Chapter 23 of Brandon of the Engineers is here in full — 166 sentences across 34 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XXIII
Chapter 23 of Brandon of the Engineers is here in full — 166 sentences across 34 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
THE CLAMP When work began next morning, Jake asked Dick if he should order the peons to search for the clamps that had held the guard-rail. "I think not," said Dick. "It would be better if you looked for the things yourself." "Very well. Perhaps you're right."
Chapter 23 of Brandon of the Engineers is here in full — 166 sentences across 34 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/33 · 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.
fasten or fix with a clamp
From this reading “THE CLAMP When work began next morning, Jake asked Dick if he should order the peons to search for the clamps that had held the guard-rail.”
plural of “clamp” — a device (generally used by carpenters) that holds things firmly together
From this reading “THE CLAMP When work began next morning, Jake asked Dick if he should order the peons to search for the clamps that had held the guard-rail.”
someone who is a detective
From this reading “THE CLAMP When work began next morning, Jake asked Dick if he should order the peons to search for the clamps that had held the guard-rail.”
occupied or in the control of; often used in combination
From this reading “THE CLAMP When work began next morning, Jake asked Dick if he should order the peons to search for the clamps that had held the guard-rail.”
(often plural) a command given by a superior (e.g., a military or law enforcement officer) that must be obeyed
From this reading “THE CLAMP When work began next morning, Jake asked Dick if he should order the peons to search for the clamps that had held the guard-rail.”
plural of “peon” — a laborer who is obliged to do menial work
From this reading “THE CLAMP When work began next morning, Jake asked Dick if he should order the peons to search for the clamps that had held the guard-rail.”
try to locate or discover, or try to establish the existence of
From this reading “THE CLAMP When work began next morning, Jake asked Dick if he should order the peons to search for the clamps that had held the guard-rail.”
used when the person spoken to is also the object of the action
From this reading “"It would be better if you looked for the things yourself."”
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.
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading THE CLAMP When work began next morning, Jake asked Dick if he should order the peons to search for the clamps that had held the guard-rail.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading "It would be better if you looked for the things yourself."
inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading THE CLAMP When work began next morning, Jake asked Dick if he should order the peons to search for the clamps that had held the guard-rail.
(comparative of “good”) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another
From this reading "It would be better if you looked for the things yourself."
fasten or fix with a clamp
From this reading THE CLAMP When work began next morning, Jake asked Dick if he should order the peons to search for the clamps that had held the guard-rail.
plural of “clamp” — a device (generally used by carpenters) that holds things firmly together
From this reading THE CLAMP When work began next morning, Jake asked Dick if he should order the peons to search for the clamps that had held the guard-rail.
someone who is a detective
From this reading THE CLAMP When work began next morning, Jake asked Dick if he should order the peons to search for the clamps that had held the guard-rail.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading THE CLAMP When work began next morning, Jake asked Dick if he should order the peons to search for the clamps that had held the guard-rail.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE CLAMP When work began next morning, Jake asked Dick if he should order the peons to search for the clamps that had held the guard-rail.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading THE CLAMP When work began next morning, Jake asked Dick if he should order the peons to search for the clamps that had held the guard-rail.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading THE CLAMP When work began next morning, Jake asked Dick if he should order the peons to search for the clamps that had held the guard-rail.
occupied or in the control of; often used in combination
From this reading THE CLAMP When work began next morning, Jake asked Dick if he should order the peons to search for the clamps that had held the guard-rail.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I think not," said Dick.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading THE CLAMP When work began next morning, Jake asked Dick if he should order the peons to search for the clamps that had held the guard-rail.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "It would be better if you looked for the things yourself."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE CLAMP When work began next morning, Jake asked Dick if he should order the peons to search for the clamps that had held the guard-rail.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading "It would be better if you looked for the things yourself."
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading THE CLAMP When work began next morning, Jake asked Dick if he should order the peons to search for the clamps that had held the guard-rail.
immediately following in time or order
From this reading THE CLAMP When work began next morning, Jake asked Dick if he should order the peons to search for the clamps that had held the guard-rail.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading "I think not," said Dick.
(often plural) a command given by a superior (e.g., a military or law enforcement officer) that must be obeyed
From this reading THE CLAMP When work began next morning, Jake asked Dick if he should order the peons to search for the clamps that had held the guard-rail.
plural of “peon” — a laborer who is obliged to do menial work
From this reading THE CLAMP When work began next morning, Jake asked Dick if he should order the peons to search for the clamps that had held the guard-rail.
by chance
From this reading Perhaps you're right."
precisely, exactly
From this reading Perhaps you're right."
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "I think not," said Dick.
try to locate or discover, or try to establish the existence of
From this reading THE CLAMP When work began next morning, Jake asked Dick if he should order the peons to search for the clamps that had held the guard-rail.
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading THE CLAMP When work began next morning, Jake asked Dick if he should order the peons to search for the clamps that had held the guard-rail.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading THE CLAMP When work began next morning, Jake asked Dick if he should order the peons to search for the clamps that had held the guard-rail.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE CLAMP When work began next morning, Jake asked Dick if he should order the peons to search for the clamps that had held the guard-rail.
any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)
From this reading "It would be better if you looked for the things yourself."
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading "I think not," said Dick.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading THE CLAMP When work began next morning, Jake asked Dick if he should order the peons to search for the clamps that had held the guard-rail.
precisely as stated
From this reading "Very well.
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading "Very well.
at the time that
From this reading THE CLAMP When work began next morning, Jake asked Dick if he should order the peons to search for the clamps that had held the guard-rail.
exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading THE CLAMP When work began next morning, Jake asked Dick if he should order the peons to search for the clamps that had held the guard-rail.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading "It would be better if you looked for the things yourself."
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "It would be better if you looked for the things yourself."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Perhaps you're right."
used when the person spoken to is also the object of the action
From this reading "It would be better if you looked for the things yourself."
Chapter 23 of Brandon of the Engineers by Harold Bindloss holds 166 sentences, grouped into 34 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 23 holds 166 sentences of Brandon of the Engineers, unabridged, divided into 34 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 23 of Brandon of the Engineers by Harold Bindloss exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 166 sentences, grouped into 34 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 34 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 34 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 23 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 Brandon of the Engineers by Harold Bindloss on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 5914 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #25923 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #25923, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 492 minutes of reading across 1183 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Brandon of the Engineers section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 32 chapters of Brandon of the Engineers 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 Brandon of the Engineers, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
