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Christina Alberta's father
Christina Alberta's father

Chapter XX

Chapter 20 of Christina Alberta's father is here in full — 427 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Christina Alberta's father
Context Illustration Reading 1/85 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
This fellow Devizes carried out all his arrangements with a smooth competence that gave Bobby no scope for self-assertion.
Sargon and Christina Alberta and Devizes would depart at five and get to Udimore by six, by which time the nurse would be installed.
Then Devizes would go back to London and get there in time to dress for a dinner he had to attend.
On Saturday morning he would be busy in London, and then he would come back to Udimore and see if Sargon was recovered enough for the beginnings of his mental treatment.
Perhaps the unknown Paul Lambone would be there too.
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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.

Christina Alberta's father

Chapter XX

Chapter 20 of Christina Alberta's father is here in full — 427 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/85 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
This fellow Devizes carried out all his arrangements with a smooth competence that gave Bobby no scope for self-assertion.
Line 2
Sargon and Christina Alberta and Devizes would depart at five and get to Udimore by six, by which time the nurse would be installed.
Line 3
Then Devizes would go back to London and get there in time to dress for a dinner he had to attend.
Line 4
On Saturday morning he would be busy in London, and then he would come back to Udimore and see if Sargon was recovered enough for the beginnings of his mental treatment.
Line 5
Perhaps the unknown Paul Lambone would be there too.

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.

Alberta noun US /ælˈbɜːrtə/

one of the three prairie provinces in western Canada; rich in oil and natural gas and minerals

From this reading “Sargon and Christina Alberta and Devizes would depart at five and get to Udimore by six, by which time the nurse would be installed.”

arrangements noun US /ərˈeɪndʒmənts/

plural of “arrangement” — the thing arranged or agreed to

From this reading “This fellow Devizes carried out all his arrangements with a smooth competence that gave Bobby no scope for self-assertion.”

beginnings noun US /bɪˈɡɪnɪŋz/

plural of “beginning” — the event consisting of the start of something

From this reading “On Saturday morning he would be busy in London, and then he would come back to Udimore and see if Sargon was recovered enough for the beginnings of his mental treatment.”

Bobby noun US /ˈbɑːbi/

an informal term for a British policeman

From this reading “This fellow Devizes carried out all his arrangements with a smooth competence that gave Bobby no scope for self-assertion.”

competence noun US /ˈkɑːmpətɪns/

the quality of being adequately or well qualified physically and intellectually

From this reading “This fellow Devizes carried out all his arrangements with a smooth competence that gave Bobby no scope for self-assertion.”

depart verb US /dɪˈpɑːrt/

move away from a place into another direction

From this reading “Sargon and Christina Alberta and Devizes would depart at five and get to Udimore by six, by which time the nurse would be installed.”

installed verb US /ˌɪnˈstɔːld/

inflected form of “instal” — set up for use

From this reading “Sargon and Christina Alberta and Devizes would depart at five and get to Udimore by six, by which time the nurse would be installed.”

scope noun US /skoʊp/

an area in which something acts or operates or has power or control: "the range of a supersonic jet"

From this reading “This fellow Devizes carried out all his arrangements with a smooth competence that gave Bobby no scope for self-assertion.”

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.

come back verb + particle

be restored

In this reading “On Saturday morning he would be busy in London, and then he would come back to Udimore and see if Sargon was recovered enough for the beginnings of his mental treatment.”

go back verb + particle

belong to an earlier time

In this reading “Then Devizes would go back to London and get there in time to dress for a dinner he had to attend.”

carried out verb + adjective counted as “carry out”

put in effect

In this reading “This fellow Devizes carried out all his arrangements with a smooth competence that gave Bobby no scope for self-assertion.”

at five preposition + noun

In this reading “Sargon and Christina Alberta and Devizes would depart at five and get to Udimore by six, by which time the nurse would be installed.”

