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# instruction

«instruction» in Mova's school dictionary: **words that tell you how to do something or what to do:…** — 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

noun (an instruction, instructions; also instruction, no plural)

### meaning for a pupil

1) Instructions are words that tell you how to do something or what to do: «read the instructions». [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/instruction/#m1)

2) An instruction is an order from someone in charge. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/instruction/#m2)

3) (formal) Instruction means teaching: «swimming instruction». [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/instruction/#m3)

4) (computing) A single command a computer follows. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/instruction/#m4)

### sense in the lessons

Used every day in school («follow the instructions», «instructions on the worksheet»), in games, recipes, safety (fire drill instructions) and coding. In English lessons, «instruction writing» uses bossy verbs: «Mix», «Cut», «Add».

### examples

- Read the instructions carefully before you start. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/instruction/#x1)
- Follow the instructions to build the model. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/instruction/#x2)
- The lifeguard gave clear instructions. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/instruction/#x3)
- We wrote instructions for making a sandwich. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/instruction/#x4)
- The robot follows each instruction in order. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/instruction/#x5)
- She received swimming instruction twice a week. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/instruction/#x6)
- Crimthann absorbed instruction like a sponge and digested it as rapidly. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/instruction/#x7)

### note

Usually plural for «how to» directions. Verb: instruct; noun: instructor. In maths, misreading an instruction («round to the nearest ten») is a common way to lose marks.

### In the corpora

- [Following instructions is a real skill, and builders learn tricks from sets that they later use in their own models.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/arts/32-lego-builds-instructions-vs-your-own-ideas/8/)
- [Instructions tell you how to do something.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/23-reading-non-fiction-recount-instructions-report/5/)
- [Dad builds a bookcase without reading the instructions, and it wobbles.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/23-reading-non-fiction-recount-instructions-report/16/)
- [Instructions have a title, a list of what you need, numbered steps and bossy verbs.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/23-reading-non-fiction-recount-instructions-report/24/)
- [Steps in instructions are numbered so you do them in the right order.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/23-reading-non-fiction-recount-instructions-report/26/)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «instruction» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/instruction/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.