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AdeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A Greenhorn under the Black Flag Early in the eighteenth century there lived at Bridgetown, in the island of Barbadoes, a very pleasant, middle-aged gentleman named Major Stede Bonnet.
andeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading He was a man in comfortable circumstances, and had been an officer in the British army.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He was a man in comfortable circumstances, and had been an officer in the British army.
army
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From this reading He was a man in comfortable circumstances, and had been an officer in the British army.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading A Greenhorn under the Black Flag Early in the eighteenth century there lived at Bridgetown, in the island of Barbadoes, a very pleasant, middle-aged gentleman named Major Stede Bonnet.
bad
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From this reading There were some persons who said that this strange fancy was due to the fact that his wife did not make his home pleasant for him, but it is quite certain that if a man wants an excuse for robbing and murdering his fellow-beings he ought to have a much better one than the bad temper of his wife.
Barbadoes
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From this reading A Greenhorn under the Black Flag Early in the eighteenth century there lived at Bridgetown, in the island of Barbadoes, a very pleasant, middle-aged gentleman named Major Stede Bonnet.
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading But for some reason or other this quiet and reputable gentleman got it into his head that he would like to be a pirate.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading He was a man in comfortable circumstances, and had been an officer in the British army.
better
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From this reading There were some persons who said that this strange fancy was due to the fact that his wife did not make his home pleasant for him, but it is quite certain that if a man wants an excuse for robbing and murdering his fellow-beings he ought to have a much better one than the bad temper of his wife.
Black
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From this reading A Greenhorn under the Black Flag Early in the eighteenth century there lived at Bridgetown, in the island of Barbadoes, a very pleasant, middle-aged gentleman named Major Stede Bonnet.
Bonnet
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From this reading A Greenhorn under the Black Flag Early in the eighteenth century there lived at Bridgetown, in the island of Barbadoes, a very pleasant, middle-aged gentleman named Major Stede Bonnet.
bought
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From this reading He had retired from military service, and had bought an estate at Bridgetown, where he lived in comfort and was respected by his neighbors.
Bridgetown
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From this reading A Greenhorn under the Black Flag Early in the eighteenth century there lived at Bridgetown, in the island of Barbadoes, a very pleasant, middle-aged gentleman named Major Stede Bonnet.
British
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From this reading He was a man in comfortable circumstances, and had been an officer in the British army.
ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But for some reason or other this quiet and reputable gentleman got it into his head that he would like to be a pirate.
byprepositionUS /baɪ/
showing who or what does the action
From this reading He had retired from military service, and had bought an estate at Bridgetown, where he lived in comfort and was respected by his neighbors.
century
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From this reading A Greenhorn under the Black Flag Early in the eighteenth century there lived at Bridgetown, in the island of Barbadoes, a very pleasant, middle-aged gentleman named Major Stede Bonnet.
certain
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From this reading There were some persons who said that this strange fancy was due to the fact that his wife did not make his home pleasant for him, but it is quite certain that if a man wants an excuse for robbing and murdering his fellow-beings he ought to have a much better one than the bad temper of his wife.
circumstances
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From this reading He was a man in comfortable circumstances, and had been an officer in the British army.
comfort
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From this reading He had retired from military service, and had bought an estate at Bridgetown, where he lived in comfort and was respected by his neighbors.
comfortable
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From this reading He was a man in comfortable circumstances, and had been an officer in the British army.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading There were some persons who said that this strange fancy was due to the fact that his wife did not make his home pleasant for him, but it is quite certain that if a man wants an excuse for robbing and murdering his fellow-beings he ought to have a much better one than the bad temper of his wife.
due
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From this reading There were some persons who said that this strange fancy was due to the fact that his wife did not make his home pleasant for him, but it is quite certain that if a man wants an excuse for robbing and murdering his fellow-beings he ought to have a much better one than the bad temper of his wife.
