---
title: layoff — school dictionary · trees and pragmatics
description: «layoff» in the school dictionary: A layoff is when a company stops employing workers, often because there is not enough work or money. Every meaning for a pupil with its dependency tree and pragmatics.
---

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# layoff

<!-- .vintro -->
**Who acts:** layoff, enough work, period, factory, Dad, Layoffs · **What happens:** be, employ, not play, announce, look, worry · **To what, where:** workers, layoffs, many families, town, car plant

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

## Meaning 1 {#m1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A layoff is when a company stops employing workers, often because there is not enough work or money.

<!-- fold The tree, 18 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:layoff:m1:1
# text = A layoff is when a company stops employing workers, often because there is not enough work or money.
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	layoff	layoff	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	nsubj	_	_
3	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	7	cop	_	_
4	when	when	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	7	advmod	_	_
5	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	company	company	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	nsubj	_	_
7	stops	stop	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
8	employing	employ	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	7	xcomp	_	_
9	workers	worker	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	8	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	14	punct	_	_
11	often	often	ADV	RB	_	14	advmod	_	_
12	because	because	SCONJ	IN	_	14	mark	_	_
13	there	there	PRON	EX	PronType=Dem	14	expl	_	_
14	is	be	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	7	conj	_	_
15	not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	17	advmod	_	_
16	enough	enough	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	17	amod	_	_
17	work	work	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	14	nsubj	_	_
18	or	or	CCONJ	CC	_	19	cc	_	_
19	money	money	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	17	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
20	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	7	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | a layoff |  |  |  |  | stop *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **employ** | gerund | a layoff *not said here* | workers |  |  |  |  | vn hire-13.5.3 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent worker=Theme |
| 3 | **does** | present | enough work or money |  |  | there |  | often *property* | vn exist-47.1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |

<!-- .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: sport — kept apart, not parsed.

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A period when a player is not playing, often because of injury.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:layoff:m2:1
# text = A period when a player is not playing, often because of injury.
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	period	period	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	nsubj	_	_
3	when	when	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	8	advmod	_	_
4	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	player	player	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	nsubj	_	_
6	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	8	aux	_	_
7	not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	8	advmod	_	_
8	playing	play	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	13	punct	_	_
10	often	often	ADV	RB	_	13	advmod	_	_
11	because	because	ADP	IN	ExtPos=ADP	13	case	_	_
12	of	of	ADP	IN	_	11	fixed	_	_
13	injury	injury	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
14	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	8	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **not** **play** | present · progressive | a period |  |  |  |  | because injury | vn performance-26.7-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |

## Example 1 {#x1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The factory announced layoffs of 200 workers.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:layoff:x1:1
# text = The factory announced layoffs of 200 workers.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	factory	factory	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	announced	announce	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	layoffs	layoff	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	obj	_	_
5	of	of	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	200	200	NUM	CD	NumForm=Digit|NumType=Card	7	nummod	_	_
7	workers	worker	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **announce** *speech: other* | past | the factory | layoffs of 200 workers |  |  |  |  | vn reflexive\_appearance-48.1.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent layoff=Theme |

## Example 2 {#x2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
After the layoff, Dad looked for a new job.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:layoff:x2:1
# text = After the layoff, Dad looked for a new job.
1	After	after	ADP	IN	_	3	case	_	_
2	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
3	layoff	layoff	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	3	punct	_	_
5	Dad	Dad	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	6	nsubj	_	_
6	looked	look	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
7	for	for	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
8	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
9	new	new	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	10	amod	_	_
10	job	job	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	6	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **look** | past | Dad |  |  |  | after the layoff | for a new job | vn rummage-35.5 «NP V PP.location PP.theme»: agent=Agent for job=Theme |

## Example 3 {#x3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Layoffs worried many families in the town.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:layoff:x3:1
# text = Layoffs worried many families in the town.
1	Layoffs	layoff	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	nsubj	_	_
2	worried	worry	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	many	many	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	amod	_	_
4	families	family	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	obj	_	_
5	in	in	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	town	town	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **worry** | past | Layoffs | many families |  | the town |  |  | vn amuse-31.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Stimulus family=Experiencer |

## Example 4 {#x4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The striker returned after a long injury layoff.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:layoff:x4:1
# text = The striker returned after a long injury layoff.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	striker	striker	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	returned	return	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=1|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	after	after	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
5	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
6	long	long	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	8	amod	_	_
7	injury	injury	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	compound	_	_
8	layoff	layoff	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **return** | past | the striker |  |  |  | after a long injury layoff |  | vn escape-51.1-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |

## Example 5 {#x5}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The company tried to avoid layoffs.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:layoff:x5:1
# text = The company tried to avoid layoffs.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	company	company	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	tried	try	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	to	to	PART	TO	_	5	mark	_	_
5	avoid	avoid	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	3	xcomp	_	_
6	layoffs	layoff	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **try** | past | the company |  |  |  |  |  | vn try-61.1 «NP V S\_INF»: agent=Agent clause=Eventuality |
| 2 | **avoid** *not said to happen* | to-infinitive | the company *not said here* | layoffs |  |  |  |  | vn avoid-52 «NP V NP.location»: agent=Agent layoff=Location |

## Example 6 {#x6}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The news reported layoffs at the car plant.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:layoff:x6:1
# text = The news reported layoffs at the car plant.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	news	news	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	reported	report	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	layoffs	layoff	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	obj	_	_
5	at	at	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
7	car	car	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	compound	_	_
8	plant	plant	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **report** | past | the news | layoffs |  | the car plant |  |  | vn prosecute-33.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent layoff=Patient |

<!-- 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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