--- title: Closed doors, whispers and secrets — a lesson of Mova's school · trees and pragmatics description: «Closed doors, whispers and secrets», a lesson of the adult life course of Mova's primary school, sentence by sentence with dependency trees and pragmatics. It begins: Sometimes grown-ups close a door, lower their voices or spell out words so children won't understand. --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/adult-life/35-closed-doors-whispers-and-secrets/) [home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [corpora](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/) / [school](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/) / [Adult life](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/adult-life/) / Closed doors, whispers and secrets # Closed doors, whispers and secrets Lesson 35 of the adult life course of Mova's primary school: 15 sentences, each with its syntax tree and pragmatics. The lessons are written for Mova, and their agreed trees are part of Mova corpus 0.4 (CC BY-SA 4.0). How Mova does on its tests: [the lesson at school](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/school-run/adult-life/35-closed-doors-whispers-and-secrets/). - [0](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/adult-life/35-closed-doors-whispers-and-secrets/0/) — Sometimes grown-ups close a door, lower their voices or spell out words so children won't understand. - [1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/adult-life/35-closed-doors-whispers-and-secrets/1/) — It feels as if something big is being hidden, but most of the time it is about money, plans, a relative's problem, a disagreement, or even a nice surprise. - [2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/adult-life/35-closed-doors-whispers-and-secrets/2/) — Grown-ups talk privately first so they can be honest, work things out calmly, and then tell you once, clearly and gently, instead of giving you half-finished worry that might turn out to be nothing. - [5](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/adult-life/35-closed-doors-whispers-and-secrets/5/) — Later Mum explains: Grandpa needs a small operation and they were planning the trip to visit him. - [6](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/adult-life/35-closed-doors-whispers-and-secrets/6/) — Good secrets are about timing, like a surprise party that ends in a happy moment. - [7](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/adult-life/35-closed-doors-whispers-and-secrets/7/) — A secret someone says you must never tell, especially about being touched or hurt, is never OK, and you should tell a trusted adult. - [9](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/adult-life/35-closed-doors-whispers-and-secrets/9/) — A closed kitchen door and low voices mean grown-ups are discussing something they are not ready to share. - [10](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/adult-life/35-closed-doors-whispers-and-secrets/10/) — Listening at the door usually gives you only scary half-pieces; asking «Is everything OK?» later works much better. - [13](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/adult-life/35-closed-doors-whispers-and-secrets/13/) — Some news, like an illness, a job change or a move, is kept back until the grown-ups know more and can explain it properly. - [14](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/adult-life/35-closed-doors-whispers-and-secrets/14/) — A surprise is a happy secret that will be shared soon, and everyone is glad when it comes out. - [15](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/adult-life/35-closed-doors-whispers-and-secrets/15/) — A secret you are told never to tell, especially about touching or being hurt, is not OK, and you should tell a trusted adult. - [16](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/adult-life/35-closed-doors-whispers-and-secrets/16/) — Parents do not always agree, and they usually talk it over and come back with one rule. - [17](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/adult-life/35-closed-doors-whispers-and-secrets/17/) — Asking the other parent after one says no rarely ends well. - [18](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/adult-life/35-closed-doors-whispers-and-secrets/18/) — Grown-ups keep friends' secrets too, so whispering on the phone is often about someone else's private problem. - [19](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/adult-life/35-closed-doors-whispers-and-secrets/19/) — «Go and ask your father» can mean the parent is unsure, wants to decide together, or has no energy left right now. - ← previous: [When grown-ups are tired or worried](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/adult-life/34-when-grown-ups-are-tired-or-worried/) - next →: [Big feelings in big people](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/adult-life/36-big-feelings-in-big-people/) - ↑ back to [Adult life](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/adult-life/)