Annihilation

Chapter VI

Chapter 6 of Annihilation is here in full — 222 sentences across 45 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Isabel Ostrander • Curated US English Learning Edition

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

DEADLOCK Dennis had scarcely departed on his errand when the inspector and Orbit came down the stairs together and the latter remarked to McCarty:

“You didn’t tell me Hughes had been poisoned!”

“No, sir,” McCarty agreed.

“’Twas not for me to say: I told you I’d no message for you about the body but you’d hear from the inspector.

There’s no chance he could have took that Calabar bean powder—I disremember its other name,—by mistake, is there?

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 VI Reading 1/44

Annihilation

Chapter VI

Chapter 6 of Annihilation is here in full — 222 sentences across 45 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/44 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

DEADLOCK Dennis had scarcely departed on his errand when the inspector and Orbit came down the stairs together and the latter remarked to McCarty:

Line 2

“You didn’t tell me Hughes had been poisoned!”

Line 3

“No, sir,” McCarty agreed.

Line 4

“’Twas not for me to say: I told you I’d no message for you about the body but you’d hear from the inspector.

Line 5

There’s no chance he could have took that Calabar bean powder—I disremember its other name,—by mistake, is there?

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.

bean noun US /biːn/

any of various edible seeds of plants of the family Leguminosae used for food

From this reading “There’s no chance he could have took that Calabar bean powder—I disremember its other name,—by mistake, is there?”

deadlock noun US /ˈdedlɑːk/

a situation in which no progress can be made or no advancement is possible

From this reading “DEADLOCK Dennis had scarcely departed on his errand when the inspector and Orbit came down the stairs together and the latter remarked to McCarty:”

errand noun US /ˈerənd/

a short trip that is taken in the performance of a necessary task or mission

From this reading “DEADLOCK Dennis had scarcely departed on his errand when the inspector and Orbit came down the stairs together and the latter remarked to McCarty:”

Hughes noun US /hjuːz/

English poet (born in 1930)

From this reading ““You didn’t tell me Hughes had been poisoned!””

inspector noun US /ˌɪnˈspektər/

a high ranking police officer

From this reading “DEADLOCK Dennis had scarcely departed on his errand when the inspector and Orbit came down the stairs together and the latter remarked to McCarty:”

Orbit noun US /ˈɔːrbət/

the (usually elliptical) path described by one celestial body in its revolution about another

From this reading “DEADLOCK Dennis had scarcely departed on his errand when the inspector and Orbit came down the stairs together and the latter remarked to McCarty:”

poisoned verb US /ˈpɔɪzənd/

past form of “poison” — spoil as if by poison

From this reading ““You didn’t tell me Hughes had been poisoned!””

powder noun US /ˈpaʊdər/

a solid substance in the form of tiny loose particles; a solid that has been pulverized

From this reading “There’s no chance he could have took that Calabar bean powder—I disremember its other name,—by mistake, is there?”

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.

came down verb + adjective counted as “come down”

move downward and lower, but not necessarily all the way

In this reading “DEADLOCK Dennis had scarcely departed on his errand when the inspector and Orbit came down the stairs together and the latter remarked to McCarty:”

by mistake preposition + noun

In this reading “There’s no chance he could have took that Calabar bean powder—I disremember its other name,—by mistake, is there?”

hear from verb + particle

In this reading ““’Twas not for me to say: I told you I’d no message for you about the body but you’d hear from the inspector.”

All words in this reading · 63

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.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading “’Twas not for me to say: I told you I’d no message for you about the body but you’d hear from the inspector.

agreedadjectiveUS /əˈɡriːd/

united by being of the same opinion

From this reading “No, sir,” McCarty agreed.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading DEADLOCK Dennis had scarcely departed on his errand when the inspector and Orbit came down the stairs together and the latter remarked to McCarty:

beannounUS /biːn/

any of various edible seeds of plants of the family Leguminosae used for food

From this reading There’s no chance he could have took that Calabar bean powder—I disremember its other name,—by mistake, is there?

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading “You didn’t tell me Hughes had been poisoned!”

bodynounUS /ˈbɑːdi/

the entire physical structure of an organism (an animal, plant, or human being)

From this reading “’Twas not for me to say: I told you I’d no message for you about the body but you’d hear from the inspector.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading “’Twas not for me to say: I told you I’d no message for you about the body but you’d hear from the inspector.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading There’s no chance he could have took that Calabar bean powder—I disremember its other name,—by mistake, is there?

