--- title: Phone calls, visiting, thank-you notes, interrupting and quiet places — a lesson of Mova's school · trees and pragmatics description: «Phone calls, visiting, thank-you notes, interrupting and quiet places», a lesson of the everyday course of Mova's primary school, sentence by sentence with dependency trees and pragmatics. It begins: Good manners are mostly about noticing other people: what they own, what they feel and what they ar --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/297-calls-visits-thank-yous-and-quiet-places/) [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/) / [Everyday](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/) / Phone calls, visiting, thank-you notes… # Phone calls, visiting, thank-you notes, interrupting and quiet places Lesson 297 of the everyday course of Mova's primary school: 28 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/everyday/297-calls-visits-thank-yous-and-quiet-places/). - [0](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/297-calls-visits-thank-yous-and-quiet-places/0/) — Good manners are mostly about noticing other people: what they own, what they feel and what they are trying to do. - [1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/297-calls-visits-thank-yous-and-quiet-places/1/) — A friend's house, a cinema, a museum or a place of worship each has its own way of showing that respect. - [2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/297-calls-visits-thank-yous-and-quiet-places/2/) — When you visit a friend, you are a guest. - [3](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/297-calls-visits-thank-yous-and-quiet-places/3/) — Stay in the rooms you are invited into, leave cupboards closed, and help tidy up any mess you made before you go, so the house is left as you found it. - [4](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/297-calls-visits-thank-yous-and-quiet-places/4/) — A present is someone's time, thought and money. - [5](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/297-calls-visits-thank-yous-and-quiet-places/5/) — Saying thank you soon tells the giver it arrived safely and that you liked it. - [6](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/297-calls-visits-thank-yous-and-quiet-places/6/) — A short message is fine for small things, but a handwritten card for a big gift shows real effort and is often kept. - [7](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/297-calls-visits-thank-yous-and-quiet-places/7/) — Example: a boy in Denver wants to tell his mum something while she talks to a neighbour. - [8](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/297-calls-visits-thank-yous-and-quiet-places/8/) — He waits for a pause, or rests his hand gently on her arm so she knows he is waiting. - [9](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/297-calls-visits-thank-yous-and-quiet-places/9/) — If it really cannot wait, he says "Excuse me" first. - [10](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/297-calls-visits-thank-yous-and-quiet-places/10/) — In quiet places, your noise or touch can spoil things for others: rustling wrappers in a film, running in a mosque, touching an old painting, or chatting at a funeral. - [11](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/297-calls-visits-thank-yous-and-quiet-places/11/) — If a number you do not know calls or messages you, let a parent answer or ignore it, because unknown callers can be scammers. - [12](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/297-calls-visits-thank-yous-and-quiet-places/12/) — At a friend's house, stay in the rooms you are invited into; other rooms and cupboards are private. - [13](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/297-calls-visits-thank-yous-and-quiet-places/13/) — If you made a mess while playing at someone's house, help tidy up before you go home. - [14](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/297-calls-visits-thank-yous-and-quiet-places/14/) — When a present arrives by post, phone, message or write soon so the giver knows it arrived and that you liked it. - [15](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/297-calls-visits-thank-yous-and-quiet-places/15/) — For birthday or holiday presents, write a short thank-you note or card to each giver within a week or two. - [16](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/297-calls-visits-thank-yous-and-quiet-places/16/) — An email or message is fine to thank someone for small things, but a handwritten card means more for big gifts. - [17](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/297-calls-visits-thank-yous-and-quiet-places/17/) — To get a parent's attention while they talk, wait for a pause or put your hand gently on their arm and wait. - [18](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/297-calls-visits-thank-yous-and-quiet-places/18/) — If you really have to interrupt, say "Excuse me" or "Sorry to interrupt" first. - [19](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/297-calls-visits-thank-yous-and-quiet-places/19/) — At the cinema, eat quietly and do not rustle wrappers, because noise spoils the film for others. - [20](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/297-calls-visits-thank-yous-and-quiet-places/20/) — In a church, mosque, synagogue, temple or gurdwara (a Sikh place of worship), speak quietly, do not run, and follow its rules, such as covering your head or taking off your shoes. - [21](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/297-calls-visits-thank-yous-and-quiet-places/21/) — During a service, sit quietly, stand or sit when others do if you are comfortable, and take no photos unless allowed. - [22](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/297-calls-visits-thank-yous-and-quiet-places/22/) — In a museum or gallery, walk calmly and do not touch exhibits unless a sign says you may, because many are old and fragile. - [23](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/297-calls-visits-thank-yous-and-quiet-places/23/) — At a funeral or memorial, dress neatly, stay quiet and follow the family's lead, because people are sad. - [24](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/297-calls-visits-thank-yous-and-quiet-places/24/) — A boy in New York picked up a call from an unknown number and told the caller his address and that his parents were out; his mum was very worried and they told the police. - [25](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/297-calls-visits-thank-yous-and-quiet-places/25/) — A girl in Wales opened her friend's mum's cupboard while visiting and broke a precious vase; she had not been invited in there, and her friend was not allowed to have visitors for a while. - [27](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/297-calls-visits-thank-yous-and-quiet-places/27/) — Unknown numbers are best answered by a parent, or not at all. - [28](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/297-calls-visits-thank-yous-and-quiet-places/28/) — If a caller asks whether your parents are home, never say you are alone; say they can't come to the phone, hang up and tell them. - ← previous: [Greetings, goodbyes, please and thank you, and table manners](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/296-greetings-goodbyes-and-table-manners/) - next →: [Compliments, respecting differences and disabilities](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/298-compliments-differences-and-disabilities/) - ↑ back to [Everyday](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/)