---
title: spokesperson — school dictionary · trees and pragmatics
description: «spokesperson» in the school dictionary: A spokesperson is someone whose job is to speak for a group, company, government or organisation, giving its news and answering questions. Every meaning for a pupil with its dependency tree and pragmatics.
---

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# spokesperson

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**Who acts:** spokesperson, job, police spokesperson, team, panda, class spokesperson · **What happens:** be, give, answer, say, hurt, pick · **To what, where:** someone, news, questions, nobody, her, ideas · **Speech:** someone speaks here

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

## Meaning 1 {#m1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A spokesperson is someone whose job is to speak for a group, company, government or organisation, giving its news and answering questions.

<!-- fold The tree, 22 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:spokesperson:m1:1
# text = A spokesperson is someone whose job is to speak for a group, company, government or organisation, giving its news and answering questions.
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	spokesperson	spokesperson	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
3	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	cop	_	_
4	someone	someone	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Ind	0	root	_	_
5	whose	whose	PRON	WP$	Poss=Yes|PronType=Rel	6	nmod:poss	_	_
6	job	job	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	nsubj	_	_
7	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	9	cop	_	_
8	to	to	PART	TO	_	9	mark	_	_
9	speak	speak	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	4	acl:relcl	_	_
10	for	for	ADP	IN	_	12	case	_	_
11	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	12	det	_	_
12	group	group	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	14	punct	_	_
14	company	company	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
15	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	16	punct	_	_
16	government	government	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	conj	_	_
17	or	or	CCONJ	CC	_	18	cc	_	_
18	organisation	organisation	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
19	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	20	punct	_	_
20	giving	give	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	9	advcl	_	_
21	its	its	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	22	nmod:poss	_	_
22	news	news	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	20	obj	_	_
23	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	24	cc	_	_
24	answering	answer	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	20	conj	_	_
25	questions	question	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	24	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
26	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | a spokesperson | someone |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **is** | present | job |  |  |  |  | for a group and company and government or organisation; speak *property* | tree rules |
| 3 | **give** | gerund | job *not said here* | job's news |  |  |  |  | vn give-13.1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent news=Theme |
| 4 | **answer** *speech: assert* | gerund | job *not said here* | questions |  |  |  |  | vn reciprocate-112-1 «NP V PP»: agent=Agent question=Eventuality |

<!-- .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 -->
A police spokesperson said nobody was hurt.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:spokesperson:x1:1
# text = A police spokesperson said nobody was hurt.
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
2	police	police	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	compound	_	_
3	spokesperson	spokesperson	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
4	said	say	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
5	nobody	nobody	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Neg	7	nsubj:pass	_	_
6	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	7	aux:pass	_	_
7	hurt	hurt	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	4	ccomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **say** *speech: assert* | past | a police spokesperson |  |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent clause=Topic |
| 2 | **hurt** | past · passive |  | nobody |  |  |  |  | vn hurt-40.8.3-2 «NP V NP»: subject=Patient |

## Example 2 {#x2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The school's spokesperson answered questions from parents.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:spokesperson:x2:1
# text = The school's spokesperson answered questions from parents.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	school	school	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	's	's	PART	POS	_	2	case	_	_
4	spokesperson	spokesperson	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj	_	_
5	answered	answer	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
6	questions	question	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	obj	_	_
7	from	from	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
8	parents	parent	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	6	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **answer** *speech: assert* | past | the school's spokesperson | questions |  |  |  | from parents | vn reciprocate-112-1 «NP V PP»: agent=Agent question=Eventuality |

## Example 3 {#x3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The team picked her as their spokesperson.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:spokesperson:x3:1
# text = The team picked her as their spokesperson.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	team	team	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	picked	pick	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	her	she	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	3	obj	_	_
5	as	as	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	their	their	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Plur|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	7	nmod:poss	_	_
7	spokesperson	spokesperson	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 | **pick** | past | the team | her *= she* |  |  |  | as their spokesperson | vn chew-39.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent she=Patient |

## Example 4 {#x4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A spokesperson for the zoo said the panda was healthy.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:spokesperson:x4:1
# text = A spokesperson for the zoo said the panda was healthy.
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	spokesperson	spokesperson	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nsubj	_	_
3	for	for	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	zoo	zoo	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	nmod	_	_
6	said	say	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	panda	panda	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	nsubj	_	_
9	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	10	cop	_	_
10	healthy	healthy	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	6	ccomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	6	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **say** *speech: assert* | past | a spokesperson for the zoo |  |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **is** | past | the panda |  |  |  |  | healthy *property* | tree rules |

## Example 5 {#x5}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The company's spokesperson would not comment.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:spokesperson:x5:1
# text = The company's spokesperson would not comment.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	company	company	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nmod:poss	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	's	's	PART	POS	_	2	case	_	_
4	spokesperson	spokesperson	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	nsubj	_	_
5	would	would	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	7	aux	_	_
6	not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	7	advmod	_	_
7	comment	comment	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	7	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **not** **comment** *speech: other* | would | the company's spokesperson |  |  |  |  |  | vn lecture-37.11-1-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |

## Example 6 {#x6}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Our class spokesperson read our ideas to the head teacher.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:spokesperson:x6:1
# text = Our class spokesperson read our ideas to the head teacher.
1	Our	our	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Plur|Person=1|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	3	nmod:poss	_	_
2	class	class	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	compound	_	_
3	spokesperson	spokesperson	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
4	read	read	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
5	our	our	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Plur|Person=1|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	6	nmod:poss	_	_
6	ideas	idea	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	obj	_	_
7	to	to	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
9	head	head	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	compound	_	_
10	teacher	teacher	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **read** | past | Our class spokesperson | our ideas | the head teacher |  |  |  | vn transfer\_mesg-37.1.1-1 «NP V NP PP.recipient»: agent=Agent idea=Topic to teacher=Recipient |

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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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