---
title: spanner — school dictionary · trees and pragmatics
description: «spanner» in the school dictionary: A spanner is a metal tool for turning nuts and bolts to make them tight or loose. Every meaning for a pupil with its dependency tree and pragmatics.
---

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# spanner

<!-- .vintro -->
**Who acts:** spanner, metal tool, Dad, you, plumber, rain · **What happens:** be, turn, make, use, fix, pass · **To what, where:** metal tool, nuts, spanner, bike, me, nut

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

## Meaning 1 {#m1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A spanner is a metal tool for turning nuts and bolts to make them tight or loose.

<!-- fold The tree, 17 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:spanner:m1:1
# text = A spanner is a metal tool for turning nuts and bolts to make them tight or loose.
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	spanner	spanner	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	metal	metal	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	compound	_	_
6	tool	tool	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
7	for	for	SCONJ	IN	_	8	mark	_	_
8	turning	turn	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	6	acl	_	_
9	nuts	nut	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	8	obj	_	_
10	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	11	cc	_	_
11	bolts	bolt	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	9	conj	_	_
12	to	to	PART	TO	_	13	mark	_	_
13	make	make	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	8	advcl	_	_
14	them	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	13	obj	_	_
15	tight	tight	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	13	xcomp	_	_
16	or	or	CCONJ	CC	_	17	cc	_	_
17	loose	loose	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	15	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
18	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	6	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | a spanner | a metal tool |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **turn** | gerund | a metal tool *not said here* | nuts and bolts |  |  |  |  | vn roll-51.3.1 «NP V NP.theme»: agent=Agent nut=Theme |
| 3 | **make** | to-infinitive | a metal tool *not said here* | nuts *= nut* |  |  |  | tight *property* | vn build-26.1-1 «NP.asset V NP»: agent=Asset they=Product |

<!-- .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 -->
Dad used a spanner to fix my bike.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:spanner:x1:1
# text = Dad used a spanner to fix my bike.
1	Dad	dad	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	nsubj	_	_
2	used	use	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	spanner	spanner	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
5	to	to	PART	TO	_	6	mark	_	_
6	fix	fix	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	2	advcl	_	_
7	my	my	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Sing|Person=1|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	8	nmod:poss	_	_
8	bike	bike	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **use** | past | Dad | a spanner |  |  |  |  | vn eat-39.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent spanner=Patient |
| 2 | **fix** | to-infinitive | Dad *not said here* | my bike |  |  |  |  | vn shake-22.3-2 «NP V NP together»: agent=Agent bike=Patient |

## Example 2 {#x2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Pass me the spanner, please.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:spanner:x2:1
# text = Pass me the spanner, please.
1	Pass	pass	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
2	me	I	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Number=Sing|Person=1|PronType=Prs	1	obj	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	spanner	spanner	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	1	punct	_	_
6	please	please	INTJ	UH	_	1	discourse	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	1	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **pass** | imperative | you *not said here* | the spanner | me |  |  |  | vn give-13.1 «NP V NP-Dative NP»: agent=Agent i=Recipient spanner=Theme |

## Example 3 {#x3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Turn the spanner to tighten the nut.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:spanner:x3:1
# text = Turn the spanner to tighten the nut.
1	Turn	turn	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
2	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
3	spanner	spanner	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obj	_	_
4	to	to	PART	TO	_	5	mark	_	_
5	tighten	tighten	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	1	advcl	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	nut	nut	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	1	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **turn** | imperative | you *not said here* | the spanner |  |  |  |  | vn roll-51.3.1 «NP V NP.theme»: agent=Agent spanner=Theme |
| 2 | **tighten** | to-infinitive | you *not said here* | the nut |  |  |  |  | vn other\_cos-45.4 «NP V NP.patient»: agent=Agent nut=Patient |

## Example 4 {#x4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The plumber has a big spanner.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:spanner:x4:1
# text = The plumber has a big spanner.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	plumber	plumber	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	has	have	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
5	big	big	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	6	amod	_	_
6	spanner	spanner	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 | **have** | present | the plumber | a big spanner |  |  |  |  | vn birth-28.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent spanner=Patient |

## Example 5 {#x5}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The rain threw a spanner in the works of our picnic.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:spanner:x5:1
# text = The rain threw a spanner in the works of our picnic.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	rain	rain	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	threw	throw	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	spanner	spanner	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	_
6	in	in	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	works	work	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	obl	_	_
9	of	of	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
10	our	our	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Plur|Person=1|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	11	nmod:poss	_	_
11	picnic	picnic	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 | **throw** | past | the rain | a spanner |  | the works of our picnic |  |  | vn throw-17.1-1-1 «NP V NP PP.destinations»: agent=Agent spanner=Theme in work=Destination |
| 2 | **work** |  | our picnic |  |  |  |  |  | nom work «act intransitive»: of=agent |

## Example 6 {#x6}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Use the right size spanner for the nut.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:spanner:x6:1
# text = Use the right size spanner for the nut.
1	Use	use	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
2	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
3	right	right	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	amod	_	_
4	size	size	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	compound	_	_
5	spanner	spanner	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obj	_	_
6	for	for	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	nut	nut	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	1	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **use** | imperative | you *not said here* | the right size spanner |  |  |  | for the nut | vn use-105.1 «NP V NP PP.predicate»: agent=Agent spanner=Theme for nut=Eventuality |

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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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