Early
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From this reading A Greenhorn under the Black Flag Early in the eighteenth century there lived at Bridgetown, in the island of Barbadoes, a very pleasant, middle-aged gentleman named Major Stede Bonnet.
eighteenth
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From this reading A Greenhorn under the Black Flag Early in the eighteenth century there lived at Bridgetown, in the island of Barbadoes, a very pleasant, middle-aged gentleman named Major Stede Bonnet.
estate
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From this reading He had retired from military service, and had bought an estate at Bridgetown, where he lived in comfort and was respected by his neighbors.
excuse
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From this reading There were some persons who said that this strange fancy was due to the fact that his wife did not make his home pleasant for him, but it is quite certain that if a man wants an excuse for robbing and murdering his fellow-beings he ought to have a much better one than the bad temper of his wife.
fact
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From this reading There were some persons who said that this strange fancy was due to the fact that his wife did not make his home pleasant for him, but it is quite certain that if a man wants an excuse for robbing and murdering his fellow-beings he ought to have a much better one than the bad temper of his wife.
fancy
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From this reading There were some persons who said that this strange fancy was due to the fact that his wife did not make his home pleasant for him, but it is quite certain that if a man wants an excuse for robbing and murdering his fellow-beings he ought to have a much better one than the bad temper of his wife.
fellow-beings
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From this reading There were some persons who said that this strange fancy was due to the fact that his wife did not make his home pleasant for him, but it is quite certain that if a man wants an excuse for robbing and murdering his fellow-beings he ought to have a much better one than the bad temper of his wife.
Flag
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From this reading A Greenhorn under the Black Flag Early in the eighteenth century there lived at Bridgetown, in the island of Barbadoes, a very pleasant, middle-aged gentleman named Major Stede Bonnet.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading But for some reason or other this quiet and reputable gentleman got it into his head that he would like to be a pirate.
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading He had retired from military service, and had bought an estate at Bridgetown, where he lived in comfort and was respected by his neighbors.
gentlemannounUS /ˈgentleman/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading A Greenhorn under the Black Flag Early in the eighteenth century there lived at Bridgetown, in the island of Barbadoes, a very pleasant, middle-aged gentleman named Major Stede Bonnet.
got
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From this reading But for some reason or other this quiet and reputable gentleman got it into his head that he would like to be a pirate.
Greenhorn
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From this reading A Greenhorn under the Black Flag Early in the eighteenth century there lived at Bridgetown, in the island of Barbadoes, a very pleasant, middle-aged gentleman named Major Stede Bonnet.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading He was a man in comfortable circumstances, and had been an officer in the British army.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading There were some persons who said that this strange fancy was due to the fact that his wife did not make his home pleasant for him, but it is quite certain that if a man wants an excuse for robbing and murdering his fellow-beings he ought to have a much better one than the bad temper of his wife.
HepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He was a man in comfortable circumstances, and had been an officer in the British army.
head
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From this reading But for some reason or other this quiet and reputable gentleman got it into his head that he would like to be a pirate.
himpronounUS /hɪm/
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading There were some persons who said that this strange fancy was due to the fact that his wife did not make his home pleasant for him, but it is quite certain that if a man wants an excuse for robbing and murdering his fellow-beings he ought to have a much better one than the bad temper of his wife.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading He had retired from military service, and had bought an estate at Bridgetown, where he lived in comfort and was respected by his neighbors.
home
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From this reading There were some persons who said that this strange fancy was due to the fact that his wife did not make his home pleasant for him, but it is quite certain that if a man wants an excuse for robbing and murdering his fellow-beings he ought to have a much better one than the bad temper of his wife.
ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading There were some persons who said that this strange fancy was due to the fact that his wife did not make his home pleasant for him, but it is quite certain that if a man wants an excuse for robbing and murdering his fellow-beings he ought to have a much better one than the bad temper of his wife.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading A Greenhorn under the Black Flag Early in the eighteenth century there lived at Bridgetown, in the island of Barbadoes, a very pleasant, middle-aged gentleman named Major Stede Bonnet.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading But for some reason or other this quiet and reputable gentleman got it into his head that he would like to be a pirate.
isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading There were some persons who said that this strange fancy was due to the fact that his wife did not make his home pleasant for him, but it is quite certain that if a man wants an excuse for robbing and murdering his fellow-beings he ought to have a much better one than the bad temper of his wife.
island
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From this reading A Greenhorn under the Black Flag Early in the eighteenth century there lived at Bridgetown, in the island of Barbadoes, a very pleasant, middle-aged gentleman named Major Stede Bonnet.
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading But for some reason or other this quiet and reputable gentleman got it into his head that he would like to be a pirate.
like
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From this reading But for some reason or other this quiet and reputable gentleman got it into his head that he would like to be a pirate.
lived
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From this reading A Greenhorn under the Black Flag Early in the eighteenth century there lived at Bridgetown, in the island of Barbadoes, a very pleasant, middle-aged gentleman named Major Stede Bonnet.
