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First the Blade: A Comedy of Growth
First the Blade: A Comedy of Growth

Chapter III

Chapter 3 of First the Blade: A Comedy of Growth is here in full — 142 sentences across 29 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for First the Blade: A Comedy of Growth
Context Illustration Reading 1/28 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
As usual, you are perfectly right.
The first thing, I agree, is to decide where to begin; that is, to discover at what period Laura and Justin, who, after all, interest themselves from the days when they were as old as their tongues, and months ahead of their teeth, begin to be interesting to other people.
That is a simple matter?
I believe you think, oh trustful Collaborator, that you have but to drop a suggestion, like a penny in a chocolate machine, for a chapter to roll out, ready written, for your censorship!
Consider the initial difficulties!
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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.

First the Blade: A Comedy of Growth

Chapter III

Chapter 3 of First the Blade: A Comedy of Growth is here in full — 142 sentences across 29 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/28 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
As usual, you are perfectly right.
/æz ˈjuːʒəwəl juː ɑːr ˈpɜːrfəktli raɪt/
Line 2
The first thing, I agree, is to decide where to begin; that is, to discover at what period Laura and Justin, who, after all, interest themselves from the days when they were as old as their tongues, and months ahead of their teeth, begin to be interesting to other people.
Line 3
That is a simple matter?
/ðæt ɪz ə ˈsɪmpəl ˈmætər/
Line 4
I believe you think, oh trustful Collaborator, that you have but to drop a suggestion, like a penny in a chocolate machine, for a chapter to roll out, ready written, for your censorship!
Line 5
Consider the initial difficulties!
/kənˈsɪdər ðə ˌɪˈnɪʃəl ˈdɪfəkəltiz/

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.

censorship noun US /ˈsensərʃɪp/

counterintelligence achieved by banning or deleting any information of value to the enemy

From this reading “I believe you think, oh trustful Collaborator, that you have but to drop a suggestion, like a penny in a chocolate machine, for a chapter to roll out, ready written, for your censorship!”

chocolate noun US /ˈtʃɔːklət/

a beverage made from cocoa powder and milk and sugar; usually drunk hot

From this reading “I believe you think, oh trustful Collaborator, that you have but to drop a suggestion, like a penny in a chocolate machine, for a chapter to roll out, ready written, for your censorship!”

Collaborator noun US /kəˈlæbəreɪtər/

someone who assists in a plot

From this reading “I believe you think, oh trustful Collaborator, that you have but to drop a suggestion, like a penny in a chocolate machine, for a chapter to roll out, ready written, for your censorship!”

decide verb US /ˌdɪˈsaɪd/

reach, make, or come to a decision about something

From this reading “The first thing, I agree, is to decide where to begin; that is, to discover at what period Laura and Justin, who, after all, interest themselves from the days when they were as old as their tongues, and months ahead of their teeth, begin to be interesting to other people.”

difficulties noun US /ˈdɪfəkəltiz/

plural of “difficulty” — an effort that is inconvenient

From this reading “Consider the initial difficulties!”

initial noun US /ˌɪˈnɪʃəl/

the first letter of a word (especially a person's name)

From this reading “Consider the initial difficulties!”

penny noun US /ˈpeni/

a fractional monetary unit of Ireland and the United Kingdom; equal to one hundredth of a pound

From this reading “I believe you think, oh trustful Collaborator, that you have but to drop a suggestion, like a penny in a chocolate machine, for a chapter to roll out, ready written, for your censorship!”

tongues noun US /tʌŋz/

plural of “tongue” — a mobile mass of muscular tissue covered with mucous membrane and located in the oral cavity

From this reading “The first thing, I agree, is to decide where to begin; that is, to discover at what period Laura and Justin, who, after all, interest themselves from the days when they were as old as their tongues, and months ahead of their teeth, begin to be interesting to other people.”

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.

other people adjective + noun

In this reading “The first thing, I agree, is to decide where to begin; that is, to discover at what period Laura and Justin, who, after all, interest themselves from the days when they were as old as their tongues, and months ahead of their teeth, begin to be interesting to other people.”

first thing adjective + noun

In this reading “The first thing, I agree, is to decide where to begin; that is, to discover at what period Laura and Justin, who, after all, interest themselves from the days when they were as old as their tongues, and months ahead of their teeth, begin to be interesting to other people.”

simple matter adjective + noun

In this reading “That is a simple matter?”

