Dad

Chapter XXXIV

Chapter 34 of Dad is here in full — 207 sentences across 42 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Albert Payson Terhune • Curated US English Learning Edition

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

THE MAN AT WASHINGTON Dad sat in the late September sunlight at the door of the hospital tent where for ten days he had lain.

Slowly, but very surely, the old, wiry strength was beginning to creep back to the lean body.

No longer did the slightest sudden motion or an effort to concentrate his thoughts set his head to aching blindly, and no longer did his knees buckle under him when he tried to cross the tent from bed to door.

Dad was well out of danger, the surgeons said.

Nothing but a few more days of rest was needed to bring him back to health.

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 XXXIV Reading 1/41

Dad Albert Payson Terhune

Chapter XXXIV

Chapter 34 of Dad is here in full — 207 sentences across 42 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

THE MAN AT WASHINGTON Dad sat in the late September sunlight at the door of the hospital tent where for ten days he had lain. Slowly, but very surely, the old, wiry strength was beginning to creep back to the lean body. No longer did the slightest sudden motion or an effort to concentrate his thoughts set his head to aching blindly, and no longer did his knees buckle under him when he tried to cross the tent from bed to door. Dad was well out of danger, the surgeons said. Nothing but a few more days of rest was needed to bring him back to health.

Dad

Chapter XXXIV

Chapter 34 of Dad is here in full — 207 sentences across 42 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/41 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

THE MAN AT WASHINGTON Dad sat in the late September sunlight at the door of the hospital tent where for ten days he had lain.

/ðə mæn æt ˈwɑːʃɪŋtən dæd sæt ɪn ðə leɪt sepˈtembər ˈsʌnlaɪt æt ðə dɔːr ʌv ðə ˈhɑːspɪtəl tent wer fɔːr ten deɪz hiː hæd leɪn/

Line 2

Slowly, but very surely, the old, wiry strength was beginning to creep back to the lean body.

/ˈsloʊli bʌt ˈveri ˈʃʊrli ðə oʊld ˈwɪri streŋkθ wɑːz bɪˈɡɪnɪŋ tuː kriːp bæk tuː ðə liːn ˈbɑːdi/

Line 3

/noʊ ˈlɔːŋɡər dɪd ðə ˈslaɪtəst ˈsʌdən ˈmoʊʃən ɔːr æn ˈefərt tuː ˈkɑːnsəntreɪt hɪz θɔːts set hɪz hed tuː ˈeɪkɪŋ ˈblaɪndli ənd noʊ ˈlɔːŋɡər dɪd hɪz niːz ˈbʌkəl ˈʌndər hɪm wen hiː traɪd tuː krɔːs ðə tent frʌm bed tuː dɔːr/

Line 4

Dad was well out of danger, the surgeons said.

/dæd wɑːz wel aʊt ʌv ˈdeɪndʒər ðə ˈsɜːrdʒənz sed/

Line 5

Nothing but a few more days of rest was needed to bring him back to health.

/ˈnʌθɪŋ bʌt ə fjuː mɔːr deɪz ʌv rest wɑːz ˈniːdəd tuː brɪŋ hɪm bæk tuː helθ/

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.

aching adjective US /ˈeɪkɪŋ/

causing a dull and steady pain

From this reading “No longer did the slightest sudden motion or an effort to concentrate his thoughts set his head to aching blindly, and no longer did his knees buckle under him when he tried to cross the tent from bed to door.”

blindly adverb US /ˈblaɪndli/

without seeing or looking

buckle verb US /ˈbʌkəl/

fasten with a buckle or buckles

concentrate verb US /ˈkɑːnsəntreɪt/

make denser, stronger, or purer

creep verb US /kriːp/

move slowly; in the case of people or animals with the body near the ground

From this reading “Slowly, but very surely, the old, wiry strength was beginning to creep back to the lean body.”

lain verb US /leɪn/

inflected form of “lie” — be located or situated somewhere; occupy a certain position

From this reading “THE MAN AT WASHINGTON Dad sat in the late September sunlight at the door of the hospital tent where for ten days he had lain.”

surgeons noun US /ˈsɜːrdʒənz/

plural of “surgeon” — a physician who specializes in surgery

From this reading “Dad was well out of danger, the surgeons said.”

wiry adjective US /ˈwɪri/

lean and sinewy

From this reading “Slowly, but very surely, the old, wiry strength was beginning to creep back to the lean body.”

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.

ten days noun + noun

In this reading “THE MAN AT WASHINGTON Dad sat in the late September sunlight at the door of the hospital tent where for ten days he had lain.”

creep back verb + particle

In this reading “Slowly, but very surely, the old, wiry strength was beginning to creep back to the lean body.”

sudden motion adjective + noun

In this reading “No longer did the slightest sudden motion or an effort to concentrate his thoughts set his head to aching blindly, and no longer did his knees buckle under him when he tried to cross the tent from bed to door.”

at the door preposition + article + noun counted as “at … door”

In this reading “THE MAN AT WASHINGTON Dad sat in the late September sunlight at the door of the hospital tent where for ten days he had lain.”

for ten preposition + noun

In this reading “THE MAN AT WASHINGTON Dad sat in the late September sunlight at the door of the hospital tent where for ten days he had lain.”