All words in this reading · 68

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 This fellow Devizes carried out all his arrangements with a smooth competence that gave Bobby no scope for self-assertion.

AlbertanounUS /ælˈbɜːrtə/

one of the three prairie provinces in western Canada; rich in oil and natural gas and minerals

From this reading Sargon and Christina Alberta and Devizes would depart at five and get to Udimore by six, by which time the nurse would be installed.

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 This fellow Devizes carried out all his arrangements with a smooth competence that gave Bobby no scope for self-assertion.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Sargon and Christina Alberta and Devizes would depart at five and get to Udimore by six, by which time the nurse would be installed.

arrangementsnounUS /ərˈeɪndʒmənts/

plural of “arrangement” — the thing arranged or agreed to

From this reading This fellow Devizes carried out all his arrangements with a smooth competence that gave Bobby no scope for self-assertion.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Sargon and Christina Alberta and Devizes would depart at five and get to Udimore by six, by which time the nurse would be installed.

attendverbUS /əˈtend/

be present at (meetings, church services, university), etc.

From this reading Then Devizes would go back to London and get there in time to dress for a dinner he had to attend.

backadverbUS /bæk/

in or to or toward a former location

From this reading Then Devizes would go back to London and get there in time to dress for a dinner he had to attend.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading Sargon and Christina Alberta and Devizes would depart at five and get to Udimore by six, by which time the nurse would be installed.

beginningsnounUS /bɪˈɡɪnɪŋz/

plural of “beginning” — the event consisting of the start of something

From this reading On Saturday morning he would be busy in London, and then he would come back to Udimore and see if Sargon was recovered enough for the beginnings of his mental treatment.

BobbynounUS /ˈbɑːbi/

an informal term for a British policeman

From this reading This fellow Devizes carried out all his arrangements with a smooth competence that gave Bobby no scope for self-assertion.

busyadjectiveUS /ˈbɪzi/

actively or fully engaged or occupied

From this reading On Saturday morning he would be busy in London, and then he would come back to Udimore and see if Sargon was recovered enough for the beginnings of his mental treatment.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading Sargon and Christina Alberta and Devizes would depart at five and get to Udimore by six, by which time the nurse would be installed.

carriedverbUS /ˈkærid/

inflected form of “carry” — move while supporting, either in a vehicle or in one's hands or on one's body

From this reading This fellow Devizes carried out all his arrangements with a smooth competence that gave Bobby no scope for self-assertion.

Christina

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

From this reading Sargon and Christina Alberta and Devizes would depart at five and get to Udimore by six, by which time the nurse would be installed.

comeverbUS /kʌm/

move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading On Saturday morning he would be busy in London, and then he would come back to Udimore and see if Sargon was recovered enough for the beginnings of his mental treatment.

competencenounUS /ˈkɑːmpətɪns/

the quality of being adequately or well qualified physically and intellectually

From this reading This fellow Devizes carried out all his arrangements with a smooth competence that gave Bobby no scope for self-assertion.

departverbUS /dɪˈpɑːrt/

move away from a place into another direction

From this reading Sargon and Christina Alberta and Devizes would depart at five and get to Udimore by six, by which time the nurse would be installed.

Devizes

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

From this reading This fellow Devizes carried out all his arrangements with a smooth competence that gave Bobby no scope for self-assertion.

dinnernounUS /ˈdɪnər/

the main meal of the day served in the evening or at midday

From this reading Then Devizes would go back to London and get there in time to dress for a dinner he had to attend.

dressverbUS /dres/

put on clothes

From this reading Then Devizes would go back to London and get there in time to dress for a dinner he had to attend.

enoughnounUS /ɪˈnʌf/

an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose

From this reading On Saturday morning he would be busy in London, and then he would come back to Udimore and see if Sargon was recovered enough for the beginnings of his mental treatment.

fellownounUS /ˈfeloʊ/

a boy or man

From this reading This fellow Devizes carried out all his arrangements with a smooth competence that gave Bobby no scope for self-assertion.

