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Boys and Girls from Thackeray
Boys and Girls from Thackeray

Chapter VIII · Chapter 8

Chapter 8 of Boys and Girls from Thackeray is here in full — 422 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Boys and Girls from Thackeray
Context Illustration Reading 1/84 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
"My dear Binnie, is it possible?
You, the best scholar in all India!"
"And which amounted to exactly nothing.
By the admirable seestem purshood at your public schools, just about as much knowledge as he could get by three months' application at home.
Mind ye, I don't say he would apply; it is most probable he would do no such thing.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
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A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Boys and Girls from Thackeray

Chapter VIII · Chapter 8

Chapter 8 of Boys and Girls from Thackeray is here in full — 422 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/84 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
"My dear Binnie, is it possible?
Line 2
You, the best scholar in all India!"
/juː ðə best ˈskɒl.ər ɪn ɔːl ˈɪndiə/
Line 3
"And which amounted to exactly nothing.
/ənd wɪtʃ əˈmaʊntɪd tuː ɪɡˈzæktli ˈnʌθɪŋ/
Line 4
By the admirable seestem purshood at your public schools, just about as much knowledge as he could get by three months' application at home.
Line 5
Mind ye, I don't say he would apply; it is most probable he would do no such thing.

Learner Dictionary

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.

admirable adjective US /ˈædmərəbəl/

deserving of the highest esteem or admiration

From this reading “By the admirable seestem purshood at your public schools, just about as much knowledge as he could get by three months' application at home.”

amounted verb US /əˈmaʊntɪd/

past form of “amount” — be tantamount or equivalent to

From this reading “"And which amounted to exactly nothing.”

application noun US /ˌæpləˈkeɪʃən/

the act of bringing something to bear; using it for a particular purpose

From this reading “By the admirable seestem purshood at your public schools, just about as much knowledge as he could get by three months' application at home.”

apply verb US /əˈplaɪ/

put into service; make work or employ for a particular purpose or for its inherent or natural purpose

From this reading “Mind ye, I don't say he would apply; it is most probable he would do no such thing.”

India noun US /ˈɪndiə/

a republic in the Asian subcontinent in southern Asia; second most populous country in the world; achieved independence from the United Kingdom in 1947

From this reading “You, the best scholar in all India!"”

probable adjective US /ˈprɑːbəbəl/

likely but not certain to be or become true or real

From this reading “Mind ye, I don't say he would apply; it is most probable he would do no such thing.”

scholar noun US /ˈskɒl.ər/

A specialist in a particular branch of study; a distinguished student.

From this reading “You, the best scholar in all India!"”

schools noun US /skuːlz/

plural of “school” — an educational institution

From this reading “By the admirable seestem purshood at your public schools, just about as much knowledge as he could get by three months' application at home.”

All words in this reading · 52

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.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading By the admirable seestem purshood at your public schools, just about as much knowledge as he could get by three months' application at home.

admirableadjectiveUS /ˈædmərəbəl/

deserving of the highest esteem or admiration

From this reading By the admirable seestem purshood at your public schools, just about as much knowledge as he could get by three months' application at home.

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(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 You, the best scholar in all India!"

amountedverbUS /əˈmaʊntɪd/

past form of “amount” — be tantamount or equivalent to

From this reading "And which amounted to exactly nothing.

AndconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading "And which amounted to exactly nothing.

applicationnounUS /ˌæpləˈkeɪʃən/

the act of bringing something to bear; using it for a particular purpose

From this reading By the admirable seestem purshood at your public schools, just about as much knowledge as he could get by three months' application at home.

applyverbUS /əˈplaɪ/

put into service; make work or employ for a particular purpose or for its inherent or natural purpose

From this reading Mind ye, I don't say he would apply; it is most probable he would do no such thing.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading By the admirable seestem purshood at your public schools, just about as much knowledge as he could get by three months' application at home.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading By the admirable seestem purshood at your public schools, just about as much knowledge as he could get by three months' application at home.

bestnounUS /best/

the supreme effort one can make

From this reading You, the best scholar in all India!"

Binnie

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading "My dear Binnie, is it possible?

ByprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading By the admirable seestem purshood at your public schools, just about as much knowledge as he could get by three months' application at home.

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading By the admirable seestem purshood at your public schools, just about as much knowledge as he could get by three months' application at home.

dearadjectiveUS /dɪr/

dearly loved

From this reading "My dear Binnie, is it possible?

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading Mind ye, I don't say he would apply; it is most probable he would do no such thing.

don't

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Mind ye, I don't say he would apply; it is most probable he would do no such thing.

exactlyadverbUS /ɪɡˈzæktli/

indicating exactness or preciseness

From this reading "And which amounted to exactly nothing.

getverbUS /ɡet/

come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

From this reading By the admirable seestem purshood at your public schools, just about as much knowledge as he could get by three months' application at home.

hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading By the admirable seestem purshood at your public schools, just about as much knowledge as he could get by three months' application at home.

homenounUS /hoʊm/

where you live at a particular time

From this reading By the admirable seestem purshood at your public schools, just about as much knowledge as he could get by three months' application at home.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading Mind ye, I don't say he would apply; it is most probable he would do no such thing.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading You, the best scholar in all India!"

