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Donal Grant
Donal Grant

Chapter XVI

Cover illustration for Donal Grant
Context Illustration Reading 1/73 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
THE HOUSEKEEPER’S ROOM.
He was not so late the next morning.
Ere he had finished his breakfast he had made up his mind that he must beware of the earl.
He was satisfied that the experiences of the past night could not be the consequence of one glass of wine.
If he asked him again, he would go to dinner with him, but would drink nothing but water.
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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.

Donal Grant

Chapter XVI

Reading 1/73 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
THE HOUSEKEEPER’S ROOM.
Line 2
He was not so late the next morning.
Line 3
Ere he had finished his breakfast he had made up his mind that he must beware of the earl.
Line 4
He was satisfied that the experiences of the past night could not be the consequence of one glass of wine.
Line 5
If he asked him again, he would go to dinner with him, but would drink nothing but water.

Learner Dictionary

Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, audio, and collocations from this reading.

Again noun US /again/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “If he asked him again, he would go to dinner with him, but would drink nothing but water.”

Asked noun US /asked/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “If he asked him again, he would go to dinner with him, but would drink nothing but water.”

Could modal verb US /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading “He was satisfied that the experiences of the past night could not be the consequence of one glass of wine.”

Drink noun US /drink/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “If he asked him again, he would go to dinner with him, but would drink nothing but water.”

Ere conjunction US /er/

an old word for “before”

From this reading “Ere he had finished his breakfast he had made up his mind that he must beware of the earl.”

Mind noun US /mind/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “Ere he had finished his breakfast he had made up his mind that he must beware of the earl.”

Morning noun US /morning/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “He was not so late the next morning.”

Must modal verb US /mʌst/

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading “Ere he had finished his breakfast he had made up his mind that he must beware of the earl.”

Next noun US /next/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “He was not so late the next morning.”

Nothing pronoun US /ˈnʌθɪŋ/

not one thing; not anything

From this reading “If he asked him again, he would go to dinner with him, but would drink nothing but water.”

One pronoun US /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading “He was satisfied that the experiences of the past night could not be the consequence of one glass of wine.”

Would modal verb US /wʊd/

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

From this reading “If he asked him again, he would go to dinner with him, but would drink nothing but water.”

All words in this reading · 46

Every word is available to listen to. Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.

againnounUS /again/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading If he asked him again, he would go to dinner with him, but would drink nothing but water.

askednounUS /asked/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading If he asked him again, he would go to dinner with him, but would drink nothing but water.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading He was satisfied that the experiences of the past night could not be the consequence of one glass of wine.

beware

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

From this reading Ere he had finished his breakfast he had made up his mind that he must beware of the earl.

breakfast

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

From this reading Ere he had finished his breakfast he had made up his mind that he must beware of the earl.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading If he asked him again, he would go to dinner with him, but would drink nothing but water.

consequence

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

From this reading He was satisfied that the experiences of the past night could not be the consequence of one glass of wine.

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading He was satisfied that the experiences of the past night could not be the consequence of one glass of wine.

dinner

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

From this reading If he asked him again, he would go to dinner with him, but would drink nothing but water.

drink

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

From this reading If he asked him again, he would go to dinner with him, but would drink nothing but water.

earl

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

From this reading Ere he had finished his breakfast he had made up his mind that he must beware of the earl.

EreconjunctionUS /er/

an old word for “before”

From this reading Ere he had finished his breakfast he had made up his mind that he must beware of the earl.

experiences

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

From this reading He was satisfied that the experiences of the past night could not be the consequence of one glass of wine.

finished

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

From this reading Ere he had finished his breakfast he had made up his mind that he must beware of the earl.

glass

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

From this reading He was satisfied that the experiences of the past night could not be the consequence of one glass of wine.

go

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

From this reading If he asked him again, he would go to dinner with him, but would drink nothing but water.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading Ere he had finished his breakfast he had made up his mind that he must beware of the earl.

HepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading He was not so late the next morning.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading If he asked him again, he would go to dinner with him, but would drink nothing but water.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading Ere he had finished his breakfast he had made up his mind that he must beware of the earl.

HOUSEKEEPER'S

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

From this reading THE HOUSEKEEPER’S ROOM.

IfconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading If he asked him again, he would go to dinner with him, but would drink nothing but water.

late

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

From this reading He was not so late the next morning.

made

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

From this reading Ere he had finished his breakfast he had made up his mind that he must beware of the earl.

mindnounUS /mind/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading Ere he had finished his breakfast he had made up his mind that he must beware of the earl.

morningnounUS /morning/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading He was not so late the next morning.

mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading Ere he had finished his breakfast he had made up his mind that he must beware of the earl.

nextnounUS /next/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading He was not so late the next morning.

night

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

From this reading He was satisfied that the experiences of the past night could not be the consequence of one glass of wine.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading He was not so late the next morning.

nothingpronounUS /ˈnʌθɪŋ/

not one thing; not anything

From this reading If he asked him again, he would go to dinner with him, but would drink nothing but water.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Ere he had finished his breakfast he had made up his mind that he must beware of the earl.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading He was satisfied that the experiences of the past night could not be the consequence of one glass of wine.

past

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

From this reading He was satisfied that the experiences of the past night could not be the consequence of one glass of wine.

ROOM

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

From this reading THE HOUSEKEEPER’S ROOM.

satisfied

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

From this reading He was satisfied that the experiences of the past night could not be the consequence of one glass of wine.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading He was not so late the next morning.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Ere he had finished his breakfast he had made up his mind that he must beware of the earl.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading THE HOUSEKEEPER’S ROOM.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading If he asked him again, he would go to dinner with him, but would drink nothing but water.

up

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

From this reading Ere he had finished his breakfast he had made up his mind that he must beware of the earl.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading He was not so late the next morning.

water

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

From this reading If he asked him again, he would go to dinner with him, but would drink nothing but water.

wine

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

From this reading He was satisfied that the experiences of the past night could not be the consequence of one glass of wine.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading If he asked him again, he would go to dinner with him, but would drink nothing but water.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

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

From this reading If he asked him again, he would go to dinner with him, but would drink nothing but water.