--- title: Neighbours who don't speak and the friendly shopkeeper — a lesson of Mova's school · trees and pragmatics description: «Neighbours who don't speak and the friendly shopkeeper», a lesson of the everyday course of Mova's primary school, sentence by sentence with dependency trees and pragmatics. It begins: Two old men on Sam's street, Mr Shaw and Mr Kowalski, haven't spoken in eleven years. --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/483-neighbours-who-dont-speak-and-the-friendly-shopkeeper/) [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/) / Neighbours who don't speak and the fri… # Neighbours who don't speak and the friendly shopkeeper Lesson 483 of the everyday course of Mova's primary school: 33 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/483-neighbours-who-dont-speak-and-the-friendly-shopkeeper/). - [0](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/483-neighbours-who-dont-speak-and-the-friendly-shopkeeper/0/) — Two old men on Sam's street, Mr Shaw and Mr Kowalski, haven't spoken in eleven years. - [1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/483-neighbours-who-dont-speak-and-the-friendly-shopkeeper/1/) — They put their bins out at the same minute and look past each other like the other is a lamppost. - [2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/483-neighbours-who-dont-speak-and-the-friendly-shopkeeper/2/) — Sam asks why. - [3](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/483-neighbours-who-dont-speak-and-the-friendly-shopkeeper/3/) — Dad says it was a fence, or a dog, or a parked car: «They probably don't know either, son.» At Mrs Kowalski's funeral, Mr Shaw turns up in his best suit and shakes Mr Kowalski's hand. - [4](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/483-neighbours-who-dont-speak-and-the-friendly-shopkeeper/4/) — Neither speaks for a long moment. - [5](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/483-neighbours-who-dont-speak-and-the-friendly-shopkeeper/5/) — The next week they're on the bench outside the shop, sharing a flask of tea. - [6](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/483-neighbours-who-dont-speak-and-the-friendly-shopkeeper/6/) — Neither ever explains. - [8](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/483-neighbours-who-dont-speak-and-the-friendly-shopkeeper/8/) — On Sam's birthday there's a free lolly: «Ten already? - [9](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/483-neighbours-who-dont-speak-and-the-friendly-shopkeeper/9/) — Where does the time go.» One night his window is smashed and the till stolen. - [10](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/483-neighbours-who-dont-speak-and-the-friendly-shopkeeper/10/) — By nine next morning half the street is there with brooms, a ladder and tea; Big Steve boards the window, Mr Grimshaw sweeps glass, Sam hands out biscuits. - [11](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/483-neighbours-who-dont-speak-and-the-friendly-shopkeeper/11/) — Mr Patel cries with thanks. - [12](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/483-neighbours-who-dont-speak-and-the-friendly-shopkeeper/12/) — When he catches Kieran slipping a chocolate bar into his pocket, he doesn't call the police: «You'll sweep my shop every Saturday for a month, and then we're square» (even). - [13](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/483-neighbours-who-dont-speak-and-the-friendly-shopkeeper/13/) — On the last Saturday he gives Kieran the chocolate bar for free. - [14](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/483-neighbours-who-dont-speak-and-the-friendly-shopkeeper/14/) — Grown-ups can be as silly as Year 3s. - [16](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/483-neighbours-who-dont-speak-and-the-friendly-shopkeeper/16/) — Two dads shout over a parking space outside school, «You weren't, you clown!», and one of them is Kieran's dad. - [17](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/483-neighbours-who-dont-speak-and-the-friendly-shopkeeper/17/) — A teacher moves them along, and Kieran is mortified all day. - [18](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/483-neighbours-who-dont-speak-and-the-friendly-shopkeeper/18/) — You can love someone and still see they got it wrong. - [19](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/483-neighbours-who-dont-speak-and-the-friendly-shopkeeper/19/) — And grumpy and kind can live in one person. - [20](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/483-neighbours-who-dont-speak-and-the-friendly-shopkeeper/20/) — Mrs Platt, who moans about bikes and wind chimes, is first at the door when Sam's dad breaks his leg on the ice, with a casserole and a shovel for the drive. - [21](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/483-neighbours-who-dont-speak-and-the-friendly-shopkeeper/21/) — Mrs Lopez brings Mia's family tamales (steamed corn parcels), wrapped in a tea towel, every Christmas Eve: «Eat them hot, mija» (Spanish for «my girl»). - [22](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/483-neighbours-who-dont-speak-and-the-friendly-shopkeeper/22/) — Pat the lollipop lady says «Lovely weather for ducks, chuck!» on rainy days, for twenty years; when she retires, the whole school makes her a giant card. - [23](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/483-neighbours-who-dont-speak-and-the-friendly-shopkeeper/23/) — The number 9 driver says «Mornin', trouble» to Jake, and one bad day, when Jake is crying, waits an extra minute: «You alright, son?» Jake says he's fine. - [24](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/483-neighbours-who-dont-speak-and-the-friendly-shopkeeper/24/) — He isn't, but someone asked. - [25](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/483-neighbours-who-dont-speak-and-the-friendly-shopkeeper/25/) — Grown-ups can hold grudges for years, sometimes after forgetting what started them. - [26](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/483-neighbours-who-dont-speak-and-the-friendly-shopkeeper/26/) — Silence keeps a feud alive; it is never too late to make up, and sad times sometimes end old feuds. - [27](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/483-neighbours-who-dont-speak-and-the-friendly-shopkeeper/27/) — Friendly faces in your street, like a shopkeeper or a lollipop lady, make a neighbourhood feel safe and kind. - [29](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/483-neighbours-who-dont-speak-and-the-friendly-shopkeeper/29/) — Taking something from a shop without paying is stealing, even if it is only a chocolate bar. - [30](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/483-neighbours-who-dont-speak-and-the-friendly-shopkeeper/30/) — Some grown-ups give second chances; take them and don't waste them. - [31](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/483-neighbours-who-dont-speak-and-the-friendly-shopkeeper/31/) — Grown-up feuds can be as silly as playground ones, and a simple practical fix can end them. - [32](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/483-neighbours-who-dont-speak-and-the-friendly-shopkeeper/32/) — Grown-ups sometimes behave childishly; you can love them and still see they got it wrong. - [33](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/483-neighbours-who-dont-speak-and-the-friendly-shopkeeper/33/) — The same person can be grumpy about small things and very kind when it matters. - [34](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/483-neighbours-who-dont-speak-and-the-friendly-shopkeeper/34/) — Sharing food is an old way of building friendships between families. - [36](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/483-neighbours-who-dont-speak-and-the-friendly-shopkeeper/36/) — A lollipop lady or man helps children cross the road outside school; «chuck» is a Northern word for «dear». - ← previous: [Mum's best friend and Dad's mate from work](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/482-mums-best-friend-and-dads-mate-from-work/) - next →: [Enemies who became friends, and ones who never did](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/484-enemies-who-became-friends-and-ones-who-never-did/) - ↑ back to [Everyday](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/)