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Charity Case
Charity Case

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of Charity Case is here in full — 406 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Charity Case
Context Illustration Reading 1/81 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Certainly I see things that aren't there and don't say what my voice says--but how can I prove that I don't have my health?
When he began his talk with "You got your health, don't you?" it touched those spots inside me.
That was when I did it.
Why couldn't what he said have been "The best things in life are free, buddy" or "Every dog has his day, fellow" or "If at first you don't succeed, man"?
No, he had to use that one line.
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Charity Case

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of Charity Case is here in full — 406 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/81 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Certainly I see things that aren't there and don't say what my voice says--but how can I prove that I don't have my health?
Line 2
When he began his talk with "You got your health, don't you?" it touched those spots inside me.
Line 3
That was when I did it.
/ðæt wɑːz wen aɪ dɪd ɪt/
Line 4
Why couldn't what he said have been "The best things in life are free, buddy" or "Every dog has his day, fellow" or "If at first you don't succeed, man"?
Line 5
No, he had to use that one line.
/noʊ hiː hæd tuː juːs ðæt wʌn laɪn/

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.

buddy noun US /ˈbʌdi/

a close friend who accompanies his buddies in their activities

From this reading “Why couldn't what he said have been "The best things in life are free, buddy" or "Every dog has his day, fellow" or "If at first you don't succeed, man"?”

dog noun US /dɔːɡ/

a member of the genus Canis (probably descended from the common wolf) that has been domesticated by man since prehistoric times; occurs in many breeds

From this reading “Why couldn't what he said have been "The best things in life are free, buddy" or "Every dog has his day, fellow" or "If at first you don't succeed, man"?”

health noun US /helθ/

a healthy state of wellbeing free from disease

From this reading “Certainly I see things that aren't there and don't say what my voice says--but how can I prove that I don't have my health?”

inside adjective US /ˌɪnˈsaɪd/

relating to or being on the side closer to the center or within a defined space

From this reading “When he began his talk with "You got your health, don't you?" it touched those spots inside me.”

prove verb US /pruːv/

be shown or be found to be

From this reading “Certainly I see things that aren't there and don't say what my voice says--but how can I prove that I don't have my health?”

spots noun US /spɑːts/

spots before the eyes caused by opaque cell fragments in the vitreous humor and lens

From this reading “When he began his talk with "You got your health, don't you?" it touched those spots inside me.”

succeed verb US /səkˈsiːd/

attain success or reach a desired goal

From this reading “Why couldn't what he said have been "The best things in life are free, buddy" or "Every dog has his day, fellow" or "If at first you don't succeed, man"?”

touched adjective US /tʌtʃt/

having come into contact

From this reading “When he began his talk with "You got your health, don't you?" it touched those spots inside me.”

Word partnerships in these lines

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.

talk with verb + particle

In this reading “When he began his talk with "You got your health, don't you?" it touched those spots inside me.”

All words in this reading · 65

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.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Certainly I see things that aren't there and don't say what my voice says--but how can I prove that I don't have my health?

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading Why couldn't what he said have been "The best things in life are free, buddy" or "Every dog has his day, fellow" or "If at first you don't succeed, man"?

aren't

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

From this reading Certainly I see things that aren't there and don't say what my voice says--but how can I prove that I don't have my health?

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Why couldn't what he said have been "The best things in life are free, buddy" or "Every dog has his day, fellow" or "If at first you don't succeed, man"?

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading Why couldn't what he said have been "The best things in life are free, buddy" or "Every dog has his day, fellow" or "If at first you don't succeed, man"?

beganverbUS /bɪˈɡæn/

inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action

From this reading When he began his talk with "You got your health, don't you?" it touched those spots inside me.

bestnounUS /best/

the supreme effort one can make

From this reading Why couldn't what he said have been "The best things in life are free, buddy" or "Every dog has his day, fellow" or "If at first you don't succeed, man"?

buddynounUS /ˈbʌdi/

a close friend who accompanies his buddies in their activities

From this reading Why couldn't what he said have been "The best things in life are free, buddy" or "Every dog has his day, fellow" or "If at first you don't succeed, man"?

