--- title: Hiding it from friends: being skint at school — a lesson of Mova's school · trees and pragmatics description: «Hiding it from friends: being skint at school», a lesson of the everyday course of Mova's primary school, sentence by sentence with dependency trees and pragmatics. It begins: In Nottingham, Jolene's mates all have the new trainers, and her family is skint (has no spare money). --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/489-hiding-it-from-friends-being-skint-at-school/) [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/) / Hiding it from friends: being skint at… # Hiding it from friends: being skint at school Lesson 489 of the everyday course of Mova's primary school: 39 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/489-hiding-it-from-friends-being-skint-at-school/). - [0](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/489-hiding-it-from-friends-being-skint-at-school/0/) — In Nottingham, Jolene's mates all have the new trainers, and her family is skint (has no spare money). - [2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/489-hiding-it-from-friends-being-skint-at-school/2/) — By Friday she's exhausted: one fib needs another fib, and another. - [3](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/489-hiding-it-from-friends-being-skint-at-school/3/) — True friends don't care much about trainers. - [4](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/489-hiding-it-from-friends-being-skint-at-school/4/) — You don't owe anyone an explanation, but you don't need a lie either: «I've got these ones» is enough. - [5](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/489-hiding-it-from-friends-being-skint-at-school/5/) — Lots of kids feel ashamed of home. - [6](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/489-hiding-it-from-friends-being-skint-at-school/6/) — In Liverpool, Reece lives with his nan in a small house with a ripped sofa, so he never invites his mate Jory back. - [7](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/489-hiding-it-from-friends-being-skint-at-school/7/) — But friends mostly come for the fun, not the furniture. - [8](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/489-hiding-it-from-friends-being-skint-at-school/8/) — When he finally does, Jory says, «Boss, your nan makes the best chips» («boss» is Scouse for great). - [9](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/489-hiding-it-from-friends-being-skint-at-school/9/) — In Doncaster someone shouts, «That's Keeley's old coat, I remember it!» and Lacey snaps, «Mind your own, mardy» («mardy» means moody and grumpy). - [11](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/489-hiding-it-from-friends-being-skint-at-school/11/) — Some kids are cruel about money. - [12](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/489-hiding-it-from-friends-being-skint-at-school/12/) — In London a boy says to Precious, «Saw your mum at the food bank, ha!» and a few kids laugh. - [13](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/489-hiding-it-from-friends-being-skint-at-school/13/) — Precious wants to cry and run; instead she fires back, «So? - [14](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/489-hiding-it-from-friends-being-skint-at-school/14/) — Your mum shops at Poundland, bruv.» That's understandable, but teasing back can make it worse. - [15](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/489-hiding-it-from-friends-being-skint-at-school/15/) — Bullying about money is still bullying, and a teacher must deal with it. - [16](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/489-hiding-it-from-friends-being-skint-at-school/16/) — In Belfast, a girl says, «My dad says people on benefits are lazy.» Megan's mum gets benefits, money from the government, because she looks after Megan's disabled brother all day. - [17](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/489-hiding-it-from-friends-being-skint-at-school/17/) — Megan could say calmly, «My mum cares for my brother. - [18](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/489-hiding-it-from-friends-being-skint-at-school/18/) — That's a full-time job.» - [19](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/489-hiding-it-from-friends-being-skint-at-school/19/) — School can make money show without meaning to. - [20](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/489-hiding-it-from-friends-being-skint-at-school/20/) — After summer, the teacher asks, «Where did everyone go?» Hands go up: Spain, Florida, Cornwall (by the sea in England). - [21](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/489-hiding-it-from-friends-being-skint-at-school/21/) — Ruaridh in Glasgow stays quiet; they've no car and went nowhere. - [22](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/489-hiding-it-from-friends-being-skint-at-school/22/) — But the park, the library and a day at the beach are a summer too. - [23](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/489-hiding-it-from-friends-being-skint-at-school/23/) — In Ohio, a teacher hands Everett a note in front of everyone saying his family owes $12 for school lunches, and he stuffs it in his bag. - [24](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/489-hiding-it-from-friends-being-skint-at-school/24/) — It's not his fault; he should give it to his mom and ask the counsellor about the free lunch form. - [27](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/489-hiding-it-from-friends-being-skint-at-school/27/) — Kindness doesn't need money. - [28](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/489-hiding-it-from-friends-being-skint-at-school/28/) — In Melbourne, Tasha can't afford a birthday present and makes a friendship bracelet; the birthday girl wears it all day. - [29](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/489-hiding-it-from-friends-being-skint-at-school/29/) — In Toronto, Jamal's buddy pays for his hot chocolate at Timmies (Canadian for Tim Hortons café), and Jamal, who can't pay back, starts avoiding him. - [30](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/489-hiding-it-from-friends-being-skint-at-school/30/) — But friends don't keep a bill. - [31](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/489-hiding-it-from-friends-being-skint-at-school/31/) — A thank-you and being a good mate is enough, and next time Jamal can pay back with a favour, a drawing or a laugh. - [32](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/489-hiding-it-from-friends-being-skint-at-school/32/) — Hiding being poor can be exhausting, because one lie usually needs more lies. - [33](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/489-hiding-it-from-friends-being-skint-at-school/33/) — You don't owe anyone an explanation about money, and you don't need a lie: «I've got these ones» is enough. - [34](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/489-hiding-it-from-friends-being-skint-at-school/34/) — Friends mostly care about having fun together, not about the sofa or the size of the house. - [35](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/489-hiding-it-from-friends-being-skint-at-school/35/) — Hand-me-downs are normal and sensible; pointing them out in public is rude. - [36](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/489-hiding-it-from-friends-being-skint-at-school/36/) — Teasing about money is bullying, and schools must deal with it; tell a teacher rather than tease back. - [37](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/489-hiding-it-from-friends-being-skint-at-school/37/) — Benefits are money from the government for people who can't work, don't earn enough, or care for someone full-time; most people on benefits are not lazy. - [38](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/489-hiding-it-from-friends-being-skint-at-school/38/) — Lots of children don't go away in the holidays; days at the park, the library or the beach are a summer too. - [39](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/489-hiding-it-from-friends-being-skint-at-school/39/) — A note about unpaid school lunch money is the family's business, not the child's fault; free lunch forms can help. - [40](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/489-hiding-it-from-friends-being-skint-at-school/40/) — A child can tell a teacher just what they need, like «no computer at home», without telling all the family's business; schools can lend laptops. - [41](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/489-hiding-it-from-friends-being-skint-at-school/41/) — Homemade presents show care and time, and most kids remember who was kind, not what the present cost. - [42](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/489-hiding-it-from-friends-being-skint-at-school/42/) — Friends sometimes pay for each other; you can pay back with a favour, a drawing or being a good mate. - ← previous: [The electric meter, the food bank and «we can't afford it»](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/488-the-electric-meter-the-food-bank-and-we-cant-afford-it/) - next →: [Comfortable families: enough, but not everything](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/490-comfortable-families-enough-but-not-everything/) - ↑ back to [Everyday](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/)