Chapter 16 of A Modern Instance is here in full — 411 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XVI
Chapter 16 of A Modern Instance is here in full — 411 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
“Better not, till I come.” Bartley knew that this was Ricker's way of accepting, and he said nothing, but he answered his next question with easy joviality. “How are you making it with old Witherby?” “Oh, hand over hand! Witherby and I were formed for each other.
Chapter 16 of A Modern Instance is here in full — 411 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/82 · 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.
tolerating without protest
From this reading “Bartley knew that this was Ricker's way of accepting, and he said nothing, but he answered his next question with easy joviality.”
past form of “answer” — react verbally
From this reading “Bartley knew that this was Ricker's way of accepting, and he said nothing, but he answered his next question with easy joviality.”
posing no difficulty; requiring little effort
From this reading “Bartley knew that this was Ricker's way of accepting, and he said nothing, but he answered his next question with easy joviality.”
having or given a form or shape
From this reading “Witherby and I were formed for each other.”
the act that results in something coming to be
From this reading ““How are you making it with old Witherby?””
immediately following in time or order
From this reading “Bartley knew that this was Ricker's way of accepting, and he said nothing, but he answered his next question with easy joviality.”
challenge the accuracy, probity, or propriety of
From this reading “Bartley knew that this was Ricker's way of accepting, and he said nothing, but he answered his next question with easy joviality.”
up to a particular time
From this reading ““Better not, till I come.””
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.
tolerating without protest
From this reading Bartley knew that this was Ricker's way of accepting, and he said nothing, but he answered his next question with easy joviality.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Bartley knew that this was Ricker's way of accepting, and he said nothing, but he answered his next question with easy joviality.
past form of “answer” — react verbally
From this reading Bartley knew that this was Ricker's way of accepting, and he said nothing, but he answered his next question with easy joviality.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading “How are you making it with old Witherby?”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Bartley knew that this was Ricker's way of accepting, and he said nothing, but he answered his next question with easy joviality.
(comparative of “good”) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another
From this reading “Better not, till I come.”
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Bartley knew that this was Ricker's way of accepting, and he said nothing, but he answered his next question with easy joviality.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading “Better not, till I come.”
every one of two or more people or things, taken separately
From this reading Witherby and I were formed for each other.
posing no difficulty; requiring little effort
From this reading Bartley knew that this was Ricker's way of accepting, and he said nothing, but he answered his next question with easy joviality.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Witherby and I were formed for each other.
having or given a form or shape
From this reading Witherby and I were formed for each other.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading “Oh, hand over hand!
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Bartley knew that this was Ricker's way of accepting, and he said nothing, but he answered his next question with easy joviality.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Bartley knew that this was Ricker's way of accepting, and he said nothing, but he answered his next question with easy joviality.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “How are you making it with old Witherby?”
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “Better not, till I come.”
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading “How are you making it with old Witherby?”
feeling jolly and jovial and full of good humor
From this reading Bartley knew that this was Ricker's way of accepting, and he said nothing, but he answered his next question with easy joviality.
inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading Bartley knew that this was Ricker's way of accepting, and he said nothing, but he answered his next question with easy joviality.
the act that results in something coming to be
From this reading “How are you making it with old Witherby?”
immediately following in time or order
From this reading Bartley knew that this was Ricker's way of accepting, and he said nothing, but he answered his next question with easy joviality.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading “Better not, till I come.”
not one thing; not anything
From this reading Bartley knew that this was Ricker's way of accepting, and he said nothing, but he answered his next question with easy joviality.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Bartley knew that this was Ricker's way of accepting, and he said nothing, but he answered his next question with easy joviality.
a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region
From this reading “Oh, hand over hand!
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading “How are you making it with old Witherby?”
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading Witherby and I were formed for each other.
above and across; more than
From this reading “Oh, hand over hand!
challenge the accuracy, probity, or propriety of
From this reading Bartley knew that this was Ricker's way of accepting, and he said nothing, but he answered his next question with easy joviality.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Bartley knew that this was Ricker's way of accepting, and he said nothing, but he answered his next question with easy joviality.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading Bartley knew that this was Ricker's way of accepting, and he said nothing, but he answered his next question with easy joviality.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Bartley knew that this was Ricker's way of accepting, and he said nothing, but he answered his next question with easy joviality.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading Bartley knew that this was Ricker's way of accepting, and he said nothing, but he answered his next question with easy joviality.
up to a particular time
From this reading “Better not, till I come.”
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Bartley knew that this was Ricker's way of accepting, and he said nothing, but he answered his next question with easy joviality.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading Bartley knew that this was Ricker's way of accepting, and he said nothing, but he answered his next question with easy joviality.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Witherby and I were formed for each other.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Bartley knew that this was Ricker's way of accepting, and he said nothing, but he answered his next question with easy joviality.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “How are you making it with old Witherby?”
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “How are you making it with old Witherby?”
Chapter 16 of A Modern Instance by William Dean Howells holds 411 sentences, grouped into 83 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 16 holds 411 sentences of A Modern Instance, unabridged, divided into 83 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 16 of A Modern Instance by William Dean Howells exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 411 sentences, grouped into 83 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 83 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 83 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 16 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.
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Yes. All 8969 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #8203 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #8203, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 1794 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through A Modern Instance section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 22 chapters of A Modern Instance 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 Modern Instance, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
