	_
19	car	car	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	20	compound	_	_
20	crash	crash	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	obl	_	_
21	or	or	CCONJ	CC	_	23	cc	_	_
22	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	23	det	_	_
23	fall	fall	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	20	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
24	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | a accident | something |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **happen** | present |  |  |  |  |  | by chance | vn occur-48.3-1 «NP V PP»: agent=Theme by chance=Location |
| 3 | **cause** | gerund |  | harm or damage |  |  |  | like a car crash or a fall; often *property* | vn engender-27.1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Precondition harm=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.

## Meaning 2 {#m2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
An accident is anything that happens without anyone planning it.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:accident:m2:1
# text = An accident is anything that happens without anyone planning it.
1	An	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	accident	accident	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
3	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	cop	_	_
4	anything	anything	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Ind	0	root	_	_
5	that	that	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	6	nsubj	_	_
6	happens	happen	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	acl:relcl	_	_
7	without	without	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
8	anyone	anyone	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Ind	6	obl	_	_
9	planning	plan	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	8	acl	_	_
10	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	9	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | a accident | anything |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **happen** | present |  |  |  |  |  | without anyone | vn occur-48.3-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 3 | **plan** | gerund |  | accident |  |  |  |  | vn intend-61.2-1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent it=Topic |

## Meaning 3 {#m3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
«By accident» means not on purpose.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:accident:m3:1
# text = «By accident» means not on purpose.
1	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	3	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	By	by	ADP	IN	_	3	case	_	_
3	accident	accident	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	3	punct	_	_
5	means	mean	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
6	not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	5	advmod	_	_
7	on	on	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
8	purpose	purpose	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **not** **mean** | present | accident | purpose |  |  |  |  | vn intend-61.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent purpose=Topic |

## Example 1 {#x1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
There was an accident on the motorway.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:accident:x1:1
# text = There was an accident on the motorway.
1	There	there	PRON	EX	PronType=Dem	2	expl	_	_
2	was	be	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	an	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	accident	accident	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	nsubj	_	_
5	on	on	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	motorway	motorway	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **be** | past | a accident |  |  | the motorway; there |  |  | vn exist-47.1 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Theme on motorway=Location |

## Example 2 {#x2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
I broke the cup by accident.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:accident:x2:1
# text = I broke the cup by accident.
1	I	I	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Sing|Person=1|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	broke	break	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=1|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	cup	cup	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
5	by	by	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
6	accident	accident	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **break** | past | I | the cup |  |  |  | by accident | vn hurt-40.8.3-1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Experiencer cup=Patient |

## Example 3 {#x3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Sorry, it was an accident!

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:accident:x3:1
# text = Sorry, it was an accident!
1	Sorry	sorry	INTJ	UH	_	6	discourse	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	1	punct	_	_
3	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	6	nsubj	_	_
4	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	6	cop	_	_
5	an	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	accident	accident	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	!	!	PUNCT	.	_	6	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | past | it | a accident |  |  |  |  | tree rules |

## Example 4 {#x4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Most accidents happen at home.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:accident:x4:1
# text = Most accidents happen at home.
1	Most	most	ADJ	JJS	Degree=Sup	2	amod	_	_
2	accidents	accident	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	nsubj	_	_
3	happen	happen	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	at	at	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
5	home	home	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **happen** | present | Most accidents |  |  | home |  |  | vn occur-48.3-1 «NP V PP»: agent=Theme at home=Location |

## Example 5 {#x5}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
He had a bike accident and hurt his arm.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:accident:x5:1
# text = He had a bike accident and hurt his arm.
1	He	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	had	have	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
4	bike	bike	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	compound	_	_
5	accident	accident	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
6	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	7	cc	_	_
7	hurt	hurt	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	2	conj	_	_
8	his	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	9	nmod:poss	_	_
9	arm	arm	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **have** | past | He | a bike accident |  |  |  |  | vn birth-28.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent accident=Patient |
| 2 | **hurt** | past | He *not said here* | his arm |  |  |  |  | vn hurt-40.8.3-2 «NP V NP»: agent=Experiencer arm=Patient |

## Example 6 {#x6}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Tell an adult straight away if there is an accident.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:accident:x6:1
# text = Tell an adult straight away if there is an accident.
1	Tell	tell	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
2	an	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
3	adult	adult	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obj	_	_
4	straight	straight	ADV	RB	_	5	advmod	_	_
5	away	away	ADV	RB	_	1	advmod	_	_
6	if	if	SCONJ	IN	_	8	mark	_	_
7	there	there	PRON	EX	PronType=Dem	8	expl	_	_
8	is	be	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	1	advcl	_	_
9	an	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
10	accident	accident	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	1	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **tell** *speech: assert* | imperative | you *not said here* |  | a adult |  |  | away *property* | vn transfer\_mesg-37.1.1-1-1 «NP V NP.recipient»: agent=Agent adult=Recipient |
| 2 | **be** *a condition, not said to happen* | present | a accident |  |  | there |  |  | vn exist-47.1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |

## Example 7 {#x7}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Penicillin was discovered by a happy accident.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:accident:x7:1
# text = Penicillin was discovered by a happy accident.
1	Penicillin	Penicillin	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	3	nsubj:pass	_	_
2	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	3	aux:pass	_	_
3	discovered	discover	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
4	by	by	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
5	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
6	happy	happy	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	7	amod	_	_
7	accident	accident	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **discover** | past · passive | a happy accident | Penicillin |  |  |  |  | vn discover-84-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent subject=Topic |

## Example 8 {#x8}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Little children sometimes have toilet accidents.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:accident:x8:1
# text = Little children sometimes have toilet accidents.
1	Little	little	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	2	amod	_	_
2	children	child	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	nsubj	_	_
3	sometimes	sometimes	ADV	RB	PronType=Ind	4	advmod	_	_
4	have	have	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
5	toilet	toilet	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	compound	_	_
6	accidents	accident	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **have** | present | Little children | toilet accidents |  |  |  | sometimes *property* | vn birth-28.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent accident=Patient |

## Example 9 {#x9}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
I know how easily accidents happen.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:accident:x9:1
# text = I know how easily accidents happen.
1	I	I	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Sing|Person=1|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	know	know	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=1|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	how	how	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	4	advmod	_	_
4	easily	easily	ADV	RB	_	2	advmod	_	_
5	accidents	accident	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	6	nsubj	_	_
6	happen	happen	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	2	ccomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **know** | present | I |  |  |  |  | easily *property* | vn comprehend-87.2-1-1-1 «NP V S\_ING»: agent=Experiencer clause=Stimulus |
| 2 | **happen** | present | accidents |  |  |  |  |  | vn occur-48.3-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |

<!-- div src -->

**Text:** the school dictionary of Mova's schools (`world/data/dictionary-schools/`), written for Mova. **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 meaning and example read on its own. Elamur Cosmic License.

<!-- /div -->

<!-- pn -->
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