Charity's birthday text

Chapter II

Chapter 2 of Charity's birthday text is here in full — 161 sentences across 33 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Agnes Giberne • Curated US English Learning Edition

Cover illustration for Charity's birthday text

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

CHARITY and Edwin had very few relatives.

Their father had lost all his brothers and sisters in early life.

There was only their mother's sister, who had for many years been married and settled in a distant part of England.

She was written to at once about Mr. Mitchel's sad and unexpected death.

And her husband, Mr. Hawke, at once travelled to London, to be present at the funeral, and to take his little niece and nephew home with him.

Narrator

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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English

LEARNER DICTIONARY

Archivist

/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/

Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Chapter II Reading 1/32

Charity's birthday text

Chapter II

Chapter 2 of Charity's birthday text is here in full — 161 sentences across 33 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/32 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

CHARITY and Edwin had very few relatives.

/ˈtʃerɪti ənd ˈedwən hæd ˈveri fjuː ˈrelətɪvz/

Line 2

Their father had lost all his brothers and sisters in early life.

/ðer ˈfɑːðər hæd lɔːst ɔːl hɪz ˈbrʌðərz ənd ˈsɪstərz ɪn ˈɜːrli laɪf/

Line 3

There was only their mother's sister, who had for many years been married and settled in a distant part of England.

/ðer wɑːz ˈoʊnli ðer ˈmʌðərz ˈsɪstər huː hæd fɔːr ˈmeni jɪrz bɪn ˈmerid ənd ˈsetəld ɪn ə ˈdɪstənt pɑːrt ʌv ˈɪŋɡlənd/

Line 4

She was written to at once about Mr. Mitchel's sad and unexpected death.

Line 5

And her husband, Mr. Hawke, at once travelled to London, to be present at the funeral, and to take his little niece and nephew home with him.

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.

charity noun US /ˈtʃerɪti/

a foundation created to promote the public good (not for assistance to any particular individuals)

From this reading “CHARITY and Edwin had very few relatives.”

Edwin noun US /ˈedwən/

king of Northumbria who was converted to Christianity (585-633)

From this reading “CHARITY and Edwin had very few relatives.”

funeral noun US /ˈfjuːnərəl/

a ceremony at which a dead person is buried or cremated

From this reading “And her husband, Mr. Hawke, at once travelled to London, to be present at the funeral, and to take his little niece and nephew home with him.”

nephew noun US /ˈnefjuː/

a son of your brother or sister

From this reading “And her husband, Mr. Hawke, at once travelled to London, to be present at the funeral, and to take his little niece and nephew home with him.”

niece noun US /niːs/

a daughter of your brother or sister

From this reading “And her husband, Mr. Hawke, at once travelled to London, to be present at the funeral, and to take his little niece and nephew home with him.”

relatives noun US /ˈrelətɪvz/

plural of “relative” — a person related by blood or marriage

From this reading “CHARITY and Edwin had very few relatives.”

travelled adjective US /ˈtrævəld/

familiar with many parts of the world

From this reading “And her husband, Mr. Hawke, at once travelled to London, to be present at the funeral, and to take his little niece and nephew home with him.”

unexpected adjective US /ˌʌnɪkˈspektɪd/

not expected or anticipated

From this reading “She was written to at once about Mr. Mitchel's sad and unexpected death.”

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.

many years adjective + noun

In this reading “There was only their mother's sister, who had for many years been married and settled in a distant part of England.”

at once preposition + adverb

without delay or hesitation; with no time intervening

In this reading “She was written to at once about Mr. Mitchel's sad and unexpected death.”

distant part adjective + noun

In this reading “There was only their mother's sister, who had for many years been married and settled in a distant part of England.”

early life adjective + noun

In this reading “Their father had lost all his brothers and sisters in early life.”

All words in this reading · 61

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.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading There was only their mother's sister, who had for many years been married and settled in a distant part of England.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading She was written to at once about Mr. Mitchel's sad and unexpected death.

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 Their father had lost all his brothers and sisters in early life.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading CHARITY and Edwin had very few relatives.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading She was written to at once about Mr. Mitchel's sad and unexpected death.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading And her husband, Mr. Hawke, at once travelled to London, to be present at the funeral, and to take his little niece and nephew home with him.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading There was only their mother's sister, who had for many years been married and settled in a distant part of England.

brothersnounUS /ˈbrʌðərz/

plural of “brother” — a male with the same parents as someone else

From this reading Their father had lost all his brothers and sisters in early life.

