---
title: ply — school dictionary · trees and pragmatics
description: «ply» in the school dictionary: To ply someone with something is to keep giving them food or drink, often more than they want. Every meaning for a pupil with its dependency tree and pragmatics.
---

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# ply

<!-- .vintro -->
**Who acts:** food, merchant, He, old sailor, sailor · **What happens:** ply, be, give, want, seat, begin · **To what, where:** someone, food, them, trade, tool, him

<!-- .vabout -->
«ply» in the school dictionary: its 2 meanings for a pupil and its 3 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: [ply in the school dictionary](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/ply.md).

## Meaning 1 {#m1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
To ply someone with something is to keep giving them food or drink, often more than they want.

<!-- fold The tree, 18 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:ply:m1:1
# text = To ply someone with something is to keep giving them food or drink, often more than they want.
1	To	to	PART	TO	_	2	mark	_	_
2	ply	ply	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	8	advcl	_	_
3	someone	someone	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Ind	2	obj	_	_
4	with	with	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
5	something	something	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Ind	2	obl	_	_
6	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	8	cop	_	_
7	to	to	PART	TO	_	8	mark	_	_
8	keep	keep	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
9	giving	give	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	8	xcomp	_	_
10	them	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	9	iobj	_	_
11	food	food	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	obj	_	_
12	or	or	CCONJ	CC	_	13	cc	_	_
13	drink	drink	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
14	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	16	punct	_	_
15	often	often	ADV	RB	_	16	advmod	_	_
16	more	more	ADJ	JJR	Degree=Cmp	8	parataxis	_	_
17	than	than	SCONJ	IN	_	19	mark	_	_
18	they	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	19	nsubj	_	_
19	want	want	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	16	advcl	_	SpaceAfter=No
20	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	8	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **ply** | to-infinitive |  |  | someone |  |  | with something | vn equip-13.4.2 «NP V NP-Fulfilling PP»: agent=Agent someone=Recipient with something=Theme |
| 2 | **is** | present |  |  |  |  |  | keep *property* | tree rules |
| 3 | **give** | gerund |  | food or drink | them *= they* |  |  |  | vn give-13.1-1 «NP V NP-Dative NP»: agent=Agent they=Recipient food=Theme |
| 4 | **want** | present | food |  |  |  |  |  | vn want-32.1-1-1 «NP V NP S\_INF»: agent=Pivot |

<!-- .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: old use — kept apart, not parsed.

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
To ply a trade or tool is to work at it steadily.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:ply:m2:1
# text = To ply a trade or tool is to work at it steadily.
1	To	to	PART	TO	_	2	mark	_	_
2	ply	ply	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	9	advcl	_	_
3	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	trade	trade	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
5	or	or	CCONJ	CC	_	6	cc	_	_
6	tool	tool	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	conj	_	_
7	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	9	cop	_	_
8	to	to	PART	TO	_	9	mark	_	_
9	work	work	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
10	at	at	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
11	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	9	obl	_	_
12	steadily	steadily	ADV	RB	_	9	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	9	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **ply** | to-infinitive |  | a trade or tool |  |  |  |  | vn equip-13.4.2 «NP V NP-Fulfilling PP»: agent=Agent trade=Recipient |
| 2 | **is** | present |  |  |  | tool |  | steadily, work *property* | tree rules |

## Example 1 {#x1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The merchant seated him at table and began plying him with brandy.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:ply:x1:1
# text = The merchant seated him at table and began plying him with brandy.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	merchant	merchant	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	seated	seat	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	him	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	obj	_	_
5	at	at	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
6	table	table	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	_
7	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	8	cc	_	_
8	began	begin	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	3	conj	_	_
9	plying	ply	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	8	xcomp	_	_
10	him	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	9	obj	_	_
11	with	with	ADP	IN	_	12	case	_	_
12	brandy	brandy	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **seat** | past | the merchant | him *= he* |  | table |  |  | vn fit-54.3 «NP.location V NP»: agent=Location he=Value |
| 2 | **begin** | past | the merchant *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn begin-55.1-1-1 «NP V S\_ING»: agent=Agent clause=Eventuality |
| 3 | **ply** | gerund | the merchant *not said here* |  | merchant |  |  | with brandy | vn equip-13.4.2 «NP V NP-Fulfilling PP»: agent=Agent he=Recipient with brandy=Theme |

## Example 2 {#x2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
He kept plying the guest with cakes and tea.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:ply:x2:1
# text = He kept plying the guest with cakes and tea.
1	He	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	kept	keep	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	plying	ply	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	2	xcomp	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	guest	guest	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	_
6	with	with	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
7	cakes	cake	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	obl	_	_
8	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	9	cc	_	_
9	tea	tea	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **keep** | past | He |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **ply** | gerund | He *not said here* |  | the guest |  |  | with cakes and tea | vn equip-13.4.2 «NP V NP-Fulfilling PP»: agent=Agent guest=Recipient with cake=Theme |

## Example 3 {#x3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The old sailor plied his trade by the harbour for forty years.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:ply:x3:1
# text = The old sailor plied his trade by the harbour for forty years.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
2	old	old	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	amod	_	_
3	sailor	sailor	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
4	plied	ply	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
5	his	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	6	nmod:poss	_	_
6	trade	trade	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obj	_	_
7	by	by	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	harbour	harbour	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obl	_	_
10	for	for	ADP	IN	_	12	case	_	_
11	forty	forty	NUM	CD	NumForm=Word|NumType=Card	12	nummod	_	_
12	years	year	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **ply** | past | the old sailor | sailor's trade |  |  | year | by the harbour | vn equip-13.4.2 «NP V NP-Fulfilling PP»: agent=Agent trade=Recipient |
| 2 | **trade** |  | sailor |  |  |  |  |  | nom trade «act transitive»: poss=agent |

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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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