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General Bramble
General Bramble

Chapter XIV

Chapter 14 of General Bramble is here in full — 92 sentences across 19 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By André Maurois • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for General Bramble
Context Illustration Reading 1/18 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
THE BEGINNING OF THE END "All the way talking of Russia, which, he says, is a sad place."--Pepys (Sept.
16th, 1664).
For three days our soldiers had been advancing over the devastated plain of the Somme.
The crests of the innumerable shell-holes gave the country the appearance of a sort of frozen angry sea.
The victors were advancing light-heartedly, as though preceded by invisible drums.
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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.

General Bramble

Chapter XIV

Chapter 14 of General Bramble is here in full — 92 sentences across 19 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/18 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
THE BEGINNING OF THE END "All the way talking of Russia, which, he says, is a sad place."--Pepys (Sept.
Line 2
16th, 1664).
Line 3
For three days our soldiers had been advancing over the devastated plain of the Somme.
/fɔːr θriː deɪz ˈaʊər ˈsoʊldʒərz hæd bɪn ədˈvænsɪŋ ˈoʊvər ðə ˈdevəsteɪtɪd pleɪn ʌv ðə sɔːm/
Line 4
The crests of the innumerable shell-holes gave the country the appearance of a sort of frozen angry sea.
Line 5
The victors were advancing light-heartedly, as though preceded by invisible drums.

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.

crests noun US /krests/

plural of “crest” — the top line of a hill, mountain, or wave

From this reading “The crests of the innumerable shell-holes gave the country the appearance of a sort of frozen angry sea.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
devastated verb US /ˈdevəsteɪtɪd/

past form of “devastate” — cause extensive destruction or ruin utterly

From this reading “For three days our soldiers had been advancing over the devastated plain of the Somme.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
drums noun US /drʌmz/

plural of “drum” — a musical percussion instrument; usually consists of a hollow cylinder with a membrane stretched across each end

From this reading “The victors were advancing light-heartedly, as though preceded by invisible drums.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
innumerable adjective US /ˌɪˈnuːmərəbəl/

too numerous to be counted

From this reading “The crests of the innumerable shell-holes gave the country the appearance of a sort of frozen angry sea.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
preceded verb US /prɪˈsiːdɪd/

past form of “precede” — be earlier in time; go back further

From this reading “The victors were advancing light-heartedly, as though preceded by invisible drums.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Sept noun US /sept/

the month following August and preceding October

From this reading “THE BEGINNING OF THE END "All the way talking of Russia, which, he says, is a sad place."--Pepys (Sept.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Somme noun US /sɔːm/

battle of World War II

From this reading “For three days our soldiers had been advancing over the devastated plain of the Somme.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
victors noun US /ˈvɪktərz/

plural of “victor” — a combatant who is able to defeat rivals

From this reading “The victors were advancing light-heartedly, as though preceded by invisible drums.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

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.

three days noun + noun

In this reading “For three days our soldiers had been advancing over the devastated plain of the Somme.”

29,464 times in 225,867 chapters
preceded by verb + particle counted as “precede by”

In this reading “The victors were advancing light-heartedly, as though preceded by invisible drums.”

2,256 times in 225,867 chapters
angry sea adjective + noun

In this reading “The crests of the innumerable shell-holes gave the country the appearance of a sort of frozen angry sea.”

338 times in 225,867 chapters
For three preposition + noun

In this reading “For three days our soldiers had been advancing over the devastated plain of the Somme.”

21,677 times in 225,867 chapters

All words in this reading · 50

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.

1664

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

From this reading 16th, 1664).

Pending verification
16th

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

From this reading 16th, 1664).

Pending verification
adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading THE BEGINNING OF THE END "All the way talking of Russia, which, he says, is a sad place."--Pepys (Sept.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
advancingadjectiveUS /ədˈvænsɪŋ/

moving forward

From this reading For three days our soldiers had been advancing over the devastated plain of the Somme.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
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 BEGINNING OF THE END "All the way talking of Russia, which, he says, is a sad place."--Pepys (Sept.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
angryadjectiveUS /ˈæŋɡri/

feeling or showing anger

From this reading The crests of the innumerable shell-holes gave the country the appearance of a sort of frozen angry sea.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
appearancenounUS /əˈpɪrəns/

outward or visible aspect of a person or thing

From this reading The crests of the innumerable shell-holes gave the country the appearance of a sort of frozen angry sea.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading The victors were advancing light-heartedly, as though preceded by invisible drums.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading For three days our soldiers had been advancing over the devastated plain of the Somme.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
BEGINNINGnounUS /bɪˈɡɪnɪŋ/

the event consisting of the start of something

From this reading THE BEGINNING OF THE END "All the way talking of Russia, which, he says, is a sad place."--Pepys (Sept.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading The victors were advancing light-heartedly, as though preceded by invisible drums.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
countrynounUS /ˈkʌntri/

a politically organized body of people under a single government

From this reading The crests of the innumerable shell-holes gave the country the appearance of a sort of frozen angry sea.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
crestsnounUS /krests/

plural of “crest” — the top line of a hill, mountain, or wave

From this reading The crests of the innumerable shell-holes gave the country the appearance of a sort of frozen angry sea.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
daysnounUS /deɪz/

the time during which someone's life continues

From this reading For three days our soldiers had been advancing over the devastated plain of the Somme.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
devastatedverbUS /ˈdevəsteɪtɪd/

past form of “devastate” — cause extensive destruction or ruin utterly

From this reading For three days our soldiers had been advancing over the devastated plain of the Somme.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
drumsnounUS /drʌmz/

plural of “drum” — a musical percussion instrument; usually consists of a hollow cylinder with a membrane stretched across each end

