Chapter 3 of Abbey is here in full — 123 sentences across 25 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter III
Chapter 3 of Abbey is here in full — 123 sentences across 25 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
CONSULTATIONS. ABBEY found Elvie busily engaged, not in the kitchen or in sewing, but in the garden, squatting down on her feet and weeding a flower-bed. "Well, I declare! I did not know you were hired to work out-of-doors," said Abbey. "Nor I," returned Elvie, smiling, as she laid down her trowel and rose up to greet Abbey.
Chapter 3 of Abbey is here in full — 123 sentences across 25 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/24 · 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.
a church associated with a monastery or convent
From this reading “ABBEY found Elvie busily engaged, not in the kitchen or in sewing, but in the garden, squatting down on her feet and weeding a flower-bed.”
in a busy manner
From this reading “ABBEY found Elvie busily engaged, not in the kitchen or in sewing, but in the garden, squatting down on her feet and weeding a flower-bed.”
plural of “consultation” — a conference (usually with someone important)
From this reading “CONSULTATIONS.”
express greetings upon meeting someone
From this reading “"Nor I," returned Elvie, smiling, as she laid down her trowel and rose up to greet Abbey.”
joining or attaching by stitches
From this reading “ABBEY found Elvie busily engaged, not in the kitchen or in sewing, but in the garden, squatting down on her feet and weeding a flower-bed.”
exercising by repeatedly assuming a crouching position with the knees bent; strengthens the leg muscles
From this reading “ABBEY found Elvie busily engaged, not in the kitchen or in sewing, but in the garden, squatting down on her feet and weeding a flower-bed.”
a small hand tool with a handle and flat metal blade; used for scooping or spreading plaster or similar materials
From this reading “"Nor I," returned Elvie, smiling, as she laid down her trowel and rose up to greet Abbey.”
-ing form of “weed” — clear of weeds
From this reading “ABBEY found Elvie busily engaged, not in the kitchen or in sewing, but in the garden, squatting down on her feet and weeding a flower-bed.”
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.
In this reading “ABBEY found Elvie busily engaged, not in the kitchen or in sewing, but in the garden, squatting down on her feet and weeding a flower-bed.”
In this reading “ABBEY found Elvie busily engaged, not in the kitchen or in sewing, but in the garden, squatting down on her feet and weeding a flower-bed.”
In this reading “ABBEY found Elvie busily engaged, not in the kitchen or in sewing, but in the garden, squatting down on her feet and weeding a flower-bed.”
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 ABBEY found Elvie busily engaged, not in the kitchen or in sewing, but in the garden, squatting down on her feet and weeding a flower-bed.
a church associated with a monastery or convent
From this reading ABBEY found Elvie busily engaged, not in the kitchen or in sewing, but in the garden, squatting down on her feet and weeding a flower-bed.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading ABBEY found Elvie busily engaged, not in the kitchen or in sewing, but in the garden, squatting down on her feet and weeding a flower-bed.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading "Nor I," returned Elvie, smiling, as she laid down her trowel and rose up to greet Abbey.
in a busy manner
From this reading ABBEY found Elvie busily engaged, not in the kitchen or in sewing, but in the garden, squatting down on her feet and weeding a flower-bed.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading ABBEY found Elvie busily engaged, not in the kitchen or in sewing, but in the garden, squatting down on her feet and weeding a flower-bed.
plural of “consultation” — a conference (usually with someone important)
From this reading CONSULTATIONS.
state emphatically and authoritatively
From this reading "Well, I declare!
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading I did not know you were hired to work out-of-doors," said Abbey.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading ABBEY found Elvie busily engaged, not in the kitchen or in sewing, but in the garden, squatting down on her feet and weeding a flower-bed.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ABBEY found Elvie busily engaged, not in the kitchen or in sewing, but in the garden, squatting down on her feet and weeding a flower-bed.
having ones attention or mind or energy engaged
From this reading ABBEY found Elvie busily engaged, not in the kitchen or in sewing, but in the garden, squatting down on her feet and weeding a flower-bed.
plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading ABBEY found Elvie busily engaged, not in the kitchen or in sewing, but in the garden, squatting down on her feet and weeding a flower-bed.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ABBEY found Elvie busily engaged, not in the kitchen or in sewing, but in the garden, squatting down on her feet and weeding a flower-bed.
