Watch and Wait
Watch and Wait by Oliver Optic is available here as the complete text, split into 582 reading sections of 5 sentences, each with audio and tap-to-define vocabulary.
Watch and Wait by Oliver Optic. Complete source text from Project Gutenberg eBook #28038.
Course Syllabus
This syllabus gives direct access to every published chapter and its complete sequence of five-line English readings.
Watch and Wait
Select a chapter to continue in the Cinema Lecture Hall with line-by-line English learning.
0 of 569 original contextual illustrations are live; remaining readings use the book cover while their artwork is reviewed.
- Chapter I Chapter 1
- Chapter II Chapter 2
- Chapter III Chapter 3
- Chapter IV Chapter 4
- Chapter V Chapter 5
- Chapter VI Chapter 6
- Chapter VII Chapter 7
- Chapter VIII Chapter 8
- Chapter IX Chapter 9
- Chapter X Chapter 10
- Chapter XI Chapter 11
- Chapter XII Chapter 12
- Chapter XIII Chapter 13
- Chapter XIV Chapter 14
- Chapter XV Chapter 15
- Chapter XVI Chapter 16
- Chapter XVII Chapter 17
- Chapter XVIII Chapter 18
- Chapter XIX Chapter 19
- Chapter XX Chapter 20
- Chapter XXI Chapter 21
- Chapter XXII Chapter 22
- Chapter XXIII Chapter 23
- Chapter XXIV Chapter 24
This edition of Watch and Wait by Oliver Optic carries the complete text of Project Gutenberg eBook #28038, divided into 24 chapters and 582 reading sections of 5 sentences each. Every sentence of the source is kept, and each chapter records which sentences cover which part of the story. Any word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry, and each section carries a contextual illustration generated from the passage itself.
Where can I read Watch and Wait in full?
The complete text of Watch and Wait is here, taken from Project Gutenberg eBook #28038 and divided into 582 sections.
This page carries the whole of Watch and Wait by Oliver Optic, not an abridgement or a summary. The text comes from Project Gutenberg eBook #28038, with the Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence removed so that only the work itself remains. It runs to 2908 sentences across 24 chapters. Each chapter stores a record of which sentences cover which part of the work, so nothing is quietly dropped between the source edition and the page you read.
How is Watch and Wait divided for reading?
Watch and Wait is presented in 24 chapters, each split into sections of 5 sentences for steady reading.
Rather than presenting Watch and Wait as unbroken pages, the text is grouped into 582 sections of 5 sentences each. A section is short enough to hold in mind at once, which suits a reader working in a second language or returning to a long work in short sittings. The 24 chapters follow the divisions of the source edition, and each section carries a contextual illustration drawn from the passage it accompanies rather than a stock image.
Can I hear Watch and Wait read aloud?
Yes. Every sentence and every individual word of Watch and Wait can be played aloud, and each word shows its dictionary entry.
Every sentence of Watch and Wait can be played aloud, and so can any single word within it. Tapping a word plays it on its own and opens its dictionary entry, with the pronunciation shown in IPA alongside the part of speech and meaning. The reading voice uses United States English. This matters most for a work of this period, where a reader meets vocabulary and turns of phrase that are no longer in daily use and cannot be guessed reliably from spelling alone.
Questions about reading Watch and Wait
Common questions about reading Watch and Wait by Oliver Optic on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Is this the complete text of Watch and Wait?
Yes. All 2908 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #28038 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Which edition of Watch and Wait is used?
Project Gutenberg eBook #28038, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
How long does Watch and Wait take to read?
About 242 minutes of reading across 582 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to read Watch and Wait section by section
How to work through Watch and Wait section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
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Open a chapter
Choose one of the 24 chapters of Watch and Wait to begin.
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Read one section
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
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Listen and tap
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Vocabulary met early in Watch and Wait
Words and structures a reader meets early in Watch and Wait, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
- Plantation
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of Watch and Wait; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Redlawn
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of Watch and Wait; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Summer
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of Watch and Wait; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Evening
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of Watch and Wait; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.