"And That's How It Was, Officer"

Chapter II · Chapter 2

Chapter 2 of "And That's How It Was, Officer" is here in full — 525 sentences across 105 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Ralph Sholto • Curated US English Learning Edition

Cover illustration for "And That's How It Was, Officer"

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Joy was off in the direction of the garage and in no time at all she was back in my Cadillac convertible.

As she sailed by I managed to hook a finger around the door handle and get a foot inside.

This was no mean feat, as I was also occupied in hauling Bag Ears along by the collar.

I managed to deposit him in the seat beside Joy and squeeze in beside him.

"A burlycue queen, eh?"

Narrator

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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English

LEARNER DICTIONARY

Archivist

/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/

Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Chapter II Reading 1/105

"And That's How It Was, Officer"

Chapter II · Chapter 2

Chapter 2 of "And That's How It Was, Officer" is here in full — 525 sentences across 105 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/105 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

Joy was off in the direction of the garage and in no time at all she was back in my Cadillac convertible.

Line 2

As she sailed by I managed to hook a finger around the door handle and get a foot inside.

/æz ʃiː seɪld baɪ aɪ ˈmænədʒd tuː hʊk ə ˈfɪŋɡər ərˈaʊnd ðə dɔːr ˈhændəl ənd ɡet ə fʊt ˌɪnˈsaɪd/

Line 3

This was no mean feat, as I was also occupied in hauling Bag Ears along by the collar.

/ðɪs wɑːz noʊ miːn fiːt æz aɪ wɑːz ˈɔːlsoʊ ˈɑːkjəpaɪd ɪn ˈhɔːlɪŋ bæɡ ɪrz əˈlɔːŋ baɪ ðə ˈkɑːlər/

Line 4

I managed to deposit him in the seat beside Joy and squeeze in beside him.

/aɪ ˈmænədʒd tuː dəˈpɑːzɪt hɪm ɪn ðə siːt bɪˈsaɪd dʒɔɪ ənd skwiːz ɪn bɪˈsaɪd hɪm/

Line 5

"A burlycue queen, eh?"

Learner Dictionary

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.

collar noun US /ˈkɑːlər/

a band that fits around the neck and is usually folded over

From this reading “This was no mean feat, as I was also occupied in hauling Bag Ears along by the collar.”

convertible noun US /kənˈvɜːrtəbəl/

a car that has top that can be folded or removed

From this reading “Joy was off in the direction of the garage and in no time at all she was back in my Cadillac convertible.”

deposit verb US /dəˈpɑːzɪt/

put, fix, force, or implant

From this reading “I managed to deposit him in the seat beside Joy and squeeze in beside him.”

feat noun US /fiːt/

a notable achievement

From this reading “This was no mean feat, as I was also occupied in hauling Bag Ears along by the collar.”

garage noun US /ɡərˈɑːʒ/

an outbuilding (or part of a building) for housing automobiles

From this reading “Joy was off in the direction of the garage and in no time at all she was back in my Cadillac convertible.”

hauling noun US /ˈhɔːlɪŋ/

the activity of transporting goods by truck

From this reading “This was no mean feat, as I was also occupied in hauling Bag Ears along by the collar.”

hook verb US /hʊk/

fasten with a hook

From this reading “As she sailed by I managed to hook a finger around the door handle and get a foot inside.”

squeeze verb US /skwiːz/

to compress with violence, out of natural shape or condition

From this reading “I managed to deposit him in the seat beside Joy and squeeze in beside him.”

Word partnerships in these lines

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.

by the collar preposition + article + noun counted as “by … collar”

In this reading “This was no mean feat, as I was also occupied in hauling Bag Ears along by the collar.”

in the direction preposition + article + noun counted as “in … direction”

In this reading “Joy was off in the direction of the garage and in no time at all she was back in my Cadillac convertible.”

All words in this reading · 51

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.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading As she sailed by I managed to hook a finger around the door handle and get a foot inside.

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading Joy was off in the direction of the garage and in no time at all she was back in my Cadillac convertible.

alongprepositionUS /əˈlɔːŋ/

following the length of something from one end toward the other

From this reading This was no mean feat, as I was also occupied in hauling Bag Ears along by the collar.

alsoadverbUS /ˈɔːlsoʊ/

in addition

From this reading This was no mean feat, as I was also occupied in hauling Bag Ears along by the collar.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading Joy was off in the direction of the garage and in no time at all she was back in my Cadillac convertible.

aroundprepositionUS /ərˈaʊnd/

surrounding, or on every side of, something

From this reading As she sailed by I managed to hook a finger around the door handle and get a foot inside.

AsconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading As she sailed by I managed to hook a finger around the door handle and get a foot inside.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Joy was off in the direction of the garage and in no time at all she was back in my Cadillac convertible.

backadverbUS /bæk/

in or to or toward a former location

From this reading Joy was off in the direction of the garage and in no time at all she was back in my Cadillac convertible.

BagnounUS /bæɡ/

a flexible container with a single opening

From this reading This was no mean feat, as I was also occupied in hauling Bag Ears along by the collar.

besideprepositionUS /bɪˈsaɪd/

next to; at the side of

From this reading I managed to deposit him in the seat beside Joy and squeeze in beside him.

burlycue

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading "A burlycue queen, eh?"

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading As she sailed by I managed to hook a finger around the door handle and get a foot inside.

