Chapter 4 of A son of the city is here in full — 469 sentences across 94 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IV
Chapter 4 of A son of the city is here in full — 469 sentences across 94 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
IN WHICH A TERRIFIC BATTLE IS WAGED The following morning was clear and sun-shiny. Silvey, his trousers' pockets strangely distorted, sprinted down the street and halted on the cement walk in front of the Fletcher house. "Oh, John-e-e-e! Oh, John-e-e-e!" John appeared at an upper window in answer to the ear-piercing call.
Chapter 4 of A son of the city is here in full — 469 sentences across 94 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/93 · 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.
concrete pavement is sometimes referred to as cement
From this reading “Silvey, his trousers' pockets strangely distorted, sprinted down the street and halted on the cement walk in front of the Fletcher house.”
so badly formed or out of shape as to be ugly
From this reading “Silvey, his trousers' pockets strangely distorted, sprinted down the street and halted on the cement walk in front of the Fletcher house.”
prolific English dramatist who collaborated with Francis Beaumont and many other dramatists (1579-1625)
From this reading “Silvey, his trousers' pockets strangely distorted, sprinted down the street and halted on the cement walk in front of the Fletcher house.”
past form of “halt” — cause to stop
From this reading “Silvey, his trousers' pockets strangely distorted, sprinted down the street and halted on the cement walk in front of the Fletcher house.”
past form of “sprint” — run very fast, usually for a short distance
From this reading “Silvey, his trousers' pockets strangely distorted, sprinted down the street and halted on the cement walk in front of the Fletcher house.”
very great or intense
From this reading “IN WHICH A TERRIFIC BATTLE IS WAGED The following morning was clear and sun-shiny.”
(usually in the plural) a garment extending from the waist to the knee or ankle, covering each leg separately
From this reading “Silvey, his trousers' pockets strangely distorted, sprinted down the street and halted on the cement walk in front of the Fletcher house.”
past form of “wage” — carry on (wars, battles, or campaigns)
From this reading “IN WHICH A TERRIFIC BATTLE IS WAGED The following morning was clear and sun-shiny.”
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 IN WHICH A TERRIFIC BATTLE IS WAGED The following morning was clear and sun-shiny.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading John appeared at an upper window in answer to the ear-piercing call.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading IN WHICH A TERRIFIC BATTLE IS WAGED The following morning was clear and sun-shiny.
react verbally
From this reading John appeared at an upper window in answer to the ear-piercing call.
past form of “appear” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading John appeared at an upper window in answer to the ear-piercing call.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading John appeared at an upper window in answer to the ear-piercing call.
a hostile meeting of opposing military forces in the course of a war
From this reading IN WHICH A TERRIFIC BATTLE IS WAGED The following morning was clear and sun-shiny.
assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading John appeared at an upper window in answer to the ear-piercing call.
concrete pavement is sometimes referred to as cement
From this reading Silvey, his trousers' pockets strangely distorted, sprinted down the street and halted on the cement walk in front of the Fletcher house.
rid of obstructions
From this reading IN WHICH A TERRIFIC BATTLE IS WAGED The following morning was clear and sun-shiny.
so badly formed or out of shape as to be ugly
From this reading Silvey, his trousers' pockets strangely distorted, sprinted down the street and halted on the cement walk in front of the Fletcher house.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading Silvey, his trousers' pockets strangely distorted, sprinted down the street and halted on the cement walk in front of the Fletcher house.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading John appeared at an upper window in answer to the ear-piercing call.
prolific English dramatist who collaborated with Francis Beaumont and many other dramatists (1579-1625)
From this reading Silvey, his trousers' pockets strangely distorted, sprinted down the street and halted on the cement walk in front of the Fletcher house.
about to be mentioned or specified
From this reading IN WHICH A TERRIFIC BATTLE IS WAGED The following morning was clear and sun-shiny.
the side that is forward or prominent
From this reading Silvey, his trousers' pockets strangely distorted, sprinted down the street and halted on the cement walk in front of the Fletcher house.
