Chapter 1 of Aunt Jane is here in full — 441 sentences across 89 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of Aunt Jane is here in full — 441 sentences across 89 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
BY JENNETTE LEE AUTHOR OF "UNCLE WILLIAM," "THE WOMAN IN THE ALCOVE," ETC. "Aunt Jane, what are you thinking of?" The young man turned his head a little on the pillow to look inquiringly toward the door. It was the door of Room 24 leading into the Men's Ward. Aunt Jane had been standing there for five minutes, gazing intently before her into space.
Chapter 1 of Aunt Jane is here in full — 441 sentences across 89 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/88 · 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.
a small recess opening off a larger room
From this reading “BY JENNETTE LEE AUTHOR OF "UNCLE WILLIAM," "THE WOMAN IN THE ALCOVE," ETC.”
writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)
From this reading “BY JENNETTE LEE AUTHOR OF "UNCLE WILLIAM," "THE WOMAN IN THE ALCOVE," ETC.”
-ing form of “gaze” — look at with fixed eyes
From this reading “Aunt Jane had been standing there for five minutes, gazing intently before her into space.”
with strained or eager attention
From this reading “Aunt Jane had been standing there for five minutes, gazing intently before her into space.”
United States filmmaker whose works explore the richness of black culture in America (born in 1957)
From this reading “BY JENNETTE LEE AUTHOR OF "UNCLE WILLIAM," "THE WOMAN IN THE ALCOVE," ETC.”
a public toilet for men
From this reading “It was the door of Room 24 leading into the Men's Ward.”
a cushion to support the head of a sleeping person
From this reading “The young man turned his head a little on the pillow to look inquiringly toward the door.”
a person who is under the protection or in the custody of another
From this reading “It was the door of Room 24 leading into the Men's Ward.”
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 “Aunt Jane had been standing there for five minutes, gazing intently before her into space.”
In this reading “The young man turned his head a little on the pillow to look inquiringly toward the door.”
a teenager or a young adult male
In this reading “The young man turned his head a little on the pillow to look inquiringly toward the door.”
In this reading “The young man turned his head a little on the pillow to look inquiringly toward the door.”
In this reading “Aunt Jane had been standing there for five minutes, gazing intently before her into space.”
In this reading “The young man turned his head a little on the pillow to look inquiringly toward the door.”
In this reading “Aunt Jane had been standing there for five minutes, gazing intently before her into space.”
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.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was the door of Room 24 leading into the Men's Ward.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The young man turned his head a little on the pillow to look inquiringly toward the door.
a small recess opening off a larger room
From this reading BY JENNETTE LEE AUTHOR OF "UNCLE WILLIAM," "THE WOMAN IN THE ALCOVE," ETC.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading "Aunt Jane, what are you thinking of?"
the sister of your father or mother; the wife of your uncle
From this reading "Aunt Jane, what are you thinking of?"
writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)
From this reading BY JENNETTE LEE AUTHOR OF "UNCLE WILLIAM," "THE WOMAN IN THE ALCOVE," ETC.
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Aunt Jane had been standing there for five minutes, gazing intently before her into space.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading Aunt Jane had been standing there for five minutes, gazing intently before her into space.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading BY JENNETTE LEE AUTHOR OF "UNCLE WILLIAM," "THE WOMAN IN THE ALCOVE," ETC.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading The young man turned his head a little on the pillow to look inquiringly toward the door.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading BY JENNETTE LEE AUTHOR OF "UNCLE WILLIAM," "THE WOMAN IN THE ALCOVE," ETC.
the cardinal number that is the sum of four and one
From this reading Aunt Jane had been standing there for five minutes, gazing intently before her into space.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Aunt Jane had been standing there for five minutes, gazing intently before her into space.
-ing form of “gaze” — look at with fixed eyes
From this reading Aunt Jane had been standing there for five minutes, gazing intently before her into space.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Aunt Jane had been standing there for five minutes, gazing intently before her into space.
