[Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/about.html) [home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [dictionaries](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/) / [The school dictionary](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/) / about [← A](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/A/) # about «about» in Mova's school dictionary: **on or what it is to do with: a book about dinosaurs** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 5 sentences of Mova's corpora that use it. ### part of speech preposition (about the dog); adverb (about 10, run about, be about to); adjective (up and about) ### meaning for a pupil 1) About tells what something is on or what it is to do with: a book about dinosaurs. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/about/#m1) 2) About can also mean nearly or roughly, as in «about 10». [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/about/#m2) 3) About can mean here and there, all around a place: children running about the yard. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/about/#m3) 4) «Be about to» means be just going to do something: I was about to call you. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/about/#m4) 5) «Up and about» means out of bed and active again after being ill. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/about/#m5) 6) (casual) «What's that about?» or «What's he on about?» asks what someone means or why they are acting oddly; «What about …?» and «How about …?» make a suggestion. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/about/#m6) 7) (formal) In the exam voice «about» is replaced by stiff words: «concerning», «regarding», «in respect of», «pertaining to»; «approximately» replaces «about 10». [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/about/#m7) ### sense in the lessons links a remark to its topic; in the lessons it names what a set of words or a problem is telling us («This problem is about sharing»); in maths «about» marks an estimate («about 10», «roughly», «approximately»); in everyday life «what is it about?», «talk about», «think about», «worry about», «be about to», «how about pizza?»; in casual talk «what are you on about?» (what do you mean?), «that's what it's all about», «about time!» (at last, said when someone is late); in the exam voice «concerning», «with regard to», «approximately»; in stories «a story about a brave girl» ### examples - The words «each», «every» and «packs of» tell us about equal groups. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/about/#x1) - The story is about Mia and her 12 stickers. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/about/#x2) - This problem is about sharing 20 grapes among 4 friends. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/about/#x3) - There are about 30 children in our class. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/about/#x4) - We read a book about sharks and whales. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/about/#x5) - The train leaves in about ten minutes. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/about/#x6) - Don't worry about the test; you have practised. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/about/#x7) - I was just about to call you! [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/about/#x8) - The puppies ran about the garden all morning. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/about/#x9) - what are you on about, it's 12 not 20 [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/about/#x10) - About time! The bloody bus is finally here. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/about/#x11) - Determine approximately how many pupils are present, given that 3 of the 32 enrolled pupils are absent. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/about/#x12) - What do you think about it?" [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/about/#x13) ### note «about» carries no clue for the operation in a problem; it only links a remark to its topic. Trap: «about 10» means nearly 10, an estimate, not an exact amount, so an answer «about 10» may be 9 or 11; «approximately» in an exam means the same. «be about to» means very soon, not a topic. «About time!» is a complaint that something is late, not a question about the clock. Do not mix «about» (topic) with «around» (place), though «around 10» also means nearly 10. In formal writing «concerning», «regarding» or «in respect of» stand where a child would say «about». ### In the corpora - [Stories about annoying colleagues told at home are private and should not be repeated outside.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/adult-life/1-a-day-at-a-grown-ups-job/8/) - [Grown-ups also tease children about girlfriends and crushes, and older people sometimes find new partners late in life.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/adult-life/17-gran-cousins-and-the-whole-family/5/) - [A crush means really liking someone and thinking about them a lot; it is a private feeling and often passes.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/adult-life/17-gran-cousins-and-the-whole-family/14/) - [When a woman is pregnant, a baby grows inside her womb for about nine months before it is born.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/adult-life/18-were-having-a-baby/0/) - [Many parents wait about three months before telling people, because the early weeks are the most uncertain.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/adult-life/18-were-having-a-baby/2/) ### Trees and pragmatics [Every meaning and example of «about» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/about/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.