--- title: Why people lie, and what is not a lie — how Mova does on the tests · Everyday description: Lesson 195 of the everyday course of Mova's primary school: 8 of 19 tests right, exam 2 of 4, every question with the options, the student's choice, the right answer and why it chose. --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/school-run/everyday/195-why-people-lie/) [home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [at school](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/school-run/) / [Everyday](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/school-run/everyday/) / 195 # Why people lie, and what is not a lie **Tests:** 8 of 19 right · **Exam:** 2 of 4 right · **Kind:** ★ · **Understood:** 17 of 23 · **Run:** 2026-10-18, commit `f3c23ea72` Lesson 195 of the everyday course of Mova's primary school, as Mova's small model took its tests: it had read this lesson and the ones before it and learned from their exercises. Each test shows the options in the order the student saw them, its choice, the right answer, the score of every option and why it chose. The lesson itself, sentence by sentence with trees and pragmatics: [the lesson in the corpora](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/195-why-people-lie/). Every question of this lesson and each of its options parsed by Mova, with trees and pragmatics: [the lesson's questions in the corpora](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/everyday/195-why-people-lie/). ### Test 1 · ★ · right ✓ {#t1} A girl in Texas tells her class her uncle is a famous astronaut, which is not true, because she wants friends. What would help her most? - **1.** Making her story even more exciting — no support - **2.** Learning that people can like her as she really is — **← Mova's choice** · **✓ the right answer** · score 6 - **3.** Asking the whole class to promise to believe everything she says — no support - **4.** Never talking to anyone at school again — score 2 **Why:** It took the question to ask who or what does it. It chose option 2 with score 6, against 2 for the next best. Its support: lesson 102, line 4: «For example, a girl in Dublin knocks on her brother's door and waits for «come in», just as she would like him to do for her.», reached through the option's own match among the sentences about the question's things. What matched: the same action «like» (+5); the same circumstance (+1); a different doer (counts against) (+1). Against it: a different thing acted on (counts against) (-1). · [the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/everyday/195-why-people-lie/t1/) ### Test 2 · ★ · right ✓ {#t2} Tom hid a broken vase and now has to invent a cat, a storm and an open window to explain it. What does this show? - **1.** Small lies never grow into bigger ones — no support - **2.** Lies are easy to keep going for a long time — no support - **3.** One lie often needs more lies to cover it — **← Mova's choice** · **✓ the right answer** · score 7 - **4.** The cat is the one who should own up — no support **Why:** It took the question to ask what it is done to. It chose option 3 with score 7, the only option with support. Its support: lesson 195, line 4: «Example: a boy in Ohio breaks a window and says «It wasn't me» because he is scared. Now he must invent more lies to cover the first one, and when the truth co…», reached through the remembered sentence the question matched. What matched: its «because» matches the remembered cause (+4); it fills the role the question asks for (+2); a different doer (counts against) (+1). · [the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/everyday/195-why-people-lie/t2/) ### Test 3 · ★ · wrong ✗ {#t3} Which of these is NOT a lie? - **1.** Telling a teacher you were ill when you were not — **← Mova's choice** · no support - **2.** A comedian telling a silly made-up story on stage — **✓ the right answer** · no support - **3.** Saying Dad allowed something when he did not — no support - **4.** Saying you fed the dog when you did not — no support **Why:** No option found support in what it remembers, so it guessed: it took the first option shown. · [the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/everyday/195-why-people-lie/t3/) ### Test 4 · ★ · wrong ✗ {#t4} A boy in Leeds keeps a secret for a friend who has been taking other children's snacks. Why is lying for him a problem? - **1.** The other children will never find out anyway — **← Mova's choice** · no support - **2.** It is fine because friends must always stick together — no support - **3.** Covering up lets the harm go on and drags you in — **✓ the right answer** · no support - **4.** It only matters if the snacks were expensive — no support **Why:** No option found support in what it remembers, so it guessed: it took the first option shown. · [the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/everyday/195-why-people-lie/t4/) ### Test 5 · ★ · wrong ✗ {#t5} Your little cousin, aged three, says she flew to the Moon last night. How should you take it? - **1.** As a sign that she wants to trick you and see if you believe her — **← Mova's choice** · no support - **2.** As imagination, since small children mix up pretend and real — **✓ the right answer** · no support - **3.** As proof that she really can fly — no support - **4.** As a serious lie that must be punished — no support **Why:** No option found support in what it remembers, so it guessed: it took the first option shown. · [the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/everyday/195-why-people-lie/t5/) ### Test 6 · ★ · right ✓ {#t6} A girl says she understood the fractions lesson because she felt embarrassed. What will most likely happen? - **1.