All words in this reading · 73

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 That is a simple matter?

afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading The first thing, I agree, is to decide where to begin; that is, to discover at what period Laura and Justin, who, after all, interest themselves from the days when they were as old as their tongues, and months ahead of their teeth, begin to be interesting to other people.

agreeverbUS /əˈɡriː/

be in accord; be in agreement

From this reading The first thing, I agree, is to decide where to begin; that is, to discover at what period Laura and Justin, who, after all, interest themselves from the days when they were as old as their tongues, and months ahead of their teeth, begin to be interesting to other people.

aheadadverbUS /əˈhed/

at or in the front

From this reading The first thing, I agree, is to decide where to begin; that is, to discover at what period Laura and Justin, who, after all, interest themselves from the days when they were as old as their tongues, and months ahead of their teeth, begin to be interesting to other people.

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(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 The first thing, I agree, is to decide where to begin; that is, to discover at what period Laura and Justin, who, after all, interest themselves from the days when they were as old as their tongues, and months ahead of their teeth, begin to be interesting to other people.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading The first thing, I agree, is to decide where to begin; that is, to discover at what period Laura and Justin, who, after all, interest themselves from the days when they were as old as their tongues, and months ahead of their teeth, begin to be interesting to other people.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

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

From this reading As usual, you are perfectly right.

AsconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading As usual, you are perfectly right.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading The first thing, I agree, is to decide where to begin; that is, to discover at what period Laura and Justin, who, after all, interest themselves from the days when they were as old as their tongues, and months ahead of their teeth, begin to be interesting to other people.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading The first thing, I agree, is to decide where to begin; that is, to discover at what period Laura and Justin, who, after all, interest themselves from the days when they were as old as their tongues, and months ahead of their teeth, begin to be interesting to other people.

beginverbUS /bɪˈɡɪn/

take the first step or steps in carrying out an action

From this reading The first thing, I agree, is to decide where to begin; that is, to discover at what period Laura and Justin, who, after all, interest themselves from the days when they were as old as their tongues, and months ahead of their teeth, begin to be interesting to other people.

believeverbUS /bɪˈliːv/

accept as true; take to be true

From this reading I believe you think, oh trustful Collaborator, that you have but to drop a suggestion, like a penny in a chocolate machine, for a chapter to roll out, ready written, for your censorship!

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading I believe you think, oh trustful Collaborator, that you have but to drop a suggestion, like a penny in a chocolate machine, for a chapter to roll out, ready written, for your censorship!

censorshipnounUS /ˈsensərʃɪp/

counterintelligence achieved by banning or deleting any information of value to the enemy

From this reading I believe you think, oh trustful Collaborator, that you have but to drop a suggestion, like a penny in a chocolate machine, for a chapter to roll out, ready written, for your censorship!

chapternounUS /ˈtʃæptər/

a subdivision of a written work; usually numbered and titled

From this reading I believe you think, oh trustful Collaborator, that you have but to drop a suggestion, like a penny in a chocolate machine, for a chapter to roll out, ready written, for your censorship!

chocolatenounUS /ˈtʃɔːklət/

a beverage made from cocoa powder and milk and sugar; usually drunk hot

From this reading I believe you think, oh trustful Collaborator, that you have but to drop a suggestion, like a penny in a chocolate machine, for a chapter to roll out, ready written, for your censorship!

CollaboratornounUS /kəˈlæbəreɪtər/

someone who assists in a plot

From this reading I believe you think, oh trustful Collaborator, that you have but to drop a suggestion, like a penny in a chocolate machine, for a chapter to roll out, ready written, for your censorship!

ConsiderverbUS /kənˈsɪdər/

deem to be

From this reading Consider the initial difficulties!

daysnounUS /deɪz/

the time during which someone's life continues

From this reading The first thing, I agree, is to decide where to begin; that is, to discover at what period Laura and Justin, who, after all, interest themselves from the days when they were as old as their tongues, and months ahead of their teeth, begin to be interesting to other people.

decideverbUS /ˌdɪˈsaɪd/

reach, make, or come to a decision about something

From this reading The first thing, I agree, is to decide where to begin; that is, to discover at what period Laura and Justin, who, after all, interest themselves from the days when they were as old as their tongues, and months ahead of their teeth, begin to be interesting to other people.

difficultiesnounUS /ˈdɪfəkəltiz/

plural of “difficulty” — an effort that is inconvenient

From this reading Consider the initial difficulties!

