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Elsie Venner
Elsie Venner

Chapter XVII · Chapter 17

Chapter 17 of Elsie Venner is here in full — 183 sentences across 37 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/36 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
The two meeting-houses which faced each other like a pair of fighting-cocks had not flapped their wings or crowed at each other for a considerable time.
The Reverend Mr. Fairweather had been dyspeptic and low-spirited of late, and was too languid for controversy.
The Reverend Doctor Honeywood had been very busy with his benevolent associations, and had discoursed chiefly on practical matters, to the neglect of special doctrinal subjects.
His senior deacon ventured to say to him that some of his people required to be reminded of the great fundamental doctrine of the worthlessness of all human efforts and motives.
Some of them were altogether too much pleased with the success of the Temperance Society and the Association for the Relief of the Poor.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Elsie Venner

Chapter XVII · Chapter 17

Chapter 17 of Elsie Venner is here in full — 183 sentences across 37 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/36 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
The two meeting-houses which faced each other like a pair of fighting-cocks had not flapped their wings or crowed at each other for a considerable time.
Line 2
The Reverend Mr. Fairweather had been dyspeptic and low-spirited of late, and was too languid for controversy.
Line 3
The Reverend Doctor Honeywood had been very busy with his benevolent associations, and had discoursed chiefly on practical matters, to the neglect of special doctrinal subjects.
Line 4
His senior deacon ventured to say to him that some of his people required to be reminded of the great fundamental doctrine of the worthlessness of all human efforts and motives.
Line 5
Some of them were altogether too much pleased with the success of the Temperance Society and the Association for the Relief of the Poor.
/sʌm ʌv ðem wɜːr ˌɔːltəˈɡeðər tuː mʌtʃ pliːzd wɪð ðə səkˈses ʌv ðə ˈtempərəns səˈsaɪəti ənd ðə əˌsoʊsiˈeɪʃən fɔːr ðə rɪˈliːf ʌv ðə puːr/

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.

controversy noun US /ˈkɑːntrəvɜːrsi/

a contentious speech act; a dispute where there is strong disagreement

From this reading “The Reverend Mr. Fairweather had been dyspeptic and low-spirited of late, and was too languid for controversy.”

crowed verb US /kroʊd/

past form of “crow” — dwell on with satisfaction

From this reading “The two meeting-houses which faced each other like a pair of fighting-cocks had not flapped their wings or crowed at each other for a considerable time.”

doctrinal adjective US /ˈdɑːktrənəl/

relating to or involving or preoccupied with doctrine

From this reading “The Reverend Doctor Honeywood had been very busy with his benevolent associations, and had discoursed chiefly on practical matters, to the neglect of special doctrinal subjects.”

dyspeptic adjective US /ˌdɪˈspeptɪk/

suffering from dyspepsia

From this reading “The Reverend Mr. Fairweather had been dyspeptic and low-spirited of late, and was too languid for controversy.”

flapped verb US /flæpt/

inflected form of “flap” — move in a wavy pattern or with a rising and falling motion

From this reading “The two meeting-houses which faced each other like a pair of fighting-cocks had not flapped their wings or crowed at each other for a considerable time.”

fundamental adjective US /ˌfʌndəˈmentəl/

serving as an essential component

From this reading “His senior deacon ventured to say to him that some of his people required to be reminded of the great fundamental doctrine of the worthlessness of all human efforts and motives.”

low-spirited adjective US /ˌloʊˈspɪrətɪd/

filled with melancholy and despondency

From this reading “The Reverend Mr. Fairweather had been dyspeptic and low-spirited of late, and was too languid for controversy.”

Temperance noun US /ˈtempərəns/

the trait of avoiding excesses

From this reading “Some of them were altogether too much pleased with the success of the Temperance Society and the Association for the Relief of the Poor.”

All words in this reading · 83

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 The two meeting-houses which faced each other like a pair of fighting-cocks had not flapped their wings or crowed at each other for a considerable time.

