---
title: sixpence — school dictionary · trees and pragmatics
description: «sixpence» in the school dictionary: A sixpence was a small British coin worth six old pennies, used until Britain changed to decimal money and kept for a while after. Every meaning for a pupil with its dependency tree and pragmatics.
---

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# sixpence

<!-- .vintro -->
**Who acts:** sixpence, Britain, you, Grandma, Grandad, bride · **What happens:** be, use, change, keep, sing, find · **To what, where:** small British coin, worth six old pennies, amount, song, sixpence, Christmas pudding · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
«sixpence» in the school dictionary: its 2 meanings for a pupil and its 8 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: [sixpence in the school dictionary](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/sixpence.md).

## Meaning 1 {#m1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A sixpence was a small British coin worth six old pennies, used until Britain changed to decimal money and kept for a while after.

<!-- fold The tree, 24 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:sixpence:m1:1
# text = A sixpence was a small British coin worth six old pennies, used until Britain changed to decimal money and kept for a while after.
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	sixpence	sixpence	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	nsubj	_	_
3	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	7	cop	_	_
4	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
5	small	small	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	7	amod	_	_
6	British	British	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	7	amod	_	_
7	coin	coin	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
8	worth	worth	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	11	amod	_	_
9	six	six	NUM	CD	NumForm=Word|NumType=Card	11	nummod	_	_
10	old	old	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	11	amod	_	_
11	pennies	penny	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	7	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	13	punct	_	_
13	used	use	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	11	acl	_	_
14	until	until	SCONJ	IN	_	16	mark	_	_
15	Britain	Britain	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	16	nsubj	_	_
16	changed	change	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	13	advcl	_	_
17	to	to	ADP	IN	_	19	case	_	_
18	decimal	decimal	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	19	amod	_	_
19	money	money	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	16	obl	_	_
20	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	21	cc	_	_
21	kept	keep	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	16	conj	_	_
22	for	for	ADP	IN	_	24	case	_	_
23	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	24	det	_	_
24	while	while	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	21	obl	_	_
25	after	after	ADV	RB	_	21	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
26	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	7	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | past | a sixpence | a small British coin |  |  |  | worth six old pennies *nmod* | tree rules |
| 2 | **use** | participle |  | worth six old pennies *not said here* |  |  |  |  | vn eat-39.1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 3 | **change** | past | Britain |  |  |  |  | to decimal money *result* | vn turn-26.6.1-1 «NP V PP.result»: agent=Agent to money=Result |
| 4 | **keep** | participle | Britain *not said here* |  |  |  | while | after *property* | vn keep-15.2 «NP V NP»: agent=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}

<!-- .note -->
Usage: old-fashioned — kept apart, not parsed.

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Sixpence is the amount of six old pennies.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:sixpence:m2:1
# text = Sixpence is the amount of six old pennies.
1	Sixpence	sixpence	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	cop	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	amount	amount	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
5	of	of	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
6	six	six	NUM	CD	NumForm=Word|NumType=Card	8	nummod	_	_
7	old	old	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	8	amod	_	_
8	pennies	penny	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | Sixpence | the amount |  |  |  | of six old pennies | tree rules |

## Example 1 {#x1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
«Sing a song of sixpence, a pocket full of rye.»

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:sixpence:x1:1
# text = «Sing a song of sixpence, a pocket full of rye.»
1	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	2	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	Sing	sing	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	song	song	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
5	of	of	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
6	sixpence	sixpence	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	9	punct	_	_
8	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	pocket	pocket	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	conj	_	_
10	full	full	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	9	amod	_	_
11	of	of	ADP	IN	_	12	case	_	_
12	rye	rye	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
14	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **sing** *speech: express* *in a quote* | imperative | you *not said here* | a song of sixpence and a pocket |  |  |  |  | vn sound\_emission-43.2 «PP.location V NP»: agent=Location song=Theme |
| 2 | **sing** *in a quote* |  | sixpence and a pocket |  |  |  |  |  | nom song «communication intransitive»: of=agent |

## Example 2 {#x2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Grandma found a sixpence in her Christmas pudding.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:sixpence:x2:1
# text = Grandma found a sixpence in her Christmas pudding.
1	Grandma	grandma	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	nsubj	_	_
2	found	find	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	sixpence	sixpence	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
5	in	in	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
6	her	her	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	8	nmod:poss	_	_
7	Christmas	Christmas	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	8	compound	_	_
8	pudding	pudding	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **find** | past | Grandma | a sixpence |  | Grandma's Christmas pudding |  |  | vn discover-84 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent sixpence=Topic |

