Complete classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
Ellen Levis: A Novel
Ellen Levis: A Novel

Chapter XXXII

Chapter 32 of Ellen Levis: A Novel is here in full — 120 sentences across 24 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Elsie Singmaster • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for Ellen Levis: A Novel
Context Illustration Reading 1/24 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
GRANDFATHER PLANS A CRIME During the long hours in which Grandfather waited for Amos, he reviewed his life, searching like Job to find where he had erred and how he had brought upon himself the heavy punishments of his old age.
He had tried to do his duty, had preached righteousness, had tried to interpret the Bible correctly, had given to the poor.
He had married, but the instinct to mate had been implanted in the human heart by God Himself.
Except in this one act, his whole life had been one of self-denial.
In spite of his effort to be righteous, his life had followed a descending scale since his thirtieth year.
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Ellen Levis: A Novel

Chapter XXXII

Chapter 32 of Ellen Levis: A Novel is here in full — 120 sentences across 24 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/24 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
GRANDFATHER PLANS A CRIME During the long hours in which Grandfather waited for Amos, he reviewed his life, searching like Job to find where he had erred and how he had brought upon himself the heavy punishments of his old age.
Line 2
He had tried to do his duty, had preached righteousness, had tried to interpret the Bible correctly, had given to the poor.
/hiː hæd traɪd tuː duː hɪz ˈduːti hæd priːtʃt ˈraɪtʃəsnəs hæd traɪd tuː ˌɪnˈtɜːrprət ðə ˈbaɪbəl kərˈektli hæd ˈɡɪvən tuː ðə puːr/
Line 3
He had married, but the instinct to mate had been implanted in the human heart by God Himself.
/hiː hæd ˈmerid bʌt ðə ˈɪnstɪŋkt tuː meɪt hæd bɪn ˌɪmˈplæntɪd ɪn ðə ˈhjuːmən hɑːrt baɪ ɡɑːd hɪmˈself/
Line 4
Except in this one act, his whole life had been one of self-denial.
Line 5
In spite of his effort to be righteous, his life had followed a descending scale since his thirtieth year.
/ɪn spaɪt ʌv hɪz ˈefərt tuː biː ˈraɪtʃəs hɪz laɪf hæd ˈfɑːloʊd ə dɪˈsendɪŋ skeɪl sɪns hɪz ˈθɜːrtiəθ jɪr/

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.

erred verb US /erd/

past form of “err” — to make a mistake or be incorrect

From this reading “GRANDFATHER PLANS A CRIME During the long hours in which Grandfather waited for Amos, he reviewed his life, searching like Job to find where he had erred and how he had brought upon himself the heavy punishments of his old age.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
implanted adjective US /ˌɪmˈplæntɪd/

(used especially of ideas or principles) deeply rooted; firmly fixed or held

From this reading “He had married, but the instinct to mate had been implanted in the human heart by God Himself.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
interpret verb US /ˌɪnˈtɜːrprət/

make sense of; assign a meaning to

From this reading “He had tried to do his duty, had preached righteousness, had tried to interpret the Bible correctly, had given to the poor.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
punishments noun US /ˈpʌnɪʃmənts/

plural of “punishment” — the act of punishing

From this reading “GRANDFATHER PLANS A CRIME During the long hours in which Grandfather waited for Amos, he reviewed his life, searching like Job to find where he had erred and how he had brought upon himself the heavy punishments of his old age.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
reviewed verb US /riˈvjuːd/

past form of “review” — look at again; examine again

From this reading “GRANDFATHER PLANS A CRIME During the long hours in which Grandfather waited for Amos, he reviewed his life, searching like Job to find where he had erred and how he had brought upon himself the heavy punishments of his old age.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
righteous adjective US /ˈraɪtʃəs/

characterized by or proceeding from accepted standards of morality or justice

From this reading “In spite of his effort to be righteous, his life had followed a descending scale since his thirtieth year.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
righteousness noun US /ˈraɪtʃəsnəs/

adhering to moral principles

From this reading “He had tried to do his duty, had preached righteousness, had tried to interpret the Bible correctly, had given to the poor.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thirtieth adjective US /ˈθɜːrtiəθ/

coming next after the twenty-ninth in position

From this reading “In spite of his effort to be righteous, his life had followed a descending scale since his thirtieth year.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

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.

In spite preposition + noun

In this reading “In spite of his effort to be righteous, his life had followed a descending scale since his thirtieth year.”