CHARITYnounUS /ˈtʃerɪti/

a foundation created to promote the public good (not for assistance to any particular individuals)

From this reading CHARITY and Edwin had very few relatives.

deathnounUS /deθ/

the event of dying or departure from life

From this reading She was written to at once about Mr. Mitchel's sad and unexpected death.

distantadjectiveUS /ˈdɪstənt/

separated in space or coming from or going to a distance

From this reading There was only their mother's sister, who had for many years been married and settled in a distant part of England.

earlyadjectiveUS /ˈɜːrli/

at or near the beginning of a period of time or course of events or before the usual or expected time

From this reading Their father had lost all his brothers and sisters in early life.

EdwinnounUS /ˈedwən/

king of Northumbria who was converted to Christianity (585-633)

From this reading CHARITY and Edwin had very few relatives.

EnglandnounUS /ˈɪŋɡlənd/

a division of the United Kingdom

From this reading There was only their mother's sister, who had for many years been married and settled in a distant part of England.

fathernounUS /ˈfɑːðər/

a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)

From this reading Their father had lost all his brothers and sisters in early life.

fewadjectiveUS /fjuː/

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number

From this reading CHARITY and Edwin had very few relatives.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading There was only their mother's sister, who had for many years been married and settled in a distant part of England.

funeralnounUS /ˈfjuːnərəl/

a ceremony at which a dead person is buried or cremated

From this reading And her husband, Mr. Hawke, at once travelled to London, to be present at the funeral, and to take his little niece and nephew home with him.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading CHARITY and Edwin had very few relatives.

Hawke

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

From this reading And her husband, Mr. Hawke, at once travelled to London, to be present at the funeral, and to take his little niece and nephew home with him.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading And her husband, Mr. Hawke, at once travelled to London, to be present at the funeral, and to take his little niece and nephew home with him.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading And her husband, Mr. Hawke, at once travelled to London, to be present at the funeral, and to take his little niece and nephew home with him.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading Their father had lost all his brothers and sisters in early life.

homenounUS /hoʊm/

where you live at a particular time

From this reading And her husband, Mr. Hawke, at once travelled to London, to be present at the funeral, and to take his little niece and nephew home with him.

husbandnounUS /ˈhʌzbənd/

a married man; a woman's partner in marriage

From this reading And her husband, Mr. Hawke, at once travelled to London, to be present at the funeral, and to take his little niece and nephew home with him.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Their father had lost all his brothers and sisters in early life.

lifenounUS /laɪf/

a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading Their father had lost all his brothers and sisters in early life.

littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading And her husband, Mr. Hawke, at once travelled to London, to be present at the funeral, and to take his little niece and nephew home with him.

LondonnounUS /ˈlʌndən/

the capital and largest city of England; located on the Thames in southeastern England; financial and industrial and cultural center

From this reading And her husband, Mr. Hawke, at once travelled to London, to be present at the funeral, and to take his little niece and nephew home with him.

lostadjectiveUS /lɔːst/

no longer in your possession or control; unable to be found or recovered

From this reading Their father had lost all his brothers and sisters in early life.

manyadjectiveUS /ˈmeni/

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number

From this reading There was only their mother's sister, who had for many years been married and settled in a distant part of England.

marriedadjectiveUS /ˈmerid/

joined in matrimony

From this reading There was only their mother's sister, who had for many years been married and settled in a distant part of England.

Mitchel's

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

From this reading She was written to at once about Mr. Mitchel's sad and unexpected death.

mother'snounUS /ˈmʌðərz/

possessive form of “mother” — a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)

From this reading There was only their mother's sister, who had for many years been married and settled in a distant part of England.