Cadillac

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Joy was off in the direction of the garage and in no time at all she was back in my Cadillac convertible.

collarnounUS /ˈkɑːlər/

a band that fits around the neck and is usually folded over

From this reading This was no mean feat, as I was also occupied in hauling Bag Ears along by the collar.

convertiblenounUS /kənˈvɜːrtəbəl/

a car that has top that can be folded or removed

From this reading Joy was off in the direction of the garage and in no time at all she was back in my Cadillac convertible.

depositverbUS /dəˈpɑːzɪt/

put, fix, force, or implant

From this reading I managed to deposit him in the seat beside Joy and squeeze in beside him.

directionnounUS /dərˈekʃən/

a line leading to a place or point

From this reading Joy was off in the direction of the garage and in no time at all she was back in my Cadillac convertible.

doornounUS /dɔːr/

a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle

From this reading As she sailed by I managed to hook a finger around the door handle and get a foot inside.

EarsnounUS /ɪrz/

plural of “ear” — the sense organ for hearing and equilibrium

From this reading This was no mean feat, as I was also occupied in hauling Bag Ears along by the collar.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading "A burlycue queen, eh?"

featnounUS /fiːt/

a notable achievement

From this reading This was no mean feat, as I was also occupied in hauling Bag Ears along by the collar.

fingerverbUS /ˈfɪŋɡər/

feel or handle with the fingers

From this reading As she sailed by I managed to hook a finger around the door handle and get a foot inside.

footnounUS /fʊt/

the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint

From this reading As she sailed by I managed to hook a finger around the door handle and get a foot inside.

garagenounUS /ɡərˈɑːʒ/

an outbuilding (or part of a building) for housing automobiles

From this reading Joy was off in the direction of the garage and in no time at all she was back in my Cadillac convertible.

getverbUS /ɡet/

come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

From this reading As she sailed by I managed to hook a finger around the door handle and get a foot inside.

handleverbUS /ˈhændəl/

be in charge of, act on, or dispose of

From this reading As she sailed by I managed to hook a finger around the door handle and get a foot inside.

haulingnounUS /ˈhɔːlɪŋ/

the activity of transporting goods by truck

From this reading This was no mean feat, as I was also occupied in hauling Bag Ears along by the collar.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading I managed to deposit him in the seat beside Joy and squeeze in beside him.

hookverbUS /hʊk/

fasten with a hook

From this reading As she sailed by I managed to hook a finger around the door handle and get a foot inside.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading As she sailed by I managed to hook a finger around the door handle and get a foot inside.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading Joy was off in the direction of the garage and in no time at all she was back in my Cadillac convertible.

insideadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈsaɪd/

relating to or being on the side closer to the center or within a defined space

From this reading As she sailed by I managed to hook a finger around the door handle and get a foot inside.

JoynounUS /dʒɔɪ/

the emotion of great happiness

From this reading Joy was off in the direction of the garage and in no time at all she was back in my Cadillac convertible.

managedverbUS /ˈmænədʒd/

past form of “manage” — be successful; achieve a goal

From this reading As she sailed by I managed to hook a finger around the door handle and get a foot inside.

meanverbUS /miːn/

mean or intend to express or convey

From this reading This was no mean feat, as I was also occupied in hauling Bag Ears along by the collar.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading Joy was off in the direction of the garage and in no time at all she was back in my Cadillac convertible.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading Joy was off in the direction of the garage and in no time at all she was back in my Cadillac convertible.

occupiedadjectiveUS /ˈɑːkjəpaɪd/

held or filled or in use

From this reading This was no mean feat, as I was also occupied in hauling Bag Ears along by the collar.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Joy was off in the direction of the garage and in no time at all she was back in my Cadillac convertible.

offadverbUS /ɔːf/

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading Joy was off in the direction of the garage and in no time at all she was back in my Cadillac convertible.

queennounUS /kwiːn/

the only fertile female in a colony of social insects such as bees and ants and termites; its function is to lay eggs

From this reading "A burlycue queen, eh?"

sailedverbUS /seɪld/

past form of “sail” — traverse or travel on (a body of water)

From this reading As she sailed by I managed to hook a finger around the door handle and get a foot inside.

seatnounUS /siːt/

a space reserved for sitting (as in a theater or on a train or airplane)

From this reading I managed to deposit him in the seat beside Joy and squeeze in beside him.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Joy was off in the direction of the garage and in no time at all she was back in my Cadillac convertible.

squeezeverbUS /skwiːz/

to compress with violence, out of natural shape or condition

From this reading I managed to deposit him in the seat beside Joy and squeeze in beside him.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading Joy was off in the direction of the garage and in no time at all she was back in my Cadillac convertible.

ThisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading This was no mean feat, as I was also occupied in hauling Bag Ears along by the collar.

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading Joy was off in the direction of the garage and in no time at all she was back in my Cadillac convertible.

toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading As she sailed by I managed to hook a finger around the door handle and get a foot inside.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading Joy was off in the direction of the garage and in no time at all she was back in my Cadillac convertible.

Chapter 2 of "And That's How It Was, Officer" by Ralph Sholto holds 525 sentences, grouped into 105 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.

What does chapter 2 of "And That's How It Was, Officer" contain?

Chapter 2 holds 525 sentences of "And That's How It Was, Officer", unabridged, divided into 105 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 2 of "And That's How It Was, Officer" by Ralph Sholto exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 525 sentences, grouped into 105 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.

How do I study chapter 2 of "And That's How It Was, Officer"?

Work through the 105 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 105 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.

Can chapter 2 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 2 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.

Questions about reading "And That's How It Was, Officer"

Common questions about reading "And That's How It Was, Officer" by Ralph Sholto on this page, its source edition and its audio.

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Yes. All 1058 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #32562 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

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Project Gutenberg eBook #32562, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

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About 88 minutes of reading across 212 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in "And That's How It Was, Officer"

Words and structures a reader meets early in "And That's How It Was, Officer", each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Uncle: A word that appears in the opening chapter of "And That's How It Was, Officer"; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
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Clean: A word that appears in the opening chapter of "And That's How It Was, Officer"; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

Chapter II · Chapter 2

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