Finkler's Field

Chapter VI

Chapter 6 of Finkler's Field is here in full — 251 sentences across 51 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Ralph Henry Barbour • Curated US English Learning Edition

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

THREE OUT Sam noiselessly closed the stairway door and subsided on the lower step, a prey to disappointment.

To win by Perkins was out of the question, while to reach the stable end of the building, where the stalls were, he would have to cross the room diagonally and be in plain sight of Perkins the whole distance.

Of course, he might do it so quietly as not to be heard, but that was doubtful; and after he had reached the stalls he might find himself unable to leave the building.

He must try for some other avenue of escape.

Back up the stairs he went and turned toward the loft in which was stored the hay and grain.

Narrator

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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English

LEARNER DICTIONARY

Archivist

/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/

Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Chapter VI Reading 1/50

Finkler's Field Ralph Henry Barbour

Chapter VI

Chapter 6 of Finkler's Field is here in full — 251 sentences across 51 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

THREE OUT Sam noiselessly closed the stairway door and subsided on the lower step, a prey to disappointment. To win by Perkins was out of the question, while to reach the stable end of the building, where the stalls were, he would have to cross the room diagonally and be in plain sight of Perkins the whole distance. Of course, he might do it so quietly as not to be heard, but that was doubtful; and after he had reached the stalls he might find himself unable to leave the building. He must try for some other avenue of escape. Back up the stairs he went and turned toward the loft in which was stored the hay and grain.

Finkler's Field

Chapter VI

Chapter 6 of Finkler's Field is here in full — 251 sentences across 51 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/50 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

THREE OUT Sam noiselessly closed the stairway door and subsided on the lower step, a prey to disappointment.

Line 2

Line 3

Of course, he might do it so quietly as not to be heard, but that was doubtful; and after he had reached the stalls he might find himself unable to leave the building.

/ʌv kɔːrs hiː maɪt duː ɪt soʊ ˈkwaɪətli æz nɑːt tuː biː hɜːrd bʌt ðæt wɑːz ˈdaʊtfəl ənd ˈæftər hiː hæd riːtʃt ðə stɔːlz hiː maɪt faɪnd hɪmˈself əˈneɪbəl tuː liːv ðə ˈbɪldɪŋ/

Line 4

He must try for some other avenue of escape.

/hiː mʌst traɪ fɔːr sʌm ˈʌðər ˈævənuː ʌv ɪˈskeɪp/

Line 5

Back up the stairs he went and turned toward the loft in which was stored the hay and grain.

/bæk ʌp ðə sterz hiː went ənd tɜːrnd təˈwɔːrd ðə lɔːft ɪn wɪtʃ wɑːz stɔːrd ðə heɪ ənd ɡreɪn/

Learner Dictionary

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.

diagonally adverb US /daɪˈæɡənəli/

in a diagonal manner

From this reading “To win by Perkins was out of the question, while to reach the stable end of the building, where the stalls were, he would have to cross the room diagonally and be in plain sight of Perkins the whole distance.”

grain noun US /ɡreɪn/

a relatively small granular particle of a substance

From this reading “Back up the stairs he went and turned toward the loft in which was stored the hay and grain.”

hay noun US /heɪ/

grass mowed and cured for use as fodder

From this reading “Back up the stairs he went and turned toward the loft in which was stored the hay and grain.”

loft noun US /lɔːft/

floor consisting of a large unpartitioned space over a factory or warehouse or other commercial space

From this reading “Back up the stairs he went and turned toward the loft in which was stored the hay and grain.”

stairway noun US /ˈsterweɪ/

a way of access (upward and downward) consisting of a set of steps

From this reading “THREE OUT Sam noiselessly closed the stairway door and subsided on the lower step, a prey to disappointment.”

stalls noun US /stɔːlz/

a farm building for housing horses or other livestock

stored verb US /stɔːrd/

past form of “store” — keep or lay aside for future use

From this reading “Back up the stairs he went and turned toward the loft in which was stored the hay and grain.”

subsided verb US /səbˈsaɪdɪd/

past form of “subside” — wear off or die down

From this reading “THREE OUT Sam noiselessly closed the stairway door and subsided on the lower step, a prey to disappointment.”

Word partnerships in these lines

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.

plain sight adjective + noun

In this reading “To win by Perkins was out of the question, while to reach the stable end of the building, where the stalls were, he would have to cross the room diagonally and be in plain sight of Perkins the whole distance.”

Of course preposition + noun

as might be expected

In this reading “Of course, he might do it so quietly as not to be heard, but that was doubtful; and after he had reached the stalls he might find himself unable to leave the building.”

lower step verb + noun

In this reading “THREE OUT Sam noiselessly closed the stairway door and subsided on the lower step, a prey to disappointment.”

