Chapter I
Chapter 1
Chapter 1 of Dr. Johnson's Works — Volume 1 is here in full — 342 sentences across 69 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
DR. JOHNSON'S WORKS. LIFE, POEMS, AND TALES. SAMUEL JOHNSON, LL.D. IN NINE VOLUMES.
Dr. Johnson's Works — Volume 1
Chapter I · Chapter 1
Chapter 1 of Dr. Johnson's Works — Volume 1 is here in full — 342 sentences across 69 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
English subtitles · tap any word to listen
1 / 5
DR.
JOHNSON'S
WORKS.
LIFE,
POEMS,
AND
TALES.
SAMUEL
JOHNSON,
LL.D.
IN
NINE
VOLUMES.
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Dr. Johnson's Works — Volume 1
Chapter I · Chapter 1
Chapter 1 of Dr. Johnson's Works — Volume 1 is here in full — 342 sentences across 69 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/68 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
Line 1
DR.
Line 2
JOHNSON'S
WORKS.
/ˈdʒɑːnsənz wɜːrks/
Line 3
LIFE,
POEMS,
AND
TALES.
/laɪf ˈpoʊəmz ənd teɪlz/
Line 4
SAMUEL
JOHNSON,
LL.D.
Line 5
IN
NINE
VOLUMES.
/ɪn naɪn ˈvɑːljuːmz/
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.
English writer and lexicographer (1709-1784)
From this reading “JOHNSON'S WORKS.”
johnson's
noun
US /ˈdʒɑːnsənz/
possessive form of “johnson” — English writer and lexicographer (1709-1784)
From this reading “JOHNSON'S WORKS.”
the cardinal number that is the sum of eight and one
From this reading “IN NINE VOLUMES.”
poems
noun
US /ˈpoʊəmz/
plural of “poem” — a composition written in metrical feet forming rhythmical lines
From this reading “LIFE, POEMS, AND TALES.”
samuel
noun
US /ˈsæmjuːl/
(Old Testament) Hebrew prophet and judge who anointed Saul as king
From this reading “SAMUEL JOHNSON, LL.D.”
plural of “tale” — a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program
From this reading “LIFE, POEMS, AND TALES.”
volumes
noun
US /ˈvɑːljuːmz/
plural of “volume” — the amount of 3-dimensional space occupied by an object
From this reading “IN NINE VOLUMES.”
buildings for carrying on industrial labor
From this reading “JOHNSON'S WORKS.”
All words in this reading · 14
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 to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading LIFE, POEMS, AND TALES.
a fat-soluble vitamin that prevents rickets
From this reading SAMUEL JOHNSON, LL.D.
DR
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading DR.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading IN NINE VOLUMES.
English writer and lexicographer (1709-1784)
From this reading SAMUEL JOHNSON, LL.D.
JOHNSON'SnounUS /ˈdʒɑːnsənz/
possessive form of “johnson” — English writer and lexicographer (1709-1784)
From this reading JOHNSON'S WORKS.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading LIFE, POEMS, AND TALES.
LL
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading SAMUEL JOHNSON, LL.D.
the cardinal number that is the sum of eight and one
From this reading IN NINE VOLUMES.
POEMSnounUS /ˈpoʊəmz/
plural of “poem” — a composition written in metrical feet forming rhythmical lines
From this reading LIFE, POEMS, AND TALES.
SAMUELnounUS /ˈsæmjuːl/
(Old Testament) Hebrew prophet and judge who anointed Saul as king
From this reading SAMUEL JOHNSON, LL.D.
plural of “tale” — a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program
From this reading LIFE, POEMS, AND TALES.
VOLUMESnounUS /ˈvɑːljuːmz/
plural of “volume” — the amount of 3-dimensional space occupied by an object
From this reading IN NINE VOLUMES.
buildings for carrying on industrial labor
From this reading JOHNSON'S WORKS.
Chapter 1 of Dr. Johnson's Works — Volume 1 by Samuel Johnson holds 342 sentences, grouped into 69 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 1 of Dr. Johnson's Works — Volume 1 contain?
Chapter 1 holds 342 sentences of Dr. Johnson's Works — Volume 1, unabridged, divided into 69 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of Dr. Johnson's Works — Volume 1 by Samuel Johnson exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 342 sentences, grouped into 69 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 1 of Dr. Johnson's Works — Volume 1?
Work through the 69 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 69 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 1 be read aloud to me?
Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 1 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 Dr. Johnson's Works — Volume 1
Common questions about reading Dr. Johnson's Works — Volume 1 by Samuel Johnson on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Is this the complete text of Dr. Johnson's Works — Volume 1?
Yes. All 7024 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #10835 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Which edition of Dr. Johnson's Works — Volume 1 is used?
Project Gutenberg eBook #10835, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
How long does Dr. Johnson's Works — Volume 1 take to read?
About 585 minutes of reading across 1405 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to read Dr. Johnson's Works — Volume 1 section by section
How to work through Dr. Johnson's Works — Volume 1 section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
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Open a chapter
Choose one of the 19 chapters of Dr. Johnson's Works — Volume 1 to begin.
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Read one section
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
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Listen and tap
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Vocabulary met early in Dr. Johnson's Works — Volume 1
Words and structures a reader meets early in Dr. Johnson's Works — Volume 1, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
- Johnson's
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of Dr. Johnson's Works — Volume 1; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Works
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of Dr. Johnson's Works — Volume 1; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Poems
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of Dr. Johnson's Works — Volume 1; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Tales
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of Dr. Johnson's Works — Volume 1; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.