return

«return» in Mova's school dictionary: to come back or go back to a place — 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

verb (return, returns, returned, returning); noun (a return, returns); adjective (return — as in a return ticket)

meaning for a pupil

1) To return is to come back or go back to a place. tree →

2) To return something is to give it back or bring it back. tree →

3) A return is the going back, or the coming back: on her return. tree →

4) A return (ticket, trip) is there and back. tree →

5) Return is also the key on a keyboard for a new line, and money earned back. tree →

6) To return can also mean to answer someone in speech. tree →

sense in the lessons

In maths: coming back on a trip (the way back adds distance) or giving back books, money or things; a return trip doubles a distance (there and back). In everyday life: returning library books, returning a faulty toy to the shop, «many happy returns». In science: a boomerang returns; birds return in spring. In stories: «the hero's return».

examples

• He drove 30 miles to the lake and returned home. tree →
• She returned 4 library books. tree →
• The shop returned $5 to him. tree →
• The return trip took 2 hours. tree →
• Please return your books by Friday. tree →
• The swallows return every spring. tree →
• A boomerang returns to the thrower. tree →
• She bought a return ticket to the city. tree →
• Press return to start a new line. tree →
• "No, sir, by design," returned Aladdin. tree →

note

A return trip often doubles a distance (there and back); things returned to someone are added to them and taken from the giver. Trap: forgetting the way back in a round trip. «Return back» is extra: «return» already means go back. UK «return ticket» = US «round-trip ticket».

In the corpora

• Returning objects to the country they came from is called repatriation.
• He «knew he must return to the larger stage.
• Once a day and once a night I return.
• Telling someone your route and return time means help can start looking for you quickly.
• A borrowed thing should be returned on time and in the same condition.

Trees and pragmatics

Every meaning and example of «return» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.