---
title: preface — school dictionary · trees and pragmatics
description: «preface» in the school dictionary: A preface is a short introduction at the start of a book, where the writer explains why the book was written. Every meaning for a pupil with its dependency tree and pragmatics.
---

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# preface

<!-- .vintro -->
**Who acts:** preface, writer, you, tales, She, her · **What happens:** be, explain, write, start, preface, read · **To what, where:** short introduction, start, book, something, preface, story · **Speech:** someone speaks here

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

## Meaning 1 {#m1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A preface is a short introduction at the start of a book, where the writer explains why the book was written.

<!-- fold The tree, 21 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:preface:m1:1
# text = A preface is a short introduction at the start of a book, where the writer explains why the book was written.
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	preface	preface	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	short	short	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	6	amod	_	_
6	introduction	introduction	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
7	at	at	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	start	start	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nmod	_	_
10	of	of	ADP	IN	_	12	case	_	_
11	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	12	det	_	_
12	book	book	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	17	punct	_	_
14	where	where	ADV	WRB	PronType=Rel	17	advmod	_	_
15	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	16	det	_	_
16	writer	writer	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	17	nsubj	_	_
17	explains	explain	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	6	parataxis	_	_
18	why	why	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	22	advmod	_	_
19	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	20	det	_	_
20	book	book	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	22	nsubj:pass	_	_
21	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	22	aux:pass	_	_
22	written	write	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	17	ccomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
23	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	6	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | a preface | a short introduction |  | the start of a book |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **explain** *speech: assert* | present | the writer |  |  |  |  |  | vn transfer\_mesg-37.1.1 «NP V how S»: agent=Agent clause=Topic |
| 3 | **write** | past · passive |  | the book |  |  |  |  | vn scribble-25.2-1 «NP V NP»: subject=Theme |
| 4 | **start** |  |  | a book |  |  |  |  | nom start «event transitive»: of=patient |

<!-- .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}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
To preface something is to say or write something first, before the main part.

<!-- fold The tree, 14 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:preface:m2:1
# text = To preface something is to say or write something first, before the main part.
1	To	to	PART	TO	_	2	mark	_	_
2	preface	preface	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	6	advcl	_	_
3	something	something	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Ind	2	obj	_	_
4	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	6	cop	_	_
5	to	to	PART	TO	_	6	mark	_	_
6	say	say	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
7	or	or	CCONJ	CC	_	8	cc	_	_
8	write	write	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	6	conj	_	_
9	something	something	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Ind	8	obj	_	_
10	first	first	ADV	RB	NumForm=Word|NumType=Ord	8	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	15	punct	_	_
12	before	before	ADP	IN	_	15	case	_	_
13	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	15	det	_	_
14	main	main	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	15	amod	_	_
15	part	part	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	advcl	_	SpaceAfter=No
16	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	6	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **preface** | to-infinitive |  | something |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **is** | present |  |  |  |  |  | say *property* | tree rules |
| 3 | **write** | infinitive |  | something |  |  |  | first *property* | vn scribble-25.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent something=Theme |

## Example 1 {#x1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Read the preface before you start the story.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:preface:x1:1
# text = Read the preface before you start the story.
1	Read	read	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
2	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
3	preface	preface	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obj	_	_
4	before	before	SCONJ	IN	_	6	mark	_	_
5	you	you	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Person=2|PronType=Prs	6	nsubj	_	_
6	start	start	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=2|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	1	advcl	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	story	story	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	1	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **read** | imperative | you *not said here* | the preface |  |  |  |  | vn transfer\_mesg-37.1.1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent preface=Topic |
| 2 | **start** | present | you | the story |  |  |  |  | vn begin-55.1-1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent story=Eventuality |

## Example 2 {#x2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The writer's preface explains where the tales came from.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:preface:x2:1
# text = The writer's preface explains where the tales came from.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	writer	writer	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	's	's	PART	POS	_	2	case	_	_
4	preface	preface	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj	_	_
5	explains	explain	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
6	where	where	ADV	WRB	PronType=Rel	9	advmod	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	tales	tale	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	9	nsubj	_	_
9	came	come	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	5	ccomp	_	_
10	from	from	ADP	IN	_	9	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **explain** *speech: assert* | present | the writer's preface |  |  |  |  |  | vn transfer\_mesg-37.1.1 «NP V how S»: agent=Agent clause=Topic |
| 2 | **come** | past | the tales |  |  |  |  |  | vn escape-51.1-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 3 | **preface** |  | the writer |  |  |  |  |  | nom preface «communication transitive»: poss=agent |

## Example 3 {#x3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
She prefaced her speech with a joke.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:preface:x3:1
# text = She prefaced her speech with a joke.
1	She	she	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	prefaced	preface	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	her	her	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	4	nmod:poss	_	_
4	speech	speech	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
5	with	with	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	joke	joke	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 | **preface** | past | She | her speech |  |  |  | with a joke | tree rules |
| 2 | **speak** |  | her *= she* |  |  |  |  |  | nom speech «communication 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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