---
title: methane — school dictionary · trees and pragmatics
description: «methane» in the school dictionary: Methane is a gas with no colour or smell that burns easily; it is the main part of natural gas used for cooking and heating. Every meaning for a pupil with its dependency tree and pragmatics.
---

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# methane

<!-- .vintro -->
**Who acts:** Methane, smell, Cows, Rotting, gas cooker, methane molecule · **What happens:** be, burn, use, burp out, rot, make · **To what, where:** gas, main part, natural gas, methane, greenhouse gas, rubbish

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

## Meaning 1 {#m1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Methane is a gas with no colour or smell that burns easily; it is the main part of natural gas used for cooking and heating.

<!-- fold The tree, 25 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:methane:m1:1
# text = Methane is a gas with no colour or smell that burns easily; it is the main part of natural gas used for cooking and heating.
1	Methane	methane	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	cop	_	_
3	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	gas	gas	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
5	with	with	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	no	no	DET	DT	PronType=Neg	7	det	_	_
7	colour	colour	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nmod	_	_
8	or	or	CCONJ	CC	_	9	cc	_	_
9	smell	smell	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	conj	_	_
10	that	that	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	11	nsubj	_	_
11	burns	burn	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	9	acl:relcl	_	_
12	easily	easily	ADV	RB	_	11	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	;	;	PUNCT	:	_	18	punct	_	_
14	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	18	nsubj	_	_
15	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	18	cop	_	_
16	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	18	det	_	_
17	main	main	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	18	amod	_	_
18	part	part	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	parataxis	_	_
19	of	of	ADP	IN	_	21	case	_	_
20	natural	natural	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	21	amod	_	_
21	gas	gas	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	18	nmod	_	_
22	used	use	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	21	acl	_	_
23	for	for	ADP	IN	_	24	case	_	_
24	cooking	cooking	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	22	obl	_	_
25	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	26	cc	_	_
26	heating	heating	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	24	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
27	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | Methane | a gas |  |  |  | with no colour or smell | tree rules |
| 2 | **burn** | present | smell |  |  |  |  | easily *property* | vn light\_emission-43.1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 3 | **is a** | present | Methane | the main part |  |  |  | of natural gas | tree rules |
| 4 | **use** | participle |  | natural gas *not said here* |  |  |  | for cooking and heating | vn eat-39.1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |

<!-- .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 -->
Methane is the main part of natural gas.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:methane:x1:1
# text = Methane is the main part of natural gas.
1	Methane	methane	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	cop	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
4	main	main	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	amod	_	_
5	part	part	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
6	of	of	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	natural	natural	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	8	amod	_	_
8	gas	gas	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | Methane | the main part |  |  |  | of natural gas | tree rules |

## Example 2 {#x2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Cows burp out methane.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:methane:x2:1
# text = Cows burp out methane.
1	Cows	cow	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	nsubj	_	_
2	burp	burp	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	out	out	ADP	RP	_	2	compound:prt	_	_
4	methane	methane	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **burp out** | present | Cows | methane |  |  |  |  | tree rules |

## Example 3 {#x3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Methane is a greenhouse gas.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:methane:x3:1
# text = Methane is a greenhouse gas.
1	Methane	methane	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	cop	_	_
3	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
4	greenhouse	greenhouse	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	compound	_	_
5	gas	gas	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	_
```

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

## Example 4 {#x4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Rotting rubbish in landfills makes methane.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:methane:x4:1
# text = Rotting rubbish in landfills makes methane.
1	Rotting	rot	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	5	csubj	_	_
2	rubbish	rubbish	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obj	_	_
3	in	in	ADP	IN	_	4	case	_	_
4	landfills	landfill	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	1	obl	_	_
5	makes	make	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
6	methane	methane	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **rot** | gerund |  | rubbish |  | landfills |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **make** | present | Rotting | methane |  |  |  |  | vn build-26.1-1 «NP.asset V NP»: agent=Asset methane=Product |

## Example 5 {#x5}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The gas cooker burns methane.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:methane:x5:1
# text = The gas cooker burns methane.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
2	gas	gas	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	compound	_	_
3	cooker	cooker	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
4	burns	burn	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
5	methane	methane	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **burn** | present | the gas cooker | methane |  |  |  |  | vn light\_emission-43.1 «NP V NP.theme»: agent=Agent methane=Theme |

## Example 6 {#x6}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A methane molecule has 1 carbon and 4 hydrogen atoms; how many atoms in all?

<!-- fold The tree, 15 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:methane:x6:1
# text = A methane molecule has 1 carbon and 4 hydrogen atoms; how many atoms in all?
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
2	methane	methane	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	compound	_	_
3	molecule	molecule	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
4	has	have	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
5	1	1	NUM	CD	NumForm=Digit|NumType=Card	6	nummod	_	_
6	carbon	carbon	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obj	_	_
7	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	10	cc	_	_
8	4	4	NUM	CD	NumForm=Digit|NumType=Card	10	nummod	_	_
9	hydrogen	hydrogen	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	compound	_	_
10	atoms	atom	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	6	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	;	;	PUNCT	:	_	14	punct	_	_
12	how	how	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	13	advmod	_	_
13	many	many	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	14	amod	_	_
14	atoms	atom	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	parataxis	_	_
15	in	in	ADP	IN	_	16	case	_	_
16	all	all	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	14	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
17	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **have** | present | a methane molecule | 1 carbon and 4 hydrogen atoms |  |  |  |  | vn birth-28.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent carbon=Patient |

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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.

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