** She will get every fractions question right — no support - **2.** The teacher will know anyway and not mind — no support - **3.** She will understand fractions later by magic, without any help at all — score 4 - **4.** She will miss the help she needs with fractions — **← Mova's choice** · **✓ the right answer** · score 6 **Why:** It took the question to ask which statement is true. It chose option 4 with score 6, against 4 for the next best. Its support: lesson 130, line 7: «A girl in Leeds was not invited to a party and everyone talked about it at school; she felt left out for weeks, and the next year the class agreed to give invi…», reached through the same lesson line as the sentence the question matched. What matched: the same doer «girl» (+4); the same action «leave out» (+2). · [the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/everyday/195-why-people-lie/t6/) ### Test 7 · ★ · wrong ✗ {#t7} A boy has told small lies for weeks and now lies without thinking. What can he do? - **1.** Wait for the habit to vanish on its own — no support - **2.** Tell bigger lies so the small ones stop — **← Mova's choice** · score 8 - **3.** Nothing, because once a liar always a liar, and it can't be undone — no support - **4.** Practise small truths; honesty gets easier with practice — **✓ the right answer** · no support **Why:** It took the question to ask what is done. It chose option 2 with score 8, the only option with support. Its support: lesson 195, line 22: «Many lies are told to avoid trouble, but they usually lead to more trouble when found out.», reached through the option's own match among the sentences about the question's things. What matched: the same thing acted on «many lies» (+3); it fills the role the question asks for (+3); the same action «tell» (+2). The right option, 4, found no support in what it remembers. · [the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/everyday/195-why-people-lie/t7/) ### Test 8 · ★ · wrong ✗ {#t8} Which reason makes something a lie? - **1.** Saying a number that is too big — no support - **2.** Wanting someone to believe what you know is false — **✓ the right answer** · no support - **3.** Saying something in a funny voice so that people laugh — **← Mova's choice** · score 6 - **4.** Telling a story at bedtime — no support **Why:** It took the question to ask who or what does it. It chose option 3 with score 6, the only option with support. Its support: lesson 92, line 18: «When a classmate is embarrassed, do not laugh; say something kind or change the subject.», reached through the option's own match among the sentences about the question's things. What matched: the same action «say» (+5); the same thing acted on «something» (+1). The right option, 2, found no support in what it remembers. · [the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/everyday/195-why-people-lie/t8/) ### Test 9 · ★ · right ✓ {#t9} A boy is invited to a party he does not want to go to. Why does he not need to invent an illness? - **1.** An invented illness can never be found out, so it is the kindest way — score 5 - **2.** He can say no politely without giving a reason — **← Mova's choice** · **✓ the right answer** · score 6 - **3.** Parties always need a medical excuse — no support - **4.** Saying no is ruder than any lie — score 6 **Why:** It took the question to ask why something happens (its cause). It chose option 2 with score 6, tied with another option at 6 (the first shown, or the one claiming less beyond what it knows, wins). Its support: lesson 195, line 4: «Example: a boy in Ohio breaks a window and says «It wasn't me» because he is scared. Now he must invent more lies to cover the first one, and when the truth co…», reached through the same lesson line as the sentence the question matched. What matched: the same doer «boy» (+4); the same action «say» (+2). · [the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/everyday/195-why-people-lie/t9/) ### Test 10 · ★ · right ✓ {#t10} broke the lamp, mums gonna kill me lol, should i just hide it - **1.** Hide it, she may never notice it's gone from the shelf — no support - **2.** Glue it and say nothing — no support - **3.** Blame the dog — no support - **4.** Own up early, it makes the trouble smaller — **← Mova's choice** · **✓ the right answer** · score 5 **Why:** It took the question to ask which statement is true. It chose option 4 with score 5, the only option with support. Its support: lesson 195, line 4: «Example: a boy in Ohio breaks a window and says «It wasn't me» because he is scared. Now he must invent more lies to cover the first one, and when the truth co…», reached through the same lesson line as the sentence the question matched. What matched: the same property (+3); the same action «own up» (+2). · [the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/everyday/195-why-people-lie/t10/) ### Test 11 · ★ · wrong ✗ {#t11} my 3 yr old bro says a dragon ate his sock, is he lying? - **1.** No, little kids mix up pretending and what happened — **✓ the right answer** · no support - **2.** Yes, he's a wicked liar — no support - **3.** Yes, socks can't be eaten — **← Mova's choice** · score -3 - **4.** Yes, punish him for lying — no support **Why:** It took the question to ask which statement is true. It chose option 3 with score -3, the only option with support. Its support: lesson 62, line 14: «A dog that eats medicine, a sock or other wrong things may need a vet, so you tell an adult straight away.», reached through the remembered sentence the question matched. What matched: the same thing acted on «medicine» (+2); the same action «eat» (+1). Against it: one says «not», the other does not (counts against) (-6). The right option, 1, found no support in what it remembers. · [the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/everyday/195-why-people-lie/t11/) ### Test 12 · ★ · right ✓ {#t12} told u a million times!! is that a lie - **1.