Chapter 9 of Comedies and Errors is here in full — 415 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IX
Chapter 9 of Comedies and Errors is here in full — 415 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
“Surely,” I said, “the agent has written to you? I understood from him that you would expect me at this hour to-day.” “Oh yes,” the man admitted, “we were expecting you.” But he made no motion to advance matters. He exchanged another anxious glance with his wife.
Chapter 9 of Comedies and Errors is here in full — 415 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/83 · 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.
inflected form of “admit” — declare to be true or admit the existence or reality or truth of
From this reading ““Oh yes,” the man admitted, “we were expecting you.””
move forward, also in the metaphorical sense
From this reading “But he made no motion to advance matters.”
an active and efficient cause; capable of producing a certain effect
From this reading ““Surely,” I said, “the agent has written to you?”
changed for (replaced by) something different
From this reading “He exchanged another anxious glance with his wife.”
-ing form of “expect” — regard something as probable or likely
From this reading ““Oh yes,” the man admitted, “we were expecting you.””
plural of “matter” — a vaguely specified concern
From this reading “But he made no motion to advance matters.”
the use of movements (especially of the hands) to communicate familiar or prearranged signals
From this reading “But he made no motion to advance matters.”
fully apprehended as to purport or meaning or explanation
From this reading “I understood from him that you would expect me at this hour to-day.””
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.
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.
inflected form of “admit” — declare to be true or admit the existence or reality or truth of
From this reading “Oh yes,” the man admitted, “we were expecting you.”
move forward, also in the metaphorical sense
From this reading But he made no motion to advance matters.
an active and efficient cause; capable of producing a certain effect
From this reading “Surely,” I said, “the agent has written to you?
one more of the same kind, or a different one
From this reading He exchanged another anxious glance with his wife.
eagerly desirous
From this reading He exchanged another anxious glance with his wife.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading I understood from him that you would expect me at this hour to-day.”
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But he made no motion to advance matters.
changed for (replaced by) something different
From this reading He exchanged another anxious glance with his wife.
regard something as probable or likely
From this reading I understood from him that you would expect me at this hour to-day.”
-ing form of “expect” — regard something as probable or likely
From this reading “Oh yes,” the man admitted, “we were expecting you.”
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading I understood from him that you would expect me at this hour to-day.”
throw a glance at; take a brief look at
From this reading He exchanged another anxious glance with his wife.
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “Surely,” I said, “the agent has written to you?
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading But he made no motion to advance matters.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading I understood from him that you would expect me at this hour to-day.”
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading He exchanged another anxious glance with his wife.
a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day
From this reading I understood from him that you would expect me at this hour to-day.”
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “Surely,” I said, “the agent has written to you?
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading But he made no motion to advance matters.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading “Oh yes,” the man admitted, “we were expecting you.”
plural of “matter” — a vaguely specified concern
From this reading But he made no motion to advance matters.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading I understood from him that you would expect me at this hour to-day.”
the use of movements (especially of the hands) to communicate familiar or prearranged signals
From this reading But he made no motion to advance matters.
not any; not one
From this reading But he made no motion to advance matters.
a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region
From this reading “Oh yes,” the man admitted, “we were expecting you.”
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “Surely,” I said, “the agent has written to you?
definitely or positively (“sure” is sometimes used informally for “surely”)
From this reading “Surely,” I said, “the agent has written to you?
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading I understood from him that you would expect me at this hour to-day.”
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading “Surely,” I said, “the agent has written to you?
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading I understood from him that you would expect me at this hour to-day.”
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading “Surely,” I said, “the agent has written to you?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I understood from him that you would expect me at this hour to-day.”
fully apprehended as to purport or meaning or explanation
From this reading I understood from him that you would expect me at this hour to-day.”
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading “Oh yes,” the man admitted, “we were expecting you.”
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading “Oh yes,” the man admitted, “we were expecting you.”
a married woman; a man's partner in marriage
From this reading He exchanged another anxious glance with his wife.
in the company of; together with
From this reading He exchanged another anxious glance with his wife.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading I understood from him that you would expect me at this hour to-day.”
set down in writing in any of various ways
From this reading “Surely,” I said, “the agent has written to you?
an affirmative
From this reading “Oh yes,” the man admitted, “we were expecting you.”
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “Surely,” I said, “the agent has written to you?
Chapter 9 of Comedies and Errors by Henry Harland holds 415 sentences, grouped into 83 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 415 sentences of Comedies and Errors, unabridged, divided into 83 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 9 of Comedies and Errors by Henry Harland exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 415 sentences, grouped into 83 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 83 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 83 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 Comedies and Errors by Henry Harland on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 5726 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #52701 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #52701, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 477 minutes of reading across 1146 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Comedies and Errors section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 14 chapters of Comedies and Errors 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 Comedies and Errors, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
