Chapter 19 of Ben Bruce is here in full — 139 sentences across 28 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XIX
Chapter 19 of Ben Bruce is here in full — 139 sentences across 28 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
BEN MAKES HIS DÉBUT. “Where are you going this evening, Ben?” asked Sylvanus Snodgrass of his young friend. Ben did not care to have Sylvanus Snodgrass for an auditor the first evening and he answered evasively, “I have an engagement with a friend.” “Do I know him? Who is he?”
Chapter 19 of Ben Bruce is here in full — 139 sentences across 28 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/27 · 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 “Ben did not care to have Sylvanus Snodgrass for an auditor the first evening and he answered evasively, “I have an engagement with a friend.””
someone who listens attentively
From this reading “Ben did not care to have Sylvanus Snodgrass for an auditor the first evening and he answered evasively, “I have an engagement with a friend.””
a mountain or tall hill
From this reading “BEN MAKES HIS DÉBUT.”
the work of providing treatment for or attending to someone or something
From this reading “Ben did not care to have Sylvanus Snodgrass for an auditor the first evening and he answered evasively, “I have an engagement with a friend.””
a hostile meeting of opposing military forces in the course of a war
From this reading “Ben did not care to have Sylvanus Snodgrass for an auditor the first evening and he answered evasively, “I have an engagement with a friend.””
the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)
From this reading ““Where are you going this evening, Ben?” asked Sylvanus Snodgrass of his young friend.”
plural of “make” — a recognizable kind
From this reading “BEN MAKES HIS DÉBUT.”
(Roman mythology) god of woods and fields and flocks; Pan is the Greek counterpart
From this reading ““Where are you going this evening, Ben?” asked Sylvanus Snodgrass of his young friend.”
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 “Ben did not care to have Sylvanus Snodgrass for an auditor the first evening and he answered evasively, “I have an engagement with a friend.””
In this reading ““Where are you going this evening, Ben?” asked Sylvanus Snodgrass of his young friend.”
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 Ben did not care to have Sylvanus Snodgrass for an auditor the first evening and he answered evasively, “I have an engagement with a friend.”
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Ben did not care to have Sylvanus Snodgrass for an auditor the first evening and he answered evasively, “I have an engagement with a friend.”
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Ben did not care to have Sylvanus Snodgrass for an auditor the first evening and he answered evasively, “I have an engagement with a friend.”
past form of “answer” — react verbally
From this reading Ben did not care to have Sylvanus Snodgrass for an auditor the first evening and he answered evasively, “I have an engagement with a friend.”
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading “Where are you going this evening, Ben?” asked Sylvanus Snodgrass of his young friend.
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading “Where are you going this evening, Ben?” asked Sylvanus Snodgrass of his young friend.
someone who listens attentively
From this reading Ben did not care to have Sylvanus Snodgrass for an auditor the first evening and he answered evasively, “I have an engagement with a friend.”
a mountain or tall hill
From this reading BEN MAKES HIS DÉBUT.
the work of providing treatment for or attending to someone or something
From this reading Ben did not care to have Sylvanus Snodgrass for an auditor the first evening and he answered evasively, “I have an engagement with a friend.”
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading Ben did not care to have Sylvanus Snodgrass for an auditor the first evening and he answered evasively, “I have an engagement with a friend.”
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading “Do I know him?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading BEN MAKES HIS DÉBUT.
a hostile meeting of opposing military forces in the course of a war
From this reading Ben did not care to have Sylvanus Snodgrass for an auditor the first evening and he answered evasively, “I have an engagement with a friend.”
with evasion; in an evasive manner
From this reading Ben did not care to have Sylvanus Snodgrass for an auditor the first evening and he answered evasively, “I have an engagement with a friend.”
the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)
From this reading “Where are you going this evening, Ben?” asked Sylvanus Snodgrass of his young friend.
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading Ben did not care to have Sylvanus Snodgrass for an auditor the first evening and he answered evasively, “I have an engagement with a friend.”
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Ben did not care to have Sylvanus Snodgrass for an auditor the first evening and he answered evasively, “I have an engagement with a friend.”
a person you know well and regard with affection and trust
From this reading “Where are you going this evening, Ben?” asked Sylvanus Snodgrass of his young friend.
the act of departing
From this reading “Where are you going this evening, Ben?” asked Sylvanus Snodgrass of his young friend.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading Ben did not care to have Sylvanus Snodgrass for an auditor the first evening and he answered evasively, “I have an engagement with a friend.”
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Ben did not care to have Sylvanus Snodgrass for an auditor the first evening and he answered evasively, “I have an engagement with a friend.”
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading “Do I know him?
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading BEN MAKES HIS DÉBUT.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading Ben did not care to have Sylvanus Snodgrass for an auditor the first evening and he answered evasively, “I have an engagement with a friend.”
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Who is he?”
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading “Do I know him?
plural of “make” — a recognizable kind
From this reading BEN MAKES HIS DÉBUT.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Ben did not care to have Sylvanus Snodgrass for an auditor the first evening and he answered evasively, “I have an engagement with a friend.”
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading “Where are you going this evening, Ben?” asked Sylvanus Snodgrass of his young friend.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Where are you going this evening, Ben?” asked Sylvanus Snodgrass of his young friend.
(Roman mythology) god of woods and fields and flocks; Pan is the Greek counterpart
From this reading “Where are you going this evening, Ben?” asked Sylvanus Snodgrass of his young friend.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Ben did not care to have Sylvanus Snodgrass for an auditor the first evening and he answered evasively, “I have an engagement with a friend.”
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading “Where are you going this evening, Ben?” asked Sylvanus Snodgrass of his young friend.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Ben did not care to have Sylvanus Snodgrass for an auditor the first evening and he answered evasively, “I have an engagement with a friend.”
in or at the place that
From this reading “Where are you going this evening, Ben?” asked Sylvanus Snodgrass of his young friend.
which person or people
From this reading Who is he?”
in the company of; together with
From this reading Ben did not care to have Sylvanus Snodgrass for an auditor the first evening and he answered evasively, “I have an engagement with a friend.”
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “Where are you going this evening, Ben?” asked Sylvanus Snodgrass of his young friend.
(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading “Where are you going this evening, Ben?” asked Sylvanus Snodgrass of his young friend.
Chapter 19 of Ben Bruce by Horatio, Jr. Alger holds 139 sentences, grouped into 28 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 19 holds 139 sentences of Ben Bruce, unabridged, divided into 28 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 19 of Ben Bruce by Horatio, Jr. Alger exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 139 sentences, grouped into 28 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 28 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 28 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 19 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 Ben Bruce by Horatio, Jr. Alger on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4997 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #60970 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #60970, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 416 minutes of reading across 1000 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Ben Bruce section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 40 chapters of Ben Bruce 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 Ben Bruce, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
