Chapter 1 of English ways and by-ways is here in full — 450 sentences across 90 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of English ways and by-ways is here in full — 450 sentences across 90 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"For me, an aim I never fash-- I rhyme for fun." --BURNS. What this little book contains the reader must discover for himself. I shall not save him trouble by telling in the Preface anything about it. Nor shall I tell more than the letters themselves show as to the identity of John and Ruth.
Chapter 1 of English ways and by-ways is here in full — 450 sentences across 90 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/90 · 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.
point or cause to go (blows, weapons, or objects such as photographic equipment) towards
From this reading “"For me, an aim I never fash-- I rhyme for fun."”
United States comedian and film actor (1896-1996)
From this reading “--BURNS.”
third-person singular of “contain” — include or contain; have as a component
From this reading “What this little book contains the reader must discover for himself.”
discover or determine the existence, presence, or fact of
From this reading “What this little book contains the reader must discover for himself.”
the distinct personality of an individual regarded as a persisting entity
From this reading “Nor shall I tell more than the letters themselves show as to the identity of John and Ruth.”
a short introductory essay preceding the text of a book
From this reading “I shall not save him trouble by telling in the Preface anything about it.”
a person who enjoys reading
From this reading “What this little book contains the reader must discover for himself.”
correspondence in the sounds of two or more lines (especially final sounds)
From this reading “"For me, an aim I never fash-- I rhyme for fun."”
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 “What this little book contains the reader must discover for himself.”
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.
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading I shall not save him trouble by telling in the Preface anything about it.
point or cause to go (blows, weapons, or objects such as photographic equipment) towards
From this reading "For me, an aim I never fash-- I rhyme for fun."
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading "For me, an aim I never fash-- I rhyme for fun."
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Nor shall I tell more than the letters themselves show as to the identity of John and Ruth.
any thing at all
From this reading I shall not save him trouble by telling in the Preface anything about it.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Nor shall I tell more than the letters themselves show as to the identity of John and Ruth.
a written work or composition that has been published (printed on pages bound together)
From this reading What this little book contains the reader must discover for himself.
United States comedian and film actor (1896-1996)
From this reading --BURNS.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading I shall not save him trouble by telling in the Preface anything about it.
third-person singular of “contain” — include or contain; have as a component
From this reading What this little book contains the reader must discover for himself.
discover or determine the existence, presence, or fact of
From this reading What this little book contains the reader must discover for himself.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "For me, an aim I never fash-- I rhyme for fun."
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading "For me, an aim I never fash-- I rhyme for fun."
activities that are enjoyable or amusing
From this reading "For me, an aim I never fash-- I rhyme for fun."
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading I shall not save him trouble by telling in the Preface anything about it.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading What this little book contains the reader must discover for himself.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "For me, an aim I never fash-- I rhyme for fun."
the distinct personality of an individual regarded as a persisting entity
From this reading Nor shall I tell more than the letters themselves show as to the identity of John and Ruth.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading I shall not save him trouble by telling in the Preface anything about it.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading I shall not save him trouble by telling in the Preface anything about it.
a room or building equipped with one or more toilets
From this reading Nor shall I tell more than the letters themselves show as to the identity of John and Ruth.
the literary culture
From this reading Nor shall I tell more than the letters themselves show as to the identity of John and Ruth.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading What this little book contains the reader must discover for himself.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "For me, an aim I never fash-- I rhyme for fun."
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading Nor shall I tell more than the letters themselves show as to the identity of John and Ruth.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading What this little book contains the reader must discover for himself.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading "For me, an aim I never fash-- I rhyme for fun."
and not; used after a negative to add a second negative
From this reading Nor shall I tell more than the letters themselves show as to the identity of John and Ruth.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading I shall not save him trouble by telling in the Preface anything about it.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Nor shall I tell more than the letters themselves show as to the identity of John and Ruth.
a short introductory essay preceding the text of a book
From this reading I shall not save him trouble by telling in the Preface anything about it.
a person who enjoys reading
From this reading What this little book contains the reader must discover for himself.
correspondence in the sounds of two or more lines (especially final sounds)
From this reading "For me, an aim I never fash-- I rhyme for fun."
United States professional baseball player famous for hitting home runs (1895-1948)
From this reading Nor shall I tell more than the letters themselves show as to the identity of John and Ruth.
except for; apart from
From this reading I shall not save him trouble by telling in the Preface anything about it.
used with I and we for the future, or to offer and suggest
From this reading I shall not save him trouble by telling in the Preface anything about it.
give an exhibition of to an interested audience
From this reading Nor shall I tell more than the letters themselves show as to the identity of John and Ruth.
express in words
From this reading Nor shall I tell more than the letters themselves show as to the identity of John and Ruth.
disclosing unintentionally something concealed
From this reading I shall not save him trouble by telling in the Preface anything about it.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading Nor shall I tell more than the letters themselves show as to the identity of John and Ruth.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading What this little book contains the reader must discover for himself.
used when the people doing the action are also its object
From this reading Nor shall I tell more than the letters themselves show as to the identity of John and Ruth.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading What this little book contains the reader must discover for himself.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Nor shall I tell more than the letters themselves show as to the identity of John and Ruth.
a source of difficulty
From this reading I shall not save him trouble by telling in the Preface anything about it.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading What this little book contains the reader must discover for himself.
Chapter 1 of English ways and by-ways by Leighton Parks holds 450 sentences, grouped into 90 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 1 holds 450 sentences of English ways and by-ways, unabridged, divided into 90 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of English ways and by-ways by Leighton Parks exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 450 sentences, grouped into 90 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 90 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 90 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 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.
Common questions about reading English ways and by-ways by Leighton Parks on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 2706 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #76393 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #76393, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 225 minutes of reading across 542 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through English ways and by-ways section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 6 chapters of English ways and by-ways 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 English ways and by-ways, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
