Chapter 9 of Experience is here in full — 406 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
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Chapter IX
Chapter 9 of Experience is here in full — 406 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
’So I did, and I began to catch. Then _The Man_ said,— ’"What about My other fishing?" And at first I didn’t answer, because He had mentioned it to me before, and I wanted to refuse, but His eyes compelled me, for all they were so gentle, so I said,— ’"I’m not cut out for that other kind of fishing." ’"Not if I breathed on your hooks?" ’We fell silent.
Chapter 9 of Experience is here in full — 406 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/81 · 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.
uttered without voice
From this reading “’"Not if I breathed on your hooks?"”
discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state
From this reading “’So I did, and I began to catch.”
inflected form of “compel” — force somebody to do something
From this reading “And at first I didn’t answer, because He had mentioned it to me before, and I wanted to refuse, but His eyes compelled me, for all they were so gentle, so I said,— ’"I’m not cut out for that other kind of fishing."”
the act of someone who fishes as a diversion
From this reading “Then _The Man_ said,— ’"What about My other fishing?"”
soft and mild; not harsh or stern or severe
From this reading “And at first I didn’t answer, because He had mentioned it to me before, and I wanted to refuse, but His eyes compelled me, for all they were so gentle, so I said,— ’"I’m not cut out for that other kind of fishing."”
large strong hand (as of a fighter)
From this reading “’"Not if I breathed on your hooks?"”
past form of “mention” — make reference to
From this reading “And at first I didn’t answer, because He had mentioned it to me before, and I wanted to refuse, but His eyes compelled me, for all they were so gentle, so I said,— ’"I’m not cut out for that other kind of fishing."”
show unwillingness towards
From this reading “And at first I didn’t answer, because He had mentioned it to me before, and I wanted to refuse, but His eyes compelled me, for all they were so gentle, so I said,— ’"I’m not cut out for that other kind of fishing."”
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 “’We fell silent.”
delete or remove
In this reading “And at first I didn’t answer, because He had mentioned it to me before, and I wanted to refuse, but His eyes compelled me, for all they were so gentle, so I said,— ’"I’m not cut out for that other kind of fishing."”
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 Then _The Man_ said,— ’"What about My other fishing?"
(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 And at first I didn’t answer, because He had mentioned it to me before, and I wanted to refuse, but His eyes compelled me, for all they were so gentle, so I said,— ’"I’m not cut out for that other kind of fishing."
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading ’So I did, and I began to catch.
react verbally
From this reading And at first I didn’t answer, because He had mentioned it to me before, and I wanted to refuse, but His eyes compelled me, for all they were so gentle, so I said,— ’"I’m not cut out for that other kind of fishing."
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading And at first I didn’t answer, because He had mentioned it to me before, and I wanted to refuse, but His eyes compelled me, for all they were so gentle, so I said,— ’"I’m not cut out for that other kind of fishing."
for the reason that
From this reading And at first I didn’t answer, because He had mentioned it to me before, and I wanted to refuse, but His eyes compelled me, for all they were so gentle, so I said,— ’"I’m not cut out for that other kind of fishing."
earlier than; in front of
From this reading And at first I didn’t answer, because He had mentioned it to me before, and I wanted to refuse, but His eyes compelled me, for all they were so gentle, so I said,— ’"I’m not cut out for that other kind of fishing."
inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading ’So I did, and I began to catch.
uttered without voice
From this reading ’"Not if I breathed on your hooks?"
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading And at first I didn’t answer, because He had mentioned it to me before, and I wanted to refuse, but His eyes compelled me, for all they were so gentle, so I said,— ’"I’m not cut out for that other kind of fishing."
discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state
From this reading ’So I did, and I began to catch.
inflected form of “compel” — force somebody to do something
From this reading And at first I didn’t answer, because He had mentioned it to me before, and I wanted to refuse, but His eyes compelled me, for all they were so gentle, so I said,— ’"I’m not cut out for that other kind of fishing."
separate with or as if with an instrument
From this reading And at first I didn’t answer, because He had mentioned it to me before, and I wanted to refuse, but His eyes compelled me, for all they were so gentle, so I said,— ’"I’m not cut out for that other kind of fishing."
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading ’So I did, and I began to catch.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And at first I didn’t answer, because He had mentioned it to me before, and I wanted to refuse, but His eyes compelled me, for all they were so gentle, so I said,— ’"I’m not cut out for that other kind of fishing."
opinion or judgment
From this reading And at first I didn’t answer, because He had mentioned it to me before, and I wanted to refuse, but His eyes compelled me, for all they were so gentle, so I said,— ’"I’m not cut out for that other kind of fishing."
cause to fall by or as if by delivering a blow
From this reading ’We fell silent.
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading And at first I didn’t answer, because He had mentioned it to me before, and I wanted to refuse, but His eyes compelled me, for all they were so gentle, so I said,— ’"I’m not cut out for that other kind of fishing."
the act of someone who fishes as a diversion
From this reading Then _The Man_ said,— ’"What about My other fishing?"