fivenounUS /faɪv/

the cardinal number that is the sum of four and one

From this reading Sargon and Christina Alberta and Devizes would depart at five and get to Udimore by six, by which time the nurse would be installed.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading This fellow Devizes carried out all his arrangements with a smooth competence that gave Bobby no scope for self-assertion.

gaveverbUS /ɡeɪv/

inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense

From this reading This fellow Devizes carried out all his arrangements with a smooth competence that gave Bobby no scope for self-assertion.

getverbUS /ɡet/

come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

From this reading Sargon and Christina Alberta and Devizes would depart at five and get to Udimore by six, by which time the nurse would be installed.

goverbUS /ɡoʊ/

change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading Then Devizes would go back to London and get there in time to dress for a dinner he had to attend.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading Then Devizes would go back to London and get there in time to dress for a dinner he had to attend.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading Then Devizes would go back to London and get there in time to dress for a dinner he had to attend.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading This fellow Devizes carried out all his arrangements with a smooth competence that gave Bobby no scope for self-assertion.

ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading On Saturday morning he would be busy in London, and then he would come back to Udimore and see if Sargon was recovered enough for the beginnings of his mental treatment.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Then Devizes would go back to London and get there in time to dress for a dinner he had to attend.

installedverbUS /ˌɪnˈstɔːld/

inflected form of “instal” — set up for use

From this reading Sargon and Christina Alberta and Devizes would depart at five and get to Udimore by six, by which time the nurse would be installed.

Lambone

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

From this reading Perhaps the unknown Paul Lambone would be there too.

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 Then Devizes would go back to London and get there in time to dress for a dinner he had to attend.

mentaladjectiveUS /ˈmentəl/

involving the mind or an intellectual process

From this reading On Saturday morning he would be busy in London, and then he would come back to Udimore and see if Sargon was recovered enough for the beginnings of his mental treatment.

morningnounUS /ˈmɔːrnɪŋ/

the time period between dawn and noon

From this reading On Saturday morning he would be busy in London, and then he would come back to Udimore and see if Sargon was recovered enough for the beginnings of his mental treatment.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading This fellow Devizes carried out all his arrangements with a smooth competence that gave Bobby no scope for self-assertion.

nurseverbUS /nɜːrs/

try to cure by special care of treatment, of an illness or injury

From this reading Sargon and Christina Alberta and Devizes would depart at five and get to Udimore by six, by which time the nurse would be installed.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading On Saturday morning he would be busy in London, and then he would come back to Udimore and see if Sargon was recovered enough for the beginnings of his mental treatment.

OnprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading On Saturday morning he would be busy in London, and then he would come back to Udimore and see if Sargon was recovered enough for the beginnings of his mental treatment.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading This fellow Devizes carried out all his arrangements with a smooth competence that gave Bobby no scope for self-assertion.

PaulnounUS /pɔːl/

United States feminist (1885-1977)

From this reading Perhaps the unknown Paul Lambone would be there too.

PerhapsadverbUS /pərˈhæps/

by chance

From this reading Perhaps the unknown Paul Lambone would be there too.

recoveredadjectiveUS /rəˈkʌvərd/

freed from illness or injury

From this reading On Saturday morning he would be busy in London, and then he would come back to Udimore and see if Sargon was recovered enough for the beginnings of his mental treatment.

Sargon

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

From this reading Sargon and Christina Alberta and Devizes would depart at five and get to Udimore by six, by which time the nurse would be installed.

