Chapter 12 of Elson Grammar School Literature, Book 4 is here in full — 383 sentences across 77 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XII
Chapter 12 of Elson Grammar School Literature, Book 4 is here in full — 383 sentences across 77 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
They tell us, sir, that we are weak; unable to cope with so formidable an adversary. But when shall we be stronger? Will it be the next week, or the next year? Will it be when we are totally disarmed, and when a British guard shall be stationed in every house? Shall we gather strength by irresolution and inaction?
Chapter 12 of Elson Grammar School Literature, Book 4 is here in full — 383 sentences across 77 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/76 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
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.
someone who offers opposition
From this reading “They tell us, sir, that we are weak; unable to cope with so formidable an adversary.”
succeed in doing, achieving, or producing (something) with the limited or inadequate means available
From this reading “They tell us, sir, that we are weak; unable to cope with so formidable an adversary.”
past form of “disarm” — remove offensive capability from
From this reading “Will it be when we are totally disarmed, and when a British guard shall be stationed in every house?”
extremely impressive in strength or excellence
From this reading “They tell us, sir, that we are weak; unable to cope with so formidable an adversary.”
assemble or get together
From this reading “Shall we gather strength by irresolution and inaction?”
the state of being inactive
From this reading “Shall we gather strength by irresolution and inaction?”
past form of “station” — assign to a station
From this reading “Will it be when we are totally disarmed, and when a British guard shall be stationed in every house?”
to a complete degree or to the full or entire extent (“whole” is often used informally for “wholly”)
From this reading “Will it be when we are totally disarmed, and when a British guard shall be stationed in every house?”
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 this reading “Shall we gather strength by irresolution and inaction?”
In this reading “Will it be the next week, or the next year?”
In this reading “Will it be the next week, or the next year?”
In this reading “They tell us, sir, that we are weak; unable to cope with so formidable an adversary.”
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 before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Will it be when we are totally disarmed, and when a British guard shall be stationed in every house?
someone who offers opposition
From this reading They tell us, sir, that we are weak; unable to cope with so formidable an adversary.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading They tell us, sir, that we are weak; unable to cope with so formidable an adversary.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Will it be when we are totally disarmed, and when a British guard shall be stationed in every house?
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading They tell us, sir, that we are weak; unable to cope with so formidable an adversary.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading But when shall we be stronger?
the people of Great Britain
From this reading Will it be when we are totally disarmed, and when a British guard shall be stationed in every house?
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But when shall we be stronger?
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Shall we gather strength by irresolution and inaction?
succeed in doing, achieving, or producing (something) with the limited or inadequate means available
From this reading They tell us, sir, that we are weak; unable to cope with so formidable an adversary.
past form of “disarm” — remove offensive capability from
From this reading Will it be when we are totally disarmed, and when a British guard shall be stationed in every house?
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading Will it be when we are totally disarmed, and when a British guard shall be stationed in every house?
extremely impressive in strength or excellence
From this reading They tell us, sir, that we are weak; unable to cope with so formidable an adversary.
assemble or get together
From this reading Shall we gather strength by irresolution and inaction?
a person who keeps watch over something or someone
From this reading Will it be when we are totally disarmed, and when a British guard shall be stationed in every house?
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading Will it be when we are totally disarmed, and when a British guard shall be stationed in every house?
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Will it be when we are totally disarmed, and when a British guard shall be stationed in every house?
the state of being inactive
From this reading Shall we gather strength by irresolution and inaction?
doubt concerning two or more possible alternatives or courses of action
From this reading Shall we gather strength by irresolution and inaction?
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Will it be the next week, or the next year?
immediately following in time or order
From this reading Will it be the next week, or the next year?
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Will it be the next week, or the next year?
used with I and we for the future, or to offer and suggest
From this reading But when shall we be stronger?
term of address for a man
From this reading They tell us, sir, that we are weak; unable to cope with so formidable an adversary.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading They tell us, sir, that we are weak; unable to cope with so formidable an adversary.
past form of “station” — assign to a station
From this reading Will it be when we are totally disarmed, and when a British guard shall be stationed in every house?
the property of being physically or mentally strong
From this reading Shall we gather strength by irresolution and inaction?
comparative of “strong” — having strength or power greater than average or expected
From this reading But when shall we be stronger?
express in words
From this reading They tell us, sir, that we are weak; unable to cope with so formidable an adversary.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading They tell us, sir, that we are weak; unable to cope with so formidable an adversary.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Will it be the next week, or the next year?
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They tell us, sir, that we are weak; unable to cope with so formidable an adversary.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading They tell us, sir, that we are weak; unable to cope with so formidable an adversary.
to a complete degree or to the full or entire extent (“whole” is often used informally for “wholly”)
From this reading Will it be when we are totally disarmed, and when a British guard shall be stationed in every house?
(usually followed by “to”) not having the necessary means or skill or know-how
From this reading They tell us, sir, that we are weak; unable to cope with so formidable an adversary.
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading They tell us, sir, that we are weak; unable to cope with so formidable an adversary.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading They tell us, sir, that we are weak; unable to cope with so formidable an adversary.
wanting in physical strength
From this reading They tell us, sir, that we are weak; unable to cope with so formidable an adversary.
any period of seven consecutive days
From this reading Will it be the next week, or the next year?
at the time that
From this reading But when shall we be stronger?
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading Will it be the next week, or the next year?
in the company of; together with
From this reading They tell us, sir, that we are weak; unable to cope with so formidable an adversary.
a period of time containing 365 (or 366) days
From this reading Will it be the next week, or the next year?
Chapter 12 of Elson Grammar School Literature, Book 4 by William H. (William Harris) Elson holds 383 sentences, grouped into 77 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.
Chapter 12 holds 383 sentences of Elson Grammar School Literature, Book 4, unabridged, divided into 77 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 12 of Elson Grammar School Literature, Book 4 by William H. (William Harris) Elson exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 383 sentences, grouped into 77 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.
Work through the 77 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 77 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.
Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 12 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.
Common questions about reading Elson Grammar School Literature, Book 4 by William H. (William Harris) Elson on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 5153 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #6963 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #6963, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 429 minutes of reading across 1031 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Elson Grammar School Literature, Book 4 section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 17 chapters of Elson Grammar School Literature, Book 4 to begin.
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Words and structures a reader meets early in Elson Grammar School Literature, Book 4, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
