Chapter 5 of From the Ranks is here in full — 435 sentences across 87 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter V
Chapter 5 of From the Ranks is here in full — 435 sentences across 87 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"Beg pardon, sir," said the watchman, gruffly, "but I don't know you. Are you stopping at the hotel?" "I am," said Armitage, coolly, taking his pipe from his lips and blowing a cloud over his other shoulder. "And who may you be?" "I am the watchman; and I do not remember seeing you come to-day."
Chapter 5 of From the Ranks is here in full — 435 sentences across 87 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/87 · 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.
call upon in supplication; entreat
From this reading “"Beg pardon, sir," said the watchman, gruffly, "but I don't know you.”
processing that involves blowing a gas
From this reading “"I am," said Armitage, coolly, taking his pipe from his lips and blowing a cloud over his other shoulder.”
make overcast or cloudy
From this reading “"I am," said Armitage, coolly, taking his pipe from his lips and blowing a cloud over his other shoulder.”
in a composed and unconcerned manner
From this reading “"I am," said Armitage, coolly, taking his pipe from his lips and blowing a cloud over his other shoulder.”
in a gruff manner
From this reading “"Beg pardon, sir," said the watchman, gruffly, "but I don't know you.”
a tube with a small bowl at one end; used for smoking tobacco
From this reading “"I am," said Armitage, coolly, taking his pipe from his lips and blowing a cloud over his other shoulder.”
fastener consisting of a narrow strip of welded metal used to join steel members
From this reading “Are you stopping at the hotel?"”
a guard who keeps watch
From this reading “"Beg pardon, sir," said the watchman, gruffly, "but I don't know you.”
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 am," said Armitage, coolly, taking his pipe from his lips and blowing a cloud over his other shoulder.
the form of “be” used with “I”
From this reading "I am," said Armitage, coolly, taking his pipe from his lips and blowing a cloud over his other shoulder.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "I am," said Armitage, coolly, taking his pipe from his lips and blowing a cloud over his other shoulder.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Are you stopping at the hotel?"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I am," said Armitage, coolly, taking his pipe from his lips and blowing a cloud over his other shoulder.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Are you stopping at the hotel?"
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading "And who may you be?"
call upon in supplication; entreat
From this reading "Beg pardon, sir," said the watchman, gruffly, "but I don't know you.
processing that involves blowing a gas
From this reading "I am," said Armitage, coolly, taking his pipe from his lips and blowing a cloud over his other shoulder.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading "Beg pardon, sir," said the watchman, gruffly, "but I don't know you.
make overcast or cloudy
From this reading "I am," said Armitage, coolly, taking his pipe from his lips and blowing a cloud over his other shoulder.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading "I am the watchman; and I do not remember seeing you come to-day."
in a composed and unconcerned manner
From this reading "I am," said Armitage, coolly, taking his pipe from his lips and blowing a cloud over his other shoulder.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading "I am the watchman; and I do not remember seeing you come to-day."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Beg pardon, sir," said the watchman, gruffly, "but I don't know you.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading "I am," said Armitage, coolly, taking his pipe from his lips and blowing a cloud over his other shoulder.
in a gruff manner
From this reading "Beg pardon, sir," said the watchman, gruffly, "but I don't know you.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading "I am," said Armitage, coolly, taking his pipe from his lips and blowing a cloud over his other shoulder.
a building where travelers can pay for lodging and meals and other services
From this reading Are you stopping at the hotel?"
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "Beg pardon, sir," said the watchman, gruffly, "but I don't know you.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading "Beg pardon, sir," said the watchman, gruffly, "but I don't know you.
plural of “lip” — either of two fleshy folds of tissue that surround the mouth and play a role in speaking
From this reading "I am," said Armitage, coolly, taking his pipe from his lips and blowing a cloud over his other shoulder.
used to say something is possible, or to give permission
From this reading "And who may you be?"
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading "I am the watchman; and I do not remember seeing you come to-day."
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading "I am," said Armitage, coolly, taking his pipe from his lips and blowing a cloud over his other shoulder.
above and across; more than
From this reading "I am," said Armitage, coolly, taking his pipe from his lips and blowing a cloud over his other shoulder.
accept an excuse for
From this reading "Beg pardon, sir," said the watchman, gruffly, "but I don't know you.
a tube with a small bowl at one end; used for smoking tobacco
From this reading "I am," said Armitage, coolly, taking his pipe from his lips and blowing a cloud over his other shoulder.
To recall to mind.
From this reading "I am the watchman; and I do not remember seeing you come to-day."
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "Beg pardon, sir," said the watchman, gruffly, "but I don't know you.
perception by means of the eyes
From this reading "I am the watchman; and I do not remember seeing you come to-day."
lift onto one's shoulders
From this reading "I am," said Armitage, coolly, taking his pipe from his lips and blowing a cloud over his other shoulder.
term of address for a man
From this reading "Beg pardon, sir," said the watchman, gruffly, "but I don't know you.
fastener consisting of a narrow strip of welded metal used to join steel members
From this reading Are you stopping at the hotel?"
the act of someone who picks up or takes something
From this reading "I am," said Armitage, coolly, taking his pipe from his lips and blowing a cloud over his other shoulder.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "Beg pardon, sir," said the watchman, gruffly, "but I don't know you.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I am the watchman; and I do not remember seeing you come to-day."
a guard who keeps watch
From this reading "Beg pardon, sir," said the watchman, gruffly, "but I don't know you.
which person or people
From this reading "And who may you be?"
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Beg pardon, sir," said the watchman, gruffly, "but I don't know you.
Chapter 5 of From the Ranks by Charles King holds 435 sentences, grouped into 87 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 5 holds 435 sentences of From the Ranks, unabridged, divided into 87 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 5 of From the Ranks by Charles King exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 435 sentences, grouped into 87 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 87 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 87 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 5 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 the Ranks by Charles King on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3378 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #16558 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #16558, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 281 minutes of reading across 676 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through From the Ranks section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 8 chapters of From the Ranks 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 the Ranks, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