set up or found
From this reading ABBEY found Elvie busily engaged, not in the kitchen or in sewing, but in the garden, squatting down on her feet and weeding a flower-bed.
a plot of ground where plants are cultivated
From this reading ABBEY found Elvie busily engaged, not in the kitchen or in sewing, but in the garden, squatting down on her feet and weeding a flower-bed.
express greetings upon meeting someone
From this reading "Nor I," returned Elvie, smiling, as she laid down her trowel and rose up to greet Abbey.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading ABBEY found Elvie busily engaged, not in the kitchen or in sewing, but in the garden, squatting down on her feet and weeding a flower-bed.
having services engaged for a fee
From this reading I did not know you were hired to work out-of-doors," said Abbey.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "Well, I declare!
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading ABBEY found Elvie busily engaged, not in the kitchen or in sewing, but in the garden, squatting down on her feet and weeding a flower-bed.
a room equipped for preparing meals
From this reading ABBEY found Elvie busily engaged, not in the kitchen or in sewing, but in the garden, squatting down on her feet and weeding a flower-bed.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading I did not know you were hired to work out-of-doors," said Abbey.
set down according to a plan
From this reading "Nor I," returned Elvie, smiling, as she laid down her trowel and rose up to greet Abbey.
and not; used after a negative to add a second negative
From this reading "Nor I," returned Elvie, smiling, as she laid down her trowel and rose up to greet Abbey.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading ABBEY found Elvie busily engaged, not in the kitchen or in sewing, but in the garden, squatting down on her feet and weeding a flower-bed.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading ABBEY found Elvie busily engaged, not in the kitchen or in sewing, but in the garden, squatting down on her feet and weeding a flower-bed.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading ABBEY found Elvie busily engaged, not in the kitchen or in sewing, but in the garden, squatting down on her feet and weeding a flower-bed.
where the air is unconfined
From this reading I did not know you were hired to work out-of-doors," said Abbey.
past form of “return” — go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before
From this reading "Nor I," returned Elvie, smiling, as she laid down her trowel and rose up to greet Abbey.
any of many shrubs of the genus Rosa that bear roses
From this reading "Nor I," returned Elvie, smiling, as she laid down her trowel and rose up to greet Abbey.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading I did not know you were hired to work out-of-doors," said Abbey.
joining or attaching by stitches
From this reading ABBEY found Elvie busily engaged, not in the kitchen or in sewing, but in the garden, squatting down on her feet and weeding a flower-bed.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "Nor I," returned Elvie, smiling, as she laid down her trowel and rose up to greet Abbey.
a facial expression characterized by turning up the corners of the mouth; usually shows pleasure or amusement
From this reading "Nor I," returned Elvie, smiling, as she laid down her trowel and rose up to greet Abbey.
exercising by repeatedly assuming a crouching position with the knees bent; strengthens the leg muscles
From this reading ABBEY found Elvie busily engaged, not in the kitchen or in sewing, but in the garden, squatting down on her feet and weeding a flower-bed.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading ABBEY found Elvie busily engaged, not in the kitchen or in sewing, but in the garden, squatting down on her feet and weeding a flower-bed.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading I did not know you were hired to work out-of-doors," said Abbey.
a small hand tool with a handle and flat metal blade; used for scooping or spreading plaster or similar materials
From this reading "Nor I," returned Elvie, smiling, as she laid down her trowel and rose up to greet Abbey.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading "Nor I," returned Elvie, smiling, as she laid down her trowel and rose up to greet Abbey.
-ing form of “weed” — clear of weeds
From this reading ABBEY found Elvie busily engaged, not in the kitchen or in sewing, but in the garden, squatting down on her feet and weeding a flower-bed.
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading "Well, I declare!
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading I did not know you were hired to work out-of-doors," said Abbey.
exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading I did not know you were hired to work out-of-doors," said Abbey.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading I did not know you were hired to work out-of-doors," said Abbey.
Chapter 3 of Abbey by Lucy Ellen Guernsey holds 123 sentences, grouped into 25 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 3 holds 123 sentences of Abbey, unabridged, divided into 25 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 3 of Abbey by Lucy Ellen Guernsey exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 123 sentences, grouped into 25 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 25 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 25 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 3 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 Abbey by Lucy Ellen Guernsey on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 1019 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #76232 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #76232, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 84 minutes of reading across 204 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Abbey section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 6 chapters of Abbey 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 Abbey, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
