---
title: variant — school dictionary · trees and pragmatics
description: «variant» in the school dictionary: A slightly different form or version of something, such as a different spelling of a word or a different version of a game. Every meaning for a pupil with its dependency tree and pragmatics.
---

<!-- md -->
[Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/V/variant/)

<!-- crumbs -->
[home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [corpora](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/) / [dictionaries](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/) / [school dictionary](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/) / [V](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/V/) / variant

# variant

<!-- .vintro -->
**Who acts:** Grey gray, We, you, tag, Scientists, flu virus · **What happens:** spell, change, form, be, play, freeze · **To what, where:** word, new form, virus, variants, variant, new variant

<!-- .vabout -->
«variant» in the school dictionary: its 3 meanings for a pupil and its 7 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: [variant in the school dictionary](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/variant.md).

## Meaning 1 {#m1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A slightly different form or version of something, such as a different spelling of a word or a different version of a game.

<!-- fold The tree, 23 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:variant:m1:1
# text = A slightly different form or version of something, such as a different spelling of a word or a different version of a game.
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
2	slightly	slightly	ADV	RB	_	3	advmod	_	_
3	different	different	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	amod	_	_
4	form	form	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
5	or	or	CCONJ	CC	_	6	cc	_	_
6	version	version	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	conj	_	_
7	of	of	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
8	something	something	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Ind	6	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	14	punct	_	_
10	such	such	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos|ExtPos=ADP	14	case	_	_
11	as	as	ADP	IN	_	10	fixed	_	_
12	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	14	det	_	_
13	different	different	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	14	amod	_	_
14	spelling	spelling	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	appos	_	_
15	of	of	ADP	IN	_	17	case	_	_
16	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	17	det	_	_
17	word	word	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	14	nmod	_	_
18	or	or	CCONJ	CC	_	21	cc	_	_
19	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	21	det	_	_
20	different	different	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	21	amod	_	_
21	version	version	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	17	conj	_	_
22	of	of	ADP	IN	_	24	case	_	_
23	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	24	det	_	_
24	game	game	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	21	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
25	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **spell** |  |  | a word or a different version of a game |  |  |  |  | nom spelling «communication transitive»: of=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.

## Meaning 2 {#m2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A new form of a virus or other living thing whose genes have changed a little, for example a Covid variant.

<!-- fold The tree, 21 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:variant:m2:1
# text = A new form of a virus or other living thing whose genes have changed a little, for example a Covid variant.
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
2	new	new	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	amod	_	_
3	form	form	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	14	nsubj:pass	_	_
4	of	of	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
5	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	virus	virus	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nmod	_	_
7	or	or	CCONJ	CC	_	10	cc	_	_
8	other	other	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	10	amod	_	_
9	living	living	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	10	amod	_	_
10	thing	thing	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	14	nsubj:pass	_	_
11	whose	whose	PRON	WP$	Poss=Yes|PronType=Rel	12	nmod:poss	_	_
12	genes	gene	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	14	nsubj	_	_
13	have	have	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	14	aux	_	_
14	changed	change	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
15	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	16	det	_	_
16	little	little	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	14	obl:unmarked	_	SpaceAfter=No
17	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	19	punct	_	_
18	for	for	ADP	IN	_	19	case	_	_
19	example	example	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	14	obl	_	_
20	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	22	det	_	_
21	Covid	Covid	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	22	compound	_	_
22	variant	variant	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	14	obl:unmarked	_	SpaceAfter=No
23	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	14	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **change** | present · perfect · passive |  | a new form of a virus |  |  |  | for example; a little *obl:unmarked*; a Covid variant *obl:unmarked* | vn exchange-13.6.1 «NP V NP PP.co-theme»: subject=Theme for example=Co-Theme |
| 2 | **form** |  |  | a virus |  |  |  |  | nom form «communication transitive»: of=patient |

## Meaning 3 {#m3}

<!-- .note -->
Usage: adjective, formal — kept apart, not parsed.

