Chapter 3 of From a Bench in Our Square is here in full — 416 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter III
Chapter 3 of From a Bench in Our Square is here in full — 416 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"No one," he said, "has been to see my clocks." I began to perceive that this was a sad little man, and to mislike my errand. "You live here quite alone?" I asked. "Oh, no!" said he quickly.
Chapter 3 of From a Bench in Our Square is here in full — 416 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/83 · 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.
Having no one else present.
From this reading “"You live here quite alone?"”
inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading “I began to perceive that this was a sad little man, and to mislike my errand.”
European weed naturalized in southwestern United States and Mexico having reddish decumbent stems with small fernlike leaves and small deep reddish-lavender flowers followed by slender fruits that stick straight up; often grown for forage
From this reading “"No one," he said, "has been to see my clocks."”
a short trip that is taken in the performance of a necessary task or mission
From this reading “I began to perceive that this was a sad little man, and to mislike my errand.”
be an inhabitant of or reside in
From this reading “"You live here quite alone?"”
to become aware of through the senses
From this reading “I began to perceive that this was a sad little man, and to mislike my errand.”
with speed
From this reading “"Oh, no!" said he quickly.”
experiencing or showing sorrow or unhappiness
From this reading “I began to perceive that this was a sad little man, and to mislike my errand.”
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 began to perceive that this was a sad little man, and to mislike my errand.
Having no one else present.
From this reading "You live here quite alone?"
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading I began to perceive that this was a sad little man, and to mislike my errand.
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading I asked.
the past participle of “be”
From this reading "No one," he said, "has been to see my clocks."
inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading I began to perceive that this was a sad little man, and to mislike my errand.
European weed naturalized in southwestern United States and Mexico having reddish decumbent stems with small fernlike leaves and small deep reddish-lavender flowers followed by slender fruits that stick straight up; often grown for forage
From this reading "No one," he said, "has been to see my clocks."
a short trip that is taken in the performance of a necessary task or mission
From this reading I began to perceive that this was a sad little man, and to mislike my errand.
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "No one," he said, "has been to see my clocks."
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "No one," he said, "has been to see my clocks."
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading "You live here quite alone?"
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I began to perceive that this was a sad little man, and to mislike my errand.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading I began to perceive that this was a sad little man, and to mislike my errand.
be an inhabitant of or reside in
From this reading "You live here quite alone?"
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading I began to perceive that this was a sad little man, and to mislike my errand.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I began to perceive that this was a sad little man, and to mislike my errand.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading "No one," he said, "has been to see my clocks."
not any; not one
From this reading "No one," he said, "has been to see my clocks."
a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region
From this reading "Oh, no!" said he quickly.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading "No one," he said, "has been to see my clocks."
to become aware of through the senses
From this reading I began to perceive that this was a sad little man, and to mislike my errand.
with speed
From this reading "Oh, no!" said he quickly.
to a degree (not used with a negative)
From this reading "You live here quite alone?"
experiencing or showing sorrow or unhappiness
From this reading I began to perceive that this was a sad little man, and to mislike my errand.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "No one," he said, "has been to see my clocks."
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading "No one," he said, "has been to see my clocks."
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading I began to perceive that this was a sad little man, and to mislike my errand.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading I began to perceive that this was a sad little man, and to mislike my errand.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "No one," he said, "has been to see my clocks."
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading I began to perceive that this was a sad little man, and to mislike my errand.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "You live here quite alone?"
Chapter 3 of From a Bench in Our Square by Samuel Hopkins Adams holds 416 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 3 holds 416 sentences of From a Bench in Our Square, unabridged, divided into 84 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 3 of From a Bench in Our Square by Samuel Hopkins Adams exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 416 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 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.
Common questions about reading From a Bench in Our Square by Samuel Hopkins Adams on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4536 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #10944 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #10944, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 378 minutes of reading across 908 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through From a Bench in Our Square section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 11 chapters of From a Bench in Our Square 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 From a Bench in Our Square, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
