Chapter 7 of Betty Grier is here in full — 119 sentences across 24 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter VII
Chapter 7 of Betty Grier is here in full — 119 sentences across 24 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Nathan noted my movements. 'Can I help ye, Maister Weelum, or is there ocht I can do to mak' ye comfortable? Betty'll no' be lang till she's wi' ye. She's busy the noo, an' she sent me up to keep ye cheery till her wark was dune.' I looked at him and saw he was quite serious, so I concluded that, decent, well-meaning man though he was, he was no humorist.
Chapter 7 of Betty Grier is here in full — 119 sentences across 24 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/23 · 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.
bright and pleasant; promoting a feeling of cheer
From this reading “She's busy the noo, an' she sent me up to keep ye cheery till her wark was dune.'”
having come or been brought to a conclusion
From this reading “I looked at him and saw he was quite serious, so I concluded that, decent, well-meaning man though he was, he was no humorist.”
socially or conventionally correct; refined or virtuous
From this reading “I looked at him and saw he was quite serious, so I concluded that, decent, well-meaning man though he was, he was no humorist.”
a ridge of sand created by the wind; found in deserts or near lakes and oceans
From this reading “She's busy the noo, an' she sent me up to keep ye cheery till her wark was dune.'”
someone who acts speaks or writes in an amusing way
From this reading “I looked at him and saw he was quite serious, so I concluded that, decent, well-meaning man though he was, he was no humorist.”
a terrorist organization founded by Osama bin Laden in the 1980s to provide money and recruit fighters around the world
From this reading “'Can I help ye, Maister Weelum, or is there ocht I can do to mak' ye comfortable?”
plural of “movement” — a change of position that does not entail a change of location
From this reading “Nathan noted my movements.”
widely known and esteemed
From this reading “Nathan noted my movements.”
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.
take into consideration for exemplifying purposes
In this reading “I looked at him and saw he was quite serious, so I concluded that, decent, well-meaning man though he was, he was no humorist.”
In this reading “I looked at him and saw he was quite serious, so I concluded that, decent, well-meaning man though he was, he was no humorist.”
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.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading She's busy the noo, an' she sent me up to keep ye cheery till her wark was dune.'
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading I looked at him and saw he was quite serious, so I concluded that, decent, well-meaning man though he was, he was no humorist.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading I looked at him and saw he was quite serious, so I concluded that, decent, well-meaning man though he was, he was no humorist.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Betty'll no' be lang till she's wi' ye.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Betty'll no' be lang till she's wi' ye.
actively or fully engaged or occupied
From this reading She's busy the noo, an' she sent me up to keep ye cheery till her wark was dune.'
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading 'Can I help ye, Maister Weelum, or is there ocht I can do to mak' ye comfortable?
bright and pleasant; promoting a feeling of cheer
From this reading She's busy the noo, an' she sent me up to keep ye cheery till her wark was dune.'
providing or experiencing physical well-being or relief (“comfy” is informal)
From this reading 'Can I help ye, Maister Weelum, or is there ocht I can do to mak' ye comfortable?
having come or been brought to a conclusion
From this reading I looked at him and saw he was quite serious, so I concluded that, decent, well-meaning man though he was, he was no humorist.
socially or conventionally correct; refined or virtuous
From this reading I looked at him and saw he was quite serious, so I concluded that, decent, well-meaning man though he was, he was no humorist.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading 'Can I help ye, Maister Weelum, or is there ocht I can do to mak' ye comfortable?
a ridge of sand created by the wind; found in deserts or near lakes and oceans
From this reading She's busy the noo, an' she sent me up to keep ye cheery till her wark was dune.'
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading I looked at him and saw he was quite serious, so I concluded that, decent, well-meaning man though he was, he was no humorist.
give help or assistance; be of service
From this reading 'Can I help ye, Maister Weelum, or is there ocht I can do to mak' ye comfortable?
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading She's busy the noo, an' she sent me up to keep ye cheery till her wark was dune.'
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading I looked at him and saw he was quite serious, so I concluded that, decent, well-meaning man though he was, he was no humorist.
someone who acts speaks or writes in an amusing way
From this reading I looked at him and saw he was quite serious, so I concluded that, decent, well-meaning man though he was, he was no humorist.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading 'Can I help ye, Maister Weelum, or is there ocht I can do to mak' ye comfortable?