** No, it's exaggeration and everyone knows it's not literal — **← Mova's choice** · **✓ the right answer** · score 5 - **2.** Yes, it wasn't really a million — no support - **3.** Only if you said it angrily — score 4 - **4.** Yes, any number that's wrong is a lie, even if you're just cross — no support **Why:** It took the question to ask which statement is true. It chose option 1 with score 5, against 4 for the next best. Its support: lesson 195, line 3: «Lots of untrue words are not lies at all: a made-up story everyone knows is made up, an actor playing a villain, a little child's pretend dragon, or «I've told…», reached through the same lesson line as the sentence the question matched. What matched: the same doer «everyone» (+4); the same action «know» (+2). Against it: a different thing acted on (counts against) (-1). · [the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/everyday/195-why-people-lie/t12/) ### Test 13 · ★ · wrong ✗ {#t13} dont wanna go to his party, gotta make up an excuse right - **1.** Say you'll come and then don't — **← Mova's choice** · no support - **2.** Yes, say your nan died — no support - **3.** Yes, say you're ill — no support - **4.** No, you can just say thanks, but I can't come — **✓ the right answer** · no support **Why:** No option found support in what it remembers, so it guessed: it took the first option shown. · [the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/everyday/195-why-people-lie/t13/) ### Test 14 · ★ · right ✓ {#t14} gonna say i'm at jack's but really going to the lake - **1.** Tell the truth, if something goes wrong no one knows where you are — **← Mova's choice** · **✓ the right answer** · no support - **2.** Say it then text later — no support - **3.** It's fine, nothing will happen, you're only going for an hour or so — no support - **4.** Tell your little brother only — no support **Why:** No option found support in what it remembers, so it guessed: it took the first option shown. · [the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/everyday/195-why-people-lie/t14/) ### Test 15 · ★ · right ✓ {#t15} why do ppl even lie - **1.** Only bad people lie — no support - **2.** People lie to make others happy every single time, never for themselves — score 3 - **3.** Because lying is always good — no support - **4.** Often to avoid trouble or look good, but it usually backfires — **← Mova's choice** · **✓ the right answer** · score 4 **Why:** It took the question to ask which statement is true. It chose option 4 with score 4, against 3 for the next best. Its support: lesson 195, line 6: «A girl in Leeds lied to avoid trouble about a broken phone; when it came out, her parents trusted her less, and she lost the phone for a month.», reached through a sentence linked to the one the question matched. What matched: the same action «avoid» (+2); the same thing acted on «trouble» (+2). · [the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/everyday/195-why-people-lie/t15/) ### Test 16 · ★ · wrong ✗ {#t16} lied to avoid trouble, now it's worse - **1.** Keep quiet forever — **← Mova's choice** · no support - **2.** Add another lie to cover it — no support - **3.** Tell the truth now, the sooner the better — **✓ the right answer** · no support - **4.** Blame someone else — no support **Why:** No option found support in what it remembers, so it guessed: it took the first option shown. · [the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/everyday/195-why-people-lie/t16/) ### Test 17 · ★ · wrong ✗ {#t17} did u hear Ryan told his mum he was at Ben's but went to the lake, fell in, n they had helicopters out all night!! - **1.** Lying is fine if you're back by tea — no support - **2.** Lakes are safe if you lie well — no support - **3.** Tell adults the truth about where you go; the helicopters may be exaggerated — **✓ the right answer** · score 5 - **4.** Helicopters come for every lie a kid tells — **← Mova's choice** · score 6 **Why:** It took the question to ask which statement is true. It chose option 4 with score 6, against 5 for the next best. Its support: lesson 96, line 5: «A boy in Wellington is asked by his dad to tell his mum the weekend plans; he says kindly, «Dad, I think you and Mum should talk about that», and both parents…», reached through the same lesson line as the sentence the question matched. What matched: the same doer «boy» (+4); the same action «say» (+2). The right option, 3, scored 5. · [the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/everyday/195-why-people-lie/t17/) ### Test 18 · ★ · wrong ✗ {#t18} apparently Mia says she's met a famous footballer like 5 times, she's such a liar, tell everyone - **1.** Tell everyone so she stops — no support - **2.** It must be true, nobody would invent something like that about a footballer — no support - **3.** Make up a bigger story to beat hers — **← Mova's choice** · score 5 - **4.** Don't spread it; people make up stories to be liked, and gossip hurts — **✓ the right answer** · score 5 **Why:** It took the question to ask which statement is true. It chose option 3 with score 5, tied with another option at 5 (the first shown, or the one claiming less beyond what it knows, wins). Its support: lesson 195, line 3: «Lots of untrue words are not lies at all: a made-up story everyone knows is made up, an actor playing a villain, a little child's pretend dragon, or «I've told…», reached through a sentence linked to the one the question matched. What matched: the same action «make up» (+2); the same thing acted on «made story» (+2); a different doer (counts against) (+1). The right option, 4, scored 5. · [the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/everyday/195-why-people-lie/t18/) ### Test 19 · ★ · wrong ✗ {#t19} my brother's mate says his little sister told everyone a dragon lives in their shed lol, she's a liar right - **1.