Chapter 7 of A Duet, with an Occasional Chorus 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 VII
Chapter 7 of A Duet, with an Occasional Chorus is here in full — 419 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
‘Yes, it is wonderful.’ ‘And at dinner afterwards. “Do you like Irving’s acting?”—“Yes, I think that he is a great genius.” How formal and precise we were! And now I sit curling your hair in a bedroom window.’
Chapter 7 of A Duet, with an Occasional Chorus 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 performance of a part or role in a drama
From this reading ““Do you like Irving’s acting?”—“Yes, I think that he is a great genius.””
happening at a time subsequent to a reference time
From this reading “‘And at dinner afterwards.”
a room used primarily for sleeping
From this reading “And now I sit curling your hair in a bedroom window.’”
a game played on ice in which heavy stones with handles are slid toward a target
From this reading “And now I sit curling your hair in a bedroom window.’”
being in accord with established forms and conventions and requirements (as e.g. of formal dress)
From this reading “How formal and precise we were!”
someone who has exceptional intellectual ability and originality
From this reading ““Do you like Irving’s acting?”—“Yes, I think that he is a great genius.””
possessive form of “irving” — United States writer remembered for his stories (1783-1859)
sharply exact or accurate or delimited
From this reading “How formal and precise we were!”
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.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading “Do you like Irving’s acting?”—“Yes, I think that he is a great genius.”
the performance of a part or role in a drama
From this reading “Do you like Irving’s acting?”—“Yes, I think that he is a great genius.”
happening at a time subsequent to a reference time
From this reading ‘And at dinner afterwards.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading ‘And at dinner afterwards.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading ‘And at dinner afterwards.
a room used primarily for sleeping
From this reading And now I sit curling your hair in a bedroom window.’
a game played on ice in which heavy stones with handles are slid toward a target
From this reading And now I sit curling your hair in a bedroom window.’
the main meal of the day served in the evening or at midday
From this reading ‘And at dinner afterwards.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading “Do you like Irving’s acting?”—“Yes, I think that he is a great genius.”
being in accord with established forms and conventions and requirements (as e.g. of formal dress)
From this reading How formal and precise we were!
someone who has exceptional intellectual ability and originality
From this reading “Do you like Irving’s acting?”—“Yes, I think that he is a great genius.”
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading “Do you like Irving’s acting?”—“Yes, I think that he is a great genius.”
a covering for the body (or parts of it) consisting of a dense growth of threadlike structures (as on the human head); helps to prevent heat loss
From this reading And now I sit curling your hair in a bedroom window.’
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “Do you like Irving’s acting?”—“Yes, I think that he is a great genius.”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading How formal and precise we were!
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “Do you like Irving’s acting?”—“Yes, I think that he is a great genius.”
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading And now I sit curling your hair in a bedroom window.’
possessive form of “irving” — United States writer remembered for his stories (1783-1859)
From this reading “Do you like Irving’s acting?”—“Yes, I think that he is a great genius.”
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading ‘Yes, it is wonderful.’
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading ‘Yes, it is wonderful.’
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading “Do you like Irving’s acting?”—“Yes, I think that he is a great genius.”
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading And now I sit curling your hair in a bedroom window.’
sharply exact or accurate or delimited
From this reading How formal and precise we were!
be seated
From this reading And now I sit curling your hair in a bedroom window.’
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading “Do you like Irving’s acting?”—“Yes, I think that he is a great genius.”
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading “Do you like Irving’s acting?”—“Yes, I think that he is a great genius.”
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading How formal and precise we were!
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading How formal and precise we were!
a framework of wood or metal that contains a glass windowpane and is built into a wall or roof to admit light or air
From this reading And now I sit curling your hair in a bedroom window.’
extraordinarily good or great; used especially as intensifiers
From this reading ‘Yes, it is wonderful.’
an affirmative
From this reading ‘Yes, it is wonderful.’
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “Do you like Irving’s acting?”—“Yes, I think that he is a great genius.”
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading And now I sit curling your hair in a bedroom window.’
Chapter 7 of A Duet, with an Occasional Chorus by Arthur Conan Doyle holds 419 sentences, grouped into 84 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 7 holds 419 sentences of A Duet, with an Occasional Chorus, unabridged, divided into 84 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 7 of A Duet, with an Occasional Chorus by Arthur Conan Doyle exactly as it stands in the public-domain 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 7 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 Duet, with an Occasional Chorus by Arthur Conan Doyle on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 5435 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #5260 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #5260, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 452 minutes of reading across 1087 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through A Duet, with an Occasional Chorus section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 13 chapters of A Duet, with an Occasional Chorus 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 Duet, with an Occasional Chorus, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
