contend
part of speech
verb (contend, contends, contended, contending)
meaning for a pupil
1) Contend with: to have to deal with a problem or difficulty: «Farmers have to contend with drought». tree →
2) To compete with others to win something: «Five teams are contending for the cup». tree →
3) (formal) To say firmly that something is true, especially in an argument: «She contends that the plan will fail». tree →
sense in the lessons
In sport, a «contender» is a team or person with a real chance to win. In news and history: people contend with floods, wars or poverty. In debates and essays, «X contends that…» introduces someone's argument or claim, which is useful for reporting views fairly. Phrases: «contend with», «contend for», «contend that», «a contender for the title».
examples
- Explorers in Antarctica had to contend with freezing winds. tree →
- Three schools are contending for the trophy. tree →
- The scientist contends that the bones belong to a new species. tree →
- Our team is a strong contender for the championship. tree →
- Teachers contend with noisy classrooms every day. tree →
- Some people contend that school should start later. tree →
- Various public performers contended for the prize. tree →
note
Past form: contended. Do not confuse «contended» with «contented» (happy and satisfied). The noun is «contention» (an argument; also «in contention» = with a chance to win) and a competitor is a «contender». In essays, «contend» shows a claim, not a proven fact.
In the corpora
- Wherefore will ye contend with Me?
- 'If thou hast run with the footmen, and they have wearied thee, then how canst thou contend with horses?
- Give heed to me, O LORD, and hearken to the voice of them that contend with me.
- Hear ye now what the LORD saith: Arise, contend thou before the mountains, and let the hills hear thy voice.
- He will not always contend; neither will He keep His anger for ever.
Trees and pragmatics
Every meaning and example of «contend» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.