## Example 3 {#x3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
When Grandad was a boy, a comic cost sixpence.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:sixpence:x3:1
# text = When Grandad was a boy, a comic cost sixpence.
1	When	when	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	5	advmod	_	_
2	Grandad	Grandad	PROPN	NNP	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	boy	boy	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	10	punct	_	_
7	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
8	comic	comic	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	10	amod	_	_
9	cost	cost	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	compound	_	_
10	sixpence	sixpence	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	appos	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | past | Grandad | a boy |  |  |  |  | tree rules |

## Example 4 {#x4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Sixpence was worth half a shilling.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:sixpence:x4:1
# text = Sixpence was worth half a shilling.
1	Sixpence	sixpence	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
2	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	3	cop	_	_
3	worth	worth	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
4	half	half	DET	PDT	NumForm=Word|NumType=Frac|PronType=Ind	6	det:predet	_	_
5	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	shilling	shilling	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | past | Sixpence |  |  |  |  | worth *property* | tree rules |

## Example 5 {#x5}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The bride had a sixpence in her shoe for good luck.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:sixpence:x5:1
# text = The bride had a sixpence in her shoe for good luck.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	bride	bride	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	5	det	_	_
5	sixpence	sixpence	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	_
6	in	in	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	her	her	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	8	nmod:poss	_	_
8	shoe	shoe	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nmod	_	_
9	for	for	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
10	good	good	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	11	amod	_	_
11	luck	luck	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **have** | past | the bride | a sixpence |  | bride's shoe for good luck |  |  | vn birth-28.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent sixpence=Patient |

## Example 6 {#x6}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
That little car can turn on a sixpence.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:sixpence:x6:1
# text = That little car can turn on a sixpence.
1	That	that	DET	DT	Number=Sing|PronType=Dem	3	det	_	_
2	little	little	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	amod	_	_
3	car	car	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj	_	_
4	can	can	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	5	aux	_	_
5	turn	turn	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
6	on	on	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	sixpence	sixpence	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **turn** | can | that little car |  |  | a sixpence |  |  | vn roll-51.3.1 «NP V PP.trajectory»: agent=Theme on sixpence=Trajectory |

## Example 7 {#x7}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The old sixpence was also called a «tanner».

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:sixpence:x7:1
# text = The old sixpence was also called a «tanner».
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
2	old	old	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	amod	_	_
3	sixpence	sixpence	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nsubj:pass	_	_
4	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	6	aux:pass	_	_
5	also	also	ADV	RB	_	6	advmod	_	_
6	called	call	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
7	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
8	«	«	PUNCT	``	_	9	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	tanner	tanner	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	xcomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	»	»	PUNCT	''	_	9	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	6	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **call** | past · passive |  | the old sixpence |  |  |  |  | vn initiate\_communication-37.4.2-1 «NP V NP.recipient»: subject=Recipient |

## Example 8 {#x8}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
"You might give me sixpence, Daddy," said Effie, "because I did bring you the new specimen.

<!-- fold The tree, 16 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:sixpence:x8:1
# text = "You might give me sixpence, Daddy," said Effie, "because I did bring you the new specimen.
1	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	4	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	You	you	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Person=2|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj	_	_
3	might	might	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	4	aux	_	_
4	give	give	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	11	ccomp	_	_
5	me	I	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Number=Sing|Person=1|PronType=Prs	4	iobj	_	_
6	sixpence	sixpence	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	8	punct	_	_
8	Daddy	Daddy	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	4	vocative	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	4	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	4	punct	_	_
11	said	say	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
12	Effie	Effie	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	11	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	18	punct	_	_
14	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	18	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
15	because	because	SCONJ	IN	_	18	mark	_	_
16	I	I	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Sing|Person=1|PronType=Prs	18	nsubj	_	_
17	did	do	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=1|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	18	aux	_	_
18	bring	bring	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	11	conj	_	_
19	you	you	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Person=2|PronType=Prs	18	obj	_	_
20	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	22	det	_	_
21	new	new	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	22	amod	_	_
22	specimen	specimen	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	18	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
23	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	11	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **give** *in a quote* | might | You | sixpence | Effie |  |  | Daddy *vocative* | vn give-13.1-1 «NP V NP-Dative NP»: agent=Agent i=Recipient sixpence=Theme |
| 2 | **say** *speech: assert* | past | Effie |  |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent clause=Topic |
| 3 | **bring** *in a quote* | past · do-support | Effie | the new specimen | you |  |  |  | vn bring-11.3-1 «NP V NP NP»: agent=Agent you=Destination specimen=Theme |

<!-- 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 -->

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