--- title: What a real friend is — a lesson of Mova's school · trees and pragmatics description: «What a real friend is», a lesson of the everyday course of Mova's primary school, sentence by sentence with dependency trees and pragmatics. It begins: Sam's dad asks, «So what makes a real friend?» Sam thinks of Jake turning up with Monster Munch for a rematch, Tom swapping sleeping bags for Kiera --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/485-what-a-real-friend-is/) [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/) / What a real friend is # What a real friend is Lesson 485 of the everyday course of Mova's primary school: 34 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/485-what-a-real-friend-is/). - [0](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/485-what-a-real-friend-is/0/) — Sam's dad asks, «So what makes a real friend?» Sam thinks of Jake turning up with Monster Munch for a rematch, Tom swapping sleeping bags for Kieran, Mr Grimshaw with his tomatoes. - [1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/485-what-a-real-friend-is/1/) — He writes a list: turns up, keeps secrets, says sorry and means it, is the same in front of everyone. - [2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/485-what-a-real-friend-is/2/) — He sticks it inside his wardrobe door. - [3](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/485-what-a-real-friend-is/3/) — A real friend is shown by what they do, not by what they say. - [4](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/485-what-a-real-friend-is/4/) — Knowing who isn't a friend matters too. - [5](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/485-what-a-real-friend-is/5/) — Lily lists the people who make her feel small: Grace, Bella, queen\_slay. - [6](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/485-what-a-real-friend-is/6/) — «I don't need any of you.» She still says hello to Grace and Bella, but stops trying to please them. - [7](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/485-what-a-real-friend-is/7/) — Kieran still doesn't like Jake, but he's seen him stand up for Sam and give back a ball that wasn't his: «He's alright, I s'pose. - [8](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/485-what-a-real-friend-is/8/) — Still a wasteman.» They nod in the corridor, and that's enough. - [9](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/485-what-a-real-friend-is/9/) — You don't have to be friends to treat someone with respect. - [10](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/485-what-a-real-friend-is/10/) — Some lessons were learned the hard way. - [11](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/485-what-a-real-friend-is/11/) — Connor plays online every Friday now, but only with school friends and his cousin, chat set to friends only; ShadowWolf feels like a lifetime ago. - [12](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/485-what-a-real-friend-is/12/) — Mia remembers her first day in Ohio, pretending to read the fire notice by the wall; now, when a new girl comes, she walks straight over: «Hey, wanna play four square? - [13](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/485-what-a-real-friend-is/13/) — We need one more.» The new girl's face lights up exactly like Mia's did. - [14](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/485-what-a-real-friend-is/14/) — And two years late, Jake catches Sam at the bike shed: «That time I told the team you were scared of the dark. - [15](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/485-what-a-real-friend-is/15/) — That was proper out of order. - [16](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/485-what-a-real-friend-is/16/) — Sorry, mate.» «Yeah, it was. - [17](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/485-what-a-real-friend-is/17/) — Cheers, though.» They ride home together. - [18](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/485-what-a-real-friend-is/18/) — Real friendships take many shapes. - [19](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/485-what-a-real-friend-is/19/) — Maddie in Perth and Lily at home are still best friends a year on; their calls are shorter, but Maddie still says «beanbag day» on the anniversary and Lily still eats a biscuit for it. - [22](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/485-what-a-real-friend-is/22/) — «obvs. bingo ladies.» Sam's dog Scout waits at the door at 3.40 every day, tail going like a windscreen wiper on full. - [24](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/485-what-a-real-friend-is/24/) — No footballs near it.» - [25](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/485-what-a-real-friend-is/25/) — A real friend turns up when it matters, keeps your secrets, says sorry and means it, and is the same in public and in private. - [26](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/485-what-a-real-friend-is/26/) — Friendship is shown by what people do, more than by what they say. - [27](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/485-what-a-real-friend-is/27/) — Frenemies and people who make you feel small can be let go; being polite to them is enough. - [28](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/485-what-a-real-friend-is/28/) — You can respect someone without being their friend. - [29](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/485-what-a-real-friend-is/29/) — Pets can be real friends, and they need looking after in return. - [30](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/485-what-a-real-friend-is/30/) — Remembering how it felt to be new helps you be the one who invites someone in. - [31](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/485-what-a-real-friend-is/31/) — Playing online only with people you know in real life, with friends-only settings, keeps you safe. - [32](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/485-what-a-real-friend-is/32/) — A proper sorry names what you did, and even a late one can heal. - [33](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/485-what-a-real-friend-is/33/) — Distance doesn't end a real friendship; small rituals and regular calls keep it alive. - [35](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/485-what-a-real-friend-is/35/) — An enemy can become a friend, sometimes because of one small kind act. - [36](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/485-what-a-real-friend-is/36/) — Respecting an animal's space, like a growly dog's, is a kind of friendship too. - [37](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/485-what-a-real-friend-is/37/) — «S'pose» means suppose, «obvs» means obviously, and «cheers» can mean thanks. - ← previous: [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/) - next →: [Every family is different](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/486-every-family-is-different/) - ↑ back to [Everyday](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/)