Chapter 4 of Checkmate is here in full — 253 sentences across 51 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IV
Chapter 4 of Checkmate is here in full — 253 sentences across 51 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
CONCERNING A BOOT. Several pairs of boots were placed in Mr. Longcluse's dressing-room. "Where are the boots that I wore yesterday?" asked he. "If you please, Sir," said Mr. Franklin, "the man called this morning for the right boot of that pair." "What man?" asked Mr. Longcluse, rather grimly.
Chapter 4 of Checkmate is here in full — 253 sentences across 51 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/50 · 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.
footwear that covers the whole foot and lower leg
From this reading “CONCERNING A BOOT.”
plural of “boot” — footwear that covers the whole foot and lower leg
From this reading “Several pairs of boots were placed in Mr. Longcluse's dressing-room.”
-ing form of “concern” — be relevant to
From this reading “CONCERNING A BOOT.”
United States historian noted for studies of Black American history (born in 1915)
From this reading “"If you please, Sir," said Mr. Franklin, "the man called this morning for the right boot of that pair."”
in a grim implacable manner
From this reading “"What man?" asked Mr. Longcluse, rather grimly.”
a set of two similar things considered as a unit
From this reading “"If you please, Sir," said Mr. Franklin, "the man called this morning for the right boot of that pair."”
plural of “pair” — a set of two similar things considered as a unit
From this reading “Several pairs of boots were placed in Mr. Longcluse's dressing-room.”
the day immediately before today
From this reading “"Where are the boots that I wore yesterday?" asked he.”
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.
In this reading “Several pairs of boots were placed in Mr. Longcluse's dressing-room.”
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.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading CONCERNING A BOOT.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading "Where are the boots that I wore yesterday?" asked he.
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading "Where are the boots that I wore yesterday?" asked he.
footwear that covers the whole foot and lower leg
From this reading CONCERNING A BOOT.
plural of “boot” — footwear that covers the whole foot and lower leg
From this reading Several pairs of boots were placed in Mr. Longcluse's dressing-room.
past form of “call” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading "If you please, Sir," said Mr. Franklin, "the man called this morning for the right boot of that pair."
-ing form of “concern” — be relevant to
From this reading CONCERNING A BOOT.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Several pairs of boots were placed in Mr. Longcluse's dressing-room.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading "If you please, Sir," said Mr. Franklin, "the man called this morning for the right boot of that pair."
United States historian noted for studies of Black American history (born in 1915)
From this reading "If you please, Sir," said Mr. Franklin, "the man called this morning for the right boot of that pair."
in a grim implacable manner
From this reading "What man?" asked Mr. Longcluse, rather grimly.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "Where are the boots that I wore yesterday?" asked he.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "Where are the boots that I wore yesterday?" asked he.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading "If you please, Sir," said Mr. Franklin, "the man called this morning for the right boot of that pair."
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Several pairs of boots were placed in Mr. Longcluse's dressing-room.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "What man?" asked Mr. Longcluse, rather grimly.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Several pairs of boots were placed in Mr. Longcluse's dressing-room.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading "If you please, Sir," said Mr. Franklin, "the man called this morning for the right boot of that pair."
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading "If you please, Sir," said Mr. Franklin, "the man called this morning for the right boot of that pair."
a form of address for a man
From this reading Several pairs of boots were placed in Mr. Longcluse's dressing-room.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Several pairs of boots were placed in Mr. Longcluse's dressing-room.
a set of two similar things considered as a unit
From this reading "If you please, Sir," said Mr. Franklin, "the man called this morning for the right boot of that pair."
plural of “pair” — a set of two similar things considered as a unit
From this reading Several pairs of boots were placed in Mr. Longcluse's dressing-room.
situated in a particular spot or position
From this reading Several pairs of boots were placed in Mr. Longcluse's dressing-room.
give pleasure to or be pleasing to
From this reading "If you please, Sir," said Mr. Franklin, "the man called this morning for the right boot of that pair."
on the contrary
From this reading "What man?" asked Mr. Longcluse, rather grimly.
precisely, exactly
From this reading "If you please, Sir," said Mr. Franklin, "the man called this morning for the right boot of that pair."
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "If you please, Sir," said Mr. Franklin, "the man called this morning for the right boot of that pair."
(used with count nouns) of an indefinite number more than 2 or 3 but not many
From this reading Several pairs of boots were placed in Mr. Longcluse's dressing-room.
term of address for a man
From this reading "If you please, Sir," said Mr. Franklin, "the man called this morning for the right boot of that pair."
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "Where are the boots that I wore yesterday?" asked he.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "Where are the boots that I wore yesterday?" asked he.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading "If you please, Sir," said Mr. Franklin, "the man called this morning for the right boot of that pair."
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Several pairs of boots were placed in Mr. Longcluse's dressing-room.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading "What man?" asked Mr. Longcluse, rather grimly.
in or at the place that
From this reading "Where are the boots that I wore yesterday?" asked he.
inflected form of “wear” — be dressed in
From this reading "Where are the boots that I wore yesterday?" asked he.
the day immediately before today
From this reading "Where are the boots that I wore yesterday?" asked he.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "If you please, Sir," said Mr. Franklin, "the man called this morning for the right boot of that pair."
Chapter 4 of Checkmate by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu holds 253 sentences, grouped into 51 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 4 holds 253 sentences of Checkmate, unabridged, divided into 51 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 4 of Checkmate by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 253 sentences, grouped into 51 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 51 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 51 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 4 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 Checkmate by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 9388 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #38460 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #38460, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 1878 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Checkmate section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 40 chapters of Checkmate 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 Checkmate, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
