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A Changed Man, and Other Tales
A Changed Man, and Other Tales

Chapter XXXI · Chapter 31

Chapter 31 of A Changed Man, and Other Tales is here in full — 75 sentences across 15 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for A Changed Man, and Other Tales
Context Illustration Reading 1/15 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Kindly time had withdrawn the foregoing event three days from the present of Baptista Heddegan.
It was ten o'clock in the morning; she had been ill, not in an ordinary or definite sense, but in a state of cold stupefaction, from which it was difficult to arouse her so much as to say a few sentences.
When questioned she had replied that she was pretty well.
Their trip, as such, had been something of a failure.
They had gone on as far as Falmouth, but here he had given way to her entreaties to return home.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

A Changed Man, and Other Tales

Chapter XXXI · Chapter 31

Chapter 31 of A Changed Man, and Other Tales is here in full — 75 sentences across 15 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/15 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Kindly time had withdrawn the foregoing event three days from the present of Baptista Heddegan.
Line 2
It was ten o'clock in the morning; she had been ill, not in an ordinary or definite sense, but in a state of cold stupefaction, from which it was difficult to arouse her so much as to say a few sentences.
Line 3
When questioned she had replied that she was pretty well.
/wen ˈkwestʃənd ʃiː hæd rɪˈplaɪd ðæt ʃiː wɑːz ˈprɪti wel/
Line 4
Their trip, as such, had been something of a failure.
/ðer trɪp æz sʌtʃ hæd bɪn ˈsʌmθɪŋ ʌv ə ˈfeɪljər/
Line 5
They had gone on as far as Falmouth, but here he had given way to her entreaties to return home.

Learner Dictionary

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.

arouse verb US /ərˈaʊz/

call forth (emotions, feelings, and responses)

From this reading “It was ten o'clock in the morning; she had been ill, not in an ordinary or definite sense, but in a state of cold stupefaction, from which it was difficult to arouse her so much as to say a few sentences.”

definite adjective US /ˈdefənət/

precise; explicit and clearly defined

From this reading “It was ten o'clock in the morning; she had been ill, not in an ordinary or definite sense, but in a state of cold stupefaction, from which it was difficult to arouse her so much as to say a few sentences.”

entreaties noun US /enˈtriːtiz/

plural of “entreaty” — earnest or urgent request

From this reading “They had gone on as far as Falmouth, but here he had given way to her entreaties to return home.”

failure noun US /ˈfeɪljər/

an act that fails

From this reading “Their trip, as such, had been something of a failure.”

foregoing adjective US /fɔːrˈɡoʊɪŋ/

especially of writing or speech; going before

From this reading “Kindly time had withdrawn the foregoing event three days from the present of Baptista Heddegan.”

questioned verb US /ˈkwestʃənd/

past form of “question” — challenge the accuracy, probity, or propriety of

From this reading “When questioned she had replied that she was pretty well.”

sentences noun US /ˈsentənsəz/

plural of “sentence” — a string of words satisfying the grammatical rules of a language

From this reading “It was ten o'clock in the morning; she had been ill, not in an ordinary or definite sense, but in a state of cold stupefaction, from which it was difficult to arouse her so much as to say a few sentences.”

withdrawn adjective US /wɪθˈdrɔːn/

withdrawn from society; seeking solitude

From this reading “Kindly time had withdrawn the foregoing event three days from the present of Baptista Heddegan.”

All words in this reading · 68

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.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading It was ten o'clock in the morning; she had been ill, not in an ordinary or definite sense, but in a state of cold stupefaction, from which it was difficult to arouse her so much as to say a few sentences.

andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading It was ten o'clock in the morning; she had been ill, not in an ordinary or definite sense, but in a state of cold stupefaction, from which it was difficult to arouse her so much as to say a few sentences.

arouseverbUS /ərˈaʊz/

call forth (emotions, feelings, and responses)

From this reading It was ten o'clock in the morning; she had been ill, not in an ordinary or definite sense, but in a state of cold stupefaction, from which it was difficult to arouse her so much as to say a few sentences.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading It was ten o'clock in the morning; she had been ill, not in an ordinary or definite sense, but in a state of cold stupefaction, from which it was difficult to arouse her so much as to say a few sentences.