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading His senior deacon ventured to say to him that some of his people required to be reminded of the great fundamental doctrine of the worthlessness of all human efforts and motives.

altogetheradverbUS /ˌɔːltəˈɡeðər/

to a complete degree or to the full or entire extent (“whole” is often used informally for “wholly”)

From this reading Some of them were altogether too much pleased with the success of the Temperance Society and the Association for the Relief of the Poor.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading The Reverend Mr. Fairweather had been dyspeptic and low-spirited of late, and was too languid for controversy.

AssociationnounUS /əˌsoʊsiˈeɪʃən/

a formal organization of people or groups of people

From this reading Some of them were altogether too much pleased with the success of the Temperance Society and the Association for the Relief of the Poor.

associationsnounUS /əˌsoʊsiˈeɪʃənz/

plural of “association” — a formal organization of people or groups of people

From this reading The Reverend Doctor Honeywood had been very busy with his benevolent associations, and had discoursed chiefly on practical matters, to the neglect of special doctrinal subjects.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading The two meeting-houses which faced each other like a pair of fighting-cocks had not flapped their wings or crowed at each other for a considerable time.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading His senior deacon ventured to say to him that some of his people required to be reminded of the great fundamental doctrine of the worthlessness of all human efforts and motives.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading The Reverend Mr. Fairweather had been dyspeptic and low-spirited of late, and was too languid for controversy.

benevolentadjectiveUS /bəˈnevələnt/

intending or showing kindness

From this reading The Reverend Doctor Honeywood had been very busy with his benevolent associations, and had discoursed chiefly on practical matters, to the neglect of special doctrinal subjects.

busyadjectiveUS /ˈbɪzi/

actively or fully engaged or occupied

From this reading The Reverend Doctor Honeywood had been very busy with his benevolent associations, and had discoursed chiefly on practical matters, to the neglect of special doctrinal subjects.

chieflyadverbUS /ˈtʃiːfli/

for the most part

From this reading The Reverend Doctor Honeywood had been very busy with his benevolent associations, and had discoursed chiefly on practical matters, to the neglect of special doctrinal subjects.

considerableadjectiveUS /kənˈsɪdərəbəl/

large or relatively large in number or amount or extent or degree

From this reading The two meeting-houses which faced each other like a pair of fighting-cocks had not flapped their wings or crowed at each other for a considerable time.

controversynounUS /ˈkɑːntrəvɜːrsi/

a contentious speech act; a dispute where there is strong disagreement

From this reading The Reverend Mr. Fairweather had been dyspeptic and low-spirited of late, and was too languid for controversy.

crowedverbUS /kroʊd/

past form of “crow” — dwell on with satisfaction

From this reading The two meeting-houses which faced each other like a pair of fighting-cocks had not flapped their wings or crowed at each other for a considerable time.

deaconnounUS /ˈdiːkən/

a Protestant layman who assists the minister

From this reading His senior deacon ventured to say to him that some of his people required to be reminded of the great fundamental doctrine of the worthlessness of all human efforts and motives.

discoursed

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

From this reading The Reverend Doctor Honeywood had been very busy with his benevolent associations, and had discoursed chiefly on practical matters, to the neglect of special doctrinal subjects.

DoctornounUS /ˈdɑːktər/

a licensed medical practitioner

From this reading The Reverend Doctor Honeywood had been very busy with his benevolent associations, and had discoursed chiefly on practical matters, to the neglect of special doctrinal subjects.

doctrinaladjectiveUS /ˈdɑːktrənəl/

relating to or involving or preoccupied with doctrine

From this reading The Reverend Doctor Honeywood had been very busy with his benevolent associations, and had discoursed chiefly on practical matters, to the neglect of special doctrinal subjects.

doctrinenounUS /ˈdɑːktrən/

a belief (or system of beliefs) accepted as authoritative by some group or school

From this reading His senior deacon ventured to say to him that some of his people required to be reminded of the great fundamental doctrine of the worthlessness of all human efforts and motives.

dyspepticadjectiveUS /ˌdɪˈspeptɪk/

suffering from dyspepsia

From this reading The Reverend Mr. Fairweather had been dyspeptic and low-spirited of late, and was too languid for controversy.

eachdeterminerUS /iːtʃ/

every one of two or more people or things, taken separately

From this reading The two meeting-houses which faced each other like a pair of fighting-cocks had not flapped their wings or crowed at each other for a considerable time.

effortsnounUS /ˈefərts/

plural of “effort” — earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something

From this reading His senior deacon ventured to say to him that some of his people required to be reminded of the great fundamental doctrine of the worthlessness of all human efforts and motives.

facedadjectiveUS /feɪst/

having a face or facing especially of a specified kind or number; often used in combination

From this reading The two meeting-houses which faced each other like a pair of fighting-cocks had not flapped their wings or crowed at each other for a considerable time.