discoververbUS /dɪˈskʌvər/

discover or determine the existence, presence, or fact of

From this reading The first thing, I agree, is to decide where to begin; that is, to discover at what period Laura and Justin, who, after all, interest themselves from the days when they were as old as their tongues, and months ahead of their teeth, begin to be interesting to other people.

dropverbUS /drɑːp/

let fall to the ground

From this reading I believe you think, oh trustful Collaborator, that you have but to drop a suggestion, like a penny in a chocolate machine, for a chapter to roll out, ready written, for your censorship!

firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading The first thing, I agree, is to decide where to begin; that is, to discover at what period Laura and Justin, who, after all, interest themselves from the days when they were as old as their tongues, and months ahead of their teeth, begin to be interesting to other people.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading I believe you think, oh trustful Collaborator, that you have but to drop a suggestion, like a penny in a chocolate machine, for a chapter to roll out, ready written, for your censorship!

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading The first thing, I agree, is to decide where to begin; that is, to discover at what period Laura and Justin, who, after all, interest themselves from the days when they were as old as their tongues, and months ahead of their teeth, begin to be interesting to other people.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading I believe you think, oh trustful Collaborator, that you have but to drop a suggestion, like a penny in a chocolate machine, for a chapter to roll out, ready written, for your censorship!

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading The first thing, I agree, is to decide where to begin; that is, to discover at what period Laura and Justin, who, after all, interest themselves from the days when they were as old as their tongues, and months ahead of their teeth, begin to be interesting to other people.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading I believe you think, oh trustful Collaborator, that you have but to drop a suggestion, like a penny in a chocolate machine, for a chapter to roll out, ready written, for your censorship!

initialnounUS /ˌɪˈnɪʃəl/

the first letter of a word (especially a person's name)

From this reading Consider the initial difficulties!

interestnounUS /ˈɪntrəst/

a sense of concern with and curiosity about someone or something

From this reading The first thing, I agree, is to decide where to begin; that is, to discover at what period Laura and Justin, who, after all, interest themselves from the days when they were as old as their tongues, and months ahead of their teeth, begin to be interesting to other people.

interestingadjectiveUS /ˈɪntrəstɪŋ/

arousing or holding the attention

From this reading The first thing, I agree, is to decide where to begin; that is, to discover at what period Laura and Justin, who, after all, interest themselves from the days when they were as old as their tongues, and months ahead of their teeth, begin to be interesting to other people.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading The first thing, I agree, is to decide where to begin; that is, to discover at what period Laura and Justin, who, after all, interest themselves from the days when they were as old as their tongues, and months ahead of their teeth, begin to be interesting to other people.

Justin

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

From this reading The first thing, I agree, is to decide where to begin; that is, to discover at what period Laura and Justin, who, after all, interest themselves from the days when they were as old as their tongues, and months ahead of their teeth, begin to be interesting to other people.

Laura

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

From this reading The first thing, I agree, is to decide where to begin; that is, to discover at what period Laura and Justin, who, after all, interest themselves from the days when they were as old as their tongues, and months ahead of their teeth, begin to be interesting to other people.

likeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading I believe you think, oh trustful Collaborator, that you have but to drop a suggestion, like a penny in a chocolate machine, for a chapter to roll out, ready written, for your censorship!

machinenounUS /məˈʃiːn/

any mechanical or electrical device that transmits or modifies energy to perform or assist in the performance of human tasks

From this reading I believe you think, oh trustful Collaborator, that you have but to drop a suggestion, like a penny in a chocolate machine, for a chapter to roll out, ready written, for your censorship!

matternounUS /ˈmætər/

a vaguely specified concern

From this reading That is a simple matter?

monthsnounUS /mʌnθs/

plural of “month” — one of the twelve divisions of the calendar year

From this reading The first thing, I agree, is to decide where to begin; that is, to discover at what period Laura and Justin, who, after all, interest themselves from the days when they were as old as their tongues, and months ahead of their teeth, begin to be interesting to other people.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading The first thing, I agree, is to decide where to begin; that is, to discover at what period Laura and Justin, who, after all, interest themselves from the days when they were as old as their tongues, and months ahead of their teeth, begin to be interesting to other people.

ohnounUS /oʊ/

a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region

From this reading I believe you think, oh trustful Collaborator, that you have but to drop a suggestion, like a penny in a chocolate machine, for a chapter to roll out, ready written, for your censorship!

