Chapter 4 of A Prefect's Uncle is here in full — 405 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IV
Chapter 4 of A Prefect's Uncle is here in full — 405 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
He ran downstairs and out of the House. On his way to the bicycle-shed he stopped, and looked towards the field, part of which could be seen from where he stood. The match had begun again. The fast bowler was just commencing his run. He saw him tear up to the crease and deliver the ball.
Chapter 4 of A Prefect's Uncle is here in full — 405 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/81 · 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.
round object that is hit or thrown or kicked in games
From this reading “He saw him tear up to the crease and deliver the ball.”
a cricketer who delivers the ball to the batsman in cricket
From this reading “The fast bowler was just commencing his run.”
-ing form of “commence” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading “The fast bowler was just commencing his run.”
make wrinkles or creases on a smooth surface; make a pressed, folded or wrinkled line in; “crisp” is archaic
From this reading “He saw him tear up to the crease and deliver the ball.”
deliver (a speech, oration, or idea)
From this reading “He saw him tear up to the crease and deliver the ball.”
on a floor below
From this reading “He ran downstairs and out of the House.”
be compatible, similar or consistent; coincide in their characteristics
From this reading “The match had begun again.”
separate or cause to separate abruptly
From this reading “He saw him tear up to the crease and deliver the ball.”
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.
anew
From this reading The match had begun again.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He ran downstairs and out of the House.
round object that is hit or thrown or kicked in games
From this reading He saw him tear up to the crease and deliver the ball.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading On his way to the bicycle-shed he stopped, and looked towards the field, part of which could be seen from where he stood.
inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading The match had begun again.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading On his way to the bicycle-shed he stopped, and looked towards the field, part of which could be seen from where he stood.
a cricketer who delivers the ball to the batsman in cricket
From this reading The fast bowler was just commencing his run.
-ing form of “commence” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading The fast bowler was just commencing his run.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading On his way to the bicycle-shed he stopped, and looked towards the field, part of which could be seen from where he stood.
make wrinkles or creases on a smooth surface; make a pressed, folded or wrinkled line in; “crisp” is archaic
From this reading He saw him tear up to the crease and deliver the ball.
deliver (a speech, oration, or idea)
From this reading He saw him tear up to the crease and deliver the ball.
on a floor below
From this reading He ran downstairs and out of the House.
quickly or rapidly (often used as a combining form)
From this reading The fast bowler was just commencing his run.
a piece of land cleared of trees and usually enclosed
From this reading On his way to the bicycle-shed he stopped, and looked towards the field, part of which could be seen from where he stood.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading On his way to the bicycle-shed he stopped, and looked towards the field, part of which could be seen from where he stood.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The match had begun again.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He ran downstairs and out of the House.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading He saw him tear up to the crease and deliver the ball.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading On his way to the bicycle-shed he stopped, and looked towards the field, part of which could be seen from where he stood.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading He ran downstairs and out of the House.
and nothing more
From this reading The fast bowler was just commencing his run.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading On his way to the bicycle-shed he stopped, and looked towards the field, part of which could be seen from where he stood.
be compatible, similar or consistent; coincide in their characteristics
From this reading The match had begun again.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading He ran downstairs and out of the House.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading On his way to the bicycle-shed he stopped, and looked towards the field, part of which could be seen from where he stood.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading He ran downstairs and out of the House.
something determined in relation to something that includes it
From this reading On his way to the bicycle-shed he stopped, and looked towards the field, part of which could be seen from where he stood.
inflected form of “run” — move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time
From this reading He ran downstairs and out of the House.
move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time
From this reading The fast bowler was just commencing his run.
cut with a saw
From this reading He saw him tear up to the crease and deliver the ball.
inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading On his way to the bicycle-shed he stopped, and looked towards the field, part of which could be seen from where he stood.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading On his way to the bicycle-shed he stopped, and looked towards the field, part of which could be seen from where he stood.
(of a nose) blocked
From this reading On his way to the bicycle-shed he stopped, and looked towards the field, part of which could be seen from where he stood.
separate or cause to separate abruptly
From this reading He saw him tear up to the crease and deliver the ball.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading He ran downstairs and out of the House.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading On his way to the bicycle-shed he stopped, and looked towards the field, part of which could be seen from where he stood.
in the direction of
From this reading On his way to the bicycle-shed he stopped, and looked towards the field, part of which could be seen from where he stood.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading He saw him tear up to the crease and deliver the ball.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The fast bowler was just commencing his run.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading On his way to the bicycle-shed he stopped, and looked towards the field, part of which could be seen from where he stood.
in or at the place that
From this reading On his way to the bicycle-shed he stopped, and looked towards the field, part of which could be seen from where he stood.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading On his way to the bicycle-shed he stopped, and looked towards the field, part of which could be seen from where he stood.
Chapter 4 of A Prefect's Uncle by P. G. (Pelham Grenville) Wodehouse holds 405 sentences, grouped into 81 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 4 holds 405 sentences of A Prefect's Uncle, unabridged, divided into 81 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 4 of A Prefect's Uncle by P. G. (Pelham Grenville) Wodehouse exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 405 sentences, grouped into 81 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 81 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 81 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 4 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 Prefect's Uncle by P. G. (Pelham Grenville) Wodehouse on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3360 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #6985 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #6985, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 280 minutes of reading across 672 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through A Prefect's Uncle section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 8 chapters of A Prefect's Uncle 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 Prefect's Uncle, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
