---
title: detector — school dictionary · trees and pragmatics
description: «detector» in the school dictionary: A detector is a machine or device that notices or finds something, such as smoke, metal or movement. Every meaning for a pupil with its dependency tree and pragmatics.
---

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# detector

<!-- .vintro -->
**Who acts:** detector, device, smoke detector, toast, We, home · **What happens:** be, notice, find, beep, burn, have · **To what, where:** machine, something, old coin, working smoke detector, garden light, airport

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

## Meaning 1 {#m1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A detector is a machine or device that notices or finds something, such as smoke, metal or movement.

<!-- fold The tree, 18 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:detector:m1:1
# text = A detector is a machine or device that notices or finds something, such as smoke, metal or movement.
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	detector	detector	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj	_	_
3	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	cop	_	_
4	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	machine	machine	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
6	or	or	CCONJ	CC	_	7	cc	_	_
7	device	device	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	conj	_	_
8	that	that	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	9	nsubj	_	_
9	notices	notice	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	7	acl:relcl	_	_
10	or	or	CCONJ	CC	_	11	cc	_	_
11	finds	find	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	9	conj	_	_
12	something	something	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Ind	11	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	16	punct	_	_
14	such	such	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos|ExtPos=ADP	16	case	_	_
15	as	as	ADP	IN	_	14	fixed	_	_
16	smoke	smoke	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
17	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	18	punct	_	_
18	metal	metal	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	appos	_	_
19	or	or	CCONJ	CC	_	20	cc	_	_
20	movement	movement	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	18	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
21	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | a detector | a machine or device |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **notice** | present | device |  |  |  |  |  | vn see-30.1-1 «NP V S\_ING»: agent=Experiencer |
| 3 | **find** | present | device *not said here* | something |  |  |  |  | vn discover-84 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent something=Topic |

<!-- .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 smoke detector beeped when the toast burned.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:detector:x1:1
# text = The smoke detector beeped when the toast burned.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
2	smoke	smoke	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	compound	_	_
3	detector	detector	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
4	beeped	beep	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
5	when	when	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	8	advmod	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	toast	toast	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	nsubj	_	_
8	burned	burn	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	4	advcl	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **beep** | past | the smoke detector |  |  |  |  |  | vn sound\_emission-43.2 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 2 | **burn** | past | the toast |  |  |  |  |  | vn light\_emission-43.1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |

## Example 2 {#x2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
We found an old coin with a metal detector.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:detector:x2:1
# text = We found an old coin with a metal detector.
1	We	we	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=1|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	found	find	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=1|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	an	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
4	old	old	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	amod	_	_
5	coin	coin	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
6	with	with	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
7	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
8	metal	metal	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	compound	_	_
9	detector	detector	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **find** | past | We | a old coin |  |  |  | with a metal detector | vn discover-84 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent coin=Topic |

## Example 3 {#x3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Every home should have a working smoke detector.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:detector:x3:1
# text = Every home should have a working smoke detector.
1	Every	every	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	2	det	_	_
2	home	home	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
3	should	should	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	4	aux	_	_
4	have	have	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
5	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
6	working	work	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	8	amod	_	_
7	smoke	smoke	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	compound	_	_
8	detector	detector	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **have** | should | every home | a working smoke detector |  |  |  |  | vn birth-28.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent detector=Patient |
| 2 | **work** | gerund |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn employment-95.3 «NP V»: agent=Agent |

## Example 4 {#x4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The motion detector switches on the garden light.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:detector:x4:1
# text = The motion detector switches on the garden light.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
2	motion	motion	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	compound	_	_
3	detector	detector	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
4	switches	switch	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
5	on	on	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
7	garden	garden	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	compound	_	_
8	light	light	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **switch** | present | the motion detector |  |  | the garden light |  |  | vn convert-26.6.2-1-1 «NP V»: agent=Patient |

## Example 5 {#x5}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
At the airport we walked through a metal detector.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:detector:x5:1
# text = At the airport we walked through a metal detector.
1	At	at	ADP	IN	_	3	case	_	_
2	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
3	airport	airport	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obl	_	_
4	we	we	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=1|PronType=Prs	5	nsubj	_	_
5	walked	walk	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=1|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
6	through	through	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
7	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
8	metal	metal	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	compound	_	_
9	detector	detector	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **walk** | past | we |  |  | the airport |  | through a metal detector | vn run-51.3.2-2-1 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Theme at airport=Trajectory |

## Example 6 {#x6}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Change the battery when the detector starts chirping.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:detector:x6:1
# text = Change the battery when the detector starts chirping.
1	Change	change	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
2	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
3	battery	battery	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obj	_	_
4	when	when	SCONJ	WRB	_	7	mark	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	detector	detector	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	nsubj	_	_
7	starts	start	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	1	advcl	_	_
8	chirping	chirp	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	7	xcomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	1	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **change** | imperative | you *not said here* | the battery |  |  |  |  | vn dress-41.1.1-1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent battery=Patient |
| 2 | **start** | present | the detector |  |  |  |  |  | vn begin-55.1-1-1 «NP V S\_ING»: agent=Agent clause=Eventuality |
| 3 | **chirp** | gerund | the detector *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn animal\_sounds-38 «NP V»: agent=Agent |

## Example 7 {#x7}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A carbon monoxide detector can save lives.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:detector:x7:1
# text = A carbon monoxide detector can save lives.
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
2	carbon	carbon	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	compound	_	_
3	monoxide	monoxide	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	compound	_	_
4	detector	detector	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nsubj	_	_
5	can	can	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	6	aux	_	_
6	save	save	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
7	lives	life	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	6	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	6	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **save** | can | a monoxide detector | lives |  |  |  |  | vn get-13.5.1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent life=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 -->

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