---
title: scruple — school dictionary · trees and pragmatics
description: «scruple» in the school dictionary: A scruple is a feeling that stops you doing something because you think it may be wrong. Every meaning for a pupil with its dependency tree and pragmatics.
---

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# scruple

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**Who acts:** scruple, feeling, you, it, He, scruples · **What happens:** be, stop, do, think, scruple, have · **To what, where:** feeling, you, something, scruples, long story, last cake · **Speech:** someone speaks here

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

## Meaning 1 {#m1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A scruple is a feeling that stops you doing something because you think it may be wrong.

<!-- fold The tree, 17 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:scruple:m1:1
# text = A scruple is a feeling that stops you doing something because you think it may be wrong.
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	scruple	scruple	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj	_	_
3	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	cop	_	_
4	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	feeling	feeling	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
6	that	that	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	7	nsubj	_	_
7	stops	stop	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	acl:relcl	_	_
8	you	you	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Person=2|PronType=Prs	7	obj	_	_
9	doing	do	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	7	xcomp	_	_
10	something	something	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Ind	9	obj	_	_
11	because	because	SCONJ	IN	_	13	mark	_	_
12	you	you	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Person=2|PronType=Prs	13	nsubj	_	_
13	think	think	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=2|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	7	advcl	_	_
14	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	17	nsubj	_	_
15	may	may	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	17	aux	_	_
16	be	be	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	17	cop	_	_
17	wrong	wrong	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	13	ccomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
18	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | a scruple | a feeling |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **stop** | present | a feeling | you |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 3 | **do** | gerund | a feeling *not said here* | something |  |  |  |  | vn act-114-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent something=Eventuality |
| 4 | **think** *speech: other* | present | you |  |  |  |  |  | vn focus-87.1-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 5 | **is** | may | scruple |  |  |  |  | wrong *property* | tree rules |

<!-- .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 scruple is to hesitate to do something because you think it may be wrong.

<!-- fold The tree, 15 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:scruple:m2:1
# text = To scruple is to hesitate to do something because you think it may be wrong.
1	To	to	PART	TO	_	2	mark	_	_
2	scruple	scruple	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	5	csubj	_	_
3	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	cop	_	_
4	to	to	PART	TO	_	5	mark	_	_
5	hesitate	hesitate	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
6	to	to	PART	TO	_	7	mark	_	_
7	do	do	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	5	xcomp	_	_
8	something	something	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Ind	7	obj	_	_
9	because	because	SCONJ	IN	_	11	mark	_	_
10	you	you	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Person=2|PronType=Prs	11	nsubj	_	_
11	think	think	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=2|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	7	advcl	_	_
12	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	15	nsubj	_	_
13	may	may	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	15	aux	_	_
14	be	be	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	15	cop	_	_
15	wrong	wrong	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	11	ccomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
16	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **scruple** | to-infinitive |  |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **is** | present |  |  |  |  |  | hesitate *property* | tree rules |
| 3 | **do** | to-infinitive |  | something |  |  |  |  | vn act-114-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent something=Eventuality |
| 4 | **think** *speech: other* | present | you |  |  |  |  |  | vn focus-87.1-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 5 | **is** | may | it |  |  |  |  | wrong *property* | tree rules |

## Example 1 {#x1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
He had no scruples about lying.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:scruple:x1:1
# text = He had no scruples about lying.
1	He	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	had	have	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	no	no	DET	DT	PronType=Neg	4	det	_	_
4	scruples	scruple	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	obj	_	_
5	about	about	SCONJ	IN	_	6	mark	_	_
6	lying	lie	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	4	acl	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **have** | past | He | no scruples |  |  |  |  | vn birth-28.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent scruple=Patient |
| 2 | **lie** | gerund | no scruples *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn assuming\_position-50 «NP V»: agent=Agent |

## Example 2 {#x2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The man did not scruple to tell a long story.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:scruple:x2:1
# text = The man did not scruple to tell a long story.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	man	man	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj	_	_
3	did	do	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	5	aux	_	_
4	not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	5	advmod	_	_
5	scruple	scruple	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
6	to	to	PART	TO	_	7	mark	_	_
7	tell	tell	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	5	xcomp	_	_
8	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
9	long	long	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	10	amod	_	_
10	story	story	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **not** **scruple** | past · do-support | the man |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **tell** *speech: assert* | to-infinitive | the man *not said here* | a long story |  |  |  |  | vn transfer\_mesg-37.1.1-1-1 «NP V NP.recipient»: agent=Agent story=Recipient |

## Example 3 {#x3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
She did not scruple to take the last cake.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:scruple:x3:1
# text = She did not scruple to take the last cake.
1	She	she	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj	_	_
2	did	do	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	4	aux	_	_
3	not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	4	advmod	_	_
4	scruple	scruple	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
5	to	to	PART	TO	_	6	mark	_	_
6	take	take	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	4	xcomp	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
8	last	last	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	9	amod	_	_
9	cake	cake	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **not** **scruple** | past · do-support | She |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **take** | to-infinitive | She *not said here* | the last cake |  |  |  |  | vn bring-11.3 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent cake=Theme |

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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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