Anna of the Five Towns

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of Anna of the Five Towns is here in full — 266 sentences across 54 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Arnold Bennett • Curated US English Learning Edition

Cover illustration for Anna of the Five Towns

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

METHUEN & CO.

LTD.

36 ESSEX STREET W.C.

First issued in this Cheap Form (Third Edition) - September 5th 1912 Fourth Edition - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - September 1912 Fifth Edition - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - February 1913 Sixth Edition - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - July

1913 Seventh Edition - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - April 1914 Eighth Edition - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - September 1914 Ninth Edition - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - November 1915 Tenth Edition - - - - - - - - -

Narrator

Speed 0.75x

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 I Reading 1/53

Anna of the Five Towns

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of Anna of the Five Towns is here in full — 266 sentences across 54 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/53 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

METHUEN & CO.

Line 2

LTD.

Line 3

36 ESSEX STREET W.C.

Line 4

Line 5

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.

Eighth adjective US /eɪtθ/

coming next after the seventh and just before the ninth in position

From this reading “1913 Seventh Edition - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - April 1914 Eighth Edition - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - September 1914 Ninth Edition - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - November 1915 Tenth Edition - - - - - - - - -”

essex noun US /ˈesɪks/

a county in southeastern England on the North Sea and the Thames estuary

From this reading “36 ESSEX STREET W.C.”

February noun US /ˈfebjəweri/

the month following January and preceding March

From this reading “First issued in this Cheap Form (Third Edition) - September 5th 1912 Fourth Edition - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - September 1912 Fifth Edition - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - February 1913 Sixth Edition - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - July”

issued verb US /ˈɪʃuːd/

past form of “issue” — prepare and issue for public distribution or sale

Ninth noun US /naɪnθ/

position nine in a countable series of things

Seventh adjective US /ˈsevənθ/

coming next after the sixth and just before the eighth in position

Sixth adjective US /sɪksθ/

coming next after the fifth and just before the seventh in position

Tenth noun US /tenθ/

a tenth part; one part in ten equal parts

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.

Third Edition noun + noun

In this reading “First issued in this Cheap Form (Third Edition) - September 5th 1912 Fourth Edition - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - September 1912 Fifth Edition - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - February 1913 Sixth Edition - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - July”

All words in this reading · 33

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.

1912

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

From this reading First issued in this Cheap Form (Third Edition) - September 5th 1912 Fourth Edition - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - September 1912 Fifth Edition - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - February 1913 Sixth Edition - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - July

1913

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

1914

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

From this reading 1913 Seventh Edition - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - April 1914 Eighth Edition - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - September 1914 Ninth Edition - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - November 1915 Tenth Edition - - - - - - - - -

1915

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

From this reading 36 ESSEX STREET W.C.

5th

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

AprilnounUS /ˈeɪprəl/

the month following March and preceding May

CnounUS /siː/

a degree on the centigrade scale of temperature

From this reading 36 ESSEX STREET W.C.

CheapadjectiveUS /tʃiːp/

relatively low in price or charging low prices

COnounUS /koʊ/

an odorless very poisonous gas that is a product of incomplete combustion of carbon

From this reading METHUEN & CO.

EditionnounUS /əˈdɪʃən/

the form in which a text (especially a printed book) is published

EighthadjectiveUS /eɪtθ/

coming next after the seventh and just before the ninth in position

ESSEXnounUS /ˈesɪks/

a county in southeastern England on the North Sea and the Thames estuary

From this reading 36 ESSEX STREET W.C.

FebruarynounUS /ˈfebjəweri/

the month following January and preceding March

FifthnounUS /fɪfθ/

a quantity of liquor equal to one fifth of a United States gallon

FirstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/

preceding all others in time or space or degree

FormnounUS /fɔːrm/

the phonological or orthographic sound or appearance of a word that can be used to describe or identify something

FourthnounUS /fɔːrθ/

following the third position; number four in a countable series

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

issuedverbUS /ˈɪʃuːd/

past form of “issue” — prepare and issue for public distribution or sale

JulynounUS /ˌdʒuːˈlaɪ/

the month following June and preceding August

LTD

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

From this reading LTD.

METHUEN

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

From this reading METHUEN & CO.

NinthnounUS /naɪnθ/

position nine in a countable series of things

NovembernounUS /noʊˈvembər/

the month following October and preceding December

SeptembernounUS /sepˈtembər/

the month following August and preceding October

SeventhadjectiveUS /ˈsevənθ/

coming next after the sixth and just before the eighth in position

SixthadjectiveUS /sɪksθ/

coming next after the fifth and just before the seventh in position

STREETnounUS /striːt/

a thoroughfare (usually including sidewalks) that is lined with buildings

From this reading 36 ESSEX STREET W.C.

TenthnounUS /tenθ/

a tenth part; one part in ten equal parts

ThirdnounUS /θɜːrd/

one of three equal parts of a divisible whole

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

WnounUS /ˈdʌbəljuː/

a heavy grey-white metallic element; the pure form is used mainly in electrical applications; it is found in several ores including wolframite and scheelite

From this reading 36 ESSEX STREET W.C.

Chapter 1 of Anna of the Five Towns by Arnold Bennett holds 266 sentences, grouped into 54 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 1 of Anna of the Five Towns contain?

Chapter 1 holds 266 sentences of Anna of the Five Towns, unabridged, divided into 54 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of Anna of the Five Towns by Arnold Bennett exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 266 sentences, grouped into 54 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 1 of Anna of the Five Towns?

Work through the 54 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 54 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 1 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 1 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 Anna of the Five Towns

Common questions about reading Anna of the Five Towns by Arnold Bennett on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Anna of the Five Towns?

Yes. All 5126 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #35505 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Anna of the Five Towns is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #35505, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Anna of the Five Towns take to read?

About 427 minutes of reading across 1026 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Anna of the Five Towns section by section

How to work through Anna of the Five Towns section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

Open a chapter

Choose one of the 14 chapters of Anna of the Five Towns to begin.
Read one section

Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Listen and tap

Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in Anna of the Five Towns

Words and structures a reader meets early in Anna of the Five Towns, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Methuen: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Anna of the Five Towns; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Essex: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Anna of the Five Towns; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Street: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Anna of the Five Towns; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
First: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Anna of the Five Towns; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

Chapter I

What does chapter 1 of Anna of the Five Towns contain?

How do I study chapter 1 of Anna of the Five Towns?

Can chapter 1 be read aloud to me?

Questions about reading Anna of the Five Towns

How to read Anna of the Five Towns section by section

Open a chapter

Read one section

Listen and tap

Vocabulary met early in Anna of the Five Towns