---
title: inaction — school dictionary · trees and pragmatics
description: «inaction» in the school dictionary: Inaction means not doing anything, especially when something should be done. 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/I/inaction/)

<!-- 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/) / [I](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/) / inaction

# inaction

<!-- .vintro -->
**Who acts:** Inaction, problem, team, safest choice, Doing · **What happens:** mean, not do, do, criticise, harm, let · **To what, where:** anything, something, council, potholes, planet, plan

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

## Meaning 1 {#m1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Inaction means not doing anything, especially when something should be done.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:inaction:m1:1
# text = Inaction means not doing anything, especially when something should be done.
1	Inaction	inaction	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	nsubj	_	_
2	means	mean	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	4	advmod	_	_
4	doing	do	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	2	xcomp	_	_
5	anything	anything	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Ind	4	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	12	punct	_	_
7	especially	especially	ADV	RB	_	12	advmod	_	_
8	when	when	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	12	advmod	_	_
9	something	something	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Ind	12	nsubj	_	_
10	should	should	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	12	aux	_	_
11	be	be	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	12	aux:pass	_	_
12	done	do	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	4	advcl	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **mean** | present | Inaction |  |  |  |  |  | vn intend-61.2-1 «NP V S»: agent=Agent clause=Topic |
| 2 | **not** **do** *not said to happen* | gerund | Inaction *not said here* | anything |  |  |  |  | vn act-114-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent anything=Eventuality |
| 3 | **do** | should · passive |  | something |  |  |  | especially *property* | vn act-114-1 «NP V NP»: subject=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 council was criticised for its inaction over the potholes.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:inaction:x1:1
# text = The council was criticised for its inaction over the potholes.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	council	council	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj:pass	_	_
3	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	4	aux:pass	_	_
4	criticised	criticise	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
5	for	for	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	its	its	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	7	nmod:poss	_	_
7	inaction	inaction	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obl	_	_
8	over	over	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
9	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
10	potholes	pothole	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **criticise** | past · passive |  | the council |  | the potholes |  | for council's inaction | tree rules |

## Example 2 {#x2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Inaction on pollution harms the planet.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:inaction:x2:1
# text = Inaction on pollution harms the planet.
1	Inaction	inaction	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
2	on	on	ADP	IN	_	3	case	_	_
3	pollution	pollution	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	nmod	_	_
4	harms	harm	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	planet	planet	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **harm** | present | Inaction on pollution | the planet |  |  |  |  | vn amuse-31.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Stimulus planet=Experiencer |

## Example 3 {#x3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
His inaction let the problem grow worse.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:inaction:x3:1
# text = His inaction let the problem grow worse.
1	His	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	2	nmod:poss	_	_
2	inaction	inaction	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	let	let	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	problem	problem	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nsubj	_	_
6	grow	grow	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	ccomp	_	_
7	worse	bad	ADJ	JJR	Degree=Cmp	6	xcomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **let** | past | His inaction |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **grow** | present | the problem |  |  |  |  | bad *property* | vn appear-48.1.1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |

## Example 4 {#x4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
After weeks of inaction, the team finally made a plan.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:inaction:x4:1
# text = After weeks of inaction, the team finally made a plan.
1	After	after	ADP	IN	_	2	case	_	_
2	weeks	week	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	9	obl	_	_
3	of	of	ADP	IN	_	4	case	_	_
4	inaction	inaction	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	2	punct	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	team	team	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	nsubj	_	_
8	finally	finally	ADV	RB	_	9	advmod	_	_
9	made	make	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
10	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
11	plan	plan	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	9	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **make** | past | the team | a plan |  |  | week | finally *property* | vn build-26.1-1 «NP.asset V NP»: agent=Asset plan=Product |

## Example 5 {#x5}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Sometimes inaction is the safest choice, like waiting for help.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:inaction:x5:1
# text = Sometimes inaction is the safest choice, like waiting for help.
1	Sometimes	sometimes	ADV	RB	PronType=Ind	2	advmod	_	_
2	inaction	inaction	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nsubj	_	_
3	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	6	cop	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
5	safest	safe	ADJ	JJS	Degree=Sup	6	amod	_	_
6	choice	choice	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	9	punct	_	_
8	like	like	SCONJ	IN	_	9	mark	_	_
9	waiting	wait	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	6	acl	_	_
10	for	for	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
11	help	help	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	6	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | inaction | the safest choice |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **wait** | gerund | the safest choice *not said here* |  |  |  |  | for help | vn exist-47.1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |

## Example 6 {#x6}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Doing nothing when a friend is bullied is a kind of inaction.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:inaction:x6:1
# text = Doing nothing when a friend is bullied is a kind of inaction.
1	Doing	do	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	10	csubj	_	_
2	nothing	nothing	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Neg	1	obj	_	_
3	when	when	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	7	advmod	_	_
4	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	friend	friend	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	nsubj:pass	_	_
6	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	7	aux:pass	_	_
7	bullied	bully	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	1	advcl	_	_
8	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	10	cop	_	_
9	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
10	kind	kind	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
11	of	of	ADP	IN	_	12	case	_	_
12	inaction	inaction	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	10	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **do** | gerund |  | nothing |  |  |  |  | vn act-114-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent nothing=Eventuality |
| 2 | **bully** | present · passive |  | a friend |  |  |  |  | vn captain-29.8-1 «NP V NP»: subject=Beneficiary |
| 3 | **is a** | present | Doing | a kind |  |  |  | of inaction | tree rules |

<!-- 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: [inaccurate](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/inaccurate/)
- next →: [inactive](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/inactive/)
- ↑ back to [I in school dictionary](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/)