answer
part of speech
noun (answer, answers); verb (answer, answers, answered, answering)
meaning for a pupil
1) An answer is what you say or write back to a question. tree →
2) An answer is the result of a sum or problem: the answer is 12. tree →
3) To answer is to reply, or to pick up the phone or open the door when someone calls or knocks. tree →
sense in the lessons
the result of a problem, given by the student or the teacher; in class «write your answer», «check your answer», «the right answer»; in everyday life «answer the phone», «answer the door», «no answer»; in stories a question waiting for an answer
examples
- Not quite. Look at the word «more»: it tells us to add. The answer is 3 + 1 = 4. tree →
- Write the answer in the box. tree →
- Check your answer by adding back. tree →
- Put up your hand if you know the answer. tree →
- Can you answer the phone, please? tree →
- I knocked, but nobody answered. tree →
- The answer to 6 × 7 is 42. tree →
- She answered all ten questions in the quiz. tree →
- "Yes, I was," answered the genius. tree →
note
«The answer is» introduces the result; no clue for choosing the operation. Trap: the answer must name the thing asked for, not just a number («5 apples», not «5»). The «w» is silent: say «AN-ser». «answer a question» needs no «to».
In the corpora
- You are not being punished when the answer is "not this month".
- When two stories contradict each other and there is no proof, the honest answer is «we don't know».
- Never touching the remote again is not the answer; knowing what to do next time is.
- They answer questions simply, or say "that's a good question, let me think how to explain it".
- Three clues, one happy answer: a surprise is being planned, and it is kinder not to go looking for it.
Trees and pragmatics
Every meaning and example of «answer» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.