---
title: Your mate goes "scary stories need loads of blood and gore or they'r… — Building tension and suspense · tree and pragmatics
description: Your mate goes "scary stories need loads of blood and gore or they're mid." ("Mid" means not very good.) What is the truth? Test 1 · ★★ of lesson 42 «Building tension and suspense» of the English course of Mova's primary school, with the dependency tree and pragmatics of the question and of each opt
---

<!-- md -->
[Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/english/42-building-tension-and-suspense/t1/)

<!-- crumbs -->
[home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [corpora](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/) / [questions](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/) / [English](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/english/) / [Building tension and suspense](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/english/42-building-tension-and-suspense/) / t1

# Test 1 · ★★ · Building tension and suspense

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Your mate goes "scary stories need loads of blood and gore or they're mid." ("Mid" means not very good.) What is the truth?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 4 · **The right answer:** option 2 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** mate, scary stories, stories, Mid, truth · **What happens:** go, need, be, not mean · **To what, where:** loads · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 1 · ★★ of lesson 42 «Building tension and suspense» 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/42-building-tension-and-suspense/#t1).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* Your mate goes "scary stories need loads of blood and gore or they're mid."

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:42-building-tension-and-suspense:t1:1
# text = Your mate goes "scary stories need loads of blood and gore or they're mid."
1	Your	your	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Person=2|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	2	nmod:poss	_	_
2	mate	mate	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	goes	go	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	7	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	scary	scary	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	6	amod	_	_
6	stories	story	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	7	nsubj	_	_
7	need	need	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	ccomp	_	_
8	loads	load	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	7	obj	_	_
9	of	of	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
10	blood	blood	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	nmod	_	_
11	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	12	cc	_	_
12	gore	gore	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	conj	_	_
13	or	or	CCONJ	CC	_	16	cc	_	_
14	they	they	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=3|PronType=Prs	16	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
15	're	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	16	cop	_	_
16	mid	mid	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	7	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
17	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
18	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **go** | present | Your mate |  |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7 «NP V S-Quote»: agent=Agent clause=Topic |
| 2 | **need** *in a quote* | present | scary stories | loads of blood and gore |  |  |  |  | vn want-32.1-1-1 «NP V NP ADV»: agent=Pivot load=Theme |
| 3 | **is** *in a quote* | present | stories *= story* |  |  |  |  | mid *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:* ("Mid" means not very good.)

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:42-building-tension-and-suspense:t1:2
# text = ("Mid" means not very good.)
1	(	(	PUNCT	-LRB-	_	5	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	3	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	Mid	Mid	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	not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	5	advmod	_	_
7	very	very	ADV	RB	_	8	advmod	_	_
8	good	good	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	xcomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	)	)	PUNCT	-RRB-	_	5	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **not** **mean** | present | Mid |  |  |  |  | good *property* | vn intend-61.2-1 «NP V S»: agent=Agent |

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 3:* What is the truth?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:42-building-tension-and-suspense:t1:3
# text = What is the truth?
1	What	what	PRON	WP	PronType=Int	0	root	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	1	cop	_	_
3	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
4	truth	truth	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	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 | the truth |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Stories are only scary if someone dies

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:42-building-tension-and-suspense:t1:o1:1
# text = Stories are only scary if someone dies
1	Stories	story	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	nsubj	_	_
2	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	cop	_	_
3	only	only	ADV	RB	_	4	advmod	_	_
4	scary	scary	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
5	if	if	SCONJ	IN	_	7	mark	_	_
6	someone	someone	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Ind	7	nsubj	_	_
7	dies	die	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	advcl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | Stories |  |  |  |  | scary *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **die** *a condition, not said to happen* | present | someone |  |  |  |  |  | vn calibratable\_cos-45.6.1 «NP.attribute V»: agent=Attribute |

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

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Waiting and hints scare readers more than gore

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:42-building-tension-and-suspense:t1:o2:1
# text = Waiting and hints scare readers more than gore
1	Waiting	wait	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	4	nsubj	_	_
2	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	3	cc	_	_
3	hints	hint	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	1	conj	_	_
4	scare	scare	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
5	readers	reader	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	obj	_	_
6	more	more	ADJ	JJR	Degree=Cmp|ExtPos=ADV	8	advmod	_	_
7	than	than	ADP	IN	_	6	fixed	_	_
8	gore	gore	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	obl	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **wait** | gerund |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn exist-47.1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 2 | **scare** | present |  | readers |  |  |  | gore *obl* | vn amuse-31.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Stimulus reader=Experiencer |

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The more gore, the scarier the story

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:42-building-tension-and-suspense:t1:o3:1
# text = The more gore, the scarier the story
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
2	more	more	ADJ	JJR	Degree=Cmp	3	amod	_	_
3	gore	gore	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	6	punct	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	scarier	scarey	ADJ	JJR	Degree=Cmp	3	acl:relcl	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	story	story	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nsubj	_	_
```

<!-- .note -->
The frames reader finds no event or fact in this sentence.

### Option 4 · ← Mova's choice {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Nothing can make a story scary

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:42-building-tension-and-suspense:t1:o4:1
# text = Nothing can make a story scary
1	Nothing	nothing	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Neg	3	nsubj	_	_
2	can	can	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	3	aux	_	_
3	make	make	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
4	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	story	story	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	_
6	scary	scary	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	xcomp	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **make** | can | Nothing | a story |  |  |  | scary *property* | vn build-26.1-1 «NP.material V NP»: agent=Material story=Product |

<!-- 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 -->

<!-- pn -->
- ← previous: [Describing: senses, showing and precis…, exam 4](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/english/41-describing-senses-showing-and-precise-words/e4/)
- next →: [Building tension and suspense, test 2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/english/42-building-tension-and-suspense/t2/)
- ↑ back to [Building tension and suspense](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/english/42-building-tension-and-suspense/)