Forward Pass: A Story of the "New Football"

Chapter XXVI

Chapter 26 of Forward Pass: A Story of the "New Football" is here in full — 282 sentences across 57 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Ralph Henry Barbour • Curated US English Learning Edition

Cover illustration for Forward Pass: A Story of the "New Football"

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

“TUBBY” PACKS A BAG Gerald hadn’t seen Dan for several days, and on Saturday he set out shortly before twelve, having gone through the form of eating an early luncheon, with eager steps.

Gerald didn’t use the automobile nowadays when he wanted to merely go around the corner.

Dan had laughed him out of that.

All the way through the Yardley woods and up the hill Gerald tasted in anticipation the delight and excitement of the afternoon’s contest.

The game was to begin at two o’clock and Gerald hoped to have a half-hour with Dan before it.

Narrator

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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English

LEARNER DICTIONARY

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/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/

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A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Chapter XXVI Reading 1/56

Forward Pass: A Story of the "New Football" Ralph Henry Barbour

Chapter XXVI

Chapter 26 of Forward Pass: A Story of the "New Football" is here in full — 282 sentences across 57 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

“TUBBY” PACKS A BAG Gerald hadn’t seen Dan for several days, and on Saturday he set out shortly before twelve, having gone through the form of eating an early luncheon, with eager steps. Gerald didn’t use the automobile nowadays when he wanted to merely go around the corner. Dan had laughed him out of that. All the way through the Yardley woods and up the hill Gerald tasted in anticipation the delight and excitement of the afternoon’s contest. The game was to begin at two o’clock and Gerald hoped to have a half-hour with Dan before it.

Forward Pass: A Story of the "New Football"

Chapter XXVI

Chapter 26 of Forward Pass: A Story of the "New Football" is here in full — 282 sentences across 57 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/56 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

“TUBBY” PACKS A BAG Gerald hadn’t seen Dan for several days, and on Saturday he set out shortly before twelve, having gone through the form of eating an early luncheon, with eager steps.

Line 2

Gerald didn’t use the automobile nowadays when he wanted to merely go around the corner.

Line 3

Dan had laughed him out of that.

Line 4

All the way through the Yardley woods and up the hill Gerald tasted in anticipation the delight and excitement of the afternoon’s contest.

Line 5

The game was to begin at two o’clock and Gerald hoped to have a half-hour with Dan before it.

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.

afternoon's noun US /ˌæftərˈnuːnz/

possessive form of “afternoon” — the part of the day between noon and evening

anticipation noun US /ænˌtɪsəˈpeɪʃən/

an expectation

From this reading “All the way through the Yardley woods and up the hill Gerald tasted in anticipation the delight and excitement of the afternoon’s contest.”

automobile noun US /ˈɔːtəmoʊbiːl/

a motor vehicle with four wheels; usually propelled by an internal combustion engine

From this reading “Gerald didn’t use the automobile nowadays when he wanted to merely go around the corner.”

half-hour noun US /ˈhæfaʊər/

a half of an hour

From this reading “The game was to begin at two o’clock and Gerald hoped to have a half-hour with Dan before it.”

nowadays noun US /ˈnaʊədeɪz/

the period of time that is happening now; any continuous stretch of time including the moment of speech

From this reading “Gerald didn’t use the automobile nowadays when he wanted to merely go around the corner.”

packs noun US /pæks/

plural of “pack” — a large indefinite number

From this reading ““TUBBY” PACKS A BAG Gerald hadn’t seen Dan for several days, and on Saturday he set out shortly before twelve, having gone through the form of eating an early luncheon, with eager steps.”

tasted verb US /ˈteɪstɪd/

past form of “taste” — have flavor; taste of something

From this reading “All the way through the Yardley woods and up the hill Gerald tasted in anticipation the delight and excitement of the afternoon’s contest.”

tubby adjective US /ˈtʌbi/

short and plump

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.

several days adjective + noun

In this reading ““TUBBY” PACKS A BAG Gerald hadn’t seen Dan for several days, and on Saturday he set out shortly before twelve, having gone through the form of eating an early luncheon, with eager steps.”

around the corner preposition + article + noun counted as “around … corner”

In this reading “Gerald didn’t use the automobile nowadays when he wanted to merely go around the corner.”

set out verb + adjective

take the first step or steps in carrying out an action

in anticipation preposition + noun

In this reading “All the way through the Yardley woods and up the hill Gerald tasted in anticipation the delight and excitement of the afternoon’s contest.”

go around verb + particle

be sufficient

In this reading “Gerald didn’t use the automobile nowadays when he wanted to merely go around the corner.”

