Chapter 7 of A Pessimist in Theory and Practice is here in full — 430 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter VII
Chapter 7 of A Pessimist in Theory and Practice is here in full — 430 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"To Clarice. Will you come now?" "Scarcely: a nice reception we should get. This is not a case where two are better far than one. And then it would be three presently, which never answers--when she is one of them.
Chapter 7 of A Pessimist in Theory and Practice is here in full — 430 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/86 · 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.
plural of “answer” — a statement (either spoken or written) that is made to reply to a question or request or criticism or accusation
From this reading “And then it would be three presently, which never answers--when she is one of them.”
(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 “This is not a case where two are better far than one.”
an occurrence of something
From this reading “This is not a case where two are better far than one.”
to a considerable degree; very much
From this reading “This is not a case where two are better far than one.”
pleasant or pleasing or agreeable in nature or appearance
From this reading “"Scarcely: a nice reception we should get.”
in the near future
From this reading “And then it would be three presently, which never answers--when she is one of them.”
the manner in which something is greeted
From this reading “"Scarcely: a nice reception we should get.”
only a very short time before
From this reading “"Scarcely: a nice reception we should get.”
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.
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 "Scarcely: a nice reception we should get.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading And then it would be three presently, which never answers--when she is one of them.
plural of “answer” — a statement (either spoken or written) that is made to reply to a question or request or criticism or accusation
From this reading And then it would be three presently, which never answers--when she is one of them.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading This is not a case where two are better far than one.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading And then it would be three presently, which never answers--when she is one of them.
(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 This is not a case where two are better far than one.
an occurrence of something
From this reading This is not a case where two are better far than one.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "To Clarice.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading Will you come now?"
to a considerable degree; very much
From this reading This is not a case where two are better far than one.
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading "Scarcely: a nice reception we should get.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading This is not a case where two are better far than one.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading And then it would be three presently, which never answers--when she is one of them.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading And then it would be three presently, which never answers--when she is one of them.
pleasant or pleasing or agreeable in nature or appearance
From this reading "Scarcely: a nice reception we should get.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading This is not a case where two are better far than one.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading Will you come now?"
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading And then it would be three presently, which never answers--when she is one of them.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading This is not a case where two are better far than one.
in the near future
From this reading And then it would be three presently, which never answers--when she is one of them.
the manner in which something is greeted
From this reading "Scarcely: a nice reception we should get.
only a very short time before
From this reading "Scarcely: a nice reception we should get.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading And then it would be three presently, which never answers--when she is one of them.
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading "Scarcely: a nice reception we should get.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading This is not a case where two are better far than one.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading And then it would be three presently, which never answers--when she is one of them.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading And then it would be three presently, which never answers--when she is one of them.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading This is not a case where two are better far than one.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading And then it would be three presently, which never answers--when she is one of them.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "To Clarice.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading This is not a case where two are better far than one.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading "Scarcely: a nice reception we should get.
at the time that
From this reading And then it would be three presently, which never answers--when she is one of them.
in or at the place that
From this reading This is not a case where two are better far than one.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading And then it would be three presently, which never answers--when she is one of them.
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading Will you come now?"
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading And then it would be three presently, which never answers--when she is one of them.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading Will you come now?"
Chapter 7 of A Pessimist in Theory and Practice by Frederic Mayer Bird holds 430 sentences, grouped into 86 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 7 holds 430 sentences of A Pessimist in Theory and Practice, unabridged, divided into 86 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 7 of A Pessimist in Theory and Practice by Frederic Mayer Bird exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 430 sentences, grouped into 86 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 86 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 86 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 Pessimist in Theory and Practice by Frederic Mayer Bird on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4168 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #26847 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #26847, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 347 minutes of reading across 834 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through A Pessimist in Theory and Practice section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 10 chapters of A Pessimist in Theory and Practice 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 Pessimist in Theory and Practice, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
