true
part of speech
adjective (true, truer, truest); adverb (true); noun (out of true — not straight)
meaning for a pupil
1) True means right and real, agreeing with the facts, not false or made up. tree →
2) A true friend is a loyal friend who stays with you. tree →
3) True also means real and correct: a true story, a true copy. tree →
4) Come true means really happen: my wish came true. tree →
5) True means straight or exact: the shelf is not true. tree →
6) (casual) «True» or «tru» alone means I agree; «so true» means very much agreed; «true that» is slang for yes. tree →
7) (casual) «Is that true?», «for real?» and «no cap» (slang: no lie) ask or promise that something is not made up. tree →
8) (formal) «Accurate», «correct», «valid», «consistent with the facts» and «it holds that» are stiff words for true. tree →
9) True can also mean honestly or truthfully, as in "tell me true." tree →
sense in the lessons
In maths: a statement that is correct; problems ask which statement is true or check «true or false»; it must be true in every part. In science: an idea is checked by tests to see if it is true. In life: telling the truth. In casual talk: «true», «so true», «right?» invite you to agree — check before you do. In the exam voice: «Which of the following statements is consistent with the established facts?», «Select the valid statement». Phrases: true or false, come true, a true story, true friend, it is true that, hold true, true to his word.
examples
- Is 7 + 5 = 12 true or false? tree →
- Which statement is true? tree →
- It is true that 3 × 4 = 12. tree →
- Write true or false for each sum. tree →
- The film is based on a true story. tree →
- Her dream came true. tree →
- A true friend helps you when things are hard. tree →
- Is it true that bats are blind? No, it is a myth. tree →
- Mia reckons plants eat soil to grow. true? — No, plants make their food from light, air and water. (casual, wrong claim) tree →
- «Maths is easier than spelling.» «True.» (casual) tree →
- Is it true you told her I cheated? You liar. (rough) tree →
- Which of the following statements is consistent with the established facts concerning the boiling point of water at sea level? (formal exam) tree →
note
Noun «truth»; adverb «truly». Opposite: false. Asks to check a statement, not to compute a new number. Trap: a statement must be true in every part. Trap: «not true» is the same as false. Trap: a confident speaker («right?», «innit?», «everyone knows») does not make a claim true — check the facts. Formal «valid», «accurate», «consistent with the facts» = true.
In the corpora
- Not everything you see is true: some stories and videos are made up or edited on purpose to fool people.
- It is fun, but a lot of it is a small true thing with a big made-up story wrapped round it.
- Three questions stop most cruel gossip: is it true, is it kind, is it needed?
- Before passing something on, ask: is it true, is it kind, is it needed?
- Surprising does not mean false, and it does not mean true either: it means check.
Trees and pragmatics
Every meaning and example of «true» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.