All words in this reading · 71

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 “TUBBY” PACKS A BAG Gerald hadn’t seen Dan for several days, and on Saturday he set out shortly before twelve, having gone through the form of eating an early luncheon, with eager steps.

afternoon'snounUS /ˌæftərˈnuːnz/

possessive form of “afternoon” — the part of the day between noon and evening

From this reading All the way through the Yardley woods and up the hill Gerald tasted in anticipation the delight and excitement of the afternoon’s contest.

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 All the way through the Yardley woods and up the hill Gerald tasted in anticipation the delight and excitement of the afternoon’s contest.

andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

anticipationnounUS /ænˌtɪsəˈpeɪʃən/

an expectation

From this reading All the way through the Yardley woods and up the hill Gerald tasted in anticipation the delight and excitement of the afternoon’s contest.

aroundprepositionUS /ərˈaʊnd/

surrounding, or on every side of, something

From this reading Gerald didn’t use the automobile nowadays when he wanted to merely go around the corner.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading The game was to begin at two o’clock and Gerald hoped to have a half-hour with Dan before it.

automobilenounUS /ˈɔːtəmoʊbiːl/

a motor vehicle with four wheels; usually propelled by an internal combustion engine

From this reading Gerald didn’t use the automobile nowadays when he wanted to merely go around the corner.

BAGnounUS /bæɡ/

a flexible container with a single opening

beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

beginverbUS /bɪˈɡɪn/

take the first step or steps in carrying out an action

From this reading The game was to begin at two o’clock and Gerald hoped to have a half-hour with Dan before it.

contestnounUS /ˈkɑːntest/

an occasion on which a winner is selected from among two or more contestants

From this reading All the way through the Yardley woods and up the hill Gerald tasted in anticipation the delight and excitement of the afternoon’s contest.

cornernounUS /ˈkɔːrnər/

a place off to the side of an area

From this reading Gerald didn’t use the automobile nowadays when he wanted to merely go around the corner.

Dan

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

daysnounUS /deɪz/

the time during which someone's life continues

delightverbUS /dɪˈlaɪt/

give pleasure to or be pleasing to

From this reading All the way through the Yardley woods and up the hill Gerald tasted in anticipation the delight and excitement of the afternoon’s contest.

didn't

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

From this reading Gerald didn’t use the automobile nowadays when he wanted to merely go around the corner.

eageradjectiveUS /ˈiːɡər/

having or showing keen interest or intense desire or impatient expectancy

earlyadjectiveUS /ˈɜːrli/

at or near the beginning of a period of time or course of events or before the usual or expected time

eatingnounUS /ˈiːtɪŋ/

the act of consuming food

excitementnounUS /ɪkˈsaɪtmənt/

the feeling of lively and cheerful joy

From this reading All the way through the Yardley woods and up the hill Gerald tasted in anticipation the delight and excitement of the afternoon’s contest.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

formnounUS /fɔːrm/

the phonological or orthographic sound or appearance of a word that can be used to describe or identify something

gamenounUS /ɡeɪm/

a contest with rules to determine a winner

From this reading The game was to begin at two o’clock and Gerald hoped to have a half-hour with Dan before it.

Gerald

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

goverbUS /ɡoʊ/

change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading Gerald didn’t use the automobile nowadays when he wanted to merely go around the corner.

goneadjectiveUS /ɡɔːn/

destroyed or killed

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading Dan had laughed him out of that.

hadn't

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

half-hournounUS /ˈhæfaʊər/

a half of an hour

From this reading The game was to begin at two o’clock and Gerald hoped to have a half-hour with Dan before it.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading The game was to begin at two o’clock and Gerald hoped to have a half-hour with Dan before it.

havingauxiliary verbUS /ˈhævɪŋ/

the -ing form of “have”

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

hillnounUS /hɪl/

a local and well-defined elevation of the land

From this reading All the way through the Yardley woods and up the hill Gerald tasted in anticipation the delight and excitement of the afternoon’s contest.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading Dan had laughed him out of that.

hopedverbUS /hoʊpt/

past form of “hope” — expect and wish

From this reading The game was to begin at two o’clock and Gerald hoped to have a half-hour with Dan before it.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading All the way through the Yardley woods and up the hill Gerald tasted in anticipation the delight and excitement of the afternoon’s contest.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading The game was to begin at two o’clock and Gerald hoped to have a half-hour with Dan before it.