SaturdaynounUS /ˈsætərdi/

the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians

From this reading On Saturday morning he would be busy in London, and then he would come back to Udimore and see if Sargon was recovered enough for the beginnings of his mental treatment.

scopenounUS /skoʊp/

an area in which something acts or operates or has power or control: "the range of a supersonic jet"

From this reading This fellow Devizes carried out all his arrangements with a smooth competence that gave Bobby no scope for self-assertion.

seeverbUS /siː/

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading On Saturday morning he would be busy in London, and then he would come back to Udimore and see if Sargon was recovered enough for the beginnings of his mental treatment.

self-assertionnoun

the act of putting forth your own opinions in a boastful or inconsiderate manner that implies you feel superior to others

From this reading This fellow Devizes carried out all his arrangements with a smooth competence that gave Bobby no scope for self-assertion.

sixnounUS /sɪks/

the cardinal number that is the sum of five and one

From this reading Sargon and Christina Alberta and Devizes would depart at five and get to Udimore by six, by which time the nurse would be installed.

smoothadjectiveUS /smuːð/

having a surface free from roughness or bumps or ridges or irregularities

From this reading This fellow Devizes carried out all his arrangements with a smooth competence that gave Bobby no scope for self-assertion.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading This fellow Devizes carried out all his arrangements with a smooth competence that gave Bobby no scope for self-assertion.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Sargon and Christina Alberta and Devizes would depart at five and get to Udimore by six, by which time the nurse would be installed.

ThenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading Then Devizes would go back to London and get there in time to dress for a dinner he had to attend.

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading Then Devizes would go back to London and get there in time to dress for a dinner he had to attend.

ThisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading This fellow Devizes carried out all his arrangements with a smooth competence that gave Bobby no scope for self-assertion.

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading Sargon and Christina Alberta and Devizes would depart at five and get to Udimore by six, by which time the nurse would be installed.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Sargon and Christina Alberta and Devizes would depart at five and get to Udimore by six, by which time the nurse would be installed.

tooadverbUS /tuː/

to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits

From this reading Perhaps the unknown Paul Lambone would be there too.

treatmentnounUS /ˈtriːtmənt/

care provided to improve a situation (especially medical procedures or applications that are intended to relieve illness or injury)

From this reading On Saturday morning he would be busy in London, and then he would come back to Udimore and see if Sargon was recovered enough for the beginnings of his mental treatment.

Udimore

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

From this reading Sargon and Christina Alberta and Devizes would depart at five and get to Udimore by six, by which time the nurse would be installed.

unknownadjectiveUS /ənˈnoʊn/

not known

From this reading Perhaps the unknown Paul Lambone would be there too.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading On Saturday morning he would be busy in London, and then he would come back to Udimore and see if Sargon was recovered enough for the beginnings of his mental treatment.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading Sargon and Christina Alberta and Devizes would depart at five and get to Udimore by six, by which time the nurse would be installed.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading This fellow Devizes carried out all his arrangements with a smooth competence that gave Bobby no scope for self-assertion.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading Sargon and Christina Alberta and Devizes would depart at five and get to Udimore by six, by which time the nurse would be installed.

Chapter 20 of Christina Alberta's father by H. G. (Herbert George) Wells holds 427 sentences, grouped into 86 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 20 of Christina Alberta's father contain?

Chapter 20 holds 427 sentences of Christina Alberta's father, unabridged, divided into 86 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 20 of Christina Alberta's father by H. G. (Herbert George) Wells exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 427 sentences, grouped into 86 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 20 of Christina Alberta's father?

Work through the 86 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 86 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 20 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 20 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 Christina Alberta's father

Common questions about reading Christina Alberta's father by H. G. (Herbert George) Wells on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Christina Alberta's father?

Yes. All 9112 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #69410 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Christina Alberta's father is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #69410, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Christina Alberta's father take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 1823 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Christina Alberta's father section by section

How to work through Christina Alberta's father section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 22 chapters of Christina Alberta's father 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 Christina Alberta's father

Words and structures a reader meets early in Christina Alberta's father, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Wells
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Christina Alberta's father; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Written
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Christina Alberta's father; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Following
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Christina Alberta's father; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Novels
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Christina Alberta's father; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.