Chapter 11 of A Group of Noble Dames is here in full — 151 sentences across 31 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XI
Chapter 11 of A Group of Noble Dames is here in full — 151 sentences across 31 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
'Well, you will have to give him up,' said the Marchioness calmly. 'It shall not be the worse for you--you may see him when you choose. I am going to avow my first marriage, and have him with me.' 'You forget that there are two to be reckoned with, my lady. Not only me, but himself.'
Chapter 11 of A Group of Noble Dames is here in full — 151 sentences across 31 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/30 · 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.
to declare or affirm solemnly and formally as true
From this reading “I am going to avow my first marriage, and have him with me.'”
with self-possession (especially in times of stress)
From this reading “'Well, you will have to give him up,' said the Marchioness calmly.”
pick out, select, or choose from a number of alternatives
From this reading “'It shall not be the worse for you--you may see him when you choose.”
dismiss from the mind; stop remembering
From this reading “'You forget that there are two to be reckoned with, my lady.”
the wife or widow of a marquis
From this reading “'Well, you will have to give him up,' said the Marchioness calmly.”
the state of being a married couple voluntarily joined for life (or until divorce)
From this reading “I am going to avow my first marriage, and have him with me.'”
past form of “reckon” — expect, believe, or suppose
From this reading “'You forget that there are two to be reckoned with, my lady.”
(comparative of “bad”) inferior to another in quality or condition or desirability
From this reading “'It shall not be the worse for you--you may see him when you choose.”
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.
the form of “be” used with “I”
From this reading I am going to avow my first marriage, and have him with me.'
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading I am going to avow my first marriage, and have him with me.'
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading 'You forget that there are two to be reckoned with, my lady.
to declare or affirm solemnly and formally as true
From this reading I am going to avow my first marriage, and have him with me.'
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading 'It shall not be the worse for you--you may see him when you choose.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Not only me, but himself.'
with self-possession (especially in times of stress)
From this reading 'Well, you will have to give him up,' said the Marchioness calmly.
pick out, select, or choose from a number of alternatives
From this reading 'It shall not be the worse for you--you may see him when you choose.
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading I am going to avow my first marriage, and have him with me.'
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading 'It shall not be the worse for you--you may see him when you choose.
dismiss from the mind; stop remembering
From this reading 'You forget that there are two to be reckoned with, my lady.
cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading 'Well, you will have to give him up,' said the Marchioness calmly.
the act of departing
From this reading I am going to avow my first marriage, and have him with me.'
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading 'Well, you will have to give him up,' said the Marchioness calmly.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading 'Well, you will have to give him up,' said the Marchioness calmly.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading Not only me, but himself.'
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I am going to avow my first marriage, and have him with me.'
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading 'It shall not be the worse for you--you may see him when you choose.
a polite name for any woman
From this reading 'You forget that there are two to be reckoned with, my lady.
the wife or widow of a marquis
From this reading 'Well, you will have to give him up,' said the Marchioness calmly.
the state of being a married couple voluntarily joined for life (or until divorce)
From this reading I am going to avow my first marriage, and have him with me.'
used to say something is possible, or to give permission
From this reading 'It shall not be the worse for you--you may see him when you choose.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading I am going to avow my first marriage, and have him with me.'
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading I am going to avow my first marriage, and have him with me.'
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading 'It shall not be the worse for you--you may see him when you choose.
and nothing more
From this reading Not only me, but himself.'
past form of “reckon” — expect, believe, or suppose
From this reading 'You forget that there are two to be reckoned with, my lady.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading 'Well, you will have to give him up,' said the Marchioness calmly.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading 'It shall not be the worse for you--you may see him when you choose.
used with I and we for the future, or to offer and suggest
From this reading 'It shall not be the worse for you--you may see him when you choose.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading 'You forget that there are two to be reckoned with, my lady.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading 'Well, you will have to give him up,' said the Marchioness calmly.
in or at that place or location
From this reading 'You forget that there are two to be reckoned with, my lady.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading 'Well, you will have to give him up,' said the Marchioness calmly.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading 'You forget that there are two to be reckoned with, my lady.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading 'Well, you will have to give him up,' said the Marchioness calmly.
(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 'Well, you will have to give him up,' said the Marchioness calmly.
at the time that
From this reading 'It shall not be the worse for you--you may see him when you choose.
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading 'Well, you will have to give him up,' said the Marchioness calmly.
in the company of; together with
From this reading I am going to avow my first marriage, and have him with me.'
(comparative of “bad”) inferior to another in quality or condition or desirability
From this reading 'It shall not be the worse for you--you may see him when you choose.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading 'Well, you will have to give him up,' said the Marchioness calmly.
Chapter 11 of A Group of Noble Dames by Thomas Hardy holds 151 sentences, grouped into 31 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 11 holds 151 sentences of A Group of Noble Dames, unabridged, divided into 31 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 11 of A Group of Noble Dames by Thomas Hardy exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 151 sentences, grouped into 31 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 31 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 31 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 11 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 Group of Noble Dames by Thomas Hardy on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3055 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #3049 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #3049, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 254 minutes of reading across 611 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through A Group of Noble Dames section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 20 chapters of A Group of Noble Dames 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 Group of Noble Dames, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
