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A Pair of Them
A Pair of Them

Chapter VIII

Chapter 8 of A Pair of Them is here in full — 335 sentences across 67 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for A Pair of Them
Context Illustration Reading 1/67 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
CONFIDENCES “Oh!
I am so tired!
If I could only just get up once!” sighed Bonny-Gay.
“Sick folks always have to stay in bed.
How’d they look, sitting up, I’d like to know?” answered Mary Jane.
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

A Pair of Them

Chapter VIII

Chapter 8 of A Pair of Them is here in full — 335 sentences across 67 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/67 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
CONFIDENCES “Oh!
/ˈkɑːnfədənsɪz oʊ/
Line 2
I am so tired!
/aɪ æm soʊ ˈtaɪərd/
Line 3
If I could only just get up once!” sighed Bonny-Gay.
Line 4
“Sick folks always have to stay in bed.
/sɪk foʊks ˈɔːlweɪz hæv tuː steɪ ɪn bed/
Line 5
How’d they look, sitting up, I’d like to know?” answered Mary Jane.

Learner Dictionary

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.

confidences noun US /ˈkɑːnfədənsɪz/

plural of “confidence” — freedom from doubt; belief in yourself and your abilities

From this reading “CONFIDENCES “Oh!”

folks noun US /foʊks/

your parents

From this reading ““Sick folks always have to stay in bed.”

Mary noun US /ˈmeri/

the mother of Jesus; Christians refer to her as the Virgin Mary; she is especially honored by Roman Catholics

From this reading “How’d they look, sitting up, I’d like to know?” answered Mary Jane.”

Sick adjective US /sɪk/

affected by an impairment of normal physical or mental function

From this reading ““Sick folks always have to stay in bed.”

sighed verb US /saɪd/

past form of “sigh” — heave or utter a sigh; breathe deeply and heavily

From this reading “If I could only just get up once!” sighed Bonny-Gay.”

sitting noun US /ˈsɪtɪŋ/

(photography) the act of assuming a certain position (as for a photograph or portrait)

From this reading “How’d they look, sitting up, I’d like to know?” answered Mary Jane.”

stay verb US /steɪ/

stay the same; remain in a certain state

From this reading ““Sick folks always have to stay in bed.”

tired adjective US /ˈtaɪərd/

depleted of strength or energy

From this reading “I am so tired!”

Word partnerships in these lines

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.

Sick folks adjective + noun

In this reading ““Sick folks always have to stay in bed.”

get up verb + adjective

rise to one's feet

In this reading “If I could only just get up once!” sighed Bonny-Gay.”

in bed preposition + noun

In this reading ““Sick folks always have to stay in bed.”

stay in verb + particle

In this reading ““Sick folks always have to stay in bed.”

All words in this reading · 33

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.

alwaysadverbUS /ˈɔːlweɪz/

at all times; all the time and on every occasion

From this reading “Sick folks always have to stay in bed.

amauxiliary verbUS /æm/

the form of “be” used with “I”

From this reading I am so tired!

answeredverbUS /ˈænsərd/

past form of “answer” — react verbally

From this reading How’d they look, sitting up, I’d like to know?” answered Mary Jane.

bednounUS /bed/

a piece of furniture that provides a place to sleep

From this reading “Sick folks always have to stay in bed.

Bonny-Gay

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading If I could only just get up once!” sighed Bonny-Gay.

CONFIDENCESnounUS /ˈkɑːnfədənsɪz/

plural of “confidence” — freedom from doubt; belief in yourself and your abilities

From this reading CONFIDENCES “Oh!

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading If I could only just get up once!” sighed Bonny-Gay.

folksnounUS /foʊks/

your parents

From this reading “Sick folks always have to stay in bed.

getverbUS /ɡet/

come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

From this reading If I could only just get up once!” sighed Bonny-Gay.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading “Sick folks always have to stay in bed.

How'd

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading How’d they look, sitting up, I’d like to know?” answered Mary Jane.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading I am so tired!

I'd

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading How’d they look, sitting up, I’d like to know?” answered Mary Jane.

IfconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading If I could only just get up once!” sighed Bonny-Gay.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading “Sick folks always have to stay in bed.

Jane

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading How’d they look, sitting up, I’d like to know?” answered Mary Jane.

justadverbUS /dʒʌst/

and nothing more

From this reading If I could only just get up once!” sighed Bonny-Gay.

knowverbUS /noʊ/

be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading How’d they look, sitting up, I’d like to know?” answered Mary Jane.

likeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading How’d they look, sitting up, I’d like to know?” answered Mary Jane.

lookverbUS /lʊk/

perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading How’d they look, sitting up, I’d like to know?” answered Mary Jane.

MarynounUS /ˈmeri/

the mother of Jesus; Christians refer to her as the Virgin Mary; she is especially honored by Roman Catholics

From this reading How’d they look, sitting up, I’d like to know?” answered Mary Jane.

OhnounUS /oʊ/

a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region

From this reading CONFIDENCES “Oh!

onceadverbUS /wʌns/

on one occasion

From this reading If I could only just get up once!” sighed Bonny-Gay.

onlyadverbUS /ˈoʊnli/

and nothing more

From this reading If I could only just get up once!” sighed Bonny-Gay.

SickadjectiveUS /sɪk/

affected by an impairment of normal physical or mental function

From this reading “Sick folks always have to stay in bed.

sighedverbUS /saɪd/

past form of “sigh” — heave or utter a sigh; breathe deeply and heavily

From this reading If I could only just get up once!” sighed Bonny-Gay.

sittingnounUS /ˈsɪtɪŋ/

(photography) the act of assuming a certain position (as for a photograph or portrait)

From this reading How’d they look, sitting up, I’d like to know?” answered Mary Jane.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading I am so tired!

stayverbUS /steɪ/

stay the same; remain in a certain state

From this reading “Sick folks always have to stay in bed.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading How’d they look, sitting up, I’d like to know?” answered Mary Jane.

tiredadjectiveUS /ˈtaɪərd/

depleted of strength or energy

From this reading I am so tired!

toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading “Sick folks always have to stay in bed.

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading If I could only just get up once!” sighed Bonny-Gay.

Chapter 8 of A Pair of Them by Evelyn Raymond holds 335 sentences, grouped into 67 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.

What does chapter 8 of A Pair of Them contain?

Chapter 8 holds 335 sentences of A Pair of Them, unabridged, divided into 67 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 8 of A Pair of Them by Evelyn Raymond exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 335 sentences, grouped into 67 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.

How do I study chapter 8 of A Pair of Them?

Work through the 67 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 67 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.

Can chapter 8 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 8 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.

Questions about reading A Pair of Them

Common questions about reading A Pair of Them by Evelyn Raymond on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of A Pair of Them?

Yes. All 2184 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #64891 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of A Pair of Them is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #64891, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does A Pair of Them take to read?

About 182 minutes of reading across 437 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read A Pair of Them section by section

How to work through A Pair of Them section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 9 chapters of A Pair of Them to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in A Pair of Them

Words and structures a reader meets early in A Pair of Them, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Sunshine
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Pair of Them; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Library
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Pair of Them; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Hannah
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Pair of Them; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
James
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Pair of Them; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.