oldadjectiveUS /oʊld/

(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

From this reading The first thing, I agree, is to decide where to begin; that is, to discover at what period Laura and Justin, who, after all, interest themselves from the days when they were as old as their tongues, and months ahead of their teeth, begin to be interesting to other people.

otheradjectiveUS /ˈʌðər/

not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied

From this reading The first thing, I agree, is to decide where to begin; that is, to discover at what period Laura and Justin, who, after all, interest themselves from the days when they were as old as their tongues, and months ahead of their teeth, begin to be interesting to other people.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading I believe you think, oh trustful Collaborator, that you have but to drop a suggestion, like a penny in a chocolate machine, for a chapter to roll out, ready written, for your censorship!

pennynounUS /ˈpeni/

a fractional monetary unit of Ireland and the United Kingdom; equal to one hundredth of a pound

From this reading I believe you think, oh trustful Collaborator, that you have but to drop a suggestion, like a penny in a chocolate machine, for a chapter to roll out, ready written, for your censorship!

peoplenounUS /ˈpiːpəl/

(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively

From this reading The first thing, I agree, is to decide where to begin; that is, to discover at what period Laura and Justin, who, after all, interest themselves from the days when they were as old as their tongues, and months ahead of their teeth, begin to be interesting to other people.

perfectlyadverbUS /ˈpɜːrfəktli/

completely and without qualification; used informally as intensifiers

From this reading As usual, you are perfectly right.

periodnounUS /ˈpɪriəd/

an amount of time

From this reading The first thing, I agree, is to decide where to begin; that is, to discover at what period Laura and Justin, who, after all, interest themselves from the days when they were as old as their tongues, and months ahead of their teeth, begin to be interesting to other people.

readyadjectiveUS /ˈredi/

completely prepared or in condition for immediate action or use or progress

From this reading I believe you think, oh trustful Collaborator, that you have but to drop a suggestion, like a penny in a chocolate machine, for a chapter to roll out, ready written, for your censorship!

rightadverbUS /raɪt/

precisely, exactly

From this reading As usual, you are perfectly right.

rollverbUS /roʊl/

move by turning over or rotating

From this reading I believe you think, oh trustful Collaborator, that you have but to drop a suggestion, like a penny in a chocolate machine, for a chapter to roll out, ready written, for your censorship!

simpleadjectiveUS /ˈsɪmpəl/

having few parts; not complex or complicated or involved

From this reading That is a simple matter?

suggestionnounUS /səˈdʒestʃən/

an idea that is suggested

From this reading I believe you think, oh trustful Collaborator, that you have but to drop a suggestion, like a penny in a chocolate machine, for a chapter to roll out, ready written, for your censorship!

teethnounUS /tiːθ/

the kind and number and arrangement of teeth (collectively) in a person or animal

From this reading The first thing, I agree, is to decide where to begin; that is, to discover at what period Laura and Justin, who, after all, interest themselves from the days when they were as old as their tongues, and months ahead of their teeth, begin to be interesting to other people.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading The first thing, I agree, is to decide where to begin; that is, to discover at what period Laura and Justin, who, after all, interest themselves from the days when they were as old as their tongues, and months ahead of their teeth, begin to be interesting to other people.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading The first thing, I agree, is to decide where to begin; that is, to discover at what period Laura and Justin, who, after all, interest themselves from the days when they were as old as their tongues, and months ahead of their teeth, begin to be interesting to other people.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading The first thing, I agree, is to decide where to begin; that is, to discover at what period Laura and Justin, who, after all, interest themselves from the days when they were as old as their tongues, and months ahead of their teeth, begin to be interesting to other people.

themselvespronounUS /ðemˈselvz/

used when the people doing the action are also its object

From this reading The first thing, I agree, is to decide where to begin; that is, to discover at what period Laura and Justin, who, after all, interest themselves from the days when they were as old as their tongues, and months ahead of their teeth, begin to be interesting to other people.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading The first thing, I agree, is to decide where to begin; that is, to discover at what period Laura and Justin, who, after all, interest themselves from the days when they were as old as their tongues, and months ahead of their teeth, begin to be interesting to other people.

thingnounUS /θɪŋ/

a special situation

From this reading The first thing, I agree, is to decide where to begin; that is, to discover at what period Laura and Justin, who, after all, interest themselves from the days when they were as old as their tongues, and months ahead of their teeth, begin to be interesting to other people.

thinkverbUS /θɪŋk/

judge or regard; look upon; judge

From this reading I believe you think, oh trustful Collaborator, that you have but to drop a suggestion, like a penny in a chocolate machine, for a chapter to roll out, ready written, for your censorship!

