What does suspense mean?
Word: Suspense
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Suspense means the uneasy, keyed-up feeling of waiting to find out what will happen.
How do you spell suspense?
Syllables: sus - pense
Tricky part: The ending is se, not ce: suspence is the slip almost everyone makes.
Watch out for: suspence, suspens
Memory tip: Rinse and suspense both finish with se: picture rinsing the c away, so none is left at the end.
Suspense in a sentence
Example 1: The last over of the match was full of suspense.
Example 2: Rohan kept his friends in suspense about his birthday plans.
Example 3: The quiz final ended in suspense, with both teams level.
Fun Fact
Writers build suspense with a cliffhanger, a name usually traced to old adventure serials in which an episode ended with the hero hanging from a cliff.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Cookie
Find the misspelt word in the sentence:
The commentator's voice rose with suspanse as the batter faced the final ball with four runs needed to win.
a) commentator's
b) batter
c) final
d) suspanse
Show answer
d) suspanse. The vowel after the p is e, as in pen.
Word Connection
Choose the antonym of the word suspense as used in the sentence:
The film kept us in suspense right up to the last scene.
a) excitement
b) certainty
c) tension
d) anxiety
Show answer
b) certainty. Certainty means knowing for sure what will happen, the opposite of suspense; tension, anxiety and excitement are all part of it.
Mingle-Mangle
The sentence hides a jumbled word. Choose the word:
The quiz host waited a long moment before the answer to build eupsssne.
a) suspense
b) suspend
c) sunspots
d) expense
Show answer
a) suspense. Suspend has a d, expense an x, and sunspots an o and a t; only suspense uses three s's and two e's.
Spell-o-Spell
One word below is spelt right. Choose the meaning of that word.
1. advenchure 2. suspense 3. surpise 4. mystry
a) an unusual and daring experience
b) something strange that has not been explained
c) a tense wait to learn how something turns out
d) something you did not expect
Show answer
c) a tense wait to learn how something turns out. Mystery has an e before the r, adventure has ture, and surprise has an r before the p.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. A writer could build suspense in a story by mentioning ____.
a) a list of the characters' names
b) a locked box that no one has opened yet
c) a map of the town at the front
d) the title printed on the front cover
Show answer
b) a locked box that no one has opened yet
2. A story full of suspense makes readers ____.
a) bored by the second page
b) unsure of the title
c) eager to turn the page
d) sleepy before bedtime
Show answer
c) eager to turn the page
