---
title: sparingly — school dictionary · trees and pragmatics
description: «sparingly» in the school dictionary: Using only a little of something; carefully and not wastefully. Every meaning for a pupil with its dependency tree and pragmatics.
---

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# sparingly

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**Who acts:** you, glue, writer, She, praise, her · **What happens:** use, make, eat, apply, praise, mean · **To what, where:** little, glue, mess, sweets, Water, cream

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«sparingly» 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: [sparingly in the school dictionary](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/sparingly.md).

## Meaning 1 {#m1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Using only a little of something; carefully and not wastefully.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:sparingly:m1:1
# text = Using only a little of something; carefully and not wastefully.
1	Using	use	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	0	root	_	_
2	only	only	ADV	RB	_	4	advmod	_	_
3	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	little	little	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	1	obj	_	_
5	of	of	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
6	something	something	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Ind	4	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	;	;	PUNCT	:	_	1	punct	_	_
8	carefully	carefully	ADV	RB	_	1	advmod	_	_
9	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	11	cc	_	_
10	not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	11	advmod	_	_
11	wastefully	wastefully	ADV	RB	_	8	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	1	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **use** | gerund |  | a little |  |  |  | carefully *property* | vn eat-39.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent little=Patient |

<!-- .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 -->
Use the glue sparingly or it will make a mess.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:sparingly:x1:1
# text = Use the glue sparingly or it will make a mess.
1	Use	use	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
2	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
3	glue	glue	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obj	_	_
4	sparingly	sparingly	ADV	RB	_	1	advmod	_	_
5	or	or	CCONJ	CC	_	8	cc	_	_
6	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	8	nsubj	_	_
7	will	will	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	8	aux	_	_
8	make	make	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	1	conj	_	_
9	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
10	mess	mess	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	.	.	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 glue |  |  |  | sparingly *property* | vn eat-39.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent glue=Patient |
| 2 | **make** | future | glue | a mess |  |  |  |  | vn build-26.1-1 «NP.material V NP»: agent=Material mess=Product |

## Example 2 {#x2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Eat sweets sparingly.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:sparingly:x2:1
# text = Eat sweets sparingly.
1	Eat	eat	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
2	sweets	sweet	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	1	obj	_	_
3	sparingly	sparingly	ADV	RB	_	1	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	1	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **eat** | imperative | you *not said here* | sweets |  |  |  | sparingly *property* | vn eat-39.1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent sweet=Patient |

## Example 3 {#x3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Water was used sparingly during the drought.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:sparingly:x3:1
# text = Water was used sparingly during the drought.
1	Water	water	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj:pass	_	_
2	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	3	aux:pass	_	_
3	used	use	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
4	sparingly	sparingly	ADV	RB	_	3	advmod	_	_
5	during	during	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	drought	drought	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 | **use** | past · passive |  | Water |  |  | during the drought | sparingly *property* | vn eat-39.1 «NP V NP»: subject=Patient |

## Example 4 {#x4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Apply the cream sparingly to the rash.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:sparingly:x4:1
# text = Apply the cream sparingly to the rash.
1	Apply	apply	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
2	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
3	cream	cream	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obj	_	_
4	sparingly	sparingly	ADV	RB	_	1	advmod	_	_
5	to	to	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	rash	rash	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	1	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **apply** | imperative | you *not said here* | the cream |  |  |  | to the rash; sparingly *property* | vn use-105.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent cream=Theme |

## Example 5 {#x5}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The writer used capital letters sparingly.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:sparingly:x5:1
# text = The writer used capital letters sparingly.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	writer	writer	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	used	use	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	capital	capital	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	amod	_	_
5	letters	letter	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	obj	_	_
6	sparingly	sparingly	ADV	RB	_	3	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **use** | past | the writer | capital letters |  |  |  | sparingly *property* | vn eat-39.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent letter=Patient |

## Example 6 {#x6}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
She praised us sparingly, so her praise meant a lot.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:sparingly:x6:1
# text = She praised us sparingly, so her praise meant a lot.
1	She	she	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	praised	praise	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	us	we	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Number=Plur|Person=1|PronType=Prs	2	obj	_	_
4	sparingly	sparingly	ADV	RB	_	2	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	9	punct	_	_
6	so	so	ADV	RB	_	9	advmod	_	_
7	her	her	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	8	nmod:poss	_	_
8	praise	praise	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	nsubj	_	_
9	meant	mean	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	2	parataxis	_	_
10	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
11	lot	lot	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **praise** | past | She | us |  |  |  | sparingly *property* | vn judgment-33.1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent we=Theme |
| 2 | **mean** | past | her praise | a lot |  |  |  |  | vn intend-61.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent lot=Topic |
| 3 | **praise** |  | her *= she* |  |  |  |  |  | nom praise «communication transitive»: poss=agent |

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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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