---
title: contain — school dictionary · trees and pragmatics
description: «contain» in the school dictionary: To contain means to have something inside. A box that contains toys has toys in it. Every meaning for a pupil with its dependency tree and pragmatics.
---

<!-- md -->
[Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/contain/)

<!-- crumbs -->
[home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [corpora](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/) / [dictionaries](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/) / [school dictionary](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/) / [C](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/) / contain

# contain

<!-- .vintro -->
**Who acts:** box, food, bag, jar, many pencils, cake · **What happens:** contain, mean, have, make, include, be · **To what, where:** something, toys, it, food, sugar, control · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
«contain» 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: [contain in the school dictionary](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/contain.md).

## Meaning 1 {#m1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
To contain means to have something inside. A box that contains toys has toys in it.

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* To contain means to have something inside.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:contain:m1:1
# text = To contain means to have something inside.
1	To	to	PART	TO	_	2	mark	_	_
2	contain	contain	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	3	csubj	_	_
3	means	mean	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	to	to	PART	TO	_	5	mark	_	_
5	have	have	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	3	xcomp	_	_
6	something	something	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Ind	5	obj	_	_
7	inside	inside	ADV	RB	_	5	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **contain** | to-infinitive |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn comprise-107.2-2 «NP V NP»: agent=Pivot |
| 2 | **mean** | present |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn intend-61.2-1 «NP V S\_INF»: agent=Agent clause=Topic |
| 3 | **have** *not said to happen* | to-infinitive |  | something |  |  |  | inside *property* | vn birth-28.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent something=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.

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 2:* A box that contains toys has toys in it.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:contain:m1:2
# text = A box that contains toys has toys in it.
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	box	box	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nsubj	_	_
3	that	that	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	4	nsubj	_	_
4	contains	contain	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	2	acl:relcl	_	_
5	toys	toy	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	obj	_	_
6	has	have	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
7	toys	toy	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	6	obj	_	_
8	in	in	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
9	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	7	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	6	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **contain** | present | a box | toys |  |  |  |  | vn comprise-107.2-2 «NP V NP»: agent=Pivot toy=Theme |
| 2 | **have** | present | a box | toys |  | it |  |  | vn birth-28.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent toy=Patient |

## Meaning 2 {#m2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
To contain also means to be made of or to include: food that contains sugar.

<!-- fold The tree, 15 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:contain:m2:1
# text = To contain also means to be made of or to include: food that contains sugar.
1	To	to	PART	TO	_	2	mark	_	_
2	contain	contain	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	4	csubj	_	_
3	also	also	ADV	RB	_	2	advmod	_	_
4	means	mean	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
5	to	to	PART	TO	_	7	mark	_	_
6	be	be	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	7	aux:pass	_	_
7	made	make	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	4	ccomp	_	_
8	of	of	ADP	IN	_	7	obl	_	_
9	or	or	CCONJ	CC	_	11	cc	_	_
10	to	to	PART	TO	_	11	mark	_	_
11	include	include	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	7	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	:	:	PUNCT	:	_	13	punct	_	_
13	food	food	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	obj	_	_
14	that	that	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	15	nsubj	_	_
15	contains	contain	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	13	acl:relcl	_	_
16	sugar	sugar	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	15	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
17	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **contain** | to-infinitive |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn comprise-107.2-2 «NP V NP»: agent=Pivot |
| 2 | **mean** | present |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn intend-61.2-1 «NP V S\_INF»: agent=Agent clause=Topic |
| 3 | **make** *not said to happen* | to-infinitive · passive |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn build-26.1-1 «NP.asset V NP» |
| 4 | **include** | to-infinitive |  | food |  |  |  |  | vn involve-107.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent food=Theme |
| 5 | **contain** | present | food | sugar |  |  |  |  | vn comprise-107.2-2 «NP V NP»: agent=Pivot sugar=Theme |

## Meaning 3 {#m3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
To contain something is to keep it under control, like containing a fire.

<!-- fold The tree, 13 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:contain:m3:1
# text = To contain something is to keep it under control, like containing a fire.
1	To	to	PART	TO	_	2	mark	_	_
2	contain	contain	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	6	advcl	_	_
3	something	something	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Ind	2	obj	_	_
4	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	6	cop	_	_
5	to	to	PART	TO	_	6	mark	_	_
6	keep	keep	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
7	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	6	obj	_	_
8	under	under	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
9	control	control	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	12	punct	_	_
11	like	like	SCONJ	IN	_	12	mark	_	_
12	containing	contain	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	6	advcl	_	_
13	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	14	det	_	_
14	fire	fire	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
15	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	6	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **contain** | to-infinitive |  | something |  |  |  |  | vn comprise-107.2-2 «NP V NP»: agent=Pivot something=Theme |
| 2 | **is** | present |  |  |  | control |  | keep *property* | tree rules |
| 3 | **contain** | gerund |  | a fire |  |  |  |  | vn comprise-107.2-2 «NP V NP»: agent=Pivot fire=Theme |