Calabar

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

From this reading There’s no chance he could have took that Calabar bean powder—I disremember its other name,—by mistake, is there?

cameverbUS /keɪm/

inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading DEADLOCK Dennis had scarcely departed on his errand when the inspector and Orbit came down the stairs together and the latter remarked to McCarty:

chancenounUS /tʃæns/

a possibility due to a favorable combination of circumstances

From this reading There’s no chance he could have took that Calabar bean powder—I disremember its other name,—by mistake, is there?

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading There’s no chance he could have took that Calabar bean powder—I disremember its other name,—by mistake, is there?

DEADLOCKnounUS /ˈdedlɑːk/

a situation in which no progress can be made or no advancement is possible

From this reading DEADLOCK Dennis had scarcely departed on his errand when the inspector and Orbit came down the stairs together and the latter remarked to McCarty:

Dennis

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

From this reading DEADLOCK Dennis had scarcely departed on his errand when the inspector and Orbit came down the stairs together and the latter remarked to McCarty:

departedadjectiveUS /dɪˈpɑːrtɪd/

well in the past; former

From this reading DEADLOCK Dennis had scarcely departed on his errand when the inspector and Orbit came down the stairs together and the latter remarked to McCarty:

didn't

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

From this reading “You didn’t tell me Hughes had been poisoned!”

disremember

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

From this reading There’s no chance he could have took that Calabar bean powder—I disremember its other name,—by mistake, is there?

downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading DEADLOCK Dennis had scarcely departed on his errand when the inspector and Orbit came down the stairs together and the latter remarked to McCarty:

errandnounUS /ˈerənd/

a short trip that is taken in the performance of a necessary task or mission

From this reading DEADLOCK Dennis had scarcely departed on his errand when the inspector and Orbit came down the stairs together and the latter remarked to McCarty:

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading “’Twas not for me to say: I told you I’d no message for you about the body but you’d hear from the inspector.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading “’Twas not for me to say: I told you I’d no message for you about the body but you’d hear from the inspector.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading DEADLOCK Dennis had scarcely departed on his errand when the inspector and Orbit came down the stairs together and the latter remarked to McCarty:

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading There’s no chance he could have took that Calabar bean powder—I disremember its other name,—by mistake, is there?

hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading There’s no chance he could have took that Calabar bean powder—I disremember its other name,—by mistake, is there?

hearverbUS /hiːr/

perceive (sound) via the auditory sense

From this reading “’Twas not for me to say: I told you I’d no message for you about the body but you’d hear from the inspector.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading DEADLOCK Dennis had scarcely departed on his errand when the inspector and Orbit came down the stairs together and the latter remarked to McCarty:

HughesnounUS /hjuːz/

English poet (born in 1930)

From this reading “You didn’t tell me Hughes had been poisoned!”

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading “’Twas not for me to say: I told you I’d no message for you about the body but you’d hear from the inspector.

I'd

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

From this reading “’Twas not for me to say: I told you I’d no message for you about the body but you’d hear from the inspector.

inspectornounUS /ˌɪnˈspektər/

a high ranking police officer

From this reading DEADLOCK Dennis had scarcely departed on his errand when the inspector and Orbit came down the stairs together and the latter remarked to McCarty:

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading There’s no chance he could have took that Calabar bean powder—I disremember its other name,—by mistake, is there?

itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading There’s no chance he could have took that Calabar bean powder—I disremember its other name,—by mistake, is there?

latteradjectiveUS /ˈlætər/

referring to the second of two things or persons mentioned (or the last one or ones of several)

From this reading DEADLOCK Dennis had scarcely departed on his errand when the inspector and Orbit came down the stairs together and the latter remarked to McCarty:

McCarty

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

From this reading DEADLOCK Dennis had scarcely departed on his errand when the inspector and Orbit came down the stairs together and the latter remarked to McCarty:

mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading “You didn’t tell me Hughes had been poisoned!”

messagenounUS /ˈmesədʒ/

a communication (usually brief) that is written or spoken or signaled

From this reading “’Twas not for me to say: I told you I’d no message for you about the body but you’d hear from the inspector.

mistakenounUS /mɪˈsteɪk/

a wrong action attributable to bad judgment or ignorance or inattention

From this reading There’s no chance he could have took that Calabar bean powder—I disremember its other name,—by mistake, is there?

nameverbUS /neɪm/

assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading There’s no chance he could have took that Calabar bean powder—I disremember its other name,—by mistake, is there?

NodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading “No, sir,” McCarty agreed.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading “’Twas not for me to say: I told you I’d no message for you about the body but you’d hear from the inspector.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading DEADLOCK Dennis had scarcely departed on his errand when the inspector and Orbit came down the stairs together and the latter remarked to McCarty:

OrbitnounUS /ˈɔːrbət/

the (usually elliptical) path described by one celestial body in its revolution about another

From this reading DEADLOCK Dennis had scarcely departed on his errand when the inspector and Orbit came down the stairs together and the latter remarked to McCarty:

otheradjectiveUS /ˈʌðər/

not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied

From this reading There’s no chance he could have took that Calabar bean powder—I disremember its other name,—by mistake, is there?

poisonedverbUS /ˈpɔɪzənd/

past form of “poison” — spoil as if by poison

From this reading “You didn’t tell me Hughes had been poisoned!”

powdernounUS /ˈpaʊdər/

a solid substance in the form of tiny loose particles; a solid that has been pulverized

From this reading There’s no chance he could have took that Calabar bean powder—I disremember its other name,—by mistake, is there?

remarkedverbUS /rɪˈmɑːrkt/

past form of “remark” — make mention of

From this reading DEADLOCK Dennis had scarcely departed on his errand when the inspector and Orbit came down the stairs together and the latter remarked to McCarty:

sayverbUS /seɪ/

express in words

From this reading “’Twas not for me to say: I told you I’d no message for you about the body but you’d hear from the inspector.

scarcelyadverbUS /ˈskersli/

only a very short time before

From this reading DEADLOCK Dennis had scarcely departed on his errand when the inspector and Orbit came down the stairs together and the latter remarked to McCarty:

sirnounUS /sɜːr/

term of address for a man

From this reading “No, sir,” McCarty agreed.

stairsnounUS /sterz/

a flight of stairs or a flight of steps

From this reading DEADLOCK Dennis had scarcely departed on his errand when the inspector and Orbit came down the stairs together and the latter remarked to McCarty:

tellverbUS /tel/

express in words

From this reading “You didn’t tell me Hughes had been poisoned!”

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading There’s no chance he could have took that Calabar bean powder—I disremember its other name,—by mistake, is there?

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading DEADLOCK Dennis had scarcely departed on his errand when the inspector and Orbit came down the stairs together and the latter remarked to McCarty:

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading There’s no chance he could have took that Calabar bean powder—I disremember its other name,—by mistake, is there?

There's

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

From this reading There’s no chance he could have took that Calabar bean powder—I disremember its other name,—by mistake, is there?

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading DEADLOCK Dennis had scarcely departed on his errand when the inspector and Orbit came down the stairs together and the latter remarked to McCarty:

togetheradverbUS /təˈɡeðər/

in contact with each other or in proximity

From this reading DEADLOCK Dennis had scarcely departed on his errand when the inspector and Orbit came down the stairs together and the latter remarked to McCarty:

toldverbUS /toʊld/

inflected form of “tell” — express in words

From this reading “’Twas not for me to say: I told you I’d no message for you about the body but you’d hear from the inspector.

tookverbUS /tʊk/

inflected form of “take” — carry out

From this reading There’s no chance he could have took that Calabar bean powder—I disremember its other name,—by mistake, is there?

Twas

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

From this reading “’Twas not for me to say: I told you I’d no message for you about the body but you’d hear from the inspector.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading DEADLOCK Dennis had scarcely departed on his errand when the inspector and Orbit came down the stairs together and the latter remarked to McCarty:

YoupronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading “You didn’t tell me Hughes had been poisoned!”

you'd

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

From this reading “’Twas not for me to say: I told you I’d no message for you about the body but you’d hear from the inspector.

Chapter 6 of Annihilation by Isabel Ostrander holds 222 sentences, grouped into 45 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 6 of Annihilation contain?

Chapter 6 holds 222 sentences of Annihilation, unabridged, divided into 45 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 6 of Annihilation by Isabel Ostrander exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 222 sentences, grouped into 45 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 6 of Annihilation?

Work through the 45 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 45 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 6 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 6 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 Annihilation

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Is this the complete text of Annihilation?

Yes. All 5459 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #72948 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

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Project Gutenberg eBook #72948, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

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About 454 minutes of reading across 1092 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in Annihilation

Words and structures a reader meets early in Annihilation, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Italic: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Annihilation; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
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Chapter VI

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