---
title: testify — school dictionary · trees and pragmatics
description: «testify» in the school dictionary: To testify is to tell what you know or saw, especially in a court and on oath. Every meaning for a pupil with its dependency tree and pragmatics.
---

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# testify

<!-- .vintro -->
**Who acts:** you, scars, boy, witnesses, old stones · **What happens:** testify, be, know, see, prove · **To what, where:** court, something, fight, man, long history · **Speech:** someone speaks here

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«testify» in the school dictionary: its 2 meanings for a pupil and its 3 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: [testify in the school dictionary](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/testify.md).

## Meaning 1 {#m1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
To testify is to tell what you know or saw, especially in a court and on oath.

<!-- fold The tree, 17 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:testify:m1:1
# text = To testify is to tell what you know or saw, especially in a court and on oath.
1	To	to	PART	TO	_	2	mark	_	_
2	testify	testify	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	tell	tell	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
6	what	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	8	obj	_	_
7	you	you	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Person=2|PronType=Prs	8	nsubj	_	_
8	know	know	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=2|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	ccomp	_	_
9	or	or	CCONJ	CC	_	10	cc	_	_
10	saw	see	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=2|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	8	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	15	punct	_	_
12	especially	especially	ADV	RB	_	15	advmod	_	_
13	in	in	ADP	IN	_	15	case	_	_
14	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	15	det	_	_
15	court	court	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	obl	_	_
16	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	18	cc	_	_
17	on	on	ADP	IN	_	18	case	_	_
18	oath	oath	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	15	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
19	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **testify** *speech: other* | to-infinitive |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn lecture-37.11-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **be** *speech: assert* | present |  |  |  |  |  | tell *property* | tree rules |
| 3 | **know** | present | you |  |  |  |  |  | vn comprehend-87.2-1-1-1 «NP V NP PP.attribute»: agent=Experiencer what=Stimulus |
| 4 | **see** | past | you *not said here* |  |  | a court and oath |  |  | vn comprehend-87.2-1-1 «NP V»: agent=Experiencer |

<!-- .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 -->
To testify is to show or prove something: the scars testify to the fight.

<!-- fold The tree, 14 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:testify:m2:1
# text = To testify is to show or prove something: the scars testify to the fight.
1	To	to	PART	TO	_	2	mark	_	_
2	testify	testify	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	show	show	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
6	or	or	CCONJ	CC	_	7	cc	_	_
7	prove	prove	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	5	conj	_	_
8	something	something	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Ind	7	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	:	:	PUNCT	:	_	12	punct	_	_
10	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
11	scars	scar	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	12	nsubj	_	_
12	testify	testify	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	parataxis	_	_
13	to	to	ADP	IN	_	15	case	_	_
14	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	15	det	_	_
15	fight	fight	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
16	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **testify** *speech: other* | to-infinitive |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn lecture-37.11-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **is** | present |  |  |  |  |  | show *property* | tree rules |
| 3 | **prove** | infinitive |  | something |  |  |  |  | vn deduce-97.2 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent something=Theme |
| 4 | **testify** *speech: other* | present | the scars |  | the fight |  |  |  | vn lecture-37.11-1 «NP V PP.recipient PP.topic»: agent=Agent to fight=Recipient |

## Example 1 {#x1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The boy was ready to testify in court.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:testify:x1:1
# text = The boy was ready to testify in court.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	boy	boy	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
3	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	4	cop	_	_
4	ready	ready	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
5	to	to	PART	TO	_	6	mark	_	_
6	testify	testify	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	4	xcomp	_	_
7	in	in	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
8	court	court	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | past | the boy |  |  |  |  | ready *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **testify** *speech: other* | to-infinitive | the boy *not said here* |  |  | court |  |  | vn lecture-37.11-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |

## Example 2 {#x2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The witnesses testified that they saw the man.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:testify:x2:1
# text = The witnesses testified that they saw the man.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	witnesses	witness	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	nsubj	_	_
3	testified	testify	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	that	that	SCONJ	IN	_	6	mark	_	_
5	they	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	6	nsubj	_	_
6	saw	see	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	3	ccomp	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	man	man	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **testify** *speech: other* | past | the witnesses |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **see** | past | witnesses *= witness* | the man |  |  |  |  | vn comprehend-87.2-1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Experiencer man=Stimulus |

## Example 3 {#x3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The old stones testify to a long history.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:testify:x3:1
# text = The old stones testify to a long history.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
2	old	old	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	amod	_	_
3	stones	stone	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	nsubj	_	_
4	testify	testify	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
5	to	to	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
6	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
7	long	long	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	8	amod	_	_
8	history	history	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **testify** *speech: other* | present | the old stones |  | a long history |  |  |  | vn lecture-37.11-1 «NP V PP.recipient PP.topic»: agent=Agent to history=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.

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