Fairweather

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

From this reading The Reverend Mr. Fairweather had been dyspeptic and low-spirited of late, and was too languid for controversy.

fighting-cocks

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

From this reading The two meeting-houses which faced each other like a pair of fighting-cocks had not flapped their wings or crowed at each other for a considerable time.

flappedverbUS /flæpt/

inflected form of “flap” — move in a wavy pattern or with a rising and falling motion

From this reading The two meeting-houses which faced each other like a pair of fighting-cocks had not flapped their wings or crowed at each other for a considerable time.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading The two meeting-houses which faced each other like a pair of fighting-cocks had not flapped their wings or crowed at each other for a considerable time.

fundamentaladjectiveUS /ˌfʌndəˈmentəl/

serving as an essential component

From this reading His senior deacon ventured to say to him that some of his people required to be reminded of the great fundamental doctrine of the worthlessness of all human efforts and motives.

greatadjectiveUS /ɡreɪt/

relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind

From this reading His senior deacon ventured to say to him that some of his people required to be reminded of the great fundamental doctrine of the worthlessness of all human efforts and motives.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading The two meeting-houses which faced each other like a pair of fighting-cocks had not flapped their wings or crowed at each other for a considerable time.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading His senior deacon ventured to say to him that some of his people required to be reminded of the great fundamental doctrine of the worthlessness of all human efforts and motives.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading The Reverend Doctor Honeywood had been very busy with his benevolent associations, and had discoursed chiefly on practical matters, to the neglect of special doctrinal subjects.

Honeywood

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

From this reading The Reverend Doctor Honeywood had been very busy with his benevolent associations, and had discoursed chiefly on practical matters, to the neglect of special doctrinal subjects.

humanadjectiveUS /ˈhjuːmən/

characteristic of humanity

From this reading His senior deacon ventured to say to him that some of his people required to be reminded of the great fundamental doctrine of the worthlessness of all human efforts and motives.

languidadjectiveUS /ˈlæŋɡwəd/

lacking spirit or liveliness

From this reading The Reverend Mr. Fairweather had been dyspeptic and low-spirited of late, and was too languid for controversy.

lateadjectiveUS /leɪt/

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

From this reading The Reverend Mr. Fairweather had been dyspeptic and low-spirited of late, and was too languid for controversy.

likeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading The two meeting-houses which faced each other like a pair of fighting-cocks had not flapped their wings or crowed at each other for a considerable time.

low-spiritedadjectiveUS /ˌloʊˈspɪrətɪd/

filled with melancholy and despondency

From this reading The Reverend Mr. Fairweather had been dyspeptic and low-spirited of late, and was too languid for controversy.

mattersnounUS /ˈmætərz/

plural of “matter” — a vaguely specified concern

From this reading The Reverend Doctor Honeywood had been very busy with his benevolent associations, and had discoursed chiefly on practical matters, to the neglect of special doctrinal subjects.

meeting-houses

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

From this reading The two meeting-houses which faced each other like a pair of fighting-cocks had not flapped their wings or crowed at each other for a considerable time.

motivesnounUS /ˈmoʊtɪvz/

plural of “motive” — the psychological feature that arouses an organism to action toward a desired goal; the reason for the action; that which gives purpose and direction to behavior

From this reading His senior deacon ventured to say to him that some of his people required to be reminded of the great fundamental doctrine of the worthlessness of all human efforts and motives.