MrnounUS /ˈmɪstər/

a form of address for a man

From this reading She was written to at once about Mr. Mitchel's sad and unexpected death.

nephewnounUS /ˈnefjuː/

a son of your brother or sister

From this reading And her husband, Mr. Hawke, at once travelled to London, to be present at the funeral, and to take his little niece and nephew home with him.

niecenounUS /niːs/

a daughter of your brother or sister

From this reading And her husband, Mr. Hawke, at once travelled to London, to be present at the funeral, and to take his little niece and nephew home with him.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading There was only their mother's sister, who had for many years been married and settled in a distant part of England.

onceadverbUS /wʌns/

on one occasion

From this reading She was written to at once about Mr. Mitchel's sad and unexpected death.

onlyadverbUS /ˈoʊnli/

and nothing more

From this reading There was only their mother's sister, who had for many years been married and settled in a distant part of England.

partnounUS /pɑːrt/

something determined in relation to something that includes it

From this reading There was only their mother's sister, who had for many years been married and settled in a distant part of England.

presentverbUS /ˈprezənt/

give an exhibition of to an interested audience

From this reading And her husband, Mr. Hawke, at once travelled to London, to be present at the funeral, and to take his little niece and nephew home with him.

relativesnounUS /ˈrelətɪvz/

plural of “relative” — a person related by blood or marriage

From this reading CHARITY and Edwin had very few relatives.

sadadjectiveUS /sæd/

experiencing or showing sorrow or unhappiness

From this reading She was written to at once about Mr. Mitchel's sad and unexpected death.

settledadjectiveUS /ˈsetəld/

established or decided beyond dispute or doubt

From this reading There was only their mother's sister, who had for many years been married and settled in a distant part of England.

ShepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading She was written to at once about Mr. Mitchel's sad and unexpected death.

sisternounUS /ˈsɪstər/

a female person who has the same parents as another person

From this reading There was only their mother's sister, who had for many years been married and settled in a distant part of England.

sistersnounUS /ˈsɪstərz/

plural of “sister” — a female person who has the same parents as another person

From this reading Their father had lost all his brothers and sisters in early life.

takeverbUS /teɪk/

carry out

From this reading And her husband, Mr. Hawke, at once travelled to London, to be present at the funeral, and to take his little niece and nephew home with him.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading And her husband, Mr. Hawke, at once travelled to London, to be present at the funeral, and to take his little niece and nephew home with him.

TheirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading Their father had lost all his brothers and sisters in early life.

ThereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading There was only their mother's sister, who had for many years been married and settled in a distant part of England.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading She was written to at once about Mr. Mitchel's sad and unexpected death.

travelledadjectiveUS /ˈtrævəld/

familiar with many parts of the world

From this reading And her husband, Mr. Hawke, at once travelled to London, to be present at the funeral, and to take his little niece and nephew home with him.

unexpectedadjectiveUS /ˌʌnɪkˈspektɪd/

not expected or anticipated

From this reading She was written to at once about Mr. Mitchel's sad and unexpected death.

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading CHARITY and Edwin had very few relatives.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading There was only their mother's sister, who had for many years been married and settled in a distant part of England.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading There was only their mother's sister, who had for many years been married and settled in a distant part of England.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading And her husband, Mr. Hawke, at once travelled to London, to be present at the funeral, and to take his little niece and nephew home with him.

writtenadjectiveUS /ˈrɪtən/

set down in writing in any of various ways

From this reading She was written to at once about Mr. Mitchel's sad and unexpected death.

yearsnounUS /jɪrz/

a late time of life

From this reading There was only their mother's sister, who had for many years been married and settled in a distant part of England.

Chapter 2 of Charity's birthday text by Agnes Giberne holds 161 sentences, grouped into 33 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 2 of Charity's birthday text contain?

Chapter 2 holds 161 sentences of Charity's birthday text, unabridged, divided into 33 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 2 of Charity's birthday text by Agnes Giberne exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 161 sentences, grouped into 33 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 2 of Charity's birthday text?

Work through the 33 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 33 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 2 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 2 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's birthday text

Common questions about reading Charity's birthday text by Agnes Giberne on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Charity's birthday text?

Yes. All 738 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #76384 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Charity's birthday text is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #76384, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Charity's birthday text take to read?

About 61 minutes of reading across 148 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Charity's birthday text section by section

How to work through Charity's birthday text section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

Open a chapter

Choose one of the 5 chapters of Charity's birthday text to begin.
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Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Listen and tap

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

Vocabulary met early in Charity's birthday text

Words and structures a reader meets early in Charity's birthday text, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Birthday: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Charity's birthday text; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Willie: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Charity's birthday text; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Sea-side: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Charity's birthday text; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Hungering: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Charity's birthday text; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

Chapter II

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Can chapter 2 be read aloud to me?

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Vocabulary met early in Charity's birthday text