---
title: fib — school dictionary · trees and pragmatics
description: «fib» in the school dictionary: A fib is a small lie, usually about something not very important. Every meaning for a pupil with its dependency tree and pragmatics.
---

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# fib

<!-- .vintro -->
**Who acts:** fib, you, He, It, I, she · **What happens:** be, fib, mean, tell, not tell, brush · **To what, where:** small lie, fibs, teeth, little fib, party, One fib · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
«fib» in the school dictionary: its 2 meanings for a pupil and its 6 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: [fib in the school dictionary](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/fib.md).

## Meaning 1 {#m1}

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A fib is a small lie, usually about something not very important.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:fib:m1:1
# text = A fib is a small lie, usually about something not very important.
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	fib	fib	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nsubj	_	_
3	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	6	cop	_	_
4	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
5	small	small	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	6	amod	_	_
6	lie	lie	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	10	punct	_	_
8	usually	usually	ADV	RB	_	10	advmod	_	_
9	about	about	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
10	something	something	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Ind	6	conj	_	_
11	not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	13	advmod	_	_
12	very	very	ADV	RB	_	13	advmod	_	_
13	important	important	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	10	amod	_	SpaceAfter=No
14	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	6	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | a fib | a small lie |  |  |  |  | tree rules |

<!-- .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}

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
To fib means to tell a small lie.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:fib:m2:1
# text = To fib means to tell a small lie.
1	To	to	PART	TO	_	2	mark	_	_
2	fib	fib	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	tell	tell	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	3	xcomp	_	_
6	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
7	small	small	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	8	amod	_	_
8	lie	lie	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **fib** | to-infinitive |  |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **mean** | present |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn intend-61.2-1 «NP V S\_INF»: agent=Agent clause=Topic |
| 3 | **tell** *speech: assert* *not said to happen* | to-infinitive |  | a small lie |  |  |  |  | vn transfer\_mesg-37.1.1-1-1 «NP V NP.recipient»: agent=Agent lie=Recipient |

## Example 1 {#x1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Don't tell fibs!

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:fib:x1:1
# text = Don't tell fibs!
1	Do	do	AUX	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	3	aux	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	n't	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	3	advmod	_	_
3	tell	tell	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	fibs	fib	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 | **not** **tell** *speech: assert* | imperative · do-support | you *not said here* | fibs |  |  |  |  | vn transfer\_mesg-37.1.1-1-1 «NP V NP.recipient»: agent=Agent fib=Recipient |

## Example 2 {#x2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
He fibbed about brushing his teeth.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:fib:x2:1
# text = He fibbed about brushing his teeth.
1	He	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	fibbed	fib	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	about	about	SCONJ	IN	_	4	mark	_	_
4	brushing	brush	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	2	advcl	_	_
5	his	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	6	nmod:poss	_	_
6	teeth	tooth	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **fib** | past | He |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **brush** | gerund | He *not said here* | his teeth |  |  |  |  | vn spray-9.7-1 «NP V NP.theme»: agent=Agent tooth=Theme |

## Example 3 {#x3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It was just a little fib to keep the party a surprise.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:fib:x3:1
# text = It was just a little fib to keep the party a surprise.
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	6	nsubj	_	_
2	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	6	cop	_	_
3	just	just	ADV	RB	_	6	advmod	_	_
4	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
5	little	little	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	6	amod	_	_
6	fib	fib	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
7	to	to	PART	TO	_	8	mark	_	_
8	keep	keep	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	6	acl	_	_
9	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
10	party	party	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obj	_	_
11	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	12	det	_	_
12	surprise	surprise	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	6	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | past | It | a little fib |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **keep** | to-infinitive |  | the party |  |  |  |  | vn sustain-55.6-1 «NP V NP ADJ»: agent=Agent party=Theme surprise=Attribute |

## Example 4 {#x4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
I knew she was fibbing because she giggled.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:fib:x4:1
# text = I knew she was fibbing because she giggled.
1	I	I	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Sing|Person=1|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	knew	know	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=1|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	she	she	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	5	nsubj	_	_
4	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	5	aux	_	_
5	fibbing	fib	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	2	ccomp	_	_
6	because	because	SCONJ	IN	_	8	mark	_	_
7	she	she	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	8	nsubj	_	_
8	giggled	giggle	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	2	advcl	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **know** | past | I |  |  |  |  |  | vn comprehend-87.2-1-1-1 «NP V S\_ING»: agent=Experiencer clause=Stimulus |
| 2 | **fib** | past · progressive | she |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 3 | **giggle** | past | she |  |  |  |  |  | vn nonverbal\_expression-40.2 «NP V»: agent=Agent |

## Example 5 {#x5}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
One fib led to another and another.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:fib:x5:1
# text = One fib led to another and another.
1	One	one	NUM	CD	NumForm=Word|NumType=Card	2	nummod	_	_
2	fib	fib	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
3	led	lead	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	2	acl	_	_
4	to	to	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
5	another	another	DET	DT	PronType=Ind	3	obl:agent	_	_
6	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	7	cc	_	_
7	another	another	DET	DT	PronType=Ind	5	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **lead** | participle |  | One fib *not said here* |  |  |  |  | vn result-27.2 «NP V PP»: agent=Precondition |

## Example 6 {#x6}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Tell the truth — no fibbing.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:fib:x6:1
# text = Tell the truth — no fibbing.
1	Tell	tell	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
2	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
3	truth	truth	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obj	_	_
4	—	-	PUNCT	:	_	6	punct	_	_
5	no	no	DET	DT	PronType=Neg	6	det	_	_
6	fibbing	fibbing	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	.	.	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* | the truth |  |  |  | no fibbing *obl* | vn transfer\_mesg-37.1.1-1-1 «NP V NP.recipient»: agent=Agent truth=Recipient |

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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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