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading Certainly I see things that aren't there and don't say what my voice says--but how can I prove that I don't have my health?

canmodal verbUS /kæn/

to be able to, or to be allowed to

From this reading Certainly I see things that aren't there and don't say what my voice says--but how can I prove that I don't have my health?

CertainlyadverbUS /ˈsɜːrtənli/

definitely or positively (“sure” is sometimes used informally for “surely”)

From this reading Certainly I see things that aren't there and don't say what my voice says--but how can I prove that I don't have my health?

couldn't

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

From this reading Why couldn't what he said have been "The best things in life are free, buddy" or "Every dog has his day, fellow" or "If at first you don't succeed, man"?

daynounUS /deɪ/

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading Why couldn't what he said have been "The best things in life are free, buddy" or "Every dog has his day, fellow" or "If at first you don't succeed, man"?

didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading That was when I did it.

dognounUS /dɔːɡ/

a member of the genus Canis (probably descended from the common wolf) that has been domesticated by man since prehistoric times; occurs in many breeds

From this reading Why couldn't what he said have been "The best things in life are free, buddy" or "Every dog has his day, fellow" or "If at first you don't succeed, man"?

don't

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

From this reading Certainly I see things that aren't there and don't say what my voice says--but how can I prove that I don't have my health?

EverydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/

all the members of a group, with none left out

From this reading Why couldn't what he said have been "The best things in life are free, buddy" or "Every dog has his day, fellow" or "If at first you don't succeed, man"?

fellownounUS /ˈfeloʊ/

a boy or man

From this reading Why couldn't what he said have been "The best things in life are free, buddy" or "Every dog has his day, fellow" or "If at first you don't succeed, man"?

firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading Why couldn't what he said have been "The best things in life are free, buddy" or "Every dog has his day, fellow" or "If at first you don't succeed, man"?

freeverbUS /friː/

grant freedom to; free from confinement

From this reading Why couldn't what he said have been "The best things in life are free, buddy" or "Every dog has his day, fellow" or "If at first you don't succeed, man"?

gotverbUS /ɡɑːt/

inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

From this reading When he began his talk with "You got your health, don't you?" it touched those spots inside me.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading No, he had to use that one line.

hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/

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

From this reading Why couldn't what he said have been "The best things in life are free, buddy" or "Every dog has his day, fellow" or "If at first you don't succeed, man"?

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading Certainly I see things that aren't there and don't say what my voice says--but how can I prove that I don't have my health?

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading When he began his talk with "You got your health, don't you?" it touched those spots inside me.

healthnounUS /helθ/

a healthy state of wellbeing free from disease

From this reading Certainly I see things that aren't there and don't say what my voice says--but how can I prove that I don't have my health?

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading When he began his talk with "You got your health, don't you?" it touched those spots inside me.

how

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

From this reading Certainly I see things that aren't there and don't say what my voice says--but how can I prove that I don't have my health?

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading Certainly I see things that aren't there and don't say what my voice says--but how can I prove that I don't have my health?

IfconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading Why couldn't what he said have been "The best things in life are free, buddy" or "Every dog has his day, fellow" or "If at first you don't succeed, man"?

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Why couldn't what he said have been "The best things in life are free, buddy" or "Every dog has his day, fellow" or "If at first you don't succeed, man"?

insideadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈsaɪd/

relating to or being on the side closer to the center or within a defined space

From this reading When he began his talk with "You got your health, don't you?" it touched those spots inside me.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading When he began his talk with "You got your health, don't you?" it touched those spots inside me.

lifenounUS /laɪf/

a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading Why couldn't what he said have been "The best things in life are free, buddy" or "Every dog has his day, fellow" or "If at first you don't succeed, man"?

linenounUS /laɪn/

a formation of people or things one beside another

From this reading No, he had to use that one line.

mannounUS /mæn/

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading Why couldn't what he said have been "The best things in life are free, buddy" or "Every dog has his day, fellow" or "If at first you don't succeed, man"?

mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading When he began his talk with "You got your health, don't you?" it touched those spots inside me.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading Certainly I see things that aren't there and don't say what my voice says--but how can I prove that I don't have my health?

NodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading No, he had to use that one line.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading No, he had to use that one line.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading Why couldn't what he said have been "The best things in life are free, buddy" or "Every dog has his day, fellow" or "If at first you don't succeed, man"?

proveverbUS /pruːv/

be shown or be found to be

From this reading Certainly I see things that aren't there and don't say what my voice says--but how can I prove that I don't have my health?

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading Why couldn't what he said have been "The best things in life are free, buddy" or "Every dog has his day, fellow" or "If at first you don't succeed, man"?

sayverbUS /seɪ/

express in words

From this reading Certainly I see things that aren't there and don't say what my voice says--but how can I prove that I don't have my health?

saysnounUS /sez/

plural of “say” — the chance to speak

From this reading Certainly I see things that aren't there and don't say what my voice says--but how can I prove that I don't have my health?

seeverbUS /siː/

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading Certainly I see things that aren't there and don't say what my voice says--but how can I prove that I don't have my health?

spotsnounUS /spɑːts/

spots before the eyes caused by opaque cell fragments in the vitreous humor and lens

From this reading When he began his talk with "You got your health, don't you?" it touched those spots inside me.

succeedverbUS /səkˈsiːd/

attain success or reach a desired goal

From this reading Why couldn't what he said have been "The best things in life are free, buddy" or "Every dog has his day, fellow" or "If at first you don't succeed, man"?

talkverbUS /tɔːk/

exchange thoughts; talk with

From this reading When he began his talk with "You got your health, don't you?" it touched those spots inside me.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Certainly I see things that aren't there and don't say what my voice says--but how can I prove that I don't have my health?

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Why couldn't what he said have been "The best things in life are free, buddy" or "Every dog has his day, fellow" or "If at first you don't succeed, man"?

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading Certainly I see things that aren't there and don't say what my voice says--but how can I prove that I don't have my health?

thingsnounUS /θɪŋz/

any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)

From this reading Certainly I see things that aren't there and don't say what my voice says--but how can I prove that I don't have my health?

thosedeterminerUS /ðoʊz/

the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known

From this reading When he began his talk with "You got your health, don't you?" it touched those spots inside me.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading No, he had to use that one line.

touchedadjectiveUS /tʌtʃt/

having come into contact

From this reading When he began his talk with "You got your health, don't you?" it touched those spots inside me.

usenounUS /juːs/

the act of using

From this reading No, he had to use that one line.

voicenounUS /vɔɪs/

the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech

From this reading Certainly I see things that aren't there and don't say what my voice says--but how can I prove that I don't have my health?

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading That was when I did it.

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading Certainly I see things that aren't there and don't say what my voice says--but how can I prove that I don't have my health?

WhenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading When he began his talk with "You got your health, don't you?" it touched those spots inside me.

WhynounUS /waɪ/

the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”

From this reading Why couldn't what he said have been "The best things in life are free, buddy" or "Every dog has his day, fellow" or "If at first you don't succeed, man"?

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading When he began his talk with "You got your health, don't you?" it touched those spots inside me.

YoupronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading When he began his talk with "You got your health, don't you?" it touched those spots inside me.

yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading When he began his talk with "You got your health, don't you?" it touched those spots inside me.

Chapter 1 of Charity Case by Jim Harmon holds 406 sentences, grouped into 82 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 1 of Charity Case contain?

Chapter 1 holds 406 sentences of Charity Case, unabridged, divided into 82 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of Charity Case by Jim Harmon exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 406 sentences, grouped into 82 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 1 of Charity Case?

Work through the 82 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 82 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 1 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 1 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 Charity Case

Common questions about reading Charity Case by Jim Harmon on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Charity Case?

Yes. All 803 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #51657 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Charity Case is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #51657, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Charity Case take to read?

About 66 minutes of reading across 161 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Charity Case section by section

How to work through Charity Case section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 2 chapters of Charity Case 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 Charity Case

Words and structures a reader meets early in Charity Case, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Certainly
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Charity Case; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Things
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Charity Case; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Aren't
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Charity Case; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Don't
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Charity Case; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.