## Example 1 {#x1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Each box contains 12 crayons.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:contain:x1:1
# text = Each box contains 12 crayons.
1	Each	each	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	2	det	_	_
2	box	box	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	contains	contain	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	12	12	NUM	CD	NumForm=Digit|NumType=Card	5	nummod	_	_
5	crayons	crayon	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **contain** | present | each box | 12 crayons |  |  |  |  | vn comprise-107.2-2 «NP V NP»: agent=Pivot crayon=Theme |

## Example 2 {#x2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A bag contains 5 red and 3 blue marbles.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:contain:x2:1
# text = A bag contains 5 red and 3 blue marbles.
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	bag	bag	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	contains	contain	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	5	5	NUM	CD	NumForm=Digit|NumType=Card	5	nummod	_	_
5	red	red	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	_
6	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	9	cc	_	_
7	3	3	NUM	CD	NumForm=Digit|NumType=Card	9	nummod	_	_
8	blue	blue	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	9	amod	_	_
9	marbles	marble	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **contain** | present | a bag | 5 red and 3 blue marbles |  |  |  |  | vn comprise-107.2-2 «NP V NP»: agent=Pivot red=Theme |

## Example 3 {#x3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The jar contained 40 cookies.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:contain:x3:1
# text = The jar contained 40 cookies.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	jar	jar	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	contained	contain	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	40	40	NUM	CD	NumForm=Digit|NumType=Card	5	nummod	_	_
5	cookies	cookie	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **contain** | past | the jar | 40 cookies |  |  |  |  | vn comprise-107.2-2 «NP V NP»: agent=Pivot cookie=Theme |

## Example 4 {#x4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
How many pencils do 4 packs contain?

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:contain:x4:1
# text = How many pencils do 4 packs contain?
1	How	how	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	2	advmod	_	_
2	many	many	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	amod	_	_
3	pencils	pencil	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	7	nsubj	_	_
4	do	do	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	7	aux	_	_
5	4	4	NUM	CD	NumForm=Digit|NumType=Card	6	nummod	_	_
6	packs	pack	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	7	nsubj	_	_
7	contain	contain	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	7	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **contain** | present · do-support | many pencils |  |  |  |  |  | vn comprise-107.2-2 «NP V NP»: agent=Pivot |

## Example 5 {#x5}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
This cake contains nuts.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:contain:x5:1
# text = This cake contains nuts.
1	This	this	DET	DT	Number=Sing|PronType=Dem	2	det	_	_
2	cake	cake	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	contains	contain	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	nuts	nut	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **contain** | present | this cake | nuts |  |  |  |  | vn comprise-107.2-2 «NP V NP»: agent=Pivot nut=Theme |

## Example 6 {#x6}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Fruit contains vitamins.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:contain:x6:1
# text = Fruit contains vitamins.
1	Fruit	fruit	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	nsubj	_	_
2	contains	contain	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	vitamins	vitamin	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **contain** | present | Fruit | vitamins |  |  |  |  | vn comprise-107.2-2 «NP V NP»: agent=Pivot vitamin=Theme |

## Example 7 {#x7}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The firefighters contained the fire.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:contain:x7:1
# text = The firefighters contained the fire.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	firefighters	firefighter	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	nsubj	_	_
3	contained	contain	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	fire	fire	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **contain** | past | the firefighters | the fire |  |  |  |  | vn comprise-107.2-2 «NP V NP»: agent=Pivot fire=Theme |

## Example 8 {#x8}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The book contains 20 stories.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:contain:x8:1
# text = The book contains 20 stories.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	book	book	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	contains	contain	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	20	20	NUM	CD	NumForm=Digit|NumType=Card	5	nummod	_	_
5	stories	story	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **contain** | present | the book | 20 stories |  |  |  |  | vn comprise-107.2-2 «NP V NP»: agent=Pivot story=Theme |

## Example 9 {#x9}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Before her stood a glass bowl containing four gold-fish.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:contain:x9:1
# text = Before her stood a glass bowl containing four gold-fish.
1	Before	before	SCONJ	IN	_	3	mark	_	_
2	her	she	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj	_	_
3	stood	stand	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
5	glass	glass	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	compound	_	_
6	bowl	bowl	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	_
7	containing	contain	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	6	acl	_	_
8	four	four	NUM	CD	NumForm=Word|NumType=Card	11	nummod	_	_
9	gold	gold	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	compound	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	-	-	PUNCT	HYPH	_	9	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	fish	fish	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **stand** | past | her *= she* | a glass bowl |  |  |  |  | vn admire-31.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Experiencer bowl=Stimulus |
| 2 | **contain** | gerund | a glass bowl *not said here* | four gold fish |  |  |  |  | vn comprise-107.2-2 «NP V NP»: agent=Pivot fish=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 -->
- ← previous: [contagious](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/contagious/)
- next →: [container](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/container/)
- ↑ back to [C in school dictionary](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/)