MrnounUS /ˈmɪstər/

a form of address for a man

From this reading The Reverend Mr. Fairweather had been dyspeptic and low-spirited of late, and was too languid for controversy.

muchadverbUS /mʌtʃ/

to a great degree or extent

From this reading Some of them were altogether too much pleased with the success of the Temperance Society and the Association for the Relief of the Poor.

neglectverbUS /nəˈɡlekt/

leave undone or leave out

From this reading The Reverend Doctor Honeywood had been very busy with his benevolent associations, and had discoursed chiefly on practical matters, to the neglect of special doctrinal subjects.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading The two meeting-houses which faced each other like a pair of fighting-cocks had not flapped their wings or crowed at each other for a considerable time.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading The two meeting-houses which faced each other like a pair of fighting-cocks had not flapped their wings or crowed at each other for a considerable time.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading The Reverend Doctor Honeywood had been very busy with his benevolent associations, and had discoursed chiefly on practical matters, to the neglect of special doctrinal subjects.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading The two meeting-houses which faced each other like a pair of fighting-cocks had not flapped their wings or crowed at each other for a considerable time.

otheradjectiveUS /ˈʌðər/

not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied

From this reading The two meeting-houses which faced each other like a pair of fighting-cocks had not flapped their wings or crowed at each other for a considerable time.

pairnounUS /per/

a set of two similar things considered as a unit

From this reading The two meeting-houses which faced each other like a pair of fighting-cocks had not flapped their wings or crowed at each other for a considerable time.

peoplenounUS /ˈpiːpəl/

(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively

From this reading His senior deacon ventured to say to him that some of his people required to be reminded of the great fundamental doctrine of the worthlessness of all human efforts and motives.

pleasedadjectiveUS /pliːzd/

experiencing or manifesting pleasure

From this reading Some of them were altogether too much pleased with the success of the Temperance Society and the Association for the Relief of the Poor.

PooradjectiveUS /puːr/

deserving or inciting pity

From this reading Some of them were altogether too much pleased with the success of the Temperance Society and the Association for the Relief of the Poor.

practicaladjectiveUS /ˈpræktəkəl/

concerned with actual use or practice

From this reading The Reverend Doctor Honeywood had been very busy with his benevolent associations, and had discoursed chiefly on practical matters, to the neglect of special doctrinal subjects.

ReliefnounUS /rɪˈliːf/

the feeling that comes when something burdensome is removed or reduced

From this reading Some of them were altogether too much pleased with the success of the Temperance Society and the Association for the Relief of the Poor.

remindedverbUS /riˈmaɪndɪd/

past form of “remind” — put in the mind of someone

From this reading His senior deacon ventured to say to him that some of his people required to be reminded of the great fundamental doctrine of the worthlessness of all human efforts and motives.

requiredadjectiveUS /riˈkwaɪərd/

necessary for relief or supply

From this reading His senior deacon ventured to say to him that some of his people required to be reminded of the great fundamental doctrine of the worthlessness of all human efforts and motives.

ReverendnounUS /ˈrevərənd/

a member of the clergy and a spiritual leader of the Christian Church

From this reading The Reverend Mr. Fairweather had been dyspeptic and low-spirited of late, and was too languid for controversy.

sayverbUS /seɪ/

express in words

From this reading His senior deacon ventured to say to him that some of his people required to be reminded of the great fundamental doctrine of the worthlessness of all human efforts and motives.

senioradjectiveUS /ˈsiːnjər/

older; higher in rank; longer in length of tenure or service

From this reading His senior deacon ventured to say to him that some of his people required to be reminded of the great fundamental doctrine of the worthlessness of all human efforts and motives.

SocietynounUS /səˈsaɪəti/

an extended social group having a distinctive cultural and economic organization

From this reading Some of them were altogether too much pleased with the success of the Temperance Society and the Association for the Relief of the Poor.

someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading His senior deacon ventured to say to him that some of his people required to be reminded of the great fundamental doctrine of the worthlessness of all human efforts and motives.

specialadjectiveUS /ˈspeʃəl/

unique or specific to a person or thing or category

From this reading The Reverend Doctor Honeywood had been very busy with his benevolent associations, and had discoursed chiefly on practical matters, to the neglect of special doctrinal subjects.

subjectsnounUS /ˈsʌbdʒɪkts/

plural of “subject” — the subject matter of a conversation or discussion

From this reading The Reverend Doctor Honeywood had been very busy with his benevolent associations, and had discoursed chiefly on practical matters, to the neglect of special doctrinal subjects.

successnounUS /səkˈses/

an event that accomplishes its intended purpose

From this reading Some of them were altogether too much pleased with the success of the Temperance Society and the Association for the Relief of the Poor.