Baptista

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Kindly time had withdrawn the foregoing event three days from the present of Baptista Heddegan.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading It was ten o'clock in the morning; she had been ill, not in an ordinary or definite sense, but in a state of cold stupefaction, from which it was difficult to arouse her so much as to say a few sentences.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading It was ten o'clock in the morning; she had been ill, not in an ordinary or definite sense, but in a state of cold stupefaction, from which it was difficult to arouse her so much as to say a few sentences.

coldadjectiveUS /koʊld/

having a low or inadequate temperature or feeling a sensation of coldness or having been made cold by e.g. ice or refrigeration

From this reading It was ten o'clock in the morning; she had been ill, not in an ordinary or definite sense, but in a state of cold stupefaction, from which it was difficult to arouse her so much as to say a few sentences.

daysnounUS /deɪz/

the time during which someone's life continues

From this reading Kindly time had withdrawn the foregoing event three days from the present of Baptista Heddegan.

definiteadjectiveUS /ˈdefənət/

precise; explicit and clearly defined

From this reading It was ten o'clock in the morning; she had been ill, not in an ordinary or definite sense, but in a state of cold stupefaction, from which it was difficult to arouse her so much as to say a few sentences.

difficultadjectiveUS /ˈdɪfəkəlt/

not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure

From this reading It was ten o'clock in the morning; she had been ill, not in an ordinary or definite sense, but in a state of cold stupefaction, from which it was difficult to arouse her so much as to say a few sentences.

entreatiesnounUS /enˈtriːtiz/

plural of “entreaty” — earnest or urgent request

From this reading They had gone on as far as Falmouth, but here he had given way to her entreaties to return home.

eventnounUS /ɪˈvent/

something that happens at a given place and time

From this reading Kindly time had withdrawn the foregoing event three days from the present of Baptista Heddegan.

failurenounUS /ˈfeɪljər/

an act that fails

From this reading Their trip, as such, had been something of a failure.

Falmouth

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading They had gone on as far as Falmouth, but here he had given way to her entreaties to return home.

faradverbUS /fɑːr/

to a considerable degree; very much

From this reading They had gone on as far as Falmouth, but here he had given way to her entreaties to return home.

fewadjectiveUS /fjuː/

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number

From this reading It was ten o'clock in the morning; she had been ill, not in an ordinary or definite sense, but in a state of cold stupefaction, from which it was difficult to arouse her so much as to say a few sentences.

foregoingadjectiveUS /fɔːrˈɡoʊɪŋ/

especially of writing or speech; going before

From this reading Kindly time had withdrawn the foregoing event three days from the present of Baptista Heddegan.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading Kindly time had withdrawn the foregoing event three days from the present of Baptista Heddegan.

givenadjectiveUS /ˈɡɪvən/

acknowledged as a supposition

From this reading They had gone on as far as Falmouth, but here he had given way to her entreaties to return home.

goneadjectiveUS /ɡɔːn/

destroyed or killed

From this reading They had gone on as far as Falmouth, but here he had given way to her entreaties to return home.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading Kindly time had withdrawn the foregoing event three days from the present of Baptista Heddegan.

hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading They had gone on as far as Falmouth, but here he had given way to her entreaties to return home.

Heddegan

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Kindly time had withdrawn the foregoing event three days from the present of Baptista Heddegan.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading It was ten o'clock in the morning; she had been ill, not in an ordinary or definite sense, but in a state of cold stupefaction, from which it was difficult to arouse her so much as to say a few sentences.

hereadverbUS /hiːr/

in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is

From this reading They had gone on as far as Falmouth, but here he had given way to her entreaties to return home.

homenounUS /hoʊm/

where you live at a particular time

From this reading They had gone on as far as Falmouth, but here he had given way to her entreaties to return home.

illadjectiveUS /ɪl/

affected by an impairment of normal physical or mental function

From this reading It was ten o'clock in the morning; she had been ill, not in an ordinary or definite sense, but in a state of cold stupefaction, from which it was difficult to arouse her so much as to say a few sentences.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading It was ten o'clock in the morning; she had been ill, not in an ordinary or definite sense, but in a state of cold stupefaction, from which it was difficult to arouse her so much as to say a few sentences.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It was ten o'clock in the morning; she had been ill, not in an ordinary or definite sense, but in a state of cold stupefaction, from which it was difficult to arouse her so much as to say a few sentences.