Major
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From this reading A Greenhorn under the Black Flag Early in the eighteenth century there lived at Bridgetown, in the island of Barbadoes, a very pleasant, middle-aged gentleman named Major Stede Bonnet.
makenounUS /make/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading There were some persons who said that this strange fancy was due to the fact that his wife did not make his home pleasant for him, but it is quite certain that if a man wants an excuse for robbing and murdering his fellow-beings he ought to have a much better one than the bad temper of his wife.
man
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From this reading He was a man in comfortable circumstances, and had been an officer in the British army.
middle-aged
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From this reading A Greenhorn under the Black Flag Early in the eighteenth century there lived at Bridgetown, in the island of Barbadoes, a very pleasant, middle-aged gentleman named Major Stede Bonnet.
military
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From this reading He had retired from military service, and had bought an estate at Bridgetown, where he lived in comfort and was respected by his neighbors.
much
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From this reading There were some persons who said that this strange fancy was due to the fact that his wife did not make his home pleasant for him, but it is quite certain that if a man wants an excuse for robbing and murdering his fellow-beings he ought to have a much better one than the bad temper of his wife.
murdering
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From this reading There were some persons who said that this strange fancy was due to the fact that his wife did not make his home pleasant for him, but it is quite certain that if a man wants an excuse for robbing and murdering his fellow-beings he ought to have a much better one than the bad temper of his wife.
named
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From this reading A Greenhorn under the Black Flag Early in the eighteenth century there lived at Bridgetown, in the island of Barbadoes, a very pleasant, middle-aged gentleman named Major Stede Bonnet.
neighbors
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From this reading He had retired from military service, and had bought an estate at Bridgetown, where he lived in comfort and was respected by his neighbors.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading There were some persons who said that this strange fancy was due to the fact that his wife did not make his home pleasant for him, but it is quite certain that if a man wants an excuse for robbing and murdering his fellow-beings he ought to have a much better one than the bad temper of his wife.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading A Greenhorn under the Black Flag Early in the eighteenth century there lived at Bridgetown, in the island of Barbadoes, a very pleasant, middle-aged gentleman named Major Stede Bonnet.
officer
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From this reading He was a man in comfortable circumstances, and had been an officer in the British army.
onepronounUS /wʌn/
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading There were some persons who said that this strange fancy was due to the fact that his wife did not make his home pleasant for him, but it is quite certain that if a man wants an excuse for robbing and murdering his fellow-beings he ought to have a much better one than the bad temper of his wife.
orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading But for some reason or other this quiet and reputable gentleman got it into his head that he would like to be a pirate.
other
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From this reading But for some reason or other this quiet and reputable gentleman got it into his head that he would like to be a pirate.
oughtmodal verbUS /ɔːt/
used with “to” to say what is right or advisable
From this reading There were some persons who said that this strange fancy was due to the fact that his wife did not make his home pleasant for him, but it is quite certain that if a man wants an excuse for robbing and murdering his fellow-beings he ought to have a much better one than the bad temper of his wife.
persons
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From this reading There were some persons who said that this strange fancy was due to the fact that his wife did not make his home pleasant for him, but it is quite certain that if a man wants an excuse for robbing and murdering his fellow-beings he ought to have a much better one than the bad temper of his wife.
pirate
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But for some reason or other this quiet and reputable gentleman got it into his head that he would like to be a pirate.
pleasantnounUS /pleasant/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading A Greenhorn under the Black Flag Early in the eighteenth century there lived at Bridgetown, in the island of Barbadoes, a very pleasant, middle-aged gentleman named Major Stede Bonnet.
quiet
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From this reading But for some reason or other this quiet and reputable gentleman got it into his head that he would like to be a pirate.
quitenounUS /quite/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading There were some persons who said that this strange fancy was due to the fact that his wife did not make his home pleasant for him, but it is quite certain that if a man wants an excuse for robbing and murdering his fellow-beings he ought to have a much better one than the bad temper of his wife.
reason
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From this reading But for some reason or other this quiet and reputable gentleman got it into his head that he would like to be a pirate.
reputable
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From this reading But for some reason or other this quiet and reputable gentleman got it into his head that he would like to be a pirate.