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading The young man turned his head a little on the pillow to look inquiringly toward the door.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Aunt Jane had been standing there for five minutes, gazing intently before her into space.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading The young man turned his head a little on the pillow to look inquiringly toward the door.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading BY JENNETTE LEE AUTHOR OF "UNCLE WILLIAM," "THE WOMAN IN THE ALCOVE," ETC.
in an inquiring manner
From this reading The young man turned his head a little on the pillow to look inquiringly toward the door.
with strained or eager attention
From this reading Aunt Jane had been standing there for five minutes, gazing intently before her into space.
moving to the inside of something
From this reading It was the door of Room 24 leading into the Men's Ward.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was the door of Room 24 leading into the Men's Ward.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Aunt Jane, what are you thinking of?"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading BY JENNETTE LEE AUTHOR OF "UNCLE WILLIAM," "THE WOMAN IN THE ALCOVE," ETC.
indicating the most important performer or role
From this reading It was the door of Room 24 leading into the Men's Ward.
United States filmmaker whose works explore the richness of black culture in America (born in 1957)
From this reading BY JENNETTE LEE AUTHOR OF "UNCLE WILLIAM," "THE WOMAN IN THE ALCOVE," ETC.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading The young man turned his head a little on the pillow to look inquiringly toward the door.
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading The young man turned his head a little on the pillow to look inquiringly toward the door.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading The young man turned his head a little on the pillow to look inquiringly toward the door.
a public toilet for men
From this reading It was the door of Room 24 leading into the Men's Ward.
a written account of what transpired at a meeting
From this reading Aunt Jane had been standing there for five minutes, gazing intently before her into space.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading BY JENNETTE LEE AUTHOR OF "UNCLE WILLIAM," "THE WOMAN IN THE ALCOVE," ETC.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The young man turned his head a little on the pillow to look inquiringly toward the door.
a cushion to support the head of a sleeping person
From this reading The young man turned his head a little on the pillow to look inquiringly toward the door.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading It was the door of Room 24 leading into the Men's Ward.
the unlimited expanse in which everything is located
From this reading Aunt Jane had been standing there for five minutes, gazing intently before her into space.
having a supporting base
From this reading Aunt Jane had been standing there for five minutes, gazing intently before her into space.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading BY JENNETTE LEE AUTHOR OF "UNCLE WILLIAM," "THE WOMAN IN THE ALCOVE," ETC.
in or at that place or location
From this reading Aunt Jane had been standing there for five minutes, gazing intently before her into space.
the process of using your mind to consider something carefully
From this reading "Aunt Jane, what are you thinking of?"
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The young man turned his head a little on the pillow to look inquiringly toward the door.
in the direction of
From this reading The young man turned his head a little on the pillow to look inquiringly toward the door.
moved around an axis or center
From this reading The young man turned his head a little on the pillow to look inquiringly toward the door.
the brother of your father or mother; the husband of your aunt
From this reading BY JENNETTE LEE AUTHOR OF "UNCLE WILLIAM," "THE WOMAN IN THE ALCOVE," ETC.
a person who is under the protection or in the custody of another
From this reading It was the door of Room 24 leading into the Men's Ward.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was the door of Room 24 leading into the Men's Ward.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading "Aunt Jane, what are you thinking of?"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading BY JENNETTE LEE AUTHOR OF "UNCLE WILLIAM," "THE WOMAN IN THE ALCOVE," ETC.
an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading BY JENNETTE LEE AUTHOR OF "UNCLE WILLIAM," "THE WOMAN IN THE ALCOVE," ETC.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Aunt Jane, what are you thinking of?"
(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading The young man turned his head a little on the pillow to look inquiringly toward the door.
Chapter 1 of Aunt Jane by Jennette Lee holds 441 sentences, grouped into 89 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 1 holds 441 sentences of Aunt Jane, unabridged, divided into 89 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of Aunt Jane by Jennette Lee exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 441 sentences, grouped into 89 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 89 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 89 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 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.
Common questions about reading Aunt Jane by Jennette Lee on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4736 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #43380 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #43380, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 394 minutes of reading across 948 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Aunt Jane section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 11 chapters of Aunt Jane 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 Aunt Jane, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
