Chapter 4 of A call is here in full — 923 sentences across 185 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IV
Chapter 4 of A call is here in full — 923 sentences across 185 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
I “OH no,” the specialist said, “I don’t see what purpose it would serve, your telling his wife exactly what happened. I prefer, indeed, that you should not. No doubt it was the shock of hearing the voice on the telephone that actually induced the state of mind. But to know the fact doesn’t help us--it doesn’t help us towards the cure. All we can do is to wait.
Chapter 4 of A call is here in full — 923 sentences across 185 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/184 · 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.
in actual fact
From this reading “No doubt it was the shock of hearing the voice on the telephone that actually induced the state of mind.”
provide a cure for, make healthy again
From this reading “But to know the fact doesn’t help us--it doesn’t help us towards the cure.”
brought about or caused; not spontaneous
From this reading “No doubt it was the shock of hearing the voice on the telephone that actually induced the state of mind.”
like better; value more highly
From this reading “I prefer, indeed, that you should not.”
serve a purpose, role, or function
From this reading “I “OH no,” the specialist said, “I don’t see what purpose it would serve, your telling his wife exactly what happened.”
the feeling of distress and disbelief that you have when something bad happens accidentally
From this reading “No doubt it was the shock of hearing the voice on the telephone that actually induced the state of mind.”
an expert who is devoted to one occupation or branch of learning
From this reading “I “OH no,” the specialist said, “I don’t see what purpose it would serve, your telling his wife exactly what happened.”
electronic equipment that converts sound into electrical signals that can be transmitted over distances and then converts received signals back into sounds
From this reading “No doubt it was the shock of hearing the voice on the telephone that actually induced the state of mind.”
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.
in actual fact
From this reading No doubt it was the shock of hearing the voice on the telephone that actually induced the state of mind.
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading All we can do is to wait.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But to know the fact doesn’t help us--it doesn’t help us towards the cure.
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading All we can do is to wait.
provide a cure for, make healthy again
From this reading But to know the fact doesn’t help us--it doesn’t help us towards the cure.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading All we can do is to wait.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But to know the fact doesn’t help us--it doesn’t help us towards the cure.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I “OH no,” the specialist said, “I don’t see what purpose it would serve, your telling his wife exactly what happened.
the state of being unsure of something
From this reading No doubt it was the shock of hearing the voice on the telephone that actually induced the state of mind.
indicating exactness or preciseness
From this reading I “OH no,” the specialist said, “I don’t see what purpose it would serve, your telling his wife exactly what happened.
a piece of information about circumstances that exist or events that have occurred
From this reading But to know the fact doesn’t help us--it doesn’t help us towards the cure.
past form of “happen” — come to pass
From this reading I “OH no,” the specialist said, “I don’t see what purpose it would serve, your telling his wife exactly what happened.
(law) a proceeding (usually by a court) where evidence is taken for the purpose of determining an issue of fact and reaching a decision based on that evidence
From this reading No doubt it was the shock of hearing the voice on the telephone that actually induced the state of mind.
give help or assistance; be of service
From this reading But to know the fact doesn’t help us--it doesn’t help us towards the cure.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading I “OH no,” the specialist said, “I don’t see what purpose it would serve, your telling his wife exactly what happened.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I “OH no,” the specialist said, “I don’t see what purpose it would serve, your telling his wife exactly what happened.
in truth (often tends to intensify)
From this reading I prefer, indeed, that you should not.
brought about or caused; not spontaneous
From this reading No doubt it was the shock of hearing the voice on the telephone that actually induced the state of mind.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading All we can do is to wait.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading I “OH no,” the specialist said, “I don’t see what purpose it would serve, your telling his wife exactly what happened.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading But to know the fact doesn’t help us--it doesn’t help us towards the cure.
The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.
From this reading No doubt it was the shock of hearing the voice on the telephone that actually induced the state of mind.
not any; not one
From this reading I “OH no,” the specialist said, “I don’t see what purpose it would serve, your telling his wife exactly what happened.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading I prefer, indeed, that you should not.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading No doubt it was the shock of hearing the voice on the telephone that actually induced the state of mind.
a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region
From this reading I “OH no,” the specialist said, “I don’t see what purpose it would serve, your telling his wife exactly what happened.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading No doubt it was the shock of hearing the voice on the telephone that actually induced the state of mind.
like better; value more highly
From this reading I prefer, indeed, that you should not.
an anticipated outcome that is intended or that guides your planned actions
From this reading I “OH no,” the specialist said, “I don’t see what purpose it would serve, your telling his wife exactly what happened.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading I “OH no,” the specialist said, “I don’t see what purpose it would serve, your telling his wife exactly what happened.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading I “OH no,” the specialist said, “I don’t see what purpose it would serve, your telling his wife exactly what happened.
serve a purpose, role, or function
From this reading I “OH no,” the specialist said, “I don’t see what purpose it would serve, your telling his wife exactly what happened.
the feeling of distress and disbelief that you have when something bad happens accidentally
From this reading No doubt it was the shock of hearing the voice on the telephone that actually induced the state of mind.
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading I prefer, indeed, that you should not.
an expert who is devoted to one occupation or branch of learning
From this reading I “OH no,” the specialist said, “I don’t see what purpose it would serve, your telling his wife exactly what happened.
the territory occupied by one of the constituent administrative districts of a nation
From this reading No doubt it was the shock of hearing the voice on the telephone that actually induced the state of mind.
electronic equipment that converts sound into electrical signals that can be transmitted over distances and then converts received signals back into sounds
From this reading No doubt it was the shock of hearing the voice on the telephone that actually induced the state of mind.
disclosing unintentionally something concealed
From this reading I “OH no,” the specialist said, “I don’t see what purpose it would serve, your telling his wife exactly what happened.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading I prefer, indeed, that you should not.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading I “OH no,” the specialist said, “I don’t see what purpose it would serve, your telling his wife exactly what happened.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading But to know the fact doesn’t help us--it doesn’t help us towards the cure.
in the direction of
From this reading But to know the fact doesn’t help us--it doesn’t help us towards the cure.
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading But to know the fact doesn’t help us--it doesn’t help us towards the cure.
the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading No doubt it was the shock of hearing the voice on the telephone that actually induced the state of mind.
stay in one place and anticipate or expect something
From this reading All we can do is to wait.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading No doubt it was the shock of hearing the voice on the telephone that actually induced the state of mind.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading All we can do is to wait.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading I “OH no,” the specialist said, “I don’t see what purpose it would serve, your telling his wife exactly what happened.
a married woman; a man's partner in marriage
From this reading I “OH no,” the specialist said, “I don’t see what purpose it would serve, your telling his wife exactly what happened.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading I “OH no,” the specialist said, “I don’t see what purpose it would serve, your telling his wife exactly what happened.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading I prefer, indeed, that you should not.
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading I “OH no,” the specialist said, “I don’t see what purpose it would serve, your telling his wife exactly what happened.
Chapter 4 of A call by Ford Madox Ford holds 923 sentences, grouped into 185 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 4 holds 923 sentences of A call, unabridged, divided into 185 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 4 of A call by Ford Madox Ford exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 923 sentences, grouped into 185 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 185 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 185 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 4 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 call by Ford Madox Ford on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3411 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #71529 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #71529, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 284 minutes of reading across 683 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through A call section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 5 chapters of A call 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 call, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
