Chapter 14 of Free, and other stories is here in full — 424 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XIV
Chapter 14 of Free, and other stories is here in full — 424 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
“Well, she might, Captain, only she’d hardly be the same old boat that she was now that she’s been down there so long, would she--all these dissensions and so on? Wouldn’t it be easier to build a new one--don’t you think?” “I don’t know but what you’re right, mate. What’d we call her if we did?” “Well, how about the _Harmony_, Captain?
Chapter 14 of Free, and other stories is here in full — 424 sentences across 85 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.
a small vessel for travel on water
From this reading ““Well, she might, Captain, only she’d hardly be the same old boat that she was now that she’s been down there so long, would she--all these dissensions and so on?”
make by combining materials and parts
From this reading “Wouldn’t it be easier to build a new one--don’t you think?””
assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading “What’d we call her if we did?””
an officer holding a rank below a major but above a lieutenant
From this reading ““Well, she might, Captain, only she’d hardly be the same old boat that she was now that she’s been down there so long, would she--all these dissensions and so on?”
comparative of “easy” — posing no difficulty; requiring little effort
From this reading “Wouldn’t it be easier to build a new one--don’t you think?””
only a very short time before
From this reading ““Well, she might, Captain, only she’d hardly be the same old boat that she was now that she’s been down there so long, would she--all these dissensions and so on?”
compatibility in opinion and action
the officer below the master on a commercial ship
From this reading ““I don’t know but what you’re right, mate.”
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.
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 Wouldn’t it be easier to build a new one--don’t you think?”
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading “Well, how about the _Harmony_, Captain?
(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 “Well, she might, Captain, only she’d hardly be the same old boat that she was now that she’s been down there so long, would she--all these dissensions and so on?
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading “Well, she might, Captain, only she’d hardly be the same old boat that she was now that she’s been down there so long, would she--all these dissensions and so on?
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading “Well, she might, Captain, only she’d hardly be the same old boat that she was now that she’s been down there so long, would she--all these dissensions and so on?
the past participle of “be”
From this reading “Well, she might, Captain, only she’d hardly be the same old boat that she was now that she’s been down there so long, would she--all these dissensions and so on?
a small vessel for travel on water
From this reading “Well, she might, Captain, only she’d hardly be the same old boat that she was now that she’s been down there so long, would she--all these dissensions and so on?
make by combining materials and parts
From this reading Wouldn’t it be easier to build a new one--don’t you think?”
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading “I don’t know but what you’re right, mate.
assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading What’d we call her if we did?”
an officer holding a rank below a major but above a lieutenant
From this reading “Well, she might, Captain, only she’d hardly be the same old boat that she was now that she’s been down there so long, would she--all these dissensions and so on?
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading What’d we call her if we did?”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Well, she might, Captain, only she’d hardly be the same old boat that she was now that she’s been down there so long, would she--all these dissensions and so on?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Wouldn’t it be easier to build a new one--don’t you think?”
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading “Well, she might, Captain, only she’d hardly be the same old boat that she was now that she’s been down there so long, would she--all these dissensions and so on?
comparative of “easy” — posing no difficulty; requiring little effort
From this reading Wouldn’t it be easier to build a new one--don’t you think?”
only a very short time before
From this reading “Well, she might, Captain, only she’d hardly be the same old boat that she was now that she’s been down there so long, would she--all these dissensions and so on?
compatibility in opinion and action
From this reading “Well, how about the _Harmony_, Captain?
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading What’d we call her if we did?”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Well, how about the _Harmony_, Captain?
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “I don’t know but what you’re right, mate.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading What’d we call her if we did?”
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Wouldn’t it be easier to build a new one--don’t you think?”
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading “I don’t know but what you’re right, mate.
primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified
From this reading “Well, she might, Captain, only she’d hardly be the same old boat that she was now that she’s been down there so long, would she--all these dissensions and so on?
the officer below the master on a commercial ship
From this reading “I don’t know but what you’re right, mate.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading “Well, she might, Captain, only she’d hardly be the same old boat that she was now that she’s been down there so long, would she--all these dissensions and so on?
not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered
From this reading Wouldn’t it be easier to build a new one--don’t you think?”
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading “Well, she might, Captain, only she’d hardly be the same old boat that she was now that she’s been down there so long, would she--all these dissensions and so on?
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading “Well, she might, Captain, only she’d hardly be the same old boat that she was now that she’s been down there so long, would she--all these dissensions and so on?
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading “Well, she might, Captain, only she’d hardly be the same old boat that she was now that she’s been down there so long, would she--all these dissensions and so on?
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Wouldn’t it be easier to build a new one--don’t you think?”
and nothing more
From this reading “Well, she might, Captain, only she’d hardly be the same old boat that she was now that she’s been down there so long, would she--all these dissensions and so on?
precisely, exactly
From this reading “I don’t know but what you’re right, mate.
Identical; not different.
From this reading “Well, she might, Captain, only she’d hardly be the same old boat that she was now that she’s been down there so long, would she--all these dissensions and so on?
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “Well, she might, Captain, only she’d hardly be the same old boat that she was now that she’s been down there so long, would she--all these dissensions and so on?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Well, she might, Captain, only she’d hardly be the same old boat that she was now that she’s been down there so long, would she--all these dissensions and so on?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Well, she might, Captain, only she’d hardly be the same old boat that she was now that she’s been down there so long, would she--all these dissensions and so on?
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading “Well, she might, Captain, only she’d hardly be the same old boat that she was now that she’s been down there so long, would she--all these dissensions and so on?
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading “Well, she might, Captain, only she’d hardly be the same old boat that she was now that she’s been down there so long, would she--all these dissensions and so on?
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading “Well, she might, Captain, only she’d hardly be the same old boat that she was now that she’s been down there so long, would she--all these dissensions and so on?
in or at that place or location
From this reading “Well, she might, Captain, only she’d hardly be the same old boat that she was now that she’s been down there so long, would she--all these dissensions and so on?
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading “Well, she might, Captain, only she’d hardly be the same old boat that she was now that she’s been down there so long, would she--all these dissensions and so on?
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading Wouldn’t it be easier to build a new one--don’t you think?”
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Wouldn’t it be easier to build a new one--don’t you think?”
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “Well, she might, Captain, only she’d hardly be the same old boat that she was now that she’s been down there so long, would she--all these dissensions and so on?
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading What’d we call her if we did?”
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading “Well, she might, Captain, only she’d hardly be the same old boat that she was now that she’s been down there so long, would she--all these dissensions and so on?
used to ask for information about something
From this reading “I don’t know but what you’re right, mate.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading What’d we call her if we did?”
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading “Well, she might, Captain, only she’d hardly be the same old boat that she was now that she’s been down there so long, would she--all these dissensions and so on?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Wouldn’t it be easier to build a new one--don’t you think?”
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading Wouldn’t it be easier to build a new one--don’t you think?”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “I don’t know but what you’re right, mate.
Chapter 14 of Free, and other stories by Theodore Dreiser holds 424 sentences, grouped into 85 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 14 holds 424 sentences of Free, and other stories, unabridged, divided into 85 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 14 of Free, and other stories by Theodore Dreiser exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 424 sentences, grouped into 85 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 85 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 85 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 14 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 Free, and other stories by Theodore Dreiser on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 6241 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #68542 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #68542, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 520 minutes of reading across 1249 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Free, and other stories section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 15 chapters of Free, and other stories 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 Free, and other stories, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