All words in this reading · 80

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.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading THREE OUT Sam noiselessly closed the stairway door and subsided on the lower step, a prey to disappointment.

afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading Of course, he might do it so quietly as not to be heard, but that was doubtful; and after he had reached the stalls he might find himself unable to leave the building.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading THREE OUT Sam noiselessly closed the stairway door and subsided on the lower step, a prey to disappointment.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading Of course, he might do it so quietly as not to be heard, but that was doubtful; and after he had reached the stalls he might find himself unable to leave the building.

avenuenounUS /ˈævənuː/

a line of approach

From this reading He must try for some other avenue of escape.

BackadverbUS /bæk/

in or to or toward a former location

From this reading Back up the stairs he went and turned toward the loft in which was stored the hay and grain.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading To win by Perkins was out of the question, while to reach the stable end of the building, where the stalls were, he would have to cross the room diagonally and be in plain sight of Perkins the whole distance.

buildingnounUS /ˈbɪldɪŋ/

a structure that has a roof and walls and stands more or less permanently in one place

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading Of course, he might do it so quietly as not to be heard, but that was doubtful; and after he had reached the stalls he might find himself unable to leave the building.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

closedadjectiveUS /kloʊzd/

not open or affording passage or access

From this reading THREE OUT Sam noiselessly closed the stairway door and subsided on the lower step, a prey to disappointment.

coursenounUS /kɔːrs/

education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings

From this reading Of course, he might do it so quietly as not to be heard, but that was doubtful; and after he had reached the stalls he might find himself unable to leave the building.

crossverbUS /krɔːs/

travel across or pass over

diagonallyadverbUS /daɪˈæɡənəli/

in a diagonal manner

disappointmentnounUS /ˌdɪsəˈpɔɪntmənt/

a feeling of dissatisfaction that results when your expectations are not realized

From this reading THREE OUT Sam noiselessly closed the stairway door and subsided on the lower step, a prey to disappointment.

distancenounUS /ˈdɪstəns/

the property created by the space between two objects or points

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading Of course, he might do it so quietly as not to be heard, but that was doubtful; and after he had reached the stalls he might find himself unable to leave the building.

doornounUS /dɔːr/

a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle

From this reading THREE OUT Sam noiselessly closed the stairway door and subsided on the lower step, a prey to disappointment.

doubtfuladjectiveUS /ˈdaʊtfəl/

open to doubt or suspicion

From this reading Of course, he might do it so quietly as not to be heard, but that was doubtful; and after he had reached the stalls he might find himself unable to leave the building.

endnounUS /end/

either extremity of something that has length

escapenounUS /ɪˈskeɪp/

the act of escaping physically

From this reading He must try for some other avenue of escape.

findverbUS /faɪnd/

come upon, as if by accident; meet with

From this reading Of course, he might do it so quietly as not to be heard, but that was doubtful; and after he had reached the stalls he might find himself unable to leave the building.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading He must try for some other avenue of escape.

grainnounUS /ɡreɪn/

a relatively small granular particle of a substance

From this reading Back up the stairs he went and turned toward the loft in which was stored the hay and grain.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading Of course, he might do it so quietly as not to be heard, but that was doubtful; and after he had reached the stalls he might find himself unable to leave the building.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

haynounUS /heɪ/

grass mowed and cured for use as fodder

From this reading Back up the stairs he went and turned toward the loft in which was stored the hay and grain.

hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

heardadjectiveUS /hɜːrd/

detected or perceived by the sense of hearing

From this reading Of course, he might do it so quietly as not to be heard, but that was doubtful; and after he had reached the stalls he might find himself unable to leave the building.

himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/

used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object

From this reading Of course, he might do it so quietly as not to be heard, but that was doubtful; and after he had reached the stalls he might find himself unable to leave the building.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Of course, he might do it so quietly as not to be heard, but that was doubtful; and after he had reached the stalls he might find himself unable to leave the building.

leaveverbUS /liːv/

go away from a place

From this reading Of course, he might do it so quietly as not to be heard, but that was doubtful; and after he had reached the stalls he might find himself unable to leave the building.

loftnounUS /lɔːft/

floor consisting of a large unpartitioned space over a factory or warehouse or other commercial space

From this reading Back up the stairs he went and turned toward the loft in which was stored the hay and grain.

lowerverbUS /ˈloʊər/

move something or somebody to a lower position

From this reading THREE OUT Sam noiselessly closed the stairway door and subsided on the lower step, a prey to disappointment.

mightmodal verbUS /maɪt/

used to say something is possible but not certain

From this reading Of course, he might do it so quietly as not to be heard, but that was doubtful; and after he had reached the stalls he might find himself unable to leave the building.

mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading He must try for some other avenue of escape.

noiselesslyadverb

without a sound

From this reading THREE OUT Sam noiselessly closed the stairway door and subsided on the lower step, a prey to disappointment.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Of course, he might do it so quietly as not to be heard, but that was doubtful; and after he had reached the stalls he might find himself unable to leave the building.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading THREE OUT Sam noiselessly closed the stairway door and subsided on the lower step, a prey to disappointment.

otheradjectiveUS /ˈʌðər/

not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied

From this reading He must try for some other avenue of escape.

OUTadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading THREE OUT Sam noiselessly closed the stairway door and subsided on the lower step, a prey to disappointment.

Perkins

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

plainadjectiveUS /pleɪn/

clearly revealed to the mind or the senses or judgment

preynounUS /preɪ/

a person who is the aim of an attack (especially a victim of ridicule or exploitation) by some hostile person or influence

From this reading THREE OUT Sam noiselessly closed the stairway door and subsided on the lower step, a prey to disappointment.

questionverbUS /ˈkwestʃən/

challenge the accuracy, probity, or propriety of

quietlyadverbUS /ˈkwaɪətli/

with low volume

From this reading Of course, he might do it so quietly as not to be heard, but that was doubtful; and after he had reached the stalls he might find himself unable to leave the building.

reachverbUS /riːtʃ/

reach a destination, either real or abstract

reachedverbUS /riːtʃt/

past form of “reach” — reach a destination, either real or abstract

From this reading Of course, he might do it so quietly as not to be heard, but that was doubtful; and after he had reached the stalls he might find himself unable to leave the building.

roomnounUS /ruːm/

an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling

SamnounUS /sæm/

a guided missile fired from land or shipboard against an airborne target

From this reading THREE OUT Sam noiselessly closed the stairway door and subsided on the lower step, a prey to disappointment.

sightnounUS /saɪt/

an instance of visual perception

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading Of course, he might do it so quietly as not to be heard, but that was doubtful; and after he had reached the stalls he might find himself unable to leave the building.

someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading He must try for some other avenue of escape.

stableadjectiveUS /ˈsteɪbəl/

resistant to change of position or condition

stairsnounUS /sterz/

a flight of stairs or a flight of steps

From this reading Back up the stairs he went and turned toward the loft in which was stored the hay and grain.

stairwaynounUS /ˈsterweɪ/

a way of access (upward and downward) consisting of a set of steps

From this reading THREE OUT Sam noiselessly closed the stairway door and subsided on the lower step, a prey to disappointment.

stallsnounUS /stɔːlz/

a farm building for housing horses or other livestock

stepnounUS /step/

any maneuver made as part of progress toward a goal

From this reading THREE OUT Sam noiselessly closed the stairway door and subsided on the lower step, a prey to disappointment.

storedverbUS /stɔːrd/

past form of “store” — keep or lay aside for future use

From this reading Back up the stairs he went and turned toward the loft in which was stored the hay and grain.

subsidedverbUS /səbˈsaɪdɪd/

past form of “subside” — wear off or die down

From this reading THREE OUT Sam noiselessly closed the stairway door and subsided on the lower step, a prey to disappointment.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Of course, he might do it so quietly as not to be heard, but that was doubtful; and after he had reached the stalls he might find himself unable to leave the building.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading THREE OUT Sam noiselessly closed the stairway door and subsided on the lower step, a prey to disappointment.

THREEnounUS /θriː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one

From this reading THREE OUT Sam noiselessly closed the stairway door and subsided on the lower step, a prey to disappointment.

toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading THREE OUT Sam noiselessly closed the stairway door and subsided on the lower step, a prey to disappointment.

towardprepositionUS /təˈwɔːrd/

in the direction of

From this reading Back up the stairs he went and turned toward the loft in which was stored the hay and grain.

tryverbUS /traɪ/

make an effort or attempt

From this reading He must try for some other avenue of escape.

turnedadjectiveUS /tɜːrnd/

moved around an axis or center

From this reading Back up the stairs he went and turned toward the loft in which was stored the hay and grain.

unableadjectiveUS /əˈneɪbəl/

(usually followed by “to”) not having the necessary means or skill or know-how

From this reading Of course, he might do it so quietly as not to be heard, but that was doubtful; and after he had reached the stalls he might find himself unable to leave the building.

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading Back up the stairs he went and turned toward the loft in which was stored the hay and grain.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

wentverbUS /went/

inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading Back up the stairs he went and turned toward the loft in which was stored the hay and grain.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

whereconjunctionUS /wer/

in or at the place that

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading Back up the stairs he went and turned toward the loft in which was stored the hay and grain.

whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/

during the time that

wholeadjectiveUS /hoʊl/

including all components without exception; being one unit or constituting the full amount or extent or duration; complete

winverbUS /wɪn/

be the winner in a contest or competition; be victorious

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

Chapter 6 of Finkler's Field by Ralph Henry Barbour holds 251 sentences, grouped into 51 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.

What does chapter 6 of Finkler's Field contain?

Chapter 6 holds 251 sentences of Finkler's Field, unabridged, divided into 51 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 6 of Finkler's Field by Ralph Henry Barbour exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 251 sentences, grouped into 51 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.

How do I study chapter 6 of Finkler's Field?

Work through the 51 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 51 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.

Can chapter 6 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 6 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.

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Project Gutenberg eBook #59136, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

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About 249 minutes of reading across 599 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in Finkler's Field

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Chapter VI

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