---
title: surmise — school dictionary · trees and pragmatics
description: «surmise» in the school dictionary: To surmise is to guess something from clues, without being sure. Every meaning for a pupil with its dependency tree and pragmatics.
---

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# surmise

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**Who acts:** surmise, I, Her, It · **What happens:** surmise, be, lock, lose, turn out, not be · **To what, where:** clues, guess, door, stranger · **Speech:** someone speaks here

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«surmise» in the school dictionary: its 2 meanings for a pupil and its 4 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: [surmise in the school dictionary](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/surmise.md).

## Meaning 1 {#m1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
To surmise is to guess something from clues, without being sure.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:surmise:m1:1
# text = To surmise is to guess something from clues, without being sure.
1	To	to	PART	TO	_	2	mark	_	_
2	surmise	surmise	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	5	csubj	_	_
3	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	cop	_	_
4	to	to	PART	TO	_	5	mark	_	_
5	guess	guess	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
6	something	something	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Ind	5	obj	_	_
7	from	from	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
8	clues	clue	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	12	punct	_	_
10	without	without	SCONJ	IN	_	12	mark	_	_
11	being	be	AUX	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	12	cop	_	_
12	sure	sure	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **surmise** | to-infinitive |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn conjecture-29.5 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **is** | present |  |  |  | clues |  | guess *property* | tree rules |
| 3 | **is** | gerund |  |  |  |  |  | sure *property* | tree rules |

<!-- .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}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A surmise is a guess of this kind. (formal, old use).

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* A surmise is a guess of this kind.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:surmise:m2:1
# text = A surmise is a guess of this kind.
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	surmise	surmise	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj	_	_
3	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	cop	_	_
4	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	guess	guess	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
6	of	of	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	this	this	DET	DT	Number=Sing|PronType=Dem	8	det	_	_
8	kind	kind	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	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** | present | a surmise | a guess |  |  |  | of this kind | tree rules |

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 2:* (formal, old use).

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:surmise:m2:2
# text = (formal, old use).
1	(	(	PUNCT	-LRB-	_	2	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	formal	formal	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	5	punct	_	_
4	old	old	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	amod	_	_
5	use	use	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	)	)	PUNCT	-RRB-	_	2	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .note -->
The frames reader finds no event or fact in this sentence.

## Example 1 {#x1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
I can only surmise why the door was locked.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:surmise:x1:1
# text = I can only surmise why the door was locked.
1	I	I	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Sing|Person=1|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj	_	_
2	can	can	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	4	aux	_	_
3	only	only	ADV	RB	_	4	advmod	_	_
4	surmise	surmise	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
5	why	why	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	9	advmod	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	door	door	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	nsubj:pass	_	_
8	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	9	aux:pass	_	_
9	locked	lock	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	4	advcl	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **surmise** | can | I |  |  |  |  |  | vn conjecture-29.5 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **lock** | past · passive |  | the door |  |  |  |  | vn tape-22.4 «NP V NP»: subject=Patient |

## Example 2 {#x2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
I surmise that the stranger is lost.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:surmise:x2:1
# text = I surmise that the stranger is lost.
1	I	I	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Sing|Person=1|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	surmise	surmise	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=1|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	that	that	SCONJ	IN	_	7	mark	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	stranger	stranger	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	nsubj:pass	_	_
6	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	7	aux:pass	_	_
7	lost	lose	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	2	advcl	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **surmise** | present | I |  |  |  |  |  | vn conjecture-29.5 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **lose** | present · passive |  | the stranger |  |  |  |  | vn succeed-74-3-1 «NP V NP»: subject=Eventuality |

## Example 3 {#x3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Her surmise turned out to be right.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:surmise:x3:1
# text = Her surmise turned out to be right.
1	Her	her	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	2	nmod:poss	_	_
2	surmise	surmise	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	turned	turn	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	out	out	ADP	RP	_	3	compound:prt	_	_
5	to	to	PART	TO	_	7	mark	_	_
6	be	be	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	7	cop	_	_
7	right	right	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	xcomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **turn out** | past | Her surmise |  |  |  |  |  | vn appear-48.1.1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 2 | **is** | to-infinitive | Her surmise *not said here* |  |  |  |  | right *property* | tree rules |
| 3 | **surmise** |  | Her *= she* |  |  |  |  |  | nom surmise «communication transitive»: poss=agent |

## Example 4 {#x4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It was no more than a surmise.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:surmise:x4:1
# text = It was no more than a surmise.
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj	_	_
2	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	4	cop	_	_
3	no	no	ADV	RB	_	4	advmod	_	_
4	more	more	ADJ	JJR	Degree=Cmp	0	root	_	_
5	than	than	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	surmise	surmise	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **not** **is** | past | It |  |  |  |  | than a surmise; more *property* | tree rules |

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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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