Chapter 12 of Familiar Letters — Volume 06 is here in full — 400 sentences across 80 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XII
Chapter 12 of Familiar Letters — Volume 06 is here in full — 400 sentences across 80 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
TO MARSTON WATSON (AT PLYMOUTH). CONCORD, August 17, 1857. MR. WATSON,--I am much indebted to you for your glowing communication of July 20th. I had that very day left Concord for the wilds of Maine; but when I returned, August 8th, two out of the six worms remained nearly, if not quite, as bright as at first, I was assured.
Chapter 12 of Familiar Letters — Volume 06 is here in full — 400 sentences across 80 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/80 · 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.
the activity of communicating; the activity of conveying information
From this reading “WATSON,--I am much indebted to you for your glowing communication of July 20th.”
capital of the state of New Hampshire; located in south central New Hampshire on the Merrimack river
From this reading “CONCORD, August 17, 1857.”
owing gratitude or recognition to another for help or favors etc
From this reading “WATSON,--I am much indebted to you for your glowing communication of July 20th.”
a state in New England
From this reading “I had that very day left Concord for the wilds of Maine; but when I returned, August 8th, two out of the six worms remained nearly, if not quite, as bright as at first, I was assured.”
a town in Massachusetts founded by Pilgrims in 1620
From this reading “TO MARSTON WATSON (AT PLYMOUTH).”
United States telephone engineer who assisted Alexander Graham Bell in his experiments (1854-1934)
From this reading “TO MARSTON WATSON (AT PLYMOUTH).”
plural of “wild” — a wild primitive state untouched by civilization
From this reading “I had that very day left Concord for the wilds of Maine; but when I returned, August 8th, two out of the six worms remained nearly, if not quite, as bright as at first, I was assured.”
plural of “worm” — any of numerous relatively small elongated soft-bodied animals especially of the phyla Annelida and Chaetognatha and Nematoda and Nemertea and Platyhelminthes; also many insect larvae
From this reading “I had that very day left Concord for the wilds of Maine; but when I returned, August 8th, two out of the six worms remained nearly, if not quite, as bright as at first, I was assured.”
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 “WATSON,--I am much indebted to you for your glowing communication of July 20th.”
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.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading CONCORD, August 17, 1857.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading CONCORD, August 17, 1857.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading WATSON,--I am much indebted to you for your glowing communication of July 20th.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I had that very day left Concord for the wilds of Maine; but when I returned, August 8th, two out of the six worms remained nearly, if not quite, as bright as at first, I was assured.
the form of “be” used with “I”
From this reading WATSON,--I am much indebted to you for your glowing communication of July 20th.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading I had that very day left Concord for the wilds of Maine; but when I returned, August 8th, two out of the six worms remained nearly, if not quite, as bright as at first, I was assured.
marked by assurance; exhibiting confidence
From this reading I had that very day left Concord for the wilds of Maine; but when I returned, August 8th, two out of the six worms remained nearly, if not quite, as bright as at first, I was assured.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading TO MARSTON WATSON (AT PLYMOUTH).
the month following July and preceding September
From this reading CONCORD, August 17, 1857.
emitting or reflecting light readily or in large amounts
From this reading I had that very day left Concord for the wilds of Maine; but when I returned, August 8th, two out of the six worms remained nearly, if not quite, as bright as at first, I was assured.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading I had that very day left Concord for the wilds of Maine; but when I returned, August 8th, two out of the six worms remained nearly, if not quite, as bright as at first, I was assured.
the activity of communicating; the activity of conveying information
From this reading WATSON,--I am much indebted to you for your glowing communication of July 20th.
capital of the state of New Hampshire; located in south central New Hampshire on the Merrimack river
From this reading CONCORD, August 17, 1857.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading I had that very day left Concord for the wilds of Maine; but when I returned, August 8th, two out of the six worms remained nearly, if not quite, as bright as at first, I was assured.
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading I had that very day left Concord for the wilds of Maine; but when I returned, August 8th, two out of the six worms remained nearly, if not quite, as bright as at first, I was assured.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading WATSON,--I am much indebted to you for your glowing communication of July 20th.
highly enthusiastic
From this reading WATSON,--I am much indebted to you for your glowing communication of July 20th.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading I had that very day left Concord for the wilds of Maine; but when I returned, August 8th, two out of the six worms remained nearly, if not quite, as bright as at first, I was assured.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading WATSON,--I am much indebted to you for your glowing communication of July 20th.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading I had that very day left Concord for the wilds of Maine; but when I returned, August 8th, two out of the six worms remained nearly, if not quite, as bright as at first, I was assured.
owing gratitude or recognition to another for help or favors etc
From this reading WATSON,--I am much indebted to you for your glowing communication of July 20th.