past form of “halt” — cause to stop
From this reading Silvey, his trousers' pockets strangely distorted, sprinted down the street and halted on the cement walk in front of the Fletcher house.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Silvey, his trousers' pockets strangely distorted, sprinted down the street and halted on the cement walk in front of the Fletcher house.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading Silvey, his trousers' pockets strangely distorted, sprinted down the street and halted on the cement walk in front of the Fletcher house.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading IN WHICH A TERRIFIC BATTLE IS WAGED The following morning was clear and sun-shiny.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading IN WHICH A TERRIFIC BATTLE IS WAGED The following morning was clear and sun-shiny.
a room or building equipped with one or more toilets
From this reading John appeared at an upper window in answer to the ear-piercing call.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Oh, John-e-e-e!
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading IN WHICH A TERRIFIC BATTLE IS WAGED The following morning was clear and sun-shiny.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Silvey, his trousers' pockets strangely distorted, sprinted down the street and halted on the cement walk in front of the Fletcher house.
a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region
From this reading "Oh, John-e-e-e!
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Silvey, his trousers' pockets strangely distorted, sprinted down the street and halted on the cement walk in front of the Fletcher house.
plural of “pocket” — a small pouch inside a garment for carrying small articles
From this reading Silvey, his trousers' pockets strangely distorted, sprinted down the street and halted on the cement walk in front of the Fletcher house.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Silvey, his trousers' pockets strangely distorted, sprinted down the street and halted on the cement walk in front of the Fletcher house.
past form of “sprint” — run very fast, usually for a short distance
From this reading Silvey, his trousers' pockets strangely distorted, sprinted down the street and halted on the cement walk in front of the Fletcher house.
in a strange manner
From this reading Silvey, his trousers' pockets strangely distorted, sprinted down the street and halted on the cement walk in front of the Fletcher house.
a thoroughfare (usually including sidewalks) that is lined with buildings
From this reading Silvey, his trousers' pockets strangely distorted, sprinted down the street and halted on the cement walk in front of the Fletcher house.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading IN WHICH A TERRIFIC BATTLE IS WAGED The following morning was clear and sun-shiny.
very great or intense
From this reading IN WHICH A TERRIFIC BATTLE IS WAGED The following morning was clear and sun-shiny.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading IN WHICH A TERRIFIC BATTLE IS WAGED The following morning was clear and sun-shiny.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading John appeared at an upper window in answer to the ear-piercing call.
(usually in the plural) a garment extending from the waist to the knee or ankle, covering each leg separately
From this reading Silvey, his trousers' pockets strangely distorted, sprinted down the street and halted on the cement walk in front of the Fletcher house.
the topmost one of two
From this reading John appeared at an upper window in answer to the ear-piercing call.
past form of “wage” — carry on (wars, battles, or campaigns)
From this reading IN WHICH A TERRIFIC BATTLE IS WAGED The following morning was clear and sun-shiny.
the act of traveling by foot
From this reading Silvey, his trousers' pockets strangely distorted, sprinted down the street and halted on the cement walk in front of the Fletcher house.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading IN WHICH A TERRIFIC BATTLE IS WAGED The following morning was clear and sun-shiny.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading IN WHICH A TERRIFIC BATTLE IS WAGED The following morning was clear and sun-shiny.
a framework of wood or metal that contains a glass windowpane and is built into a wall or roof to admit light or air
From this reading John appeared at an upper window in answer to the ear-piercing call.
Chapter 4 of A son of the city by Herman Gastrell Seely holds 469 sentences, grouped into 94 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 469 sentences of A son of the city, unabridged, divided into 94 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 4 of A son of the city by Herman Gastrell Seely exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 469 sentences, grouped into 94 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 94 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 94 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 son of the city by Herman Gastrell Seely on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 0 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #? are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #?, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 5 minutes of reading across 0 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through A son of the city section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 0 chapters of A son of the city 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 son of the city, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
