English · KS3 Y9 · Analysing Texts

Building tension and pacing

Building tension and pacingFree4:36Heddy Score 3 of 7, below the standard
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What you need to know

  • Withholding information can make readers anticipate what will happen next.
  • A restricted viewpoint limits what readers can discover.
  • Changes in pace and a cliffhanger can delay the resolution of a tense moment.
  • Dramatic irony creates tension when readers know something a character does not.
Heddy Score3/7, Below the standard
See the seven stars
  • Trusted source · passed. The creator's own upload, live and playable here.
  • On the map · not judged yet. A teacher watched it: it mainly teaches this map topic.
  • Spec-true · not judged yet. Accurate, and right for the current UK specification.
  • Focused · passed. One idea, short enough to watch in one go.
  • Accessible · passed. Good captions, clear sound and pictures.
  • Safe for children · not judged yet. Right for 11 to 16 year olds, with no sales pitch.
  • Proven · not judged yet. Earned from our students: they learn from it, find it helpful and watch it to the end.
★ passed · ☆ pending · ✕ failed
Our students

Not enough students yet

Our own students' answers. These are what move ★7 Proven.
On YouTube

3.41M views · 117K likes · TED-Ed 23M subscribers

As reported by YouTube on 2026-11-02. Not part of the Heddy Score.
How the Heddy Score works

Why we picked it

The lesson connects suspense to deliberate choices about information, viewpoint and pacing.

TED-Ed on YouTubechecked 2026-10-18

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