Chapter 16 of April Hopes is here in full — 424 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XVI
Chapter 16 of April Hopes is here in full — 424 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
“No man can be all a woman wishes him to be,” said his father. “It's better for the disappointment to come before it's too late.” “I was to blame,” said Dan stoutly. “She was all right.” “You were to blame in the particular instance,” his father answered.
Chapter 16 of April Hopes is here in full — 424 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/84 · 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.
past form of “answer” — react verbally
From this reading ““You were to blame in the particular instance,” his father answered.”
put or pin the blame on
From this reading ““I was to blame,” said Dan stoutly.”
a feeling of dissatisfaction that results when your expectations are not realized
From this reading ““It's better for the disappointment to come before it's too late.””
an occurrence of something
From this reading ““You were to blame in the particular instance,” his father answered.”
being or occurring at an advanced period of time or after a usual or expected time
From this reading ““It's better for the disappointment to come before it's too late.””
unique or specific to a person or thing or category
From this reading ““You were to blame in the particular instance,” his father answered.”
in a resolute manner
From this reading ““I was to blame,” said Dan stoutly.”
plural of “wish” — a specific feeling of desire
From this reading ““No man can be all a woman wishes him to be,” said his father.”
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.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading “No man can be all a woman wishes him to be,” said his father.
(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 “No man can be all a woman wishes him to be,” said his father.
past form of “answer” — react verbally
From this reading “You were to blame in the particular instance,” his father answered.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading “No man can be all a woman wishes him to be,” said his father.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading “It's better for the disappointment to come before it's too late.”
(comparative of “good”) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another
From this reading “It's better for the disappointment to come before it's too late.”
put or pin the blame on
From this reading “I was to blame,” said Dan stoutly.
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading “No man can be all a woman wishes him to be,” said his father.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading “It's better for the disappointment to come before it's too late.”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “I was to blame,” said Dan stoutly.
a feeling of dissatisfaction that results when your expectations are not realized
From this reading “It's better for the disappointment to come before it's too late.”
a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)
From this reading “No man can be all a woman wishes him to be,” said his father.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading “It's better for the disappointment to come before it's too late.”
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading “No man can be all a woman wishes him to be,” said his father.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading “No man can be all a woman wishes him to be,” said his father.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “I was to blame,” said Dan stoutly.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading “You were to blame in the particular instance,” his father answered.
an occurrence of something
From this reading “You were to blame in the particular instance,” his father answered.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “It's better for the disappointment to come before it's too late.”
being or occurring at an advanced period of time or after a usual or expected time
From this reading “It's better for the disappointment to come before it's too late.”
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading “No man can be all a woman wishes him to be,” said his father.
not any; not one
From this reading “No man can be all a woman wishes him to be,” said his father.
unique or specific to a person or thing or category
From this reading “You were to blame in the particular instance,” his father answered.
precisely, exactly
From this reading “She was all right.”
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “No man can be all a woman wishes him to be,” said his father.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “She was all right.”
in a resolute manner
From this reading “I was to blame,” said Dan stoutly.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading “It's better for the disappointment to come before it's too late.”
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading “No man can be all a woman wishes him to be,” said his father.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading “It's better for the disappointment to come before it's too late.”
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “I was to blame,” said Dan stoutly.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading “You were to blame in the particular instance,” his father answered.
plural of “wish” — a specific feeling of desire
From this reading “No man can be all a woman wishes him to be,” said his father.
an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading “No man can be all a woman wishes him to be,” said his father.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “You were to blame in the particular instance,” his father answered.
Chapter 16 of April Hopes by William Dean Howells holds 424 sentences, grouped into 85 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 16 holds 424 sentences of April Hopes, unabridged, divided into 85 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 16 of April Hopes by William Dean Howells exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 424 sentences, grouped into 85 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 85 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 85 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 16 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 April Hopes by William Dean Howells on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 6976 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #3404 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #3404, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 581 minutes of reading across 1396 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through April Hopes section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 17 chapters of April Hopes 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 April Hopes, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