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading 'Can I help ye, Maister Weelum, or is there ocht I can do to mak' ye comfortable?
cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”
From this reading She's busy the noo, an' she sent me up to keep ye cheery till her wark was dune.'
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Betty'll no' be lang till she's wi' ye.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading I looked at him and saw he was quite serious, so I concluded that, decent, well-meaning man though he was, he was no humorist.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading 'Can I help ye, Maister Weelum, or is there ocht I can do to mak' ye comfortable?
a terrorist organization founded by Osama bin Laden in the 1980s to provide money and recruit fighters around the world
From this reading 'Can I help ye, Maister Weelum, or is there ocht I can do to mak' ye comfortable?
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading I looked at him and saw he was quite serious, so I concluded that, decent, well-meaning man though he was, he was no humorist.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading She's busy the noo, an' she sent me up to keep ye cheery till her wark was dune.'
plural of “movement” — a change of position that does not entail a change of location
From this reading Nathan noted my movements.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading Nathan noted my movements.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Nathan noted my movements.
not any; not one
From this reading Betty'll no' be lang till she's wi' ye.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She's busy the noo, an' she sent me up to keep ye cheery till her wark was dune.'
widely known and esteemed
From this reading Nathan noted my movements.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading 'Can I help ye, Maister Weelum, or is there ocht I can do to mak' ye comfortable?
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading 'Can I help ye, Maister Weelum, or is there ocht I can do to mak' ye comfortable?
to a degree (not used with a negative)
From this reading I looked at him and saw he was quite serious, so I concluded that, decent, well-meaning man though he was, he was no humorist.
cut with a saw
From this reading I looked at him and saw he was quite serious, so I concluded that, decent, well-meaning man though he was, he was no humorist.
100 senti equal 1 kroon in Estonia
From this reading She's busy the noo, an' she sent me up to keep ye cheery till her wark was dune.'
concerned with work or important matters rather than play or trivialities
From this reading I looked at him and saw he was quite serious, so I concluded that, decent, well-meaning man though he was, he was no humorist.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She's busy the noo, an' she sent me up to keep ye cheery till her wark was dune.'
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Betty'll no' be lang till she's wi' ye.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading I looked at him and saw he was quite serious, so I concluded that, decent, well-meaning man though he was, he was no humorist.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading I looked at him and saw he was quite serious, so I concluded that, decent, well-meaning man though he was, he was no humorist.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading She's busy the noo, an' she sent me up to keep ye cheery till her wark was dune.'
in or at that place or location
From this reading 'Can I help ye, Maister Weelum, or is there ocht I can do to mak' ye comfortable?
in spite of the fact that
From this reading I looked at him and saw he was quite serious, so I concluded that, decent, well-meaning man though he was, he was no humorist.
up to a particular time
From this reading Betty'll no' be lang till she's wi' ye.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading 'Can I help ye, Maister Weelum, or is there ocht I can do to mak' ye comfortable?
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading She's busy the noo, an' she sent me up to keep ye cheery till her wark was dune.'
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She's busy the noo, an' she sent me up to keep ye cheery till her wark was dune.'
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading She's busy the noo, an' she sent me up to keep ye cheery till her wark was dune.'
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading 'Can I help ye, Maister Weelum, or is there ocht I can do to mak' ye comfortable?
not unfriendly or threatening
From this reading I looked at him and saw he was quite serious, so I concluded that, decent, well-meaning man though he was, he was no humorist.
a midwestern state in north central United States
From this reading Betty'll no' be lang till she's wi' ye.
an old word for “you”, speaking to more than one person
From this reading 'Can I help ye, Maister Weelum, or is there ocht I can do to mak' ye comfortable?
Chapter 7 of Betty Grier by Joseph Laing Waugh holds 119 sentences, grouped into 24 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 7 holds 119 sentences of Betty Grier, unabridged, divided into 24 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 7 of Betty Grier by Joseph Laing Waugh exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 119 sentences, grouped into 24 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 24 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 24 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 7 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 Betty Grier by Joseph Laing Waugh on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 2547 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #35356 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #35356, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 212 minutes of reading across 510 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Betty Grier section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 20 chapters of Betty Grier 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 Betty Grier, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
