Chapter 3 of A Battle of the Books, Recorded by an Unknown Writer for the Use is here in full — 419 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter III
Chapter 3 of A Battle of the Books, Recorded by an Unknown Writer for the Use is here in full — 419 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
MR. DANE TO M. N., AUGUST 14. "How foolish in you to expect Mr. Hunt to make you any such proposition. He never will, though Mr. Edwards seems sure he will. What do you care when he called?
Chapter 3 of A Battle of the Books, Recorded by an Unknown Writer for the Use is here in full — 419 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/83 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
These definitions explain words found in the current reading and keep every example grounded in its original sentence.
Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, and audio.
the month following July and preceding September
From this reading “DANE TO M. N., AUGUST 14.”
a native or inhabitant of Denmark
From this reading “DANE TO M. N., AUGUST 14.”
American theologian whose sermons and writings stimulated a period of renewed interest in religion in America (1703-1758)
From this reading “He never will, though Mr. Edwards seems sure he will.”
regard something as probable or likely
From this reading “"How foolish in you to expect Mr. Hunt to make you any such proposition.”
devoid of good sense or judgment
From this reading “"How foolish in you to expect Mr. Hunt to make you any such proposition.”
pursue for food or sport (as of wild animals)
From this reading “"How foolish in you to expect Mr. Hunt to make you any such proposition.”
(logic) a statement that affirms or denies something and is either true or false
From this reading “"How foolish in you to expect Mr. Hunt to make you any such proposition.”
third-person singular of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading “He never will, though Mr. Edwards seems sure he will.”
English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.
Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.
Every word in these five lines is listed here, and every one of them can be played on its own.
Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading DANE TO M. N., AUGUST 14.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading "How foolish in you to expect Mr. Hunt to make you any such proposition.
the month following July and preceding September
From this reading DANE TO M. N., AUGUST 14.
past form of “call” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading What do you care when he called?
the work of providing treatment for or attending to someone or something
From this reading What do you care when he called?
a native or inhabitant of Denmark
From this reading DANE TO M. N., AUGUST 14.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading What do you care when he called?
American theologian whose sermons and writings stimulated a period of renewed interest in religion in America (1703-1758)
From this reading He never will, though Mr. Edwards seems sure he will.
regard something as probable or likely
From this reading "How foolish in you to expect Mr. Hunt to make you any such proposition.
devoid of good sense or judgment
From this reading "How foolish in you to expect Mr. Hunt to make you any such proposition.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He never will, though Mr. Edwards seems sure he will.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "How foolish in you to expect Mr. Hunt to make you any such proposition.
pursue for food or sport (as of wild animals)
From this reading "How foolish in you to expect Mr. Hunt to make you any such proposition.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "How foolish in you to expect Mr. Hunt to make you any such proposition.
the basic unit of length adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites (approximately 1.094 yards)
From this reading DANE TO M. N., AUGUST 14.
engage in
From this reading "How foolish in you to expect Mr. Hunt to make you any such proposition.
a form of address for a man
From this reading MR.
a common nonmetallic element that is normally a colorless odorless tasteless inert diatomic gas; constitutes 78 percent of the atmosphere by volume; a constituent of all living tissues
From this reading DANE TO M. N., AUGUST 14.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading He never will, though Mr. Edwards seems sure he will.
(logic) a statement that affirms or denies something and is either true or false
From this reading "How foolish in you to expect Mr. Hunt to make you any such proposition.
third-person singular of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading He never will, though Mr. Edwards seems sure he will.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading "How foolish in you to expect Mr. Hunt to make you any such proposition.
having or feeling no doubt or uncertainty; confident and assured
From this reading He never will, though Mr. Edwards seems sure he will.
in spite of the fact that
From this reading He never will, though Mr. Edwards seems sure he will.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading DANE TO M. N., AUGUST 14.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading What do you care when he called?
at the time that
From this reading What do you care when he called?
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading He never will, though Mr. Edwards seems sure he will.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "How foolish in you to expect Mr. Hunt to make you any such proposition.
Chapter 3 of A Battle of the Books, Recorded by an Unknown Writer for the Use by Gail Hamilton holds 419 sentences, grouped into 84 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the source edition, unabridged, and the chapter records which sentences cover which part of the work so that nothing is dropped. Every word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry.
Chapter 3 holds 419 sentences of A Battle of the Books, Recorded by an Unknown Writer for the Use, unabridged, divided into 84 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 3 of A Battle of the Books, Recorded by an Unknown Writer for the Use by Gail Hamilton exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 419 sentences, grouped into 84 sections of at most 5 sentences so that a reader can take the chapter in steady, finishable pieces. The chapter also stores a coverage record mapping every one of its sentences to a part of the work, which is how the edition demonstrates that no line was dropped.
Work through the 84 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 84 sections in this chapter is short enough to read once, hear once, and then re-read with the vocabulary in view. Tapping a word plays it alone and opens its dictionary entry with IPA, part of speech and meaning, so the reader is never forced to guess a pronunciation from spelling. Working section by section keeps a long chapter from becoming an undifferentiated wall of text, which is the usual reason a reader abandons a work of this period.
Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 3 can be played aloud in United States English.
Audio covers the whole chapter: any sentence can be played, and any single word within it can be played on its own. The voice uses United States English. For a work of this period that matters, because spelling is an unreliable guide to pronunciation for vocabulary that has fallen out of daily use, and a learner who guesses wrong tends to keep the error. Hearing the word in its own sentence, and then alone, settles it.
Common questions about reading A Battle of the Books, Recorded by an Unknown Writer for the Use by Gail Hamilton on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 2994 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #54380 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #54380, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 249 minutes of reading across 599 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through A Battle of the Books, Recorded by an Unknown Writer for the Use section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 7 chapters of A Battle of the Books, Recorded by an Unknown Writer for the Use to begin.
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Words and structures a reader meets early in A Battle of the Books, Recorded by an Unknown Writer for the Use, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