All words in this reading · 74

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 Nothing but a few more days of rest was needed to bring him back to health.

achingadjectiveUS /ˈeɪkɪŋ/

causing a dull and steady pain

From this reading No longer did the slightest sudden motion or an effort to concentrate his thoughts set his head to aching blindly, and no longer did his knees buckle under him when he tried to cross the tent from bed to door.

andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

ATprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading THE MAN AT WASHINGTON Dad sat in the late September sunlight at the door of the hospital tent where for ten days he had lain.

backadverbUS /bæk/

in or to or toward a former location

From this reading Slowly, but very surely, the old, wiry strength was beginning to creep back to the lean body.

bednounUS /bed/

a piece of furniture that provides a place to sleep

beginningnounUS /bɪˈɡɪnɪŋ/

the event consisting of the start of something

From this reading Slowly, but very surely, the old, wiry strength was beginning to creep back to the lean body.

blindlyadverbUS /ˈblaɪndli/

without seeing or looking

bodynounUS /ˈbɑːdi/

the entire physical structure of an organism (an animal, plant, or human being)

From this reading Slowly, but very surely, the old, wiry strength was beginning to creep back to the lean body.

bringverbUS /brɪŋ/

take something or somebody with oneself somewhere

From this reading Nothing but a few more days of rest was needed to bring him back to health.

buckleverbUS /ˈbʌkəl/

fasten with a buckle or buckles

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading Slowly, but very surely, the old, wiry strength was beginning to creep back to the lean body.

concentrateverbUS /ˈkɑːnsəntreɪt/

make denser, stronger, or purer

creepverbUS /kriːp/

move slowly; in the case of people or animals with the body near the ground

From this reading Slowly, but very surely, the old, wiry strength was beginning to creep back to the lean body.

crossverbUS /krɔːs/

travel across or pass over

DadnounUS /dæd/

an informal term for a father; probably derived from baby talk

From this reading THE MAN AT WASHINGTON Dad sat in the late September sunlight at the door of the hospital tent where for ten days he had lain.

dangernounUS /ˈdeɪndʒər/

the condition of being susceptible to harm or injury

From this reading Dad was well out of danger, the surgeons said.

daysnounUS /deɪz/

the time during which someone's life continues

From this reading THE MAN AT WASHINGTON Dad sat in the late September sunlight at the door of the hospital tent where for ten days he had lain.

didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

doornounUS /dɔːr/

a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle

From this reading THE MAN AT WASHINGTON Dad sat in the late September sunlight at the door of the hospital tent where for ten days he had lain.

effortnounUS /ˈefərt/

earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something

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 Nothing but a few more days of rest was needed to bring him back to health.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading THE MAN AT WASHINGTON Dad sat in the late September sunlight at the door of the hospital tent where for ten days he had lain.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading THE MAN AT WASHINGTON Dad sat in the late September sunlight at the door of the hospital tent where for ten days he had lain.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading THE MAN AT WASHINGTON Dad sat in the late September sunlight at the door of the hospital tent where for ten days he had lain.

headnounUS /hed/

the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains

healthnounUS /helθ/

a healthy state of wellbeing free from disease

From this reading Nothing but a few more days of rest was needed to bring him back to health.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

hospitalnounUS /ˈhɑːspɪtəl/

a health facility where patients receive treatment

From this reading THE MAN AT WASHINGTON Dad sat in the late September sunlight at the door of the hospital tent where for ten days he had lain.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading THE MAN AT WASHINGTON Dad sat in the late September sunlight at the door of the hospital tent where for ten days he had lain.

kneesnounUS /niːz/

plural of “knee” — hinge joint in the human leg connecting the tibia and fibula with the femur and protected in front by the patella

lainverbUS /leɪn/

inflected form of “lie” — be located or situated somewhere; occupy a certain position

From this reading THE MAN AT WASHINGTON Dad sat in the late September sunlight at the door of the hospital tent where for ten days he had lain.

lateadjectiveUS /leɪt/

being or occurring at an advanced period of time or after a usual or expected time

From this reading THE MAN AT WASHINGTON Dad sat in the late September sunlight at the door of the hospital tent where for ten days he had lain.

leanverbUS /liːn/

to incline or bend from a vertical position

From this reading Slowly, but very surely, the old, wiry strength was beginning to creep back to the lean body.

longeradverbUS /ˈlɔːŋɡər/

for more time

MANnounUS /mæn/

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading THE MAN AT WASHINGTON Dad sat in the late September sunlight at the door of the hospital tent where for ten days he had lain.

moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading Nothing but a few more days of rest was needed to bring him back to health.

motionnounUS /ˈmoʊʃən/

the use of movements (especially of the hands) to communicate familiar or prearranged signals

neededadjectiveUS /ˈniːdəd/

necessary for relief or supply

From this reading Nothing but a few more days of rest was needed to bring him back to health.

NodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

NothingpronounUS /ˈnʌθɪŋ/

not one thing; not anything

From this reading Nothing but a few more days of rest was needed to bring him back to health.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading THE MAN AT WASHINGTON Dad sat in the late September sunlight at the door of the hospital tent where for ten days he had lain.

oldadjectiveUS /oʊld/

(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

From this reading Slowly, but very surely, the old, wiry strength was beginning to creep back to the lean body.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading Dad was well out of danger, the surgeons said.

restverbUS /rest/

not move; be in a resting position

From this reading Nothing but a few more days of rest was needed to bring him back to health.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading Dad was well out of danger, the surgeons said.

satnounUS /sæt/

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

From this reading THE MAN AT WASHINGTON Dad sat in the late September sunlight at the door of the hospital tent where for ten days he had lain.

SeptembernounUS /sepˈtembər/

the month following August and preceding October

From this reading THE MAN AT WASHINGTON Dad sat in the late September sunlight at the door of the hospital tent where for ten days he had lain.

setverbUS /set/

put into a certain place or abstract location

slightestadjectiveUS /ˈslaɪtəst/

superlative of “slight” — (quantifier used with mass nouns) small in quantity or degree; not much or almost none or (with “a”) at least some

SlowlyadverbUS /ˈsloʊli/

without speed (“slow” is sometimes used informally for “slowly”)

From this reading Slowly, but very surely, the old, wiry strength was beginning to creep back to the lean body.

strengthnounUS /streŋkθ/

the property of being physically or mentally strong

From this reading Slowly, but very surely, the old, wiry strength was beginning to creep back to the lean body.

suddenadjectiveUS /ˈsʌdən/

happening without warning or in a short space of time

sunlightnounUS /ˈsʌnlaɪt/

the rays of the sun

From this reading THE MAN AT WASHINGTON Dad sat in the late September sunlight at the door of the hospital tent where for ten days he had lain.

surelyadverbUS /ˈʃʊrli/

definitely or positively (“sure” is sometimes used informally for “surely”)

From this reading Slowly, but very surely, the old, wiry strength was beginning to creep back to the lean body.

surgeonsnounUS /ˈsɜːrdʒənz/

plural of “surgeon” — a physician who specializes in surgery

From this reading Dad was well out of danger, the surgeons said.

tennounUS /ten/

the cardinal number that is the sum of nine and one; the base of the decimal system

From this reading THE MAN AT WASHINGTON Dad sat in the late September sunlight at the door of the hospital tent where for ten days he had lain.

tentnounUS /tent/

a portable shelter (usually of canvas stretched over supporting poles and fastened to the ground with ropes and pegs)

From this reading THE MAN AT WASHINGTON Dad sat in the late September sunlight at the door of the hospital tent where for ten days he had lain.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading THE MAN AT WASHINGTON Dad sat in the late September sunlight at the door of the hospital tent where for ten days he had lain.

thoughtsnounUS /θɔːts/

plural of “thought” — the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Slowly, but very surely, the old, wiry strength was beginning to creep back to the lean body.

triedadjectiveUS /traɪd/

tested and proved useful or correct

underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/

below or beneath something; less than

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading Slowly, but very surely, the old, wiry strength was beginning to creep back to the lean body.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Slowly, but very surely, the old, wiry strength was beginning to creep back to the lean body.

WASHINGTONnounUS /ˈwɑːʃɪŋtən/

the capital of the United States in the District of Columbia and a tourist mecca; George Washington commissioned Charles L'Enfant to lay out the city in 1791

From this reading THE MAN AT WASHINGTON Dad sat in the late September sunlight at the door of the hospital tent where for ten days he had lain.

welladverbUS /wel/

(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)

From this reading Dad was well out of danger, the surgeons said.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

whereconjunctionUS /wer/

in or at the place that

From this reading THE MAN AT WASHINGTON Dad sat in the late September sunlight at the door of the hospital tent where for ten days he had lain.

wiryadjectiveUS /ˈwɪri/

lean and sinewy

From this reading Slowly, but very surely, the old, wiry strength was beginning to creep back to the lean body.

Chapter 34 of Dad by Albert Payson Terhune holds 207 sentences, grouped into 42 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 34 of Dad contain?

Chapter 34 holds 207 sentences of Dad, unabridged, divided into 42 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 34 of Dad by Albert Payson Terhune exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 207 sentences, grouped into 42 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.

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Work through the 42 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 42 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.

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Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 34 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.

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Chapter XXXIV

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