---
title: retell — school dictionary · trees and pragmatics
description: «retell» in the school dictionary: To retell a story is to tell it again, often in your own words. Every meaning for a pupil with its dependency tree and pragmatics.
---

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# retell

<!-- .vintro -->
**Who acts:** your, retelling, you, Grandma, We, film · **What happens:** retell, be, word, meet, use, happen · **To what, where:** story, own words, new version, tale, Grandad, story map

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

## Meaning 1 {#m1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
To retell a story is to tell it again, often in your own words.

<!-- fold The tree, 14 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:retell:m1:1
# text = To retell a story is to tell it again, often in your own words.
1	To	to	PART	TO	_	2	mark	_	_
2	retell	retell	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	7	advcl	_	_
3	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	story	story	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
5	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	7	cop	_	_
6	to	to	PART	TO	_	7	mark	_	_
7	tell	tell	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
8	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	7	obj	_	_
9	again	again	ADV	RB	_	7	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	15	punct	_	_
11	often	often	ADV	RB	_	15	advmod	_	_
12	in	in	ADP	IN	_	15	case	_	_
13	your	your	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Person=2|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	15	nmod:poss	_	_
14	own	own	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	15	amod	_	_
15	words	word	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	7	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
16	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	7	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **retell** | to-infinitive |  | a story |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **is** | present |  |  |  | your own words | again | tell *property* | tree rules |
| 3 | **word** |  | your |  |  |  |  |  | nom word «communication transitive»: poss=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.

## Meaning 2 {#m2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A retelling is a new version of an old story.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:retell:m2:1
# text = A retelling is a new version of an old story.
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	retelling	retelling	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	new	new	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	6	amod	_	_
6	version	version	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
7	of	of	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
8	an	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
9	old	old	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	10	amod	_	_
10	story	story	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	6	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | a retelling | a new version |  |  |  | of a old story | tree rules |

## Example 1 {#x1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Retell the story of the Three Little Pigs in your own words.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:retell:x1:1
# text = Retell the story of the Three Little Pigs in your own words.
1	Retell	retell	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
2	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
3	story	story	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obj	_	_
4	of	of	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
6	Three	Three	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	8	compound	_	_
7	Little	Little	ADJ	NNP	Degree=Pos	8	amod	_	_
8	Pigs	Pig	PROPN	NNPS	Number=Plur	3	nmod	_	_
9	in	in	ADP	IN	_	12	case	_	_
10	your	your	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Person=2|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	12	nmod:poss	_	_
11	own	own	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	12	amod	_	_
12	words	word	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	1	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	1	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **retell** | imperative | you *not said here* | the story of the Three Little Pigs |  | your own words |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **word** |  | your |  |  |  |  |  | nom word «communication transitive»: poss=agent |

## Example 2 {#x2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Grandma retold the tale of how she met Grandad.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:retell:x2:1
# text = Grandma retold the tale of how she met Grandad.
1	Grandma	grandma	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	nsubj	_	_
2	retold	retell	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	tale	tale	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
5	of	of	SCONJ	IN	_	8	mark	_	_
6	how	how	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	8	advmod	_	_
7	she	she	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	8	nsubj	_	_
8	met	meet	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	4	acl	_	_
9	Grandad	Grandad	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	8	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **retell** | past | Grandma | the tale |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **meet** | past | Grandma | Grandad |  |  |  |  | vn meet-36.3-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent grandad=Co-Agent |

## Example 3 {#x3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
We used a story map to retell "The Gruffalo".

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:retell:x3:1
# text = We used a story map to retell "The Gruffalo".
1	We	we	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=1|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	used	use	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=1|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
4	story	story	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	compound	_	_
5	map	map	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
6	to	to	PART	TO	_	7	mark	_	_
7	retell	retell	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	2	advcl	_	_
8	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	10	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
10	Gruffalo	Gruffalo	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	7	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	10	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **use** | past | We | a story map |  |  |  |  | vn eat-39.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent map=Patient |
| 2 | **retell** | to-infinitive | We *not said here* | the Gruffalo |  |  |  |  | tree rules |

## Example 4 {#x4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The film is a modern retelling of Cinderella.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:retell:x4:1
# text = The film is a modern retelling of Cinderella.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	film	film	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	modern	modern	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	6	amod	_	_
6	retelling	retelling	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
7	of	of	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
8	Cinderella	Cinderella	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	6	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	6	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | the film | a modern retelling |  |  |  | of Cinderella | tree rules |

## Example 5 {#x5}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Can you retell what happened at break time?

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:retell:x5:1
# text = Can you retell what happened at break time?
1	Can	can	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	3	aux	_	_
2	you	you	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Person=2|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj	_	_
3	retell	retell	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
4	what	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	5	nsubj	_	_
5	happened	happen	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	3	ccomp	_	_
6	at	at	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	break	break	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	compound	_	_
8	time	time	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **retell** | can | you |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **happen** | past |  |  |  |  | time |  | vn occur-48.3-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |

## Example 6 {#x6}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The myth has been retold many times.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:retell:x6:1
# text = The myth has been retold many times.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	myth	myth	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj:pass	_	_
3	has	have	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	aux	_	_
4	been	be	AUX	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part	5	aux:pass	_	_
5	retold	retell	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
6	many	many	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	7	amod	_	_
7	times	time	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	obl:unmarked	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **retell** | present · perfect · passive |  | the myth |  |  | time |  | 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: [retch](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/R/retch/)
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