---
title: setback — school dictionary · trees and pragmatics
description: «setback» in the school dictionary: Something that stops progress or makes things worse for a while; a problem that sets you back. Every meaning for a pupil with its dependency tree and pragmatics.
---

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# setback

<!-- .vintro -->
**Who acts:** problem, Losing, we, rain, injury, Her · **What happens:** stop, make, set back, lose, be, win · **To what, where:** progress, things, you, first match, setback, cup

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

## Meaning 1 {#m1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Something that stops progress or makes things worse for a while; a problem that sets you back.

<!-- fold The tree, 17 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:setback:m1:1
# text = Something that stops progress or makes things worse for a while; a problem that sets you back.
1	Something	something	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Ind	0	root	_	_
2	that	that	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	3	nsubj	_	_
3	stops	stop	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	1	acl:relcl	_	_
4	progress	progress	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	_
5	or	or	CCONJ	CC	_	6	cc	_	_
6	makes	make	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	conj	_	_
7	things	thing	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	6	obj	_	_
8	worse	bad	ADJ	JJR	Degree=Cmp	6	xcomp	_	_
9	for	for	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
10	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
11	while	while	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	;	;	PUNCT	:	_	14	punct	_	_
13	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	14	det	_	_
14	problem	problem	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	appos	_	_
15	that	that	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	16	nsubj	_	_
16	sets	set	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	14	acl:relcl	_	_
17	you	you	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Person=2|PronType=Prs	16	obj	_	_
18	back	back	ADV	RB	_	16	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
19	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	1	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **stop** | present |  | progress |  |  |  |  | vn stop-55.4-1-1 «NP V NP.eventuality»: agent=Subeventuality progress=Eventuality |
| 2 | **make** | present |  | things |  |  |  | bad *property* | vn build-26.1-1 «NP.asset V NP»: agent=Asset thing=Product |
| 3 | **set back** | present | a problem | you |  |  |  |  | vn other\_cos-45.4-1 «NP V NP ADJ»: agent=Patient you=Result |

<!-- .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 -->
Losing the first match was a setback, but we still won the cup.

<!-- fold The tree, 13 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:setback:x1:1
# text = Losing the first match was a setback, but we still won the cup.
1	Losing	lose	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	7	csubj	_	_
2	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
3	first	first	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos|NumForm=Word|NumType=Ord	4	amod	_	_
4	match	match	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obj	_	_
5	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	7	cop	_	_
6	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	setback	setback	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	12	punct	_	_
9	but	but	CCONJ	CC	_	12	cc	_	_
10	we	we	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=1|PronType=Prs	12	nsubj	_	_
11	still	still	ADV	RB	_	12	advmod	_	_
12	won	win	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=1|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	7	acl:relcl	_	_
13	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	14	det	_	_
14	cup	cup	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
15	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	7	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **lose** | gerund |  | the first match |  |  |  |  | vn succeed-74-3-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent match=Eventuality |
| 2 | **is a** | past | Losing | a setback |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 3 | **win** | past | we | the cup |  |  | still |  | vn succeed-74-2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent cup=Eventuality |

## Example 2 {#x2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The rain was a setback for the builders.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:setback:x2:1
# text = The rain was a setback for the builders.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	rain	rain	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj	_	_
3	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	5	cop	_	_
4	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	setback	setback	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
6	for	for	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	builders	builder	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	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** | past | the rain | a setback |  |  |  | for the builders | tree rules |

## Example 3 {#x3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Her injury was a big setback.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:setback:x3:1
# text = Her injury was a big setback.
1	Her	her	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	2	nmod:poss	_	_
2	injury	injury	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nsubj	_	_
3	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	6	cop	_	_
4	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
5	big	big	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	6	amod	_	_
6	setback	setback	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	6	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | past | Her injury | a big setback |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **injure** |  | Her *= she* |  |  |  |  |  | nom injury «state transitive»: poss=agent |

## Example 4 {#x4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Don't give up after one setback.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:setback:x4:1
# text = Don't give up after one setback.
1	Do	do	AUX	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	3	aux	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	n't	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	3	advmod	_	_
3	give	give	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	up	up	ADP	RP	_	3	compound:prt	_	_
5	after	after	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	one	one	NUM	CD	NumForm=Word|NumType=Card	7	nummod	_	_
7	setback	setback	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **not** **give up** | imperative · do-support | you *not said here* |  |  |  | after one setback |  | vn resign-10.11-2 «NP V»: agent=Agent |

## Example 5 {#x5}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The plan had a few setbacks.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:setback:x5:1
# text = The plan had a few setbacks.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	plan	plan	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	had	have	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
5	few	few	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	6	amod	_	_
6	setbacks	setback	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **have** | past | the plan | a few setbacks |  |  |  |  | vn birth-28.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent setback=Patient |

## Example 6 {#x6}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Every setback teaches you something.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:setback:x6:1
# text = Every setback teaches you something.
1	Every	every	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	2	det	_	_
2	setback	setback	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	teaches	teach	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	you	you	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Person=2|PronType=Prs	3	iobj	_	_
5	something	something	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Ind	3	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **teach** *speech: other* | present | every setback | something | you |  |  |  | vn transfer\_mesg-37.1.1-1-1 «NP V NP-Dative NP»: agent=Agent you=Recipient something=Topic |

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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.

<!-- /div -->

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