TemperancenounUS /ˈtempərəns/

the trait of avoiding excesses

From this reading Some of them were altogether too much pleased with the success of the Temperance Society and the Association for the Relief of the Poor.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading His senior deacon ventured to say to him that some of his people required to be reminded of the great fundamental doctrine of the worthlessness of all human efforts and motives.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading The two meeting-houses which faced each other like a pair of fighting-cocks had not flapped their wings or crowed at each other for a considerable time.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading The two meeting-houses which faced each other like a pair of fighting-cocks had not flapped their wings or crowed at each other for a considerable time.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading Some of them were altogether too much pleased with the success of the Temperance Society and the Association for the Relief of the Poor.

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading The two meeting-houses which faced each other like a pair of fighting-cocks had not flapped their wings or crowed at each other for a considerable time.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading The Reverend Doctor Honeywood had been very busy with his benevolent associations, and had discoursed chiefly on practical matters, to the neglect of special doctrinal subjects.

tooadverbUS /tuː/

to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits

From this reading The Reverend Mr. Fairweather had been dyspeptic and low-spirited of late, and was too languid for controversy.

twonounUS /tuː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading The two meeting-houses which faced each other like a pair of fighting-cocks had not flapped their wings or crowed at each other for a considerable time.

venturedverbUS /ˈventʃərd/

past form of “venture” — proceed somewhere despite the risk of possible dangers

From this reading His senior deacon ventured to say to him that some of his people required to be reminded of the great fundamental doctrine of the worthlessness of all human efforts and motives.

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading The Reverend Doctor Honeywood had been very busy with his benevolent associations, and had discoursed chiefly on practical matters, to the neglect of special doctrinal subjects.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading The Reverend Mr. Fairweather had been dyspeptic and low-spirited of late, and was too languid for controversy.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading Some of them were altogether too much pleased with the success of the Temperance Society and the Association for the Relief of the Poor.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading The two meeting-houses which faced each other like a pair of fighting-cocks had not flapped their wings or crowed at each other for a considerable time.

wingsnounUS /wɪŋz/

a means of flight or ascent

From this reading The two meeting-houses which faced each other like a pair of fighting-cocks had not flapped their wings or crowed at each other for a considerable time.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading The Reverend Doctor Honeywood had been very busy with his benevolent associations, and had discoursed chiefly on practical matters, to the neglect of special doctrinal subjects.

worthlessnessnoun

having no qualities that would render it valuable or useful

From this reading His senior deacon ventured to say to him that some of his people required to be reminded of the great fundamental doctrine of the worthlessness of all human efforts and motives.

Chapter 17 of Elsie Venner by Oliver Wendell Holmes holds 183 sentences, grouped into 37 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 17 of Elsie Venner contain?

Chapter 17 holds 183 sentences of Elsie Venner, unabridged, divided into 37 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 17 of Elsie Venner by Oliver Wendell Holmes exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 183 sentences, grouped into 37 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 17 of Elsie Venner?

Work through the 37 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 37 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 17 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 17 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 Elsie Venner

Common questions about reading Elsie Venner by Oliver Wendell Holmes on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Elsie Venner?

Yes. All 5636 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #2696 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Elsie Venner is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #2696, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Elsie Venner take to read?

About 469 minutes of reading across 1128 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Elsie Venner section by section

How to work through Elsie Venner section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 32 chapters of Elsie Venner 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 Elsie Venner

Words and structures a reader meets early in Elsie Venner, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Nothing
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Elsie Venner; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
England
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Elsie Venner; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Corresponding
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Elsie Venner; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Feudal
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Elsie Venner; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.