Chapter 27 of Amusement Only is here in full — 44 sentences across 9 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XXVII
Chapter 27 of Amusement Only is here in full — 44 sentences across 9 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
I AM APPOINTED CAPTAIN. I have some idea of cricket--not much, perhaps, but I certainly have some. I was not in the 'Varsity team, nor near it; but I played in the Freshman's match, and provided myself with spectacles. I was nearly in the school team once. That was when I carried my bat for forty-five.
Chapter 27 of Amusement Only is here in full — 44 sentences across 9 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/8 · 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.
subject to appointment
From this reading “I AM APPOINTED CAPTAIN.”
nocturnal mouselike mammal with forelimbs modified to form membranous wings and anatomical adaptations for echolocation by which they navigate
From this reading “That was when I carried my bat for forty-five.”
leaping insect; male makes chirping noises by rubbing the forewings together
From this reading “I have some idea of cricket--not much, perhaps, but I certainly have some.”
a .45-caliber pistol
From this reading “That was when I carried my bat for forty-five.”
past form of “provide” — give something useful or necessary to
From this reading “I was not in the 'Varsity team, nor near it; but I played in the Freshman's match, and provided myself with spectacles.”
(plural) optical instrument consisting of a frame that holds a pair of lenses for correcting defective vision
From this reading “I was not in the 'Varsity team, nor near it; but I played in the Freshman's match, and provided myself with spectacles.”
a cooperative unit (especially in sports)
From this reading “I was not in the 'Varsity team, nor near it; but I played in the Freshman's match, and provided myself with spectacles.”
a British abbreviation of “university”; usually refers to Oxford University or Cambridge University
From this reading “I was not in the 'Varsity team, nor near it; but I played in the Freshman's match, and provided myself with spectacles.”
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 “I have some idea of cricket--not much, perhaps, but I certainly have some.”
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.
the form of “be” used with “I”
From this reading I AM APPOINTED CAPTAIN.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading I was not in the 'Varsity team, nor near it; but I played in the Freshman's match, and provided myself with spectacles.
subject to appointment
From this reading I AM APPOINTED CAPTAIN.
nocturnal mouselike mammal with forelimbs modified to form membranous wings and anatomical adaptations for echolocation by which they navigate
From this reading That was when I carried my bat for forty-five.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading I have some idea of cricket--not much, perhaps, but I certainly have some.
an officer holding a rank below a major but above a lieutenant
From this reading I AM APPOINTED CAPTAIN.
inflected form of “carry” — move while supporting, either in a vehicle or in one's hands or on one's body
From this reading That was when I carried my bat for forty-five.
definitely or positively (“sure” is sometimes used informally for “surely”)
From this reading I have some idea of cricket--not much, perhaps, but I certainly have some.
leaping insect; male makes chirping noises by rubbing the forewings together
From this reading I have some idea of cricket--not much, perhaps, but I certainly have some.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading That was when I carried my bat for forty-five.
a .45-caliber pistol
From this reading That was when I carried my bat for forty-five.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I was not in the 'Varsity team, nor near it; but I played in the Freshman's match, and provided myself with spectacles.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading I have some idea of cricket--not much, perhaps, but I certainly have some.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I AM APPOINTED CAPTAIN.
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading I have some idea of cricket--not much, perhaps, but I certainly have some.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading I was not in the 'Varsity team, nor near it; but I played in the Freshman's match, and provided myself with spectacles.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading I was not in the 'Varsity team, nor near it; but I played in the Freshman's match, and provided myself with spectacles.
be compatible, similar or consistent; coincide in their characteristics
From this reading I was not in the 'Varsity team, nor near it; but I played in the Freshman's match, and provided myself with spectacles.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading I have some idea of cricket--not much, perhaps, but I certainly have some.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading That was when I carried my bat for forty-five.
used when the speaker is also the object of the action
From this reading I was not in the 'Varsity team, nor near it; but I played in the Freshman's match, and provided myself with spectacles.
near in time or place or relationship
From this reading I was not in the 'Varsity team, nor near it; but I played in the Freshman's match, and provided myself with spectacles.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading I was nearly in the school team once.
and not; used after a negative to add a second negative
From this reading I was not in the 'Varsity team, nor near it; but I played in the Freshman's match, and provided myself with spectacles.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading I have some idea of cricket--not much, perhaps, but I certainly have some.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading I have some idea of cricket--not much, perhaps, but I certainly have some.
on one occasion
From this reading I was nearly in the school team once.
by chance
From this reading I have some idea of cricket--not much, perhaps, but I certainly have some.
(of games) engaged in
From this reading I was not in the 'Varsity team, nor near it; but I played in the Freshman's match, and provided myself with spectacles.
past form of “provide” — give something useful or necessary to
From this reading I was not in the 'Varsity team, nor near it; but I played in the Freshman's match, and provided myself with spectacles.
an educational institution
From this reading I was nearly in the school team once.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading I have some idea of cricket--not much, perhaps, but I certainly have some.
(plural) optical instrument consisting of a frame that holds a pair of lenses for correcting defective vision
From this reading I was not in the 'Varsity team, nor near it; but I played in the Freshman's match, and provided myself with spectacles.
a cooperative unit (especially in sports)
From this reading I was not in the 'Varsity team, nor near it; but I played in the Freshman's match, and provided myself with spectacles.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading That was when I carried my bat for forty-five.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading I was not in the 'Varsity team, nor near it; but I played in the Freshman's match, and provided myself with spectacles.
a British abbreviation of “university”; usually refers to Oxford University or Cambridge University
From this reading I was not in the 'Varsity team, nor near it; but I played in the Freshman's match, and provided myself with spectacles.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading I was not in the 'Varsity team, nor near it; but I played in the Freshman's match, and provided myself with spectacles.
at the time that
From this reading That was when I carried my bat for forty-five.
in the company of; together with
From this reading I was not in the 'Varsity team, nor near it; but I played in the Freshman's match, and provided myself with spectacles.
Chapter 27 of Amusement Only by Richard Marsh holds 44 sentences, grouped into 9 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 27 holds 44 sentences of Amusement Only, unabridged, divided into 9 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 27 of Amusement Only by Richard Marsh exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 44 sentences, grouped into 9 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 9 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 9 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 27 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 Amusement Only by Richard Marsh on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 6699 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #38188 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #38188, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 558 minutes of reading across 1340 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Amusement Only section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 29 chapters of Amusement Only 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 Amusement Only, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