respected
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From this reading He had retired from military service, and had bought an estate at Bridgetown, where he lived in comfort and was respected by his neighbors.
retiredverbUS /rɪˈtaɪərd/
went away to a private place
From this reading He had retired from military service, and had bought an estate at Bridgetown, where he lived in comfort and was respected by his neighbors.
robbing
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From this reading There were some persons who said that this strange fancy was due to the fact that his wife did not make his home pleasant for him, but it is quite certain that if a man wants an excuse for robbing and murdering his fellow-beings he ought to have a much better one than the bad temper of his wife.
said
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From this reading There were some persons who said that this strange fancy was due to the fact that his wife did not make his home pleasant for him, but it is quite certain that if a man wants an excuse for robbing and murdering his fellow-beings he ought to have a much better one than the bad temper of his wife.
service
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From this reading He had retired from military service, and had bought an estate at Bridgetown, where he lived in comfort and was respected by his neighbors.
some
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From this reading But for some reason or other this quiet and reputable gentleman got it into his head that he would like to be a pirate.
Stede
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From this reading A Greenhorn under the Black Flag Early in the eighteenth century there lived at Bridgetown, in the island of Barbadoes, a very pleasant, middle-aged gentleman named Major Stede Bonnet.
strange
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From this reading There were some persons who said that this strange fancy was due to the fact that his wife did not make his home pleasant for him, but it is quite certain that if a man wants an excuse for robbing and murdering his fellow-beings he ought to have a much better one than the bad temper of his wife.
temper
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There were some persons who said that this strange fancy was due to the fact that his wife did not make his home pleasant for him, but it is quite certain that if a man wants an excuse for robbing and murdering his fellow-beings he ought to have a much better one than the bad temper of his wife.
thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading There were some persons who said that this strange fancy was due to the fact that his wife did not make his home pleasant for him, but it is quite certain that if a man wants an excuse for robbing and murdering his fellow-beings he ought to have a much better one than the bad temper of his wife.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading But for some reason or other this quiet and reputable gentleman got it into his head that he would like to be a pirate.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading A Greenhorn under the Black Flag Early in the eighteenth century there lived at Bridgetown, in the island of Barbadoes, a very pleasant, middle-aged gentleman named Major Stede Bonnet.
there
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From this reading A Greenhorn under the Black Flag Early in the eighteenth century there lived at Bridgetown, in the island of Barbadoes, a very pleasant, middle-aged gentleman named Major Stede Bonnet.
thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading But for some reason or other this quiet and reputable gentleman got it into his head that he would like to be a pirate.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading But for some reason or other this quiet and reputable gentleman got it into his head that he would like to be a pirate.
underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading A Greenhorn under the Black Flag Early in the eighteenth century there lived at Bridgetown, in the island of Barbadoes, a very pleasant, middle-aged gentleman named Major Stede Bonnet.
very
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From this reading A Greenhorn under the Black Flag Early in the eighteenth century there lived at Bridgetown, in the island of Barbadoes, a very pleasant, middle-aged gentleman named Major Stede Bonnet.
wants
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There were some persons who said that this strange fancy was due to the fact that his wife did not make his home pleasant for him, but it is quite certain that if a man wants an excuse for robbing and murdering his fellow-beings he ought to have a much better one than the bad temper of his wife.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading He was a man in comfortable circumstances, and had been an officer in the British army.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading There were some persons who said that this strange fancy was due to the fact that his wife did not make his home pleasant for him, but it is quite certain that if a man wants an excuse for robbing and murdering his fellow-beings he ought to have a much better one than the bad temper of his wife.
whereconjunctionUS /wer/
in or at the place that
From this reading He had retired from military service, and had bought an estate at Bridgetown, where he lived in comfort and was respected by his neighbors.
whopronounUS /huː/
which person or people
From this reading There were some persons who said that this strange fancy was due to the fact that his wife did not make his home pleasant for him, but it is quite certain that if a man wants an excuse for robbing and murdering his fellow-beings he ought to have a much better one than the bad temper of his wife.
wife
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There were some persons who said that this strange fancy was due to the fact that his wife did not make his home pleasant for him, but it is quite certain that if a man wants an excuse for robbing and murdering his fellow-beings he ought to have a much better one than the bad temper of his wife.
wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading But for some reason or other this quiet and reputable gentleman got it into his head that he would like to be a pirate.
