--- title: The only child: a quiet house — a lesson of Mova's school · trees and pragmatics description: «The only child: a quiet house», a lesson of the everyday course of Mova's primary school, sentence by sentence with dependency trees and pragmatics. It begins: An only child is a child with no brothers or sisters. --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/498-the-only-child-a-quiet-house/) [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/) / The only child: a quiet house # The only child: a quiet house Lesson 498 of the everyday course of Mova's primary school: 32 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/498-the-only-child-a-quiet-house/). - [0](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/498-the-only-child-a-quiet-house/0/) — An only child is a child with no brothers or sisters. - [1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/498-the-only-child-a-quiet-house/1/) — In Dorset, Esme lets herself in at 3:45 and Dad, a postman, is home at 4. - [2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/498-the-only-child-a-quiet-house/2/) — For fifteen minutes the house is so quiet she can hear the fridge hum. - [3](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/498-the-only-child-a-quiet-house/3/) — She puts the radio on «so it's not spooky». - [4](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/498-the-only-child-a-quiet-house/4/) — She is half proud to be trusted with a key and half creeped out. - [5](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/498-the-only-child-a-quiet-house/5/) — A short time alone is fine at 9 or 10 if it's short, a grown-up is close by, and there is a plan: who to call, who not to open the door to. - [6](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/498-the-only-child-a-quiet-house/6/) — If being alone scares you, say so. - [7](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/498-the-only-child-a-quiet-house/7/) — Only children often fill the quiet with imagination. - [8](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/498-the-only-child-a-quiet-house/8/) — On a farm in Donegal, two miles from the nearest kid, Ruairí kicks a ball against the barn wall for an hour, doing the commentary himself: «And Ruairí scores AGAIN, the crowd goes mental!» He's having great craic (Irish for fun), but on wet days it gets lonely. - [9](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/498-the-only-child-a-quiet-house/9/) — In Aberdeen, Nell has invented two brothers, Rab and Tam, who get blamed for every mess. - [11](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/498-the-only-child-a-quiet-house/11/) — Mum plays along: «Tell Rab tae hoover, then.» Imaginary brothers and friends are common and healthy. - [12](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/498-the-only-child-a-quiet-house/12/) — Every kind of family has good bits and hard bits. - [15](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/498-the-only-child-a-quiet-house/15/) — The grass always looks greener on the other side. - [18](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/498-the-only-child-a-quiet-house/18/) — Only children often grow up around grown-ups. - [19](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/498-the-only-child-a-quiet-house/19/) — In Montreal, Jules goes to grown-up dinners and chats easily about hockey and politics, but at recess kids his age seem loud and silly, and he feels left out. - [20](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/498-the-only-child-a-quiet-house/20/) — Being silly with friends is a skill too, and a team or club helps. - [23](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/498-the-only-child-a-quiet-house/23/) — Being close is lovely, but Mum's feelings are Mum's job; Tamsin's job is being a kid. - [24](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/498-the-only-child-a-quiet-house/24/) — In Brooklyn, Desmond comes home with a key on a lanyard, microwaves pasta and does homework at the counter; his mom texts «u good?» and he sends a thumbs-up. - [26](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/498-the-only-child-a-quiet-house/26/) — On holiday in Spain, Kwabena from Croydon is the only kid in his family; Mum and Dad want to read by the pool. - [27](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/498-the-only-child-a-quiet-house/27/) — By day two he's teamed up with two German kids using hand signals: only children often learn to make friends fast. - [28](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/498-the-only-child-a-quiet-house/28/) — And in Vancouver, when Hiroshi's mom asks if he wants a brother or sister, he says, «Nah, I'd have to share my Switch.» Then at bedtime: «Would they be younger?» Mixed feelings are normal, and the decision is the parents'. - [29](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/498-the-only-child-a-quiet-house/29/) — An only child is a child with no brothers or sisters. - [30](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/498-the-only-child-a-quiet-house/30/) — A short time alone after school can be fine at 9 or 10 if it is short, a grown-up is close and there are clear rules. - [31](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/498-the-only-child-a-quiet-house/31/) — A good plan for being home alone says who to call and who you may open the door to. - [32](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/498-the-only-child-a-quiet-house/32/) — If being alone scares you, it is fine to tell your parents and ask for an after-school club instead. - [33](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/498-the-only-child-a-quiet-house/33/) — Only children often invent games, voices and imaginary siblings; this is common and healthy. - [34](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/498-the-only-child-a-quiet-house/34/) — Every family set-up has good bits and hard bits; kids from big and small families often envy each other. - [35](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/498-the-only-child-a-quiet-house/35/) — «Spoilt only child» is a stereotype; many only children do plenty of chores. - [36](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/498-the-only-child-a-quiet-house/36/) — Only children often spend lots of time with adults, so they may talk like adults and find silly play harder at first. - [37](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/498-the-only-child-a-quiet-house/37/) — Only children often learn to make friends fast, because they want a playmate. - [38](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/498-the-only-child-a-quiet-house/38/) — A child and a parent on their own can be very close, but a parent's feelings are the parent's job. - [39](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/498-the-only-child-a-quiet-house/39/) — It is normal to both want and not want a brother or sister; the decision belongs to the parents. - ← previous: [Tired, sad or drinking parents: tell a trusted adult](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/497-tired-sad-or-drinking-parents-tell-a-trusted-adult/) - next →: [The only child: all the attention and wanting a sibling](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/499-the-only-child-all-the-attention-and-wanting-a-sibling/) - ↑ back to [Everyday](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/)