78,764 times in 426,211 chapters
old age adjective + noun

a late time of life

In this reading “GRANDFATHER PLANS A CRIME During the long hours in which Grandfather waited for Amos, he reviewed his life, searching like Job to find where he had erred and how he had brought upon himself the heavy punishments of his old age.”

11,755 times in 426,211 chapters
human heart adjective + noun

In this reading “He had married, but the instinct to mate had been implanted in the human heart by God Himself.”

3,547 times in 426,211 chapters
heavy punishments adjective + noun counted as “heavy punishment”

In this reading “GRANDFATHER PLANS A CRIME During the long hours in which Grandfather waited for Amos, he reviewed his life, searching like Job to find where he had erred and how he had brought upon himself the heavy punishments of his old age.”

196 times in 426,211 chapters
waited for verb + particle counted as “wait for”

In this reading “GRANDFATHER PLANS A CRIME During the long hours in which Grandfather waited for Amos, he reviewed his life, searching like Job to find where he had erred and how he had brought upon himself the heavy punishments of his old age.”

50,095 times in 426,211 chapters
whole life adjective + noun

In this reading “Except in this one act, his whole life had been one of self-denial.”

7,114 times in 426,211 chapters
long hours adjective + noun

In this reading “GRANDFATHER PLANS A CRIME During the long hours in which Grandfather waited for Amos, he reviewed his life, searching like Job to find where he had erred and how he had brought upon himself the heavy punishments of his old age.”

3,253 times in 426,211 chapters

All words in this reading · 71

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 GRANDFATHER PLANS A CRIME During the long hours in which Grandfather waited for Amos, he reviewed his life, searching like Job to find where he had erred and how he had brought upon himself the heavy punishments of his old age.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
actverbUS /ækt/

perform an action, or work out or perform (an action)

From this reading Except in this one act, his whole life had been one of self-denial.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
agenounUS /eɪdʒ/

how long something has existed

From this reading GRANDFATHER PLANS A CRIME During the long hours in which Grandfather waited for Amos, he reviewed his life, searching like Job to find where he had erred and how he had brought upon himself the heavy punishments of his old age.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
AmosnounUS /ˈeɪməs/

a Hebrew shepherd and minor prophet

From this reading GRANDFATHER PLANS A CRIME During the long hours in which Grandfather waited for Amos, he reviewed his life, searching like Job to find where he had erred and how he had brought upon himself the heavy punishments of his old age.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading GRANDFATHER PLANS A CRIME During the long hours in which Grandfather waited for Amos, he reviewed his life, searching like Job to find where he had erred and how he had brought upon himself the heavy punishments of his old age.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading In spite of his effort to be righteous, his life had followed a descending scale since his thirtieth year.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading He had married, but the instinct to mate had been implanted in the human heart by God Himself.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
BiblenounUS /ˈbaɪbəl/

the sacred writings of the Christian religions

From this reading He had tried to do his duty, had preached righteousness, had tried to interpret the Bible correctly, had given to the poor.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
broughtverbUS /brɔːt/

inflected form of “bring” — take something or somebody with oneself somewhere

From this reading GRANDFATHER PLANS A CRIME During the long hours in which Grandfather waited for Amos, he reviewed his life, searching like Job to find where he had erred and how he had brought upon himself the heavy punishments of his old age.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading He had married, but the instinct to mate had been implanted in the human heart by God Himself.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading He had married, but the instinct to mate had been implanted in the human heart by God Himself.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
correctlyadverbUS /kərˈektli/

in an accurate manner

From this reading He had tried to do his duty, had preached righteousness, had tried to interpret the Bible correctly, had given to the poor.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
CRIMEnounUS /kraɪm/