KindlyadjectiveUS /ˈkaɪndli/

showing or motivated by sympathy and understanding and generosity

From this reading Kindly time had withdrawn the foregoing event three days from the present of Baptista Heddegan.

morningnounUS /ˈmɔːrnɪŋ/

the time period between dawn and noon

From this reading It was ten o'clock in the morning; she had been ill, not in an ordinary or definite sense, but in a state of cold stupefaction, from which it was difficult to arouse her so much as to say a few sentences.

muchadverbUS /mʌtʃ/

to a great degree or extent

From this reading It was ten o'clock in the morning; she had been ill, not in an ordinary or definite sense, but in a state of cold stupefaction, from which it was difficult to arouse her so much as to say a few sentences.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading It was ten o'clock in the morning; she had been ill, not in an ordinary or definite sense, but in a state of cold stupefaction, from which it was difficult to arouse her so much as to say a few sentences.

o'clockadverbUS /əˈklɑːk/

according to the clock

From this reading It was ten o'clock in the morning; she had been ill, not in an ordinary or definite sense, but in a state of cold stupefaction, from which it was difficult to arouse her so much as to say a few sentences.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Kindly time had withdrawn the foregoing event three days from the present of Baptista Heddegan.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading They had gone on as far as Falmouth, but here he had given way to her entreaties to return home.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading It was ten o'clock in the morning; she had been ill, not in an ordinary or definite sense, but in a state of cold stupefaction, from which it was difficult to arouse her so much as to say a few sentences.

ordinarynounUS /ˈɔːrdəneri/

a judge of a probate court

From this reading It was ten o'clock in the morning; she had been ill, not in an ordinary or definite sense, but in a state of cold stupefaction, from which it was difficult to arouse her so much as to say a few sentences.

presentverbUS /ˈprezənt/

give an exhibition of to an interested audience

From this reading Kindly time had withdrawn the foregoing event three days from the present of Baptista Heddegan.

prettyadjectiveUS /ˈprɪti/

pleasing by delicacy or grace; not imposing

From this reading When questioned she had replied that she was pretty well.

questionedverbUS /ˈkwestʃənd/

past form of “question” — challenge the accuracy, probity, or propriety of

From this reading When questioned she had replied that she was pretty well.

repliedverbUS /rɪˈplaɪd/

inflected form of “reply” — react verbally

From this reading When questioned she had replied that she was pretty well.

returnverbUS /rɪˈtɜːrn/

go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before

From this reading They had gone on as far as Falmouth, but here he had given way to her entreaties to return home.

sayverbUS /seɪ/

express in words

From this reading It was ten o'clock in the morning; she had been ill, not in an ordinary or definite sense, but in a state of cold stupefaction, from which it was difficult to arouse her so much as to say a few sentences.

sensenounUS /sens/

a general conscious awareness

From this reading It was ten o'clock in the morning; she had been ill, not in an ordinary or definite sense, but in a state of cold stupefaction, from which it was difficult to arouse her so much as to say a few sentences.

sentencesnounUS /ˈsentənsəz/

plural of “sentence” — a string of words satisfying the grammatical rules of a language

From this reading It was ten o'clock in the morning; she had been ill, not in an ordinary or definite sense, but in a state of cold stupefaction, from which it was difficult to arouse her so much as to say a few sentences.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading It was ten o'clock in the morning; she had been ill, not in an ordinary or definite sense, but in a state of cold stupefaction, from which it was difficult to arouse her so much as to say a few sentences.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading It was ten o'clock in the morning; she had been ill, not in an ordinary or definite sense, but in a state of cold stupefaction, from which it was difficult to arouse her so much as to say a few sentences.

