Chapter 12 of Final Proof is here in full — 420 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XII
Chapter 12 of Final Proof is here in full — 420 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"I should say she was a clever woman." "Just the word. Some, who could say nothing more, said she was altogether too clever. It was this woman who sold me the ruby." "The first acquisition to your collection?"
Chapter 12 of Final Proof is here in full — 420 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/84 · 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 act of contracting or assuming or acquiring possession of something
From this reading “"The first acquisition to your collection?"”
to a complete degree or to the full or entire extent (“whole” is often used informally for “wholly”)
From this reading “Some, who could say nothing more, said she was altogether too clever.”
showing self-interest and shrewdness in dealing with others
From this reading “"I should say she was a clever woman."”
several things grouped together or considered as a whole
From this reading “"The first acquisition to your collection?"”
a transparent piece of ruby that has been cut and polished and is valued as a precious gem
From this reading “It was this woman who sold me the ruby."”
disposed of to a purchaser
From this reading “It was this woman who sold me the ruby."”
an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading “"I should say she was a clever woman."”
a unit of language that native speakers can identify
From this reading “"Just the word.”
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 “"I should say she was a clever woman."”
In this reading “Some, who could say nothing more, said she was altogether too clever.”
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 "I should say she was a clever woman."
the act of contracting or assuming or acquiring possession of something
From this reading "The first acquisition to your collection?"
to a complete degree or to the full or entire extent (“whole” is often used informally for “wholly”)
From this reading Some, who could say nothing more, said she was altogether too clever.
showing self-interest and shrewdness in dealing with others
From this reading "I should say she was a clever woman."
several things grouped together or considered as a whole
From this reading "The first acquisition to your collection?"
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Some, who could say nothing more, said she was altogether too clever.
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading "The first acquisition to your collection?"
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I should say she was a clever woman."
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was this woman who sold me the ruby."
and nothing more
From this reading "Just the word.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading It was this woman who sold me the ruby."
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading Some, who could say nothing more, said she was altogether too clever.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading Some, who could say nothing more, said she was altogether too clever.
a transparent piece of ruby that has been cut and polished and is valued as a precious gem
From this reading It was this woman who sold me the ruby."
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading Some, who could say nothing more, said she was altogether too clever.
express in words
From this reading "I should say she was a clever woman."
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "I should say she was a clever woman."
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading "I should say she was a clever woman."
disposed of to a purchaser
From this reading It was this woman who sold me the ruby."
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading Some, who could say nothing more, said she was altogether too clever.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "Just the word.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading It was this woman who sold me the ruby."
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "The first acquisition to your collection?"
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading Some, who could say nothing more, said she was altogether too clever.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "I should say she was a clever woman."
which person or people
From this reading Some, who could say nothing more, said she was altogether too clever.
an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading "I should say she was a clever woman."
a unit of language that native speakers can identify
From this reading "Just the word.
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "The first acquisition to your collection?"
Chapter 12 of Final Proof by Rodrigues Ottolengui holds 420 sentences, grouped into 84 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 420 sentences of Final Proof, unabridged, divided into 84 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 12 of Final Proof by Rodrigues Ottolengui exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 420 sentences, grouped into 84 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 84 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 84 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 Final Proof by Rodrigues Ottolengui on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 6604 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #35902 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #35902, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 550 minutes of reading across 1321 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Final Proof section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 16 chapters of Final Proof 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 Final Proof, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