(criminal law) an act punishable by law; usually considered an evil act

From this reading GRANDFATHER PLANS A CRIME During the long hours in which Grandfather waited for Amos, he reviewed his life, searching like Job to find where he had erred and how he had brought upon himself the heavy punishments of his old age.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
descendingadjectiveUS /dɪˈsendɪŋ/

coming down or downward

From this reading In spite of his effort to be righteous, his life had followed a descending scale since his thirtieth year.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading He had tried to do his duty, had preached righteousness, had tried to interpret the Bible correctly, had given to the poor.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
DuringprepositionUS /ˈdʊrɪŋ/

all through a period, or at some point within it

From this reading GRANDFATHER PLANS A CRIME During the long hours in which Grandfather waited for Amos, he reviewed his life, searching like Job to find where he had erred and how he had brought upon himself the heavy punishments of his old age.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
dutynounUS /ˈduːti/

the social force that binds you to the courses of action demanded by that force

From this reading He had tried to do his duty, had preached righteousness, had tried to interpret the Bible correctly, had given to the poor.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
effortnounUS /ˈefərt/

earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something

From this reading In spite of his effort to be righteous, his life had followed a descending scale since his thirtieth year.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
erredverbUS /erd/

past form of “err” — to make a mistake or be incorrect

From this reading GRANDFATHER PLANS A CRIME During the long hours in which Grandfather waited for Amos, he reviewed his life, searching like Job to find where he had erred and how he had brought upon himself the heavy punishments of his old age.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ExceptprepositionUS /ɪkˈsept/

apart from; not including

From this reading Except in this one act, his whole life had been one of self-denial.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
findverbUS /faɪnd/

come upon, as if by accident; meet with

From this reading GRANDFATHER PLANS A CRIME During the long hours in which Grandfather waited for Amos, he reviewed his life, searching like Job to find where he had erred and how he had brought upon himself the heavy punishments of his old age.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
followedverbUS /ˈfɑːloʊd/

past form of “follow” — to travel behind, go after, come after

From this reading In spite of his effort to be righteous, his life had followed a descending scale since his thirtieth year.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading GRANDFATHER PLANS A CRIME During the long hours in which Grandfather waited for Amos, he reviewed his life, searching like Job to find where he had erred and how he had brought upon himself the heavy punishments of his old age.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
givenadjectiveUS /ˈɡɪvən/

acknowledged as a supposition

From this reading He had tried to do his duty, had preached righteousness, had tried to interpret the Bible correctly, had given to the poor.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
GodnounUS /ɡɑːd/

the supernatural being conceived as the perfect and omnipotent and omniscient originator and ruler of the universe; the object of worship in monotheistic religions

From this reading He had married, but the instinct to mate had been implanted in the human heart by God Himself.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
GRANDFATHERnounUS /ˈɡrændfɑːðər/

the father of your father or mother

From this reading GRANDFATHER PLANS A CRIME During the long hours in which Grandfather waited for Amos, he reviewed his life, searching like Job to find where he had erred and how he had brought upon himself the heavy punishments of his old age.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading GRANDFATHER PLANS A CRIME During the long hours in which Grandfather waited for Amos, he reviewed his life, searching like Job to find where he had erred and how he had brought upon himself the heavy punishments of his old age.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading GRANDFATHER PLANS A CRIME During the long hours in which Grandfather waited for Amos, he reviewed his life, searching like Job to find where he had erred and how he had brought upon himself the heavy punishments of his old age.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
heartnounUS /hɑːrt/

the locus of feelings and intuitions

From this reading He had married, but the instinct to mate had been implanted in the human heart by God Himself.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
heavyadjectiveUS /ˈhevi/

of comparatively great physical weight or density

From this reading GRANDFATHER PLANS A CRIME During the long hours in which Grandfather waited for Amos, he reviewed his life, searching like Job to find where he had erred and how he had brought upon himself the heavy punishments of his old age.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/

used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object

From this reading GRANDFATHER PLANS A CRIME During the long hours in which Grandfather waited for Amos, he reviewed his life, searching like Job to find where he had erred and how he had brought upon himself the heavy punishments of his old age.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading GRANDFATHER PLANS A CRIME During the long hours in which Grandfather waited for Amos, he reviewed his life, searching like Job to find where he had erred and how he had brought upon himself the heavy punishments of his old age.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
hoursnounUS /ˈaʊərz/

a period of time assigned for work

From this reading GRANDFATHER PLANS A CRIME During the long hours in which Grandfather waited for Amos, he reviewed his life, searching like Job to find where he had erred and how he had brought upon himself the heavy punishments of his old age.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
how

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

From this reading GRANDFATHER PLANS A CRIME During the long hours in which Grandfather waited for Amos, he reviewed his life, searching like Job to find where he had erred and how he had brought upon himself the heavy punishments of his old age.

