Chapter 5 of Billy Barcroft, R.N.A.S. is here in full — 132 sentences across 27 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter V
Chapter 5 of Billy Barcroft, R.N.A.S. is here in full — 132 sentences across 27 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
AT LADYBIRD FOLD "COME in," he continued, assisting his companion over the threshold. "I won't switch a light on in the hall until I close the door. Jolly queer about it being open. There'll be a court of enquiry in the morning." A violent scratching upon the study door attracted his attention.
Chapter 5 of Billy Barcroft, R.N.A.S. is here in full — 132 sentences across 27 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/26 · 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.
-ing form of “assist” — give help or assistance; be of service
From this reading “AT LADYBIRD FOLD "COME in," he continued, assisting his companion over the threshold.”
past form of “attract” — direct toward itself or oneself by means of some psychological power or physical attributes
From this reading “A violent scratching upon the study door attracted his attention.”
an instance of questioning
From this reading “There'll be a court of enquiry in the morning."”
an angular or rounded shape made by folding
From this reading “AT LADYBIRD FOLD "COME in," he continued, assisting his companion over the threshold.”
small round bright-colored and spotted beetle that usually feeds on aphids and other insect pests
From this reading “AT LADYBIRD FOLD "COME in," he continued, assisting his companion over the threshold.”
a harsh noise made by scraping
From this reading “A violent scratching upon the study door attracted his attention.”
change over, change around, as to a new order or sequence
From this reading “"I won't switch a light on in the hall until I close the door.”
the starting point for a new state or experience
From this reading “AT LADYBIRD FOLD "COME in," he continued, assisting his companion over the threshold.”
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 “AT LADYBIRD FOLD "COME in," he continued, assisting his companion over the threshold.”
In this reading “There'll be a court of enquiry in the morning."”
In this reading “"I won't switch a light on in the hall until I close the door.”
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 "I won't switch a light on in the hall until I close the door.
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading Jolly queer about it being open.
-ing form of “assist” — give help or assistance; be of service
From this reading AT LADYBIRD FOLD "COME in," he continued, assisting his companion over the threshold.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading AT LADYBIRD FOLD "COME in," he continued, assisting his companion over the threshold.
the process whereby a person concentrates on some features of the environment to the (relative) exclusion of others
From this reading A violent scratching upon the study door attracted his attention.
past form of “attract” — direct toward itself or oneself by means of some psychological power or physical attributes
From this reading A violent scratching upon the study door attracted his attention.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading There'll be a court of enquiry in the morning."
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading Jolly queer about it being open.
at or within a short distance in space or time or having elements near each other
From this reading "I won't switch a light on in the hall until I close the door.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading AT LADYBIRD FOLD "COME in," he continued, assisting his companion over the threshold.
a friend who is frequently in the company of another
From this reading AT LADYBIRD FOLD "COME in," he continued, assisting his companion over the threshold.
without stop or interruption
From this reading AT LADYBIRD FOLD "COME in," he continued, assisting his companion over the threshold.
an assembly (including one or more judges) to conduct judicial business
From this reading There'll be a court of enquiry in the morning."
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading "I won't switch a light on in the hall until I close the door.
an instance of questioning
From this reading There'll be a court of enquiry in the morning."
an angular or rounded shape made by folding
From this reading AT LADYBIRD FOLD "COME in," he continued, assisting his companion over the threshold.
an interior passage or corridor onto which rooms open
From this reading "I won't switch a light on in the hall until I close the door.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading AT LADYBIRD FOLD "COME in," he continued, assisting his companion over the threshold.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading AT LADYBIRD FOLD "COME in," he continued, assisting his companion over the threshold.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I won't switch a light on in the hall until I close the door.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading AT LADYBIRD FOLD "COME in," he continued, assisting his companion over the threshold.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Jolly queer about it being open.
full of or showing high-spirited merriment
From this reading Jolly queer about it being open.
small round bright-colored and spotted beetle that usually feeds on aphids and other insect pests
From this reading AT LADYBIRD FOLD "COME in," he continued, assisting his companion over the threshold.
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading "I won't switch a light on in the hall until I close the door.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading There'll be a court of enquiry in the morning."
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading There'll be a court of enquiry in the morning."
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading "I won't switch a light on in the hall until I close the door.
To move from a closed position.
From this reading Jolly queer about it being open.
above and across; more than
From this reading AT LADYBIRD FOLD "COME in," he continued, assisting his companion over the threshold.
beyond or deviating from the usual or expected
From this reading Jolly queer about it being open.
a harsh noise made by scraping
From this reading A violent scratching upon the study door attracted his attention.
a detailed critical inspection
From this reading A violent scratching upon the study door attracted his attention.
change over, change around, as to a new order or sequence
From this reading "I won't switch a light on in the hall until I close the door.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading AT LADYBIRD FOLD "COME in," he continued, assisting his companion over the threshold.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There'll be a court of enquiry in the morning."
the starting point for a new state or experience
From this reading AT LADYBIRD FOLD "COME in," he continued, assisting his companion over the threshold.
up to a particular time
From this reading "I won't switch a light on in the hall until I close the door.
a formal word for “on”
From this reading A violent scratching upon the study door attracted his attention.
acting with or marked by or resulting from great force or energy or emotional intensity
From this reading A violent scratching upon the study door attracted his attention.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I won't switch a light on in the hall until I close the door.
Chapter 5 of Billy Barcroft, R.N.A.S. by Percy F. (Percy Francis) Westerman holds 132 sentences, grouped into 27 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 5 holds 132 sentences of Billy Barcroft, R.N.A.S., unabridged, divided into 27 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 5 of Billy Barcroft, R.N.A.S. by Percy F. (Percy Francis) Westerman exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 132 sentences, grouped into 27 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 27 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 27 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 5 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 Billy Barcroft, R.N.A.S. by Percy F. (Percy Francis) Westerman on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 5519 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #35362 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #35362, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 459 minutes of reading across 1104 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Billy Barcroft, R.N.A.S. section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 39 chapters of Billy Barcroft, R.N.A.S. 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 Billy Barcroft, R.N.A.S., each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