IndianounUS /ˈɪndiə/

a republic in the Asian subcontinent in southern Asia; second most populous country in the world; achieved independence from the United Kingdom in 1947

From this reading You, the best scholar in all India!"

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading "My dear Binnie, is it possible?

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading "My dear Binnie, is it possible?

justadverbUS /dʒʌst/

and nothing more

From this reading By the admirable seestem purshood at your public schools, just about as much knowledge as he could get by three months' application at home.

knowledgenounUS /ˈnɑːlədʒ/

the psychological result of perception and learning and reasoning

From this reading By the admirable seestem purshood at your public schools, just about as much knowledge as he could get by three months' application at home.

MindnounUS /maɪnd/

The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.

From this reading Mind ye, I don't say he would apply; it is most probable he would do no such thing.

monthsnounUS /mʌnθs/

plural of “month” — one of the twelve divisions of the calendar year

From this reading By the admirable seestem purshood at your public schools, just about as much knowledge as he could get by three months' application at home.

mostadverbUS /moʊst/

used to form the superlative

From this reading Mind ye, I don't say he would apply; it is most probable he would do no such thing.

muchadverbUS /mʌtʃ/

to a great degree or extent

From this reading By the admirable seestem purshood at your public schools, just about as much knowledge as he could get by three months' application at home.

MydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading "My dear Binnie, is it possible?

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading Mind ye, I don't say he would apply; it is most probable he would do no such thing.

nothingpronounUS /ˈnʌθɪŋ/

not one thing; not anything

From this reading "And which amounted to exactly nothing.

possibleadjectiveUS /ˈpɑːsəbəl/

capable of happening or existing

From this reading "My dear Binnie, is it possible?

probableadjectiveUS /ˈprɑːbəbəl/

likely but not certain to be or become true or real

From this reading Mind ye, I don't say he would apply; it is most probable he would do no such thing.

publicnounUS /ˈpʌblɪk/

people in general considered as a whole

From this reading By the admirable seestem purshood at your public schools, just about as much knowledge as he could get by three months' application at home.

purshood

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading By the admirable seestem purshood at your public schools, just about as much knowledge as he could get by three months' application at home.

sayverbUS /seɪ/

express in words

From this reading Mind ye, I don't say he would apply; it is most probable he would do no such thing.

scholarnounUS /ˈskɒl.ər/

A specialist in a particular branch of study; a distinguished student.

From this reading You, the best scholar in all India!"

schoolsnounUS /skuːlz/

plural of “school” — an educational institution

From this reading By the admirable seestem purshood at your public schools, just about as much knowledge as he could get by three months' application at home.

seestem

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading By the admirable seestem purshood at your public schools, just about as much knowledge as he could get by three months' application at home.

suchdeterminerUS /sʌtʃ/

of the kind already mentioned

From this reading Mind ye, I don't say he would apply; it is most probable he would do no such thing.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading You, the best scholar in all India!"

thingnounUS /θɪŋ/

a special situation

From this reading Mind ye, I don't say he would apply; it is most probable he would do no such thing.

threenounUS /θriː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one

From this reading By the admirable seestem purshood at your public schools, just about as much knowledge as he could get by three months' application at home.

toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading "And which amounted to exactly nothing.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading "And which amounted to exactly nothing.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading Mind ye, I don't say he would apply; it is most probable he would do no such thing.

yepronounUS /jiː/

an old word for “you”, speaking to more than one person

From this reading Mind ye, I don't say he would apply; it is most probable he would do no such thing.

YoupronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading You, the best scholar in all India!"

yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading By the admirable seestem purshood at your public schools, just about as much knowledge as he could get by three months' application at home.

Chapter 8 of Boys and Girls from Thackeray by Kate Dickinson Sweetser holds 422 sentences, grouped into 85 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.

What does chapter 8 of Boys and Girls from Thackeray contain?

Chapter 8 holds 422 sentences of Boys and Girls from Thackeray, unabridged, divided into 85 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 8 of Boys and Girls from Thackeray by Kate Dickinson Sweetser exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 422 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.

How do I study chapter 8 of Boys and Girls from Thackeray?

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.

Can chapter 8 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 8 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.

Questions about reading Boys and Girls from Thackeray

Common questions about reading Boys and Girls from Thackeray by Kate Dickinson Sweetser on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Boys and Girls from Thackeray?

Yes. All 4224 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #10111 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Boys and Girls from Thackeray is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #10111, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Boys and Girls from Thackeray take to read?

About 352 minutes of reading across 845 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Boys and Girls from Thackeray section by section

How to work through Boys and Girls from Thackeray section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 10 chapters of Boys and Girls from Thackeray to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in Boys and Girls from Thackeray

Words and structures a reader meets early in Boys and Girls from Thackeray, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

William
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Boys and Girls from Thackeray; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Makepeace
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Boys and Girls from Thackeray; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Thackeray--the
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Boys and Girls from Thackeray; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Lovers
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Boys and Girls from Thackeray; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.