the month following June and preceding August
From this reading WATSON,--I am much indebted to you for your glowing communication of July 20th.
location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east
From this reading I had that very day left Concord for the wilds of Maine; but when I returned, August 8th, two out of the six worms remained nearly, if not quite, as bright as at first, I was assured.
a state in New England
From this reading I had that very day left Concord for the wilds of Maine; but when I returned, August 8th, two out of the six worms remained nearly, if not quite, as bright as at first, I was assured.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading TO MARSTON WATSON (AT PLYMOUTH).
a form of address for a man
From this reading MR.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading WATSON,--I am much indebted to you for your glowing communication of July 20th.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading I had that very day left Concord for the wilds of Maine; but when I returned, August 8th, two out of the six worms remained nearly, if not quite, as bright as at first, I was assured.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading I had that very day left Concord for the wilds of Maine; but when I returned, August 8th, two out of the six worms remained nearly, if not quite, as bright as at first, I was assured.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading WATSON,--I am much indebted to you for your glowing communication of July 20th.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading I had that very day left Concord for the wilds of Maine; but when I returned, August 8th, two out of the six worms remained nearly, if not quite, as bright as at first, I was assured.
a town in Massachusetts founded by Pilgrims in 1620
From this reading TO MARSTON WATSON (AT PLYMOUTH).
to a degree (not used with a negative)
From this reading I had that very day left Concord for the wilds of Maine; but when I returned, August 8th, two out of the six worms remained nearly, if not quite, as bright as at first, I was assured.
past form of “remain” — stay the same; remain in a certain state
From this reading I had that very day left Concord for the wilds of Maine; but when I returned, August 8th, two out of the six worms remained nearly, if not quite, as bright as at first, I was assured.
past form of “return” — go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before
From this reading I had that very day left Concord for the wilds of Maine; but when I returned, August 8th, two out of the six worms remained nearly, if not quite, as bright as at first, I was assured.
the cardinal number that is the sum of five and one
From this reading I had that very day left Concord for the wilds of Maine; but when I returned, August 8th, two out of the six worms remained nearly, if not quite, as bright as at first, I was assured.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading I had that very day left Concord for the wilds of Maine; but when I returned, August 8th, two out of the six worms remained nearly, if not quite, as bright as at first, I was assured.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading I had that very day left Concord for the wilds of Maine; but when I returned, August 8th, two out of the six worms remained nearly, if not quite, as bright as at first, I was assured.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading TO MARSTON WATSON (AT PLYMOUTH).
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading I had that very day left Concord for the wilds of Maine; but when I returned, August 8th, two out of the six worms remained nearly, if not quite, as bright as at first, I was assured.
precisely as stated
From this reading I had that very day left Concord for the wilds of Maine; but when I returned, August 8th, two out of the six worms remained nearly, if not quite, as bright as at first, I was assured.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading I had that very day left Concord for the wilds of Maine; but when I returned, August 8th, two out of the six worms remained nearly, if not quite, as bright as at first, I was assured.
United States telephone engineer who assisted Alexander Graham Bell in his experiments (1854-1934)
From this reading TO MARSTON WATSON (AT PLYMOUTH).
at the time that
From this reading I had that very day left Concord for the wilds of Maine; but when I returned, August 8th, two out of the six worms remained nearly, if not quite, as bright as at first, I was assured.
plural of “wild” — a wild primitive state untouched by civilization
From this reading I had that very day left Concord for the wilds of Maine; but when I returned, August 8th, two out of the six worms remained nearly, if not quite, as bright as at first, I was assured.
plural of “worm” — any of numerous relatively small elongated soft-bodied animals especially of the phyla Annelida and Chaetognatha and Nematoda and Nemertea and Platyhelminthes; also many insect larvae
From this reading I had that very day left Concord for the wilds of Maine; but when I returned, August 8th, two out of the six worms remained nearly, if not quite, as bright as at first, I was assured.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading WATSON,--I am much indebted to you for your glowing communication of July 20th.
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading WATSON,--I am much indebted to you for your glowing communication of July 20th.
Chapter 12 of Familiar Letters — Volume 06 by Henry David Thoreau holds 400 sentences, grouped into 80 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 400 sentences of Familiar Letters — Volume 06, unabridged, divided into 80 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 12 of Familiar Letters — Volume 06 by Henry David Thoreau exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 400 sentences, grouped into 80 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 80 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 80 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 Familiar Letters — Volume 06 by Henry David Thoreau on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 7534 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #43523 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #43523, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 1507 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Familiar Letters — Volume 06 section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 19 chapters of Familiar Letters — Volume 06 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 Familiar Letters — Volume 06, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
