Chapter 14 of Alf's Button is here in full — 379 sentences across 76 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XIV
Chapter 14 of Alf's Button is here in full — 379 sentences across 76 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
MR. FARR'S MISGUIDED ZEAL After breakfast on the following Friday Allen approached Isobel solemnly. "May I speak to you for one moment, please, Commandant?" he asked, in portentously official tones. "Certainly, Mr. Allen," she replied in the same manner. "Come into the office."
Chapter 14 of Alf's Button is here in full — 379 sentences across 76 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/75 · 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.
United States comedienne remembered as the confused but imperturbable partner of her husband, George Burns (1906-1964)
From this reading “FARR'S MISGUIDED ZEAL After breakfast on the following Friday Allen approached Isobel solemnly.”
an officer in command of a military unit
From this reading “"May I speak to you for one moment, please, Commandant?" he asked, in portentously official tones.”
the sixth day of the week; the fifth working day
From this reading “FARR'S MISGUIDED ZEAL After breakfast on the following Friday Allen approached Isobel solemnly.”
poorly conceived or thought out
From this reading “FARR'S MISGUIDED ZEAL After breakfast on the following Friday Allen approached Isobel solemnly.”
having official authority or sanction
From this reading “"May I speak to you for one moment, please, Commandant?" he asked, in portentously official tones.”
in a grave and sedate manner
From this reading “FARR'S MISGUIDED ZEAL After breakfast on the following Friday Allen approached Isobel solemnly.”
plural of “tone” — the quality of a person's voice
From this reading “"May I speak to you for one moment, please, Commandant?" he asked, in portentously official tones.”
a feeling of strong eagerness (usually in favor of a person or cause)
From this reading “FARR'S MISGUIDED ZEAL After breakfast on the following Friday Allen approached Isobel solemnly.”
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 “"Certainly, Mr. Allen," she replied in the same manner.”
obtain, especially accidentally
In this reading “"Come into the office."”
In this reading “"Come into the office."”
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.
later than; following
From this reading FARR'S MISGUIDED ZEAL After breakfast on the following Friday Allen approached Isobel solemnly.
United States comedienne remembered as the confused but imperturbable partner of her husband, George Burns (1906-1964)
From this reading FARR'S MISGUIDED ZEAL After breakfast on the following Friday Allen approached Isobel solemnly.
past form of “approach” — move towards
From this reading FARR'S MISGUIDED ZEAL After breakfast on the following Friday Allen approached Isobel solemnly.
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading "May I speak to you for one moment, please, Commandant?" he asked, in portentously official tones.
eat an early morning meal
From this reading FARR'S MISGUIDED ZEAL After breakfast on the following Friday Allen approached Isobel solemnly.
definitely or positively (“sure” is sometimes used informally for “surely”)
From this reading "Certainly, Mr. Allen," she replied in the same manner.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading "Come into the office."
an officer in command of a military unit
From this reading "May I speak to you for one moment, please, Commandant?" he asked, in portentously official tones.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading FARR'S MISGUIDED ZEAL After breakfast on the following Friday Allen approached Isobel solemnly.
about to be mentioned or specified
From this reading FARR'S MISGUIDED ZEAL After breakfast on the following Friday Allen approached Isobel solemnly.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading "May I speak to you for one moment, please, Commandant?" he asked, in portentously official tones.
the sixth day of the week; the fifth working day
From this reading FARR'S MISGUIDED ZEAL After breakfast on the following Friday Allen approached Isobel solemnly.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "May I speak to you for one moment, please, Commandant?" he asked, in portentously official tones.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "May I speak to you for one moment, please, Commandant?" he asked, in portentously official tones.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "May I speak to you for one moment, please, Commandant?" he asked, in portentously official tones.
moving to the inside of something
From this reading "Come into the office."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading FARR'S MISGUIDED ZEAL After breakfast on the following Friday Allen approached Isobel solemnly.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading "Certainly, Mr. Allen," she replied in the same manner.
used to say something is possible, or to give permission
From this reading "May I speak to you for one moment, please, Commandant?" he asked, in portentously official tones.
poorly conceived or thought out
From this reading FARR'S MISGUIDED ZEAL After breakfast on the following Friday Allen approached Isobel solemnly.
a particular point in time
From this reading "May I speak to you for one moment, please, Commandant?" he asked, in portentously official tones.
a form of address for a man
From this reading MR.
place of business where professional or clerical duties are performed
From this reading "Come into the office."
having official authority or sanction
From this reading "May I speak to you for one moment, please, Commandant?" he asked, in portentously official tones.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading FARR'S MISGUIDED ZEAL After breakfast on the following Friday Allen approached Isobel solemnly.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading "May I speak to you for one moment, please, Commandant?" he asked, in portentously official tones.
give pleasure to or be pleasing to
From this reading "May I speak to you for one moment, please, Commandant?" he asked, in portentously official tones.
in a portentous manner
From this reading "May I speak to you for one moment, please, Commandant?" he asked, in portentously official tones.
inflected form of “reply” — react verbally
From this reading "Certainly, Mr. Allen," she replied in the same manner.
Identical; not different.
From this reading "Certainly, Mr. Allen," she replied in the same manner.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "Certainly, Mr. Allen," she replied in the same manner.
in a grave and sedate manner
From this reading FARR'S MISGUIDED ZEAL After breakfast on the following Friday Allen approached Isobel solemnly.
express in speech
From this reading "May I speak to you for one moment, please, Commandant?" he asked, in portentously official tones.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading FARR'S MISGUIDED ZEAL After breakfast on the following Friday Allen approached Isobel solemnly.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "May I speak to you for one moment, please, Commandant?" he asked, in portentously official tones.
plural of “tone” — the quality of a person's voice
From this reading "May I speak to you for one moment, please, Commandant?" he asked, in portentously official tones.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "May I speak to you for one moment, please, Commandant?" he asked, in portentously official tones.
a feeling of strong eagerness (usually in favor of a person or cause)
From this reading FARR'S MISGUIDED ZEAL After breakfast on the following Friday Allen approached Isobel solemnly.
Chapter 14 of Alf's Button by W. A. (William Aubrey) Darlington holds 379 sentences, grouped into 76 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 14 holds 379 sentences of Alf's Button, unabridged, divided into 76 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 14 of Alf's Button by W. A. (William Aubrey) Darlington exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 379 sentences, grouped into 76 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 76 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 76 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 14 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 Alf's Button by W. A. (William Aubrey) Darlington on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4980 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #59775 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #59775, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 415 minutes of reading across 996 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Alf's Button section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 17 chapters of Alf's Button 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 Alf's Button, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
