---
title: Freya writes a whole story in the present: "I open the door. A fox s… — Tense consistency and verb forms · tree and pragmatics
description: Freya writes a whole story in the present: "I open the door. A fox stares at me." Is that allowed? Test 3 · ★ of lesson 31 «Tense consistency and verb forms» of the English course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of each option; Mova's choice was 
---

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# Test 3 · ★ · Tense consistency and verb forms

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Freya writes a whole story in the present: "I open the door. A fox stares at me." Is that allowed?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 2 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** Freya, I, fox · **What happens:** write, open, stare, allow · **To what, where:** whole story, present, door, that

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 3 · ★ of lesson 31 «Tense consistency and verb forms» of the English course of Mova's primary school. The page gives the question's syntax tree — a dependency tree in the style of Universal Dependencies — and its pragmatics clause by clause, then the 4 options as the student saw them, each with its tree and pragmatics. Every text is parsed by Mova itself. How the student answered it, with the score of every option and why: [the test at school](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/school-run/english/31-tense-consistency-and-verb-forms/#t3).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* Freya writes a whole story in the present: "I open the door.

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:31-tense-consistency-and-verb-forms:t3:1
# text = Freya writes a whole story in the present: "I open the door.
1	Freya	Freya	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	2	nsubj	_	_
2	writes	write	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
4	whole	whole	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	amod	_	_
5	story	story	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
6	in	in	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	present	present	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	:	:	PUNCT	:	_	12	punct	_	_
10	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	12	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	I	I	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Sing|Person=1|PronType=Prs	12	nsubj	_	_
12	open	open	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=1|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	2	conj	_	_
13	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	14	det	_	_
14	door	door	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	12	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
15	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **write** | present | Freya | a whole story |  | the present |  |  | vn scribble-25.2-1 «NP V NP PP.destination»: agent=Agent story=Theme in present=Destination |
| 2 | **open** *in a quote* | present | I | the door |  |  |  |  | vn spatial\_configuration-47.6-1 «PP.location V NP»: agent=Location door=Theme |

<!-- .note -->
One row per clause the reader finds. «not said here»: a role filled from the clause above. «roles by»: a VerbNet class and frame when one fits the verb, else the reader's rules on the tree.

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 2:* A fox stares at me."

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:31-tense-consistency-and-verb-forms:t3:2
# text = A fox stares at me."
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	fox	fox	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	stares	stare	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	at	at	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
5	me	I	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Number=Sing|Person=1|PronType=Prs	3	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **stare** | present | a fox |  |  |  |  | at me | vn peer-30.3 «NP V PP.theme»: agent=Agent at i=Theme |

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 3:* Is that allowed?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:31-tense-consistency-and-verb-forms:t3:3
# text = Is that allowed?
1	Is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	aux:pass	_	_
2	that	that	PRON	DT	Number=Sing|PronType=Dem	3	nsubj:pass	_	_
3	allowed	allow	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **allow** | present · passive |  | that |  |  |  |  | vn allow-64.1-1 «NP V NP»: subject=Beneficiary |

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 · ← Mova's choice {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Yes, but only if a fox is in it

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:31-tense-consistency-and-verb-forms:t3:o1:1
# text = Yes, but only if a fox is in it
1	Yes	yes	INTJ	UH	Polarity=Pos	7	discourse	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	1	punct	_	_
3	but	but	CCONJ	CC	_	7	cc	_	_
4	only	only	ADV	RB	_	7	advmod	_	_
5	if	if	SCONJ	IN	_	7	mark	_	_
6	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	fox	fox	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
8	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	7	cop	_	_
9	in	in	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
10	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	7	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present |  | a fox |  |  |  | in fox | tree rules |

### Option 2 · ✓ the right answer {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Yes, a story can be in the present if it stays there

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:31-tense-consistency-and-verb-forms:t3:o2:1
# text = Yes, a story can be in the present if it stays there
1	Yes	yes	INTJ	UH	Polarity=Pos	9	discourse	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	1	punct	_	_
3	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	story	story	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	nsubj	_	_
5	can	can	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	9	aux	_	_
6	be	be	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	9	cop	_	_
7	in	in	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	present	present	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
10	if	if	SCONJ	IN	_	12	mark	_	_
11	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	12	nsubj	_	_
12	stays	stay	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	9	advcl	_	_
13	there	there	ADV	RB	PronType=Dem	12	advmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | can | a story |  |  | the present |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **stay** *a condition, not said to happen* | present | story |  |  | there |  |  | vn exist-47.1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
No, every story must be in the past tense

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:31-tense-consistency-and-verb-forms:t3:o3:1
# text = No, every story must be in the past tense
1	No	no	INTJ	UH	Polarity=Neg	10	discourse	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	1	punct	_	_
3	every	every	DET	DT	PronType=Tot	4	det	_	_
4	story	story	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	nsubj	_	_
5	must	must	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	10	aux	_	_
6	be	be	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	10	cop	_	_
7	in	in	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
9	past	past	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	10	amod	_	_
10	tense	tense	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | must | every story |  |  | the past tense |  |  | tree rules |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
No, the present is only for diaries and texts

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:31-tense-consistency-and-verb-forms:t3:o4:1
# text = No, the present is only for diaries and texts
1	No	no	INTJ	UH	Polarity=Neg	8	discourse	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	1	punct	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	present	present	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	nsubj	_	_
5	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	8	cop	_	_
6	only	only	ADV	RB	_	8	advmod	_	_
7	for	for	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
8	diaries	diary	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	0	root	_	_
9	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	10	cc	_	_
10	texts	text	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	8	conj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | the present |  |  |  |  | for diaries and texts | tree rules |

<!-- div src -->

**Text:** the tests of Mova's primary school, written for Mova (`world/data/school/`), as the course runner gave them to the student. **Trees:** Mova's own parse — the `en` model on the CPU, when the site is built — not checked by a teacher; they may be wrong. **Frames:** Mova's frames reader (`prag`), each text read on its own. Elamur Cosmic License.

<!-- /div -->

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