Pending verification
humanadjectiveUS /ˈhjuːmən/

characteristic of humanity

From this reading He had married, but the instinct to mate had been implanted in the human heart by God Himself.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
implantedadjectiveUS /ˌɪmˈplæntɪd/

(used especially of ideas or principles) deeply rooted; firmly fixed or held

From this reading He had married, but the instinct to mate had been implanted in the human heart by God Himself.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading GRANDFATHER PLANS A CRIME During the long hours in which Grandfather waited for Amos, he reviewed his life, searching like Job to find where he had erred and how he had brought upon himself the heavy punishments of his old age.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
instinctnounUS /ˈɪnstɪŋkt/

inborn pattern of behavior often responsive to specific stimuli

From this reading He had married, but the instinct to mate had been implanted in the human heart by God Himself.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
interpretverbUS /ˌɪnˈtɜːrprət/

make sense of; assign a meaning to

From this reading He had tried to do his duty, had preached righteousness, had tried to interpret the Bible correctly, had given to the poor.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
JobnounUS /dʒɑːb/

the principal activity in your life that you do to earn money

From this reading GRANDFATHER PLANS A CRIME During the long hours in which Grandfather waited for Amos, he reviewed his life, searching like Job to find where he had erred and how he had brought upon himself the heavy punishments of his old age.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
lifenounUS /laɪf/

a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading GRANDFATHER PLANS A CRIME During the long hours in which Grandfather waited for Amos, he reviewed his life, searching like Job to find where he had erred and how he had brought upon himself the heavy punishments of his old age.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
likeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading GRANDFATHER PLANS A CRIME During the long hours in which Grandfather waited for Amos, he reviewed his life, searching like Job to find where he had erred and how he had brought upon himself the heavy punishments of his old age.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
longadjectiveUS /lɔːŋ/

primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified

From this reading GRANDFATHER PLANS A CRIME During the long hours in which Grandfather waited for Amos, he reviewed his life, searching like Job to find where he had erred and how he had brought upon himself the heavy punishments of his old age.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
marriedadjectiveUS /ˈmerid/

joined in matrimony

From this reading He had married, but the instinct to mate had been implanted in the human heart by God Himself.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
matenounUS /meɪt/

the officer below the master on a commercial ship

From this reading He had married, but the instinct to mate had been implanted in the human heart by God Himself.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading GRANDFATHER PLANS A CRIME During the long hours in which Grandfather waited for Amos, he reviewed his life, searching like Job to find where he had erred and how he had brought upon himself the heavy punishments of his old age.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
oldadjectiveUS /oʊld/

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

From this reading GRANDFATHER PLANS A CRIME During the long hours in which Grandfather waited for Amos, he reviewed his life, searching like Job to find where he had erred and how he had brought upon himself the heavy punishments of his old age.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading Except in this one act, his whole life had been one of self-denial.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
PLANSnounUS /plænz/

plural of “plan” — a series of steps to be carried out or goals to be accomplished

From this reading GRANDFATHER PLANS A CRIME During the long hours in which Grandfather waited for Amos, he reviewed his life, searching like Job to find where he had erred and how he had brought upon himself the heavy punishments of his old age.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
pooradjectiveUS /puːr/

deserving or inciting pity

From this reading He had tried to do his duty, had preached righteousness, had tried to interpret the Bible correctly, had given to the poor.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
preachedverbUS /priːtʃt/

past form of “preach” — deliver a sermon

From this reading He had tried to do his duty, had preached righteousness, had tried to interpret the Bible correctly, had given to the poor.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
punishmentsnounUS /ˈpʌnɪʃmənts/

plural of “punishment” — the act of punishing

From this reading GRANDFATHER PLANS A CRIME During the long hours in which Grandfather waited for Amos, he reviewed his life, searching like Job to find where he had erred and how he had brought upon himself the heavy punishments of his old age.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
reviewedverbUS /riˈvjuːd/

past form of “review” — look at again; examine again

From this reading GRANDFATHER PLANS A CRIME During the long hours in which Grandfather waited for Amos, he reviewed his life, searching like Job to find where he had erred and how he had brought upon himself the heavy punishments of his old age.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
righteousadjectiveUS /ˈraɪtʃəs/

characterized by or proceeding from accepted standards of morality or justice

From this reading In spite of his effort to be righteous, his life had followed a descending scale since his thirtieth year.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
righteousnessnounUS /ˈraɪtʃəsnəs/

adhering to moral principles

From this reading He had tried to do his duty, had preached righteousness, had tried to interpret the Bible correctly, had given to the poor.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
scalenounUS /skeɪl/

