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adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading About nine hundred years before Christ was born, there lived in Sparta a man named Lycurgus.
AboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading About nine hundred years before Christ was born, there lived in Sparta a man named Lycurgus.
again
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From this reading Our story goes back again to Greece, the land of Homer and the fairy-tale gods and to Sparta, where Helen once lived.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Our story goes back again to Greece, the land of Homer and the fairy-tale gods and to Sparta, where Helen once lived.
back
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From this reading Our story goes back again to Greece, the land of Homer and the fairy-tale gods and to Sparta, where Helen once lived.
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Lycurgus wanted his city to be the greatest in the world.
beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/
earlier than; in front of
From this reading About nine hundred years before Christ was born, there lived in Sparta a man named Lycurgus.
born
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From this reading About nine hundred years before Christ was born, there lived in Sparta a man named Lycurgus.
ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But first he had to find out what it was that made a city and a people great.
Christ
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From this reading About nine hundred years before Christ was born, there lived in Sparta a man named Lycurgus.
city
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From this reading Lycurgus wanted his city to be the greatest in the world.
fairy-tale
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From this reading Our story goes back again to Greece, the land of Homer and the fairy-tale gods and to Sparta, where Helen once lived.
find
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From this reading But first he had to find out what it was that made a city and a people great.
first
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From this reading But first he had to find out what it was that made a city and a people great.
gods
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From this reading Our story goes back again to Greece, the land of Homer and the fairy-tale gods and to Sparta, where Helen once lived.
goes
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From this reading Our story goes back again to Greece, the land of Homer and the fairy-tale gods and to Sparta, where Helen once lived.
great
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From this reading But first he had to find out what it was that made a city and a people great.
greatest
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From this reading Lycurgus wanted his city to be the greatest in the world.
Greece
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From this reading Our story goes back again to Greece, the land of Homer and the fairy-tale gods and to Sparta, where Helen once lived.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading But first he had to find out what it was that made a city and a people great.
hard
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From this reading That is a hard name, and when you hear about this man you may think he was hard, too.
hepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading That is a hard name, and when you hear about this man you may think he was hard, too.
hear
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From this reading That is a hard name, and when you hear about this man you may think he was hard, too.
Helen
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From this reading Our story goes back again to Greece, the land of Homer and the fairy-tale gods and to Sparta, where Helen once lived.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Lycurgus wanted his city to be the greatest in the world.
Homer
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From this reading Our story goes back again to Greece, the land of Homer and the fairy-tale gods and to Sparta, where Helen once lived.
hundred
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From this reading About nine hundred years before Christ was born, there lived in Sparta a man named Lycurgus.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading About nine hundred years before Christ was born, there lived in Sparta a man named Lycurgus.
isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading That is a hard name, and when you hear about this man you may think he was hard, too.
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading But first he had to find out what it was that made a city and a people great.
land
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From this reading Our story goes back again to Greece, the land of Homer and the fairy-tale gods and to Sparta, where Helen once lived.
lived
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From this reading Our story goes back again to Greece, the land of Homer and the fairy-tale gods and to Sparta, where Helen once lived.
Lycurgus
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From this reading About nine hundred years before Christ was born, there lived in Sparta a man named Lycurgus.
made
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From this reading But first he had to find out what it was that made a city and a people great.
man
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From this reading About nine hundred years before Christ was born, there lived in Sparta a man named Lycurgus.
maymodal verbUS /meɪ/
used to say something is possible, or to give permission
From this reading That is a hard name, and when you hear about this man you may think he was hard, too.
name
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading That is a hard name, and when you hear about this man you may think he was hard, too.
named
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From this reading About nine hundred years before Christ was born, there lived in Sparta a man named Lycurgus.
nine
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From this reading About nine hundred years before Christ was born, there lived in Sparta a man named Lycurgus.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Our story goes back again to Greece, the land of Homer and the fairy-tale gods and to Sparta, where Helen once lived.
once
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Our story goes back again to Greece, the land of Homer and the fairy-tale gods and to Sparta, where Helen once lived.
OurdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading Our story goes back again to Greece, the land of Homer and the fairy-tale gods and to Sparta, where Helen once lived.
out
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But first he had to find out what it was that made a city and a people great.
people
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But first he had to find out what it was that made a city and a people great.
Sparta
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Our story goes back again to Greece, the land of Homer and the fairy-tale gods and to Sparta, where Helen once lived.
story
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Our story goes back again to Greece, the land of Homer and the fairy-tale gods and to Sparta, where Helen once lived.
ThatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading That is a hard name, and when you hear about this man you may think he was hard, too.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Our story goes back again to Greece, the land of Homer and the fairy-tale gods and to Sparta, where Helen once lived.
there
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading About nine hundred years before Christ was born, there lived in Sparta a man named Lycurgus.
think
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From this reading That is a hard name, and when you hear about this man you may think he was hard, too.
thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading That is a hard name, and when you hear about this man you may think he was hard, too.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Our story goes back again to Greece, the land of Homer and the fairy-tale gods and to Sparta, where Helen once lived.
too
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading That is a hard name, and when you hear about this man you may think he was hard, too.
wanted
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From this reading Lycurgus wanted his city to be the greatest in the world.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading About nine hundred years before Christ was born, there lived in Sparta a man named Lycurgus.
whatpronounUS /wʌt/
used to ask for information about something
From this reading But first he had to find out what it was that made a city and a people great.
whenconjunctionUS /wen/
at the time that
From this reading That is a hard name, and when you hear about this man you may think he was hard, too.
whereconjunctionUS /wer/
in or at the place that
From this reading Our story goes back again to Greece, the land of Homer and the fairy-tale gods and to Sparta, where Helen once lived.
world
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Lycurgus wanted his city to be the greatest in the world.
years
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading About nine hundred years before Christ was born, there lived in Sparta a man named Lycurgus.
youpronounUS /juː/
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading That is a hard name, and when you hear about this man you may think he was hard, too.