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading The first thing, I agree, is to decide where to begin; that is, to discover at what period Laura and Justin, who, after all, interest themselves from the days when they were as old as their tongues, and months ahead of their teeth, begin to be interesting to other people.

tonguesnounUS /tʌŋz/

plural of “tongue” — a mobile mass of muscular tissue covered with mucous membrane and located in the oral cavity

From this reading The first thing, I agree, is to decide where to begin; that is, to discover at what period Laura and Justin, who, after all, interest themselves from the days when they were as old as their tongues, and months ahead of their teeth, begin to be interesting to other people.

trustfuladjective

inclined to believe or confide readily; full of trust

From this reading I believe you think, oh trustful Collaborator, that you have but to drop a suggestion, like a penny in a chocolate machine, for a chapter to roll out, ready written, for your censorship!

usualadjectiveUS /ˈjuːʒəwəl/

occurring or encountered or experienced or observed frequently or in accordance with regular practice or procedure

From this reading As usual, you are perfectly right.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading The first thing, I agree, is to decide where to begin; that is, to discover at what period Laura and Justin, who, after all, interest themselves from the days when they were as old as their tongues, and months ahead of their teeth, begin to be interesting to other people.

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading The first thing, I agree, is to decide where to begin; that is, to discover at what period Laura and Justin, who, after all, interest themselves from the days when they were as old as their tongues, and months ahead of their teeth, begin to be interesting to other people.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading The first thing, I agree, is to decide where to begin; that is, to discover at what period Laura and Justin, who, after all, interest themselves from the days when they were as old as their tongues, and months ahead of their teeth, begin to be interesting to other people.

whereconjunctionUS /wer/

in or at the place that

From this reading The first thing, I agree, is to decide where to begin; that is, to discover at what period Laura and Justin, who, after all, interest themselves from the days when they were as old as their tongues, and months ahead of their teeth, begin to be interesting to other people.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading The first thing, I agree, is to decide where to begin; that is, to discover at what period Laura and Justin, who, after all, interest themselves from the days when they were as old as their tongues, and months ahead of their teeth, begin to be interesting to other people.

writtenadjectiveUS /ˈrɪtən/

set down in writing in any of various ways

From this reading I believe you think, oh trustful Collaborator, that you have but to drop a suggestion, like a penny in a chocolate machine, for a chapter to roll out, ready written, for your censorship!

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading As usual, you are perfectly right.

yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading I believe you think, oh trustful Collaborator, that you have but to drop a suggestion, like a penny in a chocolate machine, for a chapter to roll out, ready written, for your censorship!

Chapter 3 of First the Blade: A Comedy of Growth by Clemence Dane holds 142 sentences, grouped into 29 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 3 of First the Blade: A Comedy of Growth contain?

Chapter 3 holds 142 sentences of First the Blade: A Comedy of Growth, unabridged, divided into 29 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 3 of First the Blade: A Comedy of Growth by Clemence Dane exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 142 sentences, grouped into 29 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 3 of First the Blade: A Comedy of Growth?

Work through the 29 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 29 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 3 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 3 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.

Questions about reading First the Blade: A Comedy of Growth

Common questions about reading First the Blade: A Comedy of Growth by Clemence Dane on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of First the Blade: A Comedy of Growth?

Yes. All 7010 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #63501 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of First the Blade: A Comedy of Growth is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #63501, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does First the Blade: A Comedy of Growth take to read?

About 584 minutes of reading across 1402 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read First the Blade: A Comedy of Growth section by section

How to work through First the Blade: A Comedy of Growth section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 37 chapters of First the Blade: A Comedy of Growth to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in First the Blade: A Comedy of Growth

Words and structures a reader meets early in First the Blade: A Comedy of Growth, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Clemence
A word that appears in the opening chapter of First the Blade: A Comedy of Growth; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Author
A word that appears in the opening chapter of First the Blade: A Comedy of Growth; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Regiment
A word that appears in the opening chapter of First the Blade: A Comedy of Growth; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Women
A word that appears in the opening chapter of First the Blade: A Comedy of Growth; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.