somethingpronounUS /ˈsʌmθɪŋ/

a thing, without saying which

From this reading Their trip, as such, had been something of a failure.

statenounUS /steɪt/

the territory occupied by one of the constituent administrative districts of a nation

From this reading It was ten o'clock in the morning; she had been ill, not in an ordinary or definite sense, but in a state of cold stupefaction, from which it was difficult to arouse her so much as to say a few sentences.

stupefactionnoun

a feeling of stupefied astonishment

From this reading It was ten o'clock in the morning; she had been ill, not in an ordinary or definite sense, but in a state of cold stupefaction, from which it was difficult to arouse her so much as to say a few sentences.

suchdeterminerUS /sʌtʃ/

of the kind already mentioned

From this reading Their trip, as such, had been something of a failure.

tennounUS /ten/

the cardinal number that is the sum of nine and one; the base of the decimal system

From this reading It was ten o'clock in the morning; she had been ill, not in an ordinary or definite sense, but in a state of cold stupefaction, from which it was difficult to arouse her so much as to say a few sentences.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading When questioned she had replied that she was pretty well.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading Kindly time had withdrawn the foregoing event three days from the present of Baptista Heddegan.

TheirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading Their trip, as such, had been something of a failure.

TheypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading They had gone on as far as Falmouth, but here he had given way to her entreaties to return home.

threenounUS /θriː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one

From this reading Kindly time had withdrawn the foregoing event three days from the present of Baptista Heddegan.

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading Kindly time had withdrawn the foregoing event three days from the present of Baptista Heddegan.

toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading It was ten o'clock in the morning; she had been ill, not in an ordinary or definite sense, but in a state of cold stupefaction, from which it was difficult to arouse her so much as to say a few sentences.

tripnounUS /trɪp/

a journey for some purpose (usually including the return)

From this reading Their trip, as such, had been something of a failure.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading It was ten o'clock in the morning; she had been ill, not in an ordinary or definite sense, but in a state of cold stupefaction, from which it was difficult to arouse her so much as to say a few sentences.

waynounUS /weɪ/

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading They had gone on as far as Falmouth, but here he had given way to her entreaties to return home.

welladverbUS /wel/

(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)

From this reading When questioned she had replied that she was pretty well.

WhenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading When questioned she had replied that she was pretty well.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading It was ten o'clock in the morning; she had been ill, not in an ordinary or definite sense, but in a state of cold stupefaction, from which it was difficult to arouse her so much as to say a few sentences.

withdrawnadjectiveUS /wɪθˈdrɔːn/

withdrawn from society; seeking solitude

From this reading Kindly time had withdrawn the foregoing event three days from the present of Baptista Heddegan.

Chapter 31 of A Changed Man, and Other Tales by Thomas Hardy holds 75 sentences, grouped into 15 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.

What does chapter 31 of A Changed Man, and Other Tales contain?

Chapter 31 holds 75 sentences of A Changed Man, and Other Tales, unabridged, divided into 15 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 31 of A Changed Man, and Other Tales by Thomas Hardy exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 75 sentences, grouped into 15 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.

How do I study chapter 31 of A Changed Man, and Other Tales?

Work through the 15 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 15 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.

Can chapter 31 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 31 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.

Questions about reading A Changed Man, and Other Tales

Common questions about reading A Changed Man, and Other Tales by Thomas Hardy on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of A Changed Man, and Other Tales?

Yes. All 4871 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #3058 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of A Changed Man, and Other Tales is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #3058, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does A Changed Man, and Other Tales take to read?

About 405 minutes of reading across 975 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read A Changed Man, and Other Tales section by section

How to work through A Changed Man, and Other Tales section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

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  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in A Changed Man, and Other Tales

Words and structures a reader meets early in A Changed Man, and Other Tales, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Person
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Changed Man, and Other Tales; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Actors
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Changed Man, and Other Tales; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Themselves
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Changed Man, and Other Tales; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Chanced
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Changed Man, and Other Tales; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.