Chapter 9 of Children of the Tenements is here in full — 423 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IX
Chapter 9 of Children of the Tenements is here in full — 423 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
He tried everything under the sun to get a job. He travelled early and travelled late, but wherever he went they had men and to spare. And besides, he was ill. As they told him bluntly, sometimes, they didn't have any use for sick men. Men to work and earn wages must be strong.
Chapter 9 of Children of the Tenements is here in full — 423 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/84 · 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.
in a blunt direct manner
From this reading “As they told him bluntly, sometimes, they didn't have any use for sick men.”
earn on some commercial or business transaction; earn as salary or wages
From this reading “Men to work and earn wages must be strong.”
the principal activity in your life that you do to earn money
From this reading “He tried everything under the sun to get a job.”
affected by an impairment of normal physical or mental function
From this reading “As they told him bluntly, sometimes, they didn't have any use for sick men.”
refrain from harming
From this reading “He travelled early and travelled late, but wherever he went they had men and to spare.”
familiar with many parts of the world
From this reading “He travelled early and travelled late, but wherever he went they had men and to spare.”
a recompense for worthy acts or retribution for wrongdoing
From this reading “Men to work and earn wages must be strong.”
in or to any place at all
From this reading “He travelled early and travelled late, but wherever he went they had men and to spare.”
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 He tried everything under the sun to get a job.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He travelled early and travelled late, but wherever he went they had men and to spare.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading As they told him bluntly, sometimes, they didn't have any use for sick men.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading As they told him bluntly, sometimes, they didn't have any use for sick men.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Men to work and earn wages must be strong.
in addition to; as well as
From this reading And besides, he was ill.
in a blunt direct manner
From this reading As they told him bluntly, sometimes, they didn't have any use for sick men.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading He travelled early and travelled late, but wherever he went they had men and to spare.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As they told him bluntly, sometimes, they didn't have any use for sick men.
at or near the beginning of a period of time or course of events or before the usual or expected time
From this reading He travelled early and travelled late, but wherever he went they had men and to spare.
earn on some commercial or business transaction; earn as salary or wages
From this reading Men to work and earn wages must be strong.
all things; all of a situation
From this reading He tried everything under the sun to get a job.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading As they told him bluntly, sometimes, they didn't have any use for sick men.
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading He tried everything under the sun to get a job.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading He travelled early and travelled late, but wherever he went they had men and to spare.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading As they told him bluntly, sometimes, they didn't have any use for sick men.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He tried everything under the sun to get a job.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading As they told him bluntly, sometimes, they didn't have any use for sick men.
affected by an impairment of normal physical or mental function
From this reading And besides, he was ill.
the principal activity in your life that you do to earn money
From this reading He tried everything under the sun to get a job.
being or occurring at an advanced period of time or after a usual or expected time
From this reading He travelled early and travelled late, but wherever he went they had men and to spare.
the force of workers available
From this reading He travelled early and travelled late, but wherever he went they had men and to spare.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading Men to work and earn wages must be strong.
affected by an impairment of normal physical or mental function
From this reading As they told him bluntly, sometimes, they didn't have any use for sick men.
on certain occasions or in certain cases but not always
From this reading As they told him bluntly, sometimes, they didn't have any use for sick men.
refrain from harming
From this reading He travelled early and travelled late, but wherever he went they had men and to spare.
having strength or power greater than average or expected
From this reading Men to work and earn wages must be strong.
the star that is the source of light and heat for the planets in the solar system
From this reading He tried everything under the sun to get a job.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading He tried everything under the sun to get a job.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He travelled early and travelled late, but wherever he went they had men and to spare.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading He tried everything under the sun to get a job.
inflected form of “tell” — express in words
From this reading As they told him bluntly, sometimes, they didn't have any use for sick men.
familiar with many parts of the world
From this reading He travelled early and travelled late, but wherever he went they had men and to spare.
tested and proved useful or correct
From this reading He tried everything under the sun to get a job.
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading He tried everything under the sun to get a job.
the act of using
From this reading As they told him bluntly, sometimes, they didn't have any use for sick men.
a recompense for worthy acts or retribution for wrongdoing
From this reading Men to work and earn wages must be strong.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading And besides, he was ill.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading He travelled early and travelled late, but wherever he went they had men and to spare.
in or to any place at all
From this reading He travelled early and travelled late, but wherever he went they had men and to spare.
exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading Men to work and earn wages must be strong.
Chapter 9 of Children of the Tenements by Jacob A. (Jacob August) Riis holds 423 sentences, grouped into 85 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 9 holds 423 sentences of Children of the Tenements, unabridged, divided into 85 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 9 of Children of the Tenements by Jacob A. (Jacob August) Riis exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 423 sentences, grouped into 85 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 85 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 85 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 9 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 Children of the Tenements by Jacob A. (Jacob August) Riis on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4677 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #21583 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #21583, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 389 minutes of reading across 936 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Children of the Tenements section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 11 chapters of Children of the Tenements 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 Children of the Tenements, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
