---
title: ★★★ "I opened the door. There was nothing there. Then I heard my nam… — Building tension and suspense · tree and pragmatics
description: ★★★ "I opened the door. There was nothing there. Then I heard my name — from behind me." Which two techniques are used? Test 6 · ★★ 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 option;
---

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# Test 6 · ★★ · Building tension and suspense

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
★★★ "I opened the door. There was nothing there. Then I heard my name — from behind me." Which two techniques are used?

<!-- .vintro -->
**Mova's choice:** option 1 · **The right answer:** option 4 · wrong ✗ · **Who acts:** ★ ★ ★, nothing, I, my · **What happens:** open, be, hear, name, technique, use · **To what, where:** door, name, two techniques

<!-- .vabout -->
This is test 6 · ★★ 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/#t6).

## The question {#question}

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* ★★★ "I opened the door.

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:42-building-tension-and-suspense:t6:1
# text = ★★★ "I opened the door.
1	★	★	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	3	compound	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	★	★	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	compound	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	★	★	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nsubj	_	_
4	"	"	PUNCT	``	_	6	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	I	I	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Sing|Person=1|PronType=Prs	6	nsubj	_	_
6	opened	open	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
7	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	door	door	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	6	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **open** *in a quote* | past | ★ ★ ★ | 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:* There was nothing there.

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:42-building-tension-and-suspense:t6:2
# text = There was nothing there.
1	There	there	PRON	EX	PronType=Dem	2	expl	_	_
2	was	be	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	nothing	nothing	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Neg	2	nsubj	_	_
4	there	there	ADV	RB	PronType=Dem	2	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **be** | past | nothing |  |  | there; there |  |  | vn exist-47.1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 3:* Then I heard my name — from behind me."

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:42-building-tension-and-suspense:t6:3
# text = Then I heard my name — from behind me."
1	Then	then	ADV	RB	PronType=Dem	3	advmod	_	_
2	I	I	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Sing|Person=1|PronType=Prs	3	nsubj	_	_
3	heard	hear	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=1|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	my	my	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Sing|Person=1|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	5	nmod:poss	_	_
5	name	name	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	_
6	—	-	PUNCT	:	_	3	punct	_	_
7	from	from	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
8	behind	behind	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
9	me	I	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Number=Sing|Person=1|PronType=Prs	3	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	"	"	PUNCT	''	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **hear** | past | I | my name |  |  | then | from me | vn learn-14-2-1 «NP V NP PP.source»: agent=Agent name=Topic from i=Source |
| 2 | **name** |  | my |  |  |  |  |  | nom name «communication transitive»: poss=agent |

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 4:* Which two techniques are used?

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:42-building-tension-and-suspense:t6:4
# text = Which two techniques are used?
1	Which	which	PRON	WDT	PronType=Rel	3	nsubj	_	_
2	two	two	NUM	CD	NumForm=Word|NumType=Card	3	nummod	_	_
3	techniques	technique	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	nsubj:pass	_	_
4	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	aux:pass	_	_
5	used	use	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	?	?	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **technique** |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **use** | present · passive |  | two techniques |  |  |  |  | vn eat-39.1 «NP V NP»: subject=Patient |

## The options {#options}

### Option 1 · ← Mova's choice {#o1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A fairy-tale opening and a long list of colours

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:42-building-tension-and-suspense:t6:o1:1
# text = A fairy-tale opening and a long list of colours
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	4	det	_	_
2	fairy	fairy	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	compound	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	-	-	PUNCT	HYPH	_	2	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	tale	tale	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
5	opening	open	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	4	acl	_	_
6	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	9	cc	_	_
7	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
8	long	long	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	9	amod	_	_
9	list	list	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	4	conj	_	_
10	of	of	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
11	colours	colour	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	9	nmod	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **open** | gerund | a fairy tale and a long list of colours *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn spatial\_configuration-47.6-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 2 | **list** |  |  | colours |  |  |  |  | nom list «communication transitive»: of=patient |

### Option 2 {#o2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A long list and a rhetorical question

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:42-building-tension-and-suspense:t6:o2:1
# text = A long list and a rhetorical question
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
2	long	long	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	amod	_	_
3	list	list	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
4	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	7	cc	_	_
5	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
6	rhetorical	rhetorical	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	7	amod	_	_
7	question	question	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	conj	_	_
```

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

### Option 3 {#o3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A happy ending and lots of adjectives

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:42-building-tension-and-suspense:t6:o3:1
# text = A happy ending and lots of adjectives
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
2	happy	happy	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	amod	_	_
3	ending	ending	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
4	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	5	cc	_	_
5	lots	lot	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	conj	_	_
6	of	of	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
7	adjectives	adjective	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	nmod	_	_
```

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

### Option 4 · ✓ the right answer {#o4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Short sentences and a held-back surprise

```conllu
# sent_id = question:english:42-building-tension-and-suspense:t6:o4:1
# text = Short sentences and a held-back surprise
1	Short	short	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	2	amod	_	_
2	sentences	sentence	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	0	root	_	_
3	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	8	cc	_	_
4	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
5	held	hold	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	8	amod	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	-	-	PUNCT	HYPH	_	5	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	back	back	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	8	amod	_	_
8	surprise	surprise	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	conj	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **hold** | participle |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn exist-47.1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |

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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.

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