---
title: commence — school dictionary · trees and pragmatics
description: «commence» in the school dictionary: To begin or start. Every meaning for a pupil with its dependency tree and pragmatics.
---

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# commence

<!-- .vintro -->
**Who acts:** exam, you, ceremony, Lessons, hunting · **What happens:** begin, start, commence, write, end, continue · **To what, where:** Building work, new library, concert, 7, 9, 8:45

<!-- .vabout -->
«commence» in the school dictionary: its meaning for a pupil and its 7 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: [commence in the school dictionary](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/commence.md).

## Meaning 1 {#m1}

<!-- .note -->
Usage: formal — kept apart, not parsed.

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
To begin or start.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:commence:m1:1
# text = To begin or start.
1	To	to	PART	TO	_	2	mark	_	_
2	begin	begin	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	or	or	CCONJ	CC	_	4	cc	_	_
4	start	start	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	2	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **begin** | to-infinitive |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn begin-55.1-1-1 «NP.eventuality V»: agent=Eventuality |
| 2 | **start** | infinitive |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn begin-55.1-1-1 «NP.eventuality V»: agent=Eventuality |

<!-- .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.

## Example 1 {#x1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The exam will commence in five minutes.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:commence:x1:1
# text = The exam will commence in five minutes.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	exam	exam	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
3	will	will	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	4	aux	_	_
4	commence	commence	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
5	in	in	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	five	five	NUM	CD	NumForm=Word|NumType=Card	7	nummod	_	_
7	minutes	minute	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **commence** | future | the exam |  |  |  | minute |  | vn begin-55.1-1-1 «NP.eventuality V»: agent=Eventuality |

## Example 2 {#x2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Building work commenced on the new library.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:commence:x2:1
# text = Building work commenced on the new library.
1	Building	building	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	compound	_	_
2	work	work	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
3	commenced	commence	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	2	acl	_	_
4	on	on	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
6	new	new	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	7	amod	_	_
7	library	library	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **commence** | participle |  | Building work *not said here* |  | the new library |  |  | vn begin-55.1-1-1 «NP.eventuality V»: agent=Eventuality |

## Example 3 {#x3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Please commence writing now.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:commence:x3:1
# text = Please commence writing now.
1	Please	please	INTJ	UH	_	2	discourse	_	_
2	commence	commence	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	writing	write	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	2	xcomp	_	_
4	now	now	ADV	RB	PronType=Dem	3	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **commence** | imperative | you *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn begin-55.1-1-1 «NP V S\_ING»: agent=Agent clause=Eventuality |
| 2 | **write** | gerund | you *not said here* |  |  |  | now |  | vn scribble-25.2-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |

## Example 4 {#x4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The concert commenced at 7 pm and ended at 9 pm.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:commence:x4:1
# text = The concert commenced at 7 pm and ended at 9 pm.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	concert	concert	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
3	commenced	commence	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	2	acl	_	_
4	at	at	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
5	7	7	NUM	CD	NumForm=Digit|NumType=Card	3	obl	_	_
6	pm	p.m.	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nmod:unmarked	_	_
7	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	8	cc	_	_
8	ended	end	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	3	conj	_	_
9	at	at	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
10	9	9	NUM	CD	NumForm=Digit|NumType=Card	8	obl	_	_
11	pm	p.m.	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	nmod:unmarked	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **commence** | participle |  | the concert *not said here* |  | 7  pm |  |  | vn begin-55.1-1-1 «NP.eventuality V»: agent=Eventuality |
| 2 | **end** | past |  |  |  | 9  pm |  |  | vn stop-55.4-1-1 «NP.eventuality V»: agent=Eventuality |

## Example 5 {#x5}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The ceremony will commence with a song.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:commence:x5:1
# text = The ceremony will commence with a song.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	ceremony	ceremony	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
3	will	will	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	4	aux	_	_
4	commence	commence	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
5	with	with	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	song	song	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **commence** | future | the ceremony |  |  |  |  | with a song | vn begin-55.1-1-1 «NP V PP.subeventuality»: agent=Eventuality with song=Subeventuality |

## Example 6 {#x6}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Lessons commence at 8:45 each morning.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:commence:x6:1
# text = Lessons commence at 8:45 each morning.
1	Lessons	lesson	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	nsubj	_	_
2	commence	commence	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	at	at	ADP	IN	_	4	case	_	_
4	8:45	8:45	NUM	CD	NumForm=Digit|NumType=Card	2	obl	_	_
5	each	each	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	6	det	_	_
6	morning	morning	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl:unmarked	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **commence** | present | Lessons |  |  | 8:45 | morning |  | vn begin-55.1-1-1 «NP.eventuality V»: agent=Eventuality |

## Example 7 {#x7}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
"After that," continued the North Wind, "the hunting commenced.

<!-- fold The tree, 9 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:commence:x7:1
# text = "After that," continued the North Wind, "the hunting commenced.
1	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	6	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	After	after	ADP	IN	_	3	case	_	_
3	that	that	PRON	DT	Number=Sing|PronType=Dem	6	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	3	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	3	punct	_	_
6	continued	continue	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=1|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
8	North	North	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	9	compound	_	_
9	Wind	Wind	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	6	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	14	punct	_	_
11	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	14	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	13	det	_	_
13	hunting	hunting	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	14	nsubj	_	_
14	commenced	commence	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	6	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
15	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	6	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **continue** | past |  | the North Wind |  |  | after that |  | vn sustain-55.6 «NP V NP PP.instrument»: agent=Agent wind=Theme |
| 2 | **commence** *in a quote* | past | the hunting |  |  |  |  |  | vn begin-55.1-1-1 «NP.eventuality V»: agent=Eventuality |

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**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 -->

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