** No; very young children mix up pretend and real, it's imagination — **✓ the right answer** · no support - **2.** She should be punished for lying — no support - **3.** Yes, she's telling a wicked lie — no support - **4.** Dragons might really live in sheds — **← Mova's choice** · score 4 **Why:** It took the question to ask which statement is true. It chose option 4 with score 4, the only option with support. Its support: lesson 93, line 5: «A girl in Vancouver is bored on a rainy Saturday with no screens; she builds a blanket den, reads a comic inside it, and by lunchtime she has written a story a…», reached through the option's own match among the sentences about the question's things. What matched: the same action «live» (+3); the same doer «dragon» (+1). The right option, 1, found no support in what it remembers. · [the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/everyday/195-why-people-lie/t19/) ### Exam question 1 · formal language · right ✓ {#e1} Which of the following statements most accurately characterises a lie? - **1.** Saying anything untrue, whether or not anyone is being fooled — no support - **2.** Saying what one knows is false in order to make someone believe it — **← Mova's choice** · **✓ the right answer** · score 9 - **3.** Telling a story or acting in a play that everyone knows — no support - **4.** Exaggerating, as in "I've told you a million times" — score 8 **Why:** It took the question to ask who or what does it. It chose option 2 with score 9, against 8 for the next best. Its support: lesson 195, line 13: «Saying «Mum said I could» when she did not is a trick to make a lie hard to argue with, so check with the adult yourself.», reached through a sentence linked to the one the question matched. What matched: it fills the role the question asks for (+3); the same doer «saying» (+2); the same light verb (be, have, do, get, go) (+2); its «because» matches the remembered cause (+2). · [the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/everyday/195-why-people-lie/e1/) ### Exam question 2 · formal language · wrong ✗ {#e2} Identify the most common reason for which people tell lies. - **1.** A habit of telling stories — no support - **2.** A wish to make others happy — **← Mova's choice** · score 4 - **3.** Boredom during the day — no support - **4.** Fear of being punished — **✓ the right answer** · no support **Why:** It took the question to ask which statement is true. It chose option 2 with score 4, the only option with support. Its support: lesson 93, line 19: «A feelings diary helps you notice what makes you happy or upset.», reached through the option's own match among the sentences about the question's things. What matched: the same action «make» (+3); a different thing acted on (counts against) (+1). The right option, 4, found no support in what it remembers. · [the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/everyday/195-why-people-lie/e2/) ### Exam question 3 · formal language · right ✓ {#e3} It is given that a person has told a lie to escape trouble. Determine the course of action that usually keeps the trouble smallest. - **1.** Keeping silent forever — no support - **2.** Owning up early — **← Mova's choice** · **✓ the right answer** · score 5 - **3.** Adding further lies — no support - **4.** Blaming another person — score 4 **Why:** It took the question to ask which statement is true. It chose option 2 with score 5, against 4 for the next best. Its support: lesson 195, line 4: «Example: a boy in Ohio breaks a window and says «It wasn't me» because he is scared. Now he must invent more lies to cover the first one, and when the truth co…», reached through the same lesson line as the sentence the question matched. What matched: the same property (+3); the same action «own up» (+2). · [the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/everyday/195-why-people-lie/e3/) ### Exam question 4 · formal language · wrong ✗ {#e4} Select the response consistent with the established facts concerning loyalty to a friend. - **1.** It means always covering for them, whatever they have done — score 0 - **2.** It means lying for them only when an adult is asking — **← Mova's choice** · score 4 - **3.** It does not mean lying for them, since cover-ups let harm go on — **✓ the right answer** · score 4 - **4.** It means repeating whatever story the friend has told — score 4 **Why:** It took the question to ask which statement is true. It chose option 2 with score 4, tied with another option at 4 (the first shown, or the one claiming less beyond what it knows, wins). Its support: lesson 195, line 14: «Loyalty to a friend does not mean lying for them; covering up can let harm go on and drags you into the trouble.», reached through the option's own match among the sentences about the question's things. What matched: the same action «lie» (+3); the same doer «loyalty» (+1). The right option, 3, scored 4. · [the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/questions/everyday/195-why-people-lie/e4/) - ← previous: [130. Birthday parties](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/school-run/everyday/130-birthday-parties/) - next →: [196. White lies and kind silence](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/school-run/everyday/196-white-lies-and-kind-silence/) - ↑ back to [Everyday](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/school-run/everyday/)