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading And at first I didn’t answer, because He had mentioned it to me before, and I wanted to refuse, but His eyes compelled me, for all they were so gentle, so I said,— ’"I’m not cut out for that other kind of fishing."
soft and mild; not harsh or stern or severe
From this reading And at first I didn’t answer, because He had mentioned it to me before, and I wanted to refuse, but His eyes compelled me, for all they were so gentle, so I said,— ’"I’m not cut out for that other kind of fishing."
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading And at first I didn’t answer, because He had mentioned it to me before, and I wanted to refuse, but His eyes compelled me, for all they were so gentle, so I said,— ’"I’m not cut out for that other kind of fishing."
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading And at first I didn’t answer, because He had mentioned it to me before, and I wanted to refuse, but His eyes compelled me, for all they were so gentle, so I said,— ’"I’m not cut out for that other kind of fishing."
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading And at first I didn’t answer, because He had mentioned it to me before, and I wanted to refuse, but His eyes compelled me, for all they were so gentle, so I said,— ’"I’m not cut out for that other kind of fishing."
large strong hand (as of a fighter)
From this reading ’"Not if I breathed on your hooks?"
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading ’So I did, and I began to catch.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And at first I didn’t answer, because He had mentioned it to me before, and I wanted to refuse, but His eyes compelled me, for all they were so gentle, so I said,— ’"I’m not cut out for that other kind of fishing."
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading ’"Not if I breathed on your hooks?"
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading And at first I didn’t answer, because He had mentioned it to me before, and I wanted to refuse, but His eyes compelled me, for all they were so gentle, so I said,— ’"I’m not cut out for that other kind of fishing."
having or showing a tender and considerate and helpful nature; used especially of persons and their behavior
From this reading And at first I didn’t answer, because He had mentioned it to me before, and I wanted to refuse, but His eyes compelled me, for all they were so gentle, so I said,— ’"I’m not cut out for that other kind of fishing."
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading Then _The Man_ said,— ’"What about My other fishing?"
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading And at first I didn’t answer, because He had mentioned it to me before, and I wanted to refuse, but His eyes compelled me, for all they were so gentle, so I said,— ’"I’m not cut out for that other kind of fishing."
past form of “mention” — make reference to
From this reading And at first I didn’t answer, because He had mentioned it to me before, and I wanted to refuse, but His eyes compelled me, for all they were so gentle, so I said,— ’"I’m not cut out for that other kind of fishing."
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading Then _The Man_ said,— ’"What about My other fishing?"
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading And at first I didn’t answer, because He had mentioned it to me before, and I wanted to refuse, but His eyes compelled me, for all they were so gentle, so I said,— ’"I’m not cut out for that other kind of fishing."
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading And at first I didn’t answer, because He had mentioned it to me before, and I wanted to refuse, but His eyes compelled me, for all they were so gentle, so I said,— ’"I’m not cut out for that other kind of fishing."
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading ’"Not if I breathed on your hooks?"
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading Then _The Man_ said,— ’"What about My other fishing?"
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading And at first I didn’t answer, because He had mentioned it to me before, and I wanted to refuse, but His eyes compelled me, for all they were so gentle, so I said,— ’"I’m not cut out for that other kind of fishing."
show unwillingness towards
From this reading And at first I didn’t answer, because He had mentioned it to me before, and I wanted to refuse, but His eyes compelled me, for all they were so gentle, so I said,— ’"I’m not cut out for that other kind of fishing."
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading Then _The Man_ said,— ’"What about My other fishing?"
marked by absence of sound
From this reading ’We fell silent.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading ’So I did, and I began to catch.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading And at first I didn’t answer, because He had mentioned it to me before, and I wanted to refuse, but His eyes compelled me, for all they were so gentle, so I said,— ’"I’m not cut out for that other kind of fishing."
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Then _The Man_ said,— ’"What about My other fishing?"
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then _The Man_ said,— ’"What about My other fishing?"
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading And at first I didn’t answer, because He had mentioned it to me before, and I wanted to refuse, but His eyes compelled me, for all they were so gentle, so I said,— ’"I’m not cut out for that other kind of fishing."
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading ’So I did, and I began to catch.
desired or wished for or sought
From this reading And at first I didn’t answer, because He had mentioned it to me before, and I wanted to refuse, but His eyes compelled me, for all they were so gentle, so I said,— ’"I’m not cut out for that other kind of fishing."
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading ’We fell silent.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading And at first I didn’t answer, because He had mentioned it to me before, and I wanted to refuse, but His eyes compelled me, for all they were so gentle, so I said,— ’"I’m not cut out for that other kind of fishing."
used to ask for information about something
From this reading Then _The Man_ said,— ’"What about My other fishing?"
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading ’"Not if I breathed on your hooks?"
Chapter 9 of Experience by Catherine (Catherine M.) Cotton holds 406 sentences, grouped into 82 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 9 holds 406 sentences of Experience, unabridged, divided into 82 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 9 of Experience by Catherine (Catherine M.) Cotton exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 406 sentences, grouped into 82 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 82 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 82 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 9 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 Experience by Catherine (Catherine M.) Cotton on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4075 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #49400 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #49400, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 339 minutes of reading across 815 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Experience section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 10 chapters of Experience 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 Experience, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
