---
title: A Gen Z cousin says "Starting with the plot twist is lowkey iconic."… — Openings that hook the reader · tree and pragmatics
description: A Gen Z cousin says "Starting with the plot twist is lowkey iconic." ("Lowkey" means a bit secretly, "iconic" means amazing.) What technique is that? Test 10 · ★ of lesson 40 «Openings that hook the reader» of the English course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of th
---

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# Test 10 · ★ · Openings that hook the reader

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A Gen Z cousin says "Starting with the plot twist is lowkey iconic." ("Lowkey" means a bit secretly, "iconic" means amazing.) What technique is that?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 1 · right ✓ · **Who acts:** Z cousin, Starting, Lowkey, iconic, technique · **What happens:** say, start, be, mean · **To what, where:** bit · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 10 · ★ of lesson 40 «Openings that hook the reader» 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/40-openings-that-hook-the-reader/#t10).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* A Gen Z cousin says "Starting with the plot twist is lowkey iconic."

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:40-openings-that-hook-the-reader:t10:1
# text = A Gen Z cousin says "Starting with the plot twist is lowkey iconic."
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
2	Gen	gen	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	compound	_	_
3	Z	z	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	compound	_	_
4	cousin	cousin	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj	_	_
5	says	say	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
6	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	7	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	Starting	start	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	14	csubj	_	_
8	with	with	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
9	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
10	plot	plot	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	11	compound	_	_
11	twist	twist	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obl	_	_
12	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	14	cop	_	_
13	lowkey	lowkey	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	14	amod	_	_
14	iconic	iconic	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	ccomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
15	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	14	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
16	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	14	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **say** *speech: assert* | present | a Z cousin |  |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **start** *in a quote* | gerund |  |  |  |  |  | with the plot twist | vn begin-55.1-1-1 «NP V PP.subeventuality»: agent=Eventuality with twist=Subeventuality |
| 3 | **is** *in a quote* | present | Starting |  |  |  |  | iconic *property* | tree rules |

<!-- .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:* ("Lowkey" means a bit secretly, "iconic" means amazing.)

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:40-openings-that-hook-the-reader:t10:2
# text = ("Lowkey" means a bit secretly, "iconic" means amazing.)
1	(	(	PUNCT	-LRB-	_	5	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	3	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	Lowkey	Lowkey	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	5	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	3	punct	_	_
5	means	mean	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
6	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	bit	bit	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obj	_	_
8	secretly	secretly	ADV	RB	_	7	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	13	punct	_	_
10	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	11	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	iconic	iconic	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	13	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	11	punct	_	_
13	means	mean	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	conj	_	_
14	amazing	amazing	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	13	xcomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
15	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
16	)	)	PUNCT	-RRB-	_	5	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **mean** | present | Lowkey | a bit |  |  |  |  | vn intend-61.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent bit=Topic |
| 2 | **mean** | present | iconic |  |  |  |  | amazing *property* | vn intend-61.2-1 «NP V S»: agent=Agent |

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 3:* What technique is that?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:40-openings-that-hook-the-reader:t10:3
# text = What technique is that?
1	What	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	0	root	_	_
2	technique	technique	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	nsubj	_	_
3	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	1	cop	_	_
4	that	that	PRON	DT	Number=Sing|PronType=Dem	1	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	1	punct	_	_
```

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

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 · ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Starting in the middle of the action

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:40-openings-that-hook-the-reader:t10:o1:1
# text = Starting in the middle of the action
1	Starting	start	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	_
2	in	in	ADP	IN	_	4	case	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	middle	middle	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obl	_	_
5	of	of	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	action	action	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **start** | gerund |  |  |  | the middle of the action |  |  | vn begin-55.1-1-1 «NP.eventuality V»: agent=Eventuality |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Starting with "Dear diary" and the date

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:40-openings-that-hook-the-reader:t10:o2:1
# text = Starting with "Dear diary" and the date
1	Starting	start	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	_
2	with	with	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
3	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	5	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	Dear	dear	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	amod	_	_
5	diary	diary	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	5	punct	_	_
7	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	9	cc	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	date	date	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	conj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **start** | gerund |  |  |  |  |  | with Dear diary and the date | vn begin-55.1-1-1 «NP V PP.subeventuality»: agent=Eventuality with diary=Subeventuality |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Starting with a fairy-tale line

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:40-openings-that-hook-the-reader:t10:o3:1
# text = Starting with a fairy-tale line
1	Starting	start	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	_
2	with	with	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
3	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
4	fairy	fairy	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	compound	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	-	-	PUNCT	HYPH	_	4	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	tale	tale	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	compound	_	_
7	line	line	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **start** | gerund |  |  |  |  |  | with a tale line | vn begin-55.1-1-1 «NP V PP.subeventuality»: agent=Eventuality with line=Subeventuality |

### Option 4 {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Starting with a long list of the weather

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:40-openings-that-hook-the-reader:t10:o4:1
# text = Starting with a long list of the weather
1	Starting	start	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	0	root	_	_
2	with	with	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
3	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
4	long	long	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	amod	_	_
5	list	list	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obl	_	_
6	of	of	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	weather	weather	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **start** | gerund |  |  |  |  |  | with a long list of the weather | vn begin-55.1-1-1 «NP V PP.subeventuality»: agent=Eventuality with list=Subeventuality |
| 2 | **list** |  |  | the weather |  |  |  |  | nom list «communication transitive»: of=patient |

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**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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