Chapter 1 of A Counterfeit Presentment is here in full — 440 sentences across 88 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of A Counterfeit Presentment is here in full — 440 sentences across 88 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
See http:// A COMEDY. _And published with Mr. Howells's sanction._ A FOREGONE CONCLUSION. A CHANCE ACQUAINTANCE. THE LADY OF THE AROOSTOOK. 2 VOLS.
Chapter 1 of A Counterfeit Presentment is here in full — 440 sentences across 88 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/88 · 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.
personal knowledge or information about someone or something
From this reading “A CHANCE ACQUAINTANCE.”
a possibility due to a favorable combination of circumstances
From this reading “A CHANCE ACQUAINTANCE.”
light and humorous drama with a happy ending
From this reading “See http:// A COMEDY.”
a position or opinion or judgment reached after consideration
From this reading “_And published with Mr. Howells's sanction._ A FOREGONE CONCLUSION.”
well in the past; former
From this reading “_And published with Mr. Howells's sanction._ A FOREGONE CONCLUSION.”
a protocol (utilizing TCP) to transfer hypertext requests and information between servers and browsers
From this reading “See http:// A COMEDY.”
prepared and printed for distribution and sale
From this reading “_And published with Mr. Howells's sanction._ A FOREGONE CONCLUSION.”
formal and explicit approval
From this reading “_And published with Mr. Howells's sanction._ A FOREGONE CONCLUSION.”
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.
an inevitable ending
In this reading “_And published with Mr. Howells's sanction._ A FOREGONE CONCLUSION.”
In this reading “A CHANCE ACQUAINTANCE.”
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 2 VOLS.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading See http:// A COMEDY.
personal knowledge or information about someone or something
From this reading A CHANCE ACQUAINTANCE.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading _And published with Mr. Howells's sanction._ A FOREGONE CONCLUSION.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE LADY OF THE AROOSTOOK.
a possibility due to a favorable combination of circumstances
From this reading A CHANCE ACQUAINTANCE.
light and humorous drama with a happy ending
From this reading See http:// A COMEDY.
a position or opinion or judgment reached after consideration
From this reading _And published with Mr. Howells's sanction._ A FOREGONE CONCLUSION.
well in the past; former
From this reading _And published with Mr. Howells's sanction._ A FOREGONE CONCLUSION.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading _And published with Mr. Howells's sanction._ A FOREGONE CONCLUSION.
a protocol (utilizing TCP) to transfer hypertext requests and information between servers and browsers
From this reading See http:// A COMEDY.
a polite name for any woman
From this reading THE LADY OF THE AROOSTOOK.
a form of address for a man
From this reading _And published with Mr. Howells's sanction._ A FOREGONE CONCLUSION.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE LADY OF THE AROOSTOOK.
prepared and printed for distribution and sale
From this reading _And published with Mr. Howells's sanction._ A FOREGONE CONCLUSION.
formal and explicit approval
From this reading _And published with Mr. Howells's sanction._ A FOREGONE CONCLUSION.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading See http:// A COMEDY.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE LADY OF THE AROOSTOOK.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading 2 VOLS.
in the company of; together with
From this reading _And published with Mr. Howells's sanction._ A FOREGONE CONCLUSION.
Chapter 1 of A Counterfeit Presentment by William Dean Howells holds 440 sentences, grouped into 88 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 1 holds 440 sentences of A Counterfeit Presentment, unabridged, divided into 88 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of A Counterfeit Presentment by William Dean Howells exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 440 sentences, grouped into 88 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 88 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 88 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 1 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 Counterfeit Presentment by William Dean Howells on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3071 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #43469 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #43469, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 255 minutes of reading across 615 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through A Counterfeit Presentment section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 7 chapters of A Counterfeit Presentment 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 Counterfeit Presentment, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