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Different from the usual form.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:variant:m3:1
# text = Different from the usual form.
1	Different	different	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
2	from	from	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
4	usual	usual	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	amod	_	_
5	form	form	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	1	punct	_	_
```

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

## Example 1 {#x1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
"Grey" and "gray" are variants of the same word.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:variant:x1:1
# text = "Grey" and "gray" are variants of the same word.
1	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	2	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	Grey	grey	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	6	amod	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	2	punct	_	_
4	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	6	cc	_	_
5	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	6	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	gray	gray	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	6	punct	_	_
8	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	9	cop	_	_
9	variants	variant	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	0	root	_	_
10	of	of	ADP	IN	_	13	case	_	_
11	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	13	det	_	_
12	same	same	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	13	amod	_	_
13	word	word	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
14	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	9	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | Grey gray | variants |  |  |  | of the same word | tree rules |

## Example 2 {#x2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
We played a variant of tag where you freeze when caught.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:variant:x2:1
# text = We played a variant of tag where you freeze when caught.
1	We	we	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=1|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	played	play	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=1|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	variant	variant	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
5	of	of	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
6	tag	tag	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nmod	_	_
7	where	where	ADV	WRB	PronType=Rel	9	advmod	_	_
8	you	you	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Person=2|PronType=Prs	9	nsubj	_	_
9	freeze	freeze	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=2|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	6	acl:relcl	_	_
10	when	when	SCONJ	WRB	_	11	mark	_	_
11	caught	catch	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	9	advcl	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **play** | past | We | a variant of tag |  |  |  |  | vn use-105.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent variant=Theme |
| 2 | **freeze** | present | you |  |  |  |  |  | vn other\_cos-45.4-1 «NP.patient V»: agent=Patient |
| 3 | **catch** | participle | you *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn get-13.5.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent |
| 4 | **vary** |  | tag |  |  |  |  |  | nom variant «event intransitive»: of=agent |

## Example 3 {#x3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Scientists are watching a new variant of the flu virus.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:variant:x3:1
# text = Scientists are watching a new variant of the flu virus.
1	Scientists	scientist	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	nsubj	_	_
2	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	aux	_	_
3	watching	watch	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	_
4	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
5	new	new	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	6	amod	_	_
6	variant	variant	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	_
7	of	of	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
9	flu	flu	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	compound	_	_
10	virus	virus	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **watch** | present · progressive | Scientists | a new variant of the flu virus |  |  |  |  | vn assessment-34.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent variant=Theme |
| 2 | **vary** |  | the flu virus |  |  |  |  |  | nom variant «event intransitive»: of=agent |

## Example 4 {#x4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
This puzzle is a variant of the one we did yesterday, with bigger numbers.

<!-- fold The tree, 14 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:variant:x4:1
# text = This puzzle is a variant of the one we did yesterday, with bigger numbers.
1	This	this	DET	DT	Number=Sing|PronType=Dem	2	det	_	_
2	puzzle	puzzle	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	variant	variant	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
6	of	of	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	one	one	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nmod	_	_
9	we	we	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=1|PronType=Prs	10	nsubj	_	_
10	did	do	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=1|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	8	acl:relcl	_	_
11	yesterday	yesterday	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	obl:unmarked	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	15	punct	_	_
13	with	with	ADP	IN	_	15	case	_	_
14	bigger	big	ADJ	JJR	Degree=Cmp	15	amod	_	_
15	numbers	number	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
16	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | this puzzle | a variant and bigger numbers |  |  |  | of the one | tree rules |
| 2 | **do** | past | we | the one *not said here* |  |  | yesterday |  | vn act-114-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent one=Eventuality |

## Example 5 {#x5}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Chess has many variants, and some use a round board.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:variant:x5:1
# text = Chess has many variants, and some use a round board.
1	Chess	chess	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	nsubj	_	_
2	has	have	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	many	many	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	amod	_	_
4	variants	variant	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	8	punct	_	_
6	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	8	cc	_	_
7	some	some	DET	DT	PronType=Ind	8	nsubj	_	_
8	use	use	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	2	conj	_	_
9	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
10	round	round	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	11	amod	_	_
11	board	board	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **have** | present | Chess | many variants |  |  |  |  | vn birth-28.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent variant=Patient |
| 2 | **use** | present | some | a round board |  |  |  |  | vn eat-39.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent board=Patient |

## Example 6 {#x6}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The shop sells three variants of the toy car in different colours.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:variant:x6:1
# text = The shop sells three variants of the toy car in different colours.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	shop	shop	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	sells	sell	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	three	three	NUM	CD	NumForm=Word|NumType=Card	5	nummod	_	_
5	variants	variant	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	obj	_	_
6	of	of	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
8	toy	toy	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	compound	_	_
9	car	car	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nmod	_	_
10	in	in	ADP	IN	_	12	case	_	_
11	different	different	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	12	amod	_	_
12	colours	colour	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **sell** | present | the shop | three variants of the toy car |  | different colours |  |  | vn give-13.1-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent variant=Theme |
| 2 | **vary** |  | the toy car |  |  |  |  |  | nom variant «event intransitive»: of=agent |

## Example 7 {#x7}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The new variant spread quickly through the town.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:variant:x7:1
# text = The new variant spread quickly through the town.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
2	new	new	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	amod	_	_
3	variant	variant	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nsubj	_	_
4	spread	spread	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
5	quickly	quickly	ADV	RB	_	4	advmod	_	_
6	through	through	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	town	town	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 | **spread** | past | the new variant |  |  | the town |  | quickly *property* | vn appear-48.1.1 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Theme through town=Location |

<!-- div src -->

**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 -->

<!-- pn -->
- ← previous: [variance](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/V/variance/)
- next →: [variation](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/V/variation/)
- ↑ back to [V in school dictionary](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/V/)