laughedverbUS /læft/

past form of “laugh” — produce laughter

From this reading Dan had laughed him out of that.

luncheonnounUS /ˈlʌntʃən/

a midday meal

merelyadverbUS /ˈmɪrli/

and nothing more

From this reading Gerald didn’t use the automobile nowadays when he wanted to merely go around the corner.

nowadaysnounUS /ˈnaʊədeɪz/

the period of time that is happening now; any continuous stretch of time including the moment of speech

From this reading Gerald didn’t use the automobile nowadays when he wanted to merely go around the corner.

o'clockadverbUS /əˈklɑːk/

according to the clock

From this reading The game was to begin at two o’clock and Gerald hoped to have a half-hour with Dan before it.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

PACKSnounUS /pæks/

plural of “pack” — a large indefinite number

SaturdaynounUS /ˈsætərdi/

the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians

seenverbUS /siːn/

inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

setverbUS /set/

put into a certain place or abstract location

severaladjectiveUS /ˈsevrəl/

(used with count nouns) of an indefinite number more than 2 or 3 but not many

shortlyadverbUS /ˈʃɔːrtli/

for a short time

stepsnounUS /steps/

a flight of stairs or a flight of steps

tastedverbUS /ˈteɪstɪd/

past form of “taste” — have flavor; taste of something

From this reading All the way through the Yardley woods and up the hill Gerald tasted in anticipation the delight and excitement of the afternoon’s contest.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Dan had laughed him out of that.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

throughprepositionUS /θruː/

from one end or side of something to the other

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Gerald didn’t use the automobile nowadays when he wanted to merely go around the corner.

TUBBYadjectiveUS /ˈtʌbi/

short and plump

twelvenounUS /twelv/

the cardinal number that is the sum of eleven and one

twonounUS /tuː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading The game was to begin at two o’clock and Gerald hoped to have a half-hour with Dan before it.

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

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

From this reading All the way through the Yardley woods and up the hill Gerald tasted in anticipation the delight and excitement of the afternoon’s contest.

usenounUS /juːs/

the act of using

From this reading Gerald didn’t use the automobile nowadays when he wanted to merely go around the corner.

wantedadjectiveUS /ˈwɔːntɪd/

desired or wished for or sought

From this reading Gerald didn’t use the automobile nowadays when he wanted to merely go around the corner.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading The game was to begin at two o’clock and Gerald hoped to have a half-hour with Dan before it.

waynounUS /weɪ/

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading All the way through the Yardley woods and up the hill Gerald tasted in anticipation the delight and excitement of the afternoon’s contest.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading Gerald didn’t use the automobile nowadays when he wanted to merely go around the corner.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

woodsnounUS /wʊdz/

the trees and other plants in a large densely wooded area

From this reading All the way through the Yardley woods and up the hill Gerald tasted in anticipation the delight and excitement of the afternoon’s contest.

Yardley

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

From this reading All the way through the Yardley woods and up the hill Gerald tasted in anticipation the delight and excitement of the afternoon’s contest.

Chapter 26 of Forward Pass: A Story of the "New Football" by Ralph Henry Barbour holds 282 sentences, grouped into 57 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 26 of Forward Pass: A Story of the "New Football" contain?

Chapter 26 holds 282 sentences of Forward Pass: A Story of the "New Football", unabridged, divided into 57 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 26 of Forward Pass: A Story of the "New Football" by Ralph Henry Barbour exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 282 sentences, grouped into 57 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 26 of Forward Pass: A Story of the "New Football"?

Work through the 57 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 57 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 26 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 26 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 Forward Pass: A Story of the "New Football"

Common questions about reading Forward Pass: A Story of the "New Football" by Ralph Henry Barbour on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Forward Pass: A Story of the "New Football"?

Yes. All 4983 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #55982 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Forward Pass: A Story of the "New Football" is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #55982, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Forward Pass: A Story of the "New Football" take to read?

About 415 minutes of reading across 997 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Forward Pass: A Story of the "New Football" section by section

How to work through Forward Pass: A Story of the "New Football" section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

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Vocabulary met early in Forward Pass: A Story of the "New Football"

Words and structures a reader meets early in Forward Pass: A Story of the "New Football", each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

School: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Forward Pass: A Story of the "New Football"; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Aboa-a-ard: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Forward Pass: A Story of the "New Football"; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Warning: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Forward Pass: A Story of the "New Football"; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Clang: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Forward Pass: A Story of the "New Football"; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

Chapter XXVI

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Vocabulary met early in Forward Pass: A Story of the "New Football"