an ordered reference standard

From this reading In spite of his effort to be righteous, his life had followed a descending scale since his thirtieth year.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
searchingadjectiveUS /ˈsɜːrtʃɪŋ/

diligent and thorough in inquiry or investigation

From this reading GRANDFATHER PLANS A CRIME During the long hours in which Grandfather waited for Amos, he reviewed his life, searching like Job to find where he had erred and how he had brought upon himself the heavy punishments of his old age.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
self-denialnoun

the trait of practicing self discipline

From this reading Except in this one act, his whole life had been one of self-denial.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
sinceprepositionUS /sɪns/

from a time in the past until now

From this reading In spite of his effort to be righteous, his life had followed a descending scale since his thirtieth year.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
spitenounUS /spaɪt/

feeling a need to see others suffer

From this reading In spite of his effort to be righteous, his life had followed a descending scale since his thirtieth year.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading GRANDFATHER PLANS A CRIME During the long hours in which Grandfather waited for Amos, he reviewed his life, searching like Job to find where he had erred and how he had brought upon himself the heavy punishments of his old age.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thirtiethadjectiveUS /ˈθɜːrtiəθ/

coming next after the twenty-ninth in position

From this reading In spite of his effort to be righteous, his life had followed a descending scale since his thirtieth year.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading Except in this one act, his whole life had been one of self-denial.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading GRANDFATHER PLANS A CRIME During the long hours in which Grandfather waited for Amos, he reviewed his life, searching like Job to find where he had erred and how he had brought upon himself the heavy punishments of his old age.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
triedadjectiveUS /traɪd/

tested and proved useful or correct

From this reading He had tried to do his duty, had preached righteousness, had tried to interpret the Bible correctly, had given to the poor.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading GRANDFATHER PLANS A CRIME During the long hours in which Grandfather waited for Amos, he reviewed his life, searching like Job to find where he had erred and how he had brought upon himself the heavy punishments of his old age.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
waitedverbUS /ˈweɪtɪd/

past form of “wait” — stay in one place and anticipate or expect something

From this reading GRANDFATHER PLANS A CRIME During the long hours in which Grandfather waited for Amos, he reviewed his life, searching like Job to find where he had erred and how he had brought upon himself the heavy punishments of his old age.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
whereconjunctionUS /wer/

in or at the place that

From this reading GRANDFATHER PLANS A CRIME During the long hours in which Grandfather waited for Amos, he reviewed his life, searching like Job to find where he had erred and how he had brought upon himself the heavy punishments of his old age.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading GRANDFATHER PLANS A CRIME During the long hours in which Grandfather waited for Amos, he reviewed his life, searching like Job to find where he had erred and how he had brought upon himself the heavy punishments of his old age.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
wholeadjectiveUS /hoʊl/

including all components without exception; being one unit or constituting the full amount or extent or duration; complete

From this reading Except in this one act, his whole life had been one of self-denial.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
yearnounUS /jɪr/

a period of time containing 365 (or 366) days

From this reading In spite of his effort to be righteous, his life had followed a descending scale since his thirtieth year.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

Chapter 32 of Ellen Levis: A Novel by Elsie Singmaster holds 120 sentences, grouped into 24 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 32 of Ellen Levis: A Novel contain?

Chapter 32 holds 120 sentences of Ellen Levis: A Novel, unabridged, divided into 24 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 32 of Ellen Levis: A Novel by Elsie Singmaster exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 120 sentences, grouped into 24 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 32 of Ellen Levis: A Novel?

Work through the 24 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 24 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 32 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 32 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 Ellen Levis: A Novel

Common questions about reading Ellen Levis: A Novel by Elsie Singmaster on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Ellen Levis: A Novel?

Yes. All 6917 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #52019 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Ellen Levis: A Novel is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #52019, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Ellen Levis: A Novel take to read?

About 576 minutes of reading across 1384 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Ellen Levis: A Novel section by section

How to work through Ellen Levis: A Novel section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 39 chapters of Ellen Levis: A Novel 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 Ellen Levis: A Novel

Words and structures a reader meets early in Ellen Levis: A Novel, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Ellen
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Ellen Levis: A Novel; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Levis
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Ellen Levis: A Novel; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Novel
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Ellen Levis: A Novel; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Elsie
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Ellen Levis: A Novel; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.