From this reading The victors were advancing light-heartedly, as though preceded by invisible drums.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ENDnounUS /end/

either extremity of something that has length

From this reading THE BEGINNING OF THE END "All the way talking of Russia, which, he says, is a sad place."--Pepys (Sept.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ForprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading For three days our soldiers had been advancing over the devastated plain of the Somme.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
frozenadjectiveUS /ˈfroʊzən/

turned into ice; affected by freezing or by long and severe cold

From this reading The crests of the innumerable shell-holes gave the country the appearance of a sort of frozen angry sea.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
gaveverbUS /ɡeɪv/

inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense

From this reading The crests of the innumerable shell-holes gave the country the appearance of a sort of frozen angry sea.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading For three days our soldiers had been advancing over the devastated plain of the Somme.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading THE BEGINNING OF THE END "All the way talking of Russia, which, he says, is a sad place."--Pepys (Sept.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
innumerableadjectiveUS /ˌɪˈnuːmərəbəl/

too numerous to be counted

From this reading The crests of the innumerable shell-holes gave the country the appearance of a sort of frozen angry sea.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
invisibleadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈvɪzəbəl/

impossible or nearly impossible to see; imperceptible by the eye

From this reading The victors were advancing light-heartedly, as though preceded by invisible drums.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading THE BEGINNING OF THE END "All the way talking of Russia, which, he says, is a sad place."--Pepys (Sept.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
light-heartedlyadverb

in a light-hearted manner

From this reading The victors were advancing light-heartedly, as though preceded by invisible drums.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
OFprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading THE BEGINNING OF THE END "All the way talking of Russia, which, he says, is a sad place."--Pepys (Sept.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ourdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/

belonging to the speaker and others

From this reading For three days our soldiers had been advancing over the devastated plain of the Somme.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/

above and across; more than

From this reading For three days our soldiers had been advancing over the devastated plain of the Somme.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
Pepysnoun

English diarist whose diary contained detailed descriptions of 17th century disasters in England (1633-1703)

From this reading THE BEGINNING OF THE END "All the way talking of Russia, which, he says, is a sad place."--Pepys (Sept.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
placenounUS /pleɪs/

a point located with respect to surface features of some region

From this reading THE BEGINNING OF THE END "All the way talking of Russia, which, he says, is a sad place."--Pepys (Sept.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
plainadjectiveUS /pleɪn/

clearly revealed to the mind or the senses or judgment

From this reading For three days our soldiers had been advancing over the devastated plain of the Somme.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
precededverbUS /prɪˈsiːdɪd/

past form of “precede” — be earlier in time; go back further

From this reading The victors were advancing light-heartedly, as though preceded by invisible drums.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
RussianounUS /ˈrʌʃə/

a former communist country in eastern Europe and northern Asia; established in 1922; included Russia and 14 other soviet socialist republics (Ukraine and Byelorussia and others); officially dissolved 31 December 1991

From this reading THE BEGINNING OF THE END "All the way talking of Russia, which, he says, is a sad place."--Pepys (Sept.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
sadadjectiveUS /sæd/

experiencing or showing sorrow or unhappiness

From this reading THE BEGINNING OF THE END "All the way talking of Russia, which, he says, is a sad place."--Pepys (Sept.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
saysnounUS /sez/

plural of “say” — the chance to speak

From this reading THE BEGINNING OF THE END "All the way talking of Russia, which, he says, is a sad place."--Pepys (Sept.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
seanounUS /siː/

a division of an ocean or a large body of salt water partially enclosed by land

From this reading The crests of the innumerable shell-holes gave the country the appearance of a sort of frozen angry sea.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
SeptnounUS /sept/

the month following August and preceding October

From this reading THE BEGINNING OF THE END "All the way talking of Russia, which, he says, is a sad place."--Pepys (Sept.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
shell-holes

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

From this reading The crests of the innumerable shell-holes gave the country the appearance of a sort of frozen angry sea.

Pending verification
soldiersnounUS /ˈsoʊldʒərz/

plural of “soldier” — an enlisted man or woman who serves in an army

From this reading For three days our soldiers had been advancing over the devastated plain of the Somme.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
SommenounUS /sɔːm/

battle of World War II

From this reading For three days our soldiers had been advancing over the devastated plain of the Somme.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
sortnounUS /sɔːrt/

a category of things distinguished by some common characteristic or quality

From this reading The crests of the innumerable shell-holes gave the country the appearance of a sort of frozen angry sea.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
talkingnounUS /ˈtɔːkɪŋ/

an exchange of ideas via conversation

From this reading THE BEGINNING OF THE END "All the way talking of Russia, which, he says, is a sad place."--Pepys (Sept.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading THE BEGINNING OF THE END "All the way talking of Russia, which, he says, is a sad place."--Pepys (Sept.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thoughconjunctionUS /ðoʊ/

in spite of the fact that

From this reading The victors were advancing light-heartedly, as though preceded by invisible drums.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
threenounUS /θriː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one

From this reading For three days our soldiers had been advancing over the devastated plain of the Somme.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
victorsnounUS /ˈvɪktərz/

plural of “victor” — a combatant who is able to defeat rivals

From this reading The victors were advancing light-heartedly, as though preceded by invisible drums.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
waynounUS /weɪ/

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading THE BEGINNING OF THE END "All the way talking of Russia, which, he says, is a sad place."--Pepys (Sept.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading The victors were advancing light-heartedly, as though preceded by invisible drums.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading THE BEGINNING OF THE END "All the way talking of Russia, which, he says, is a sad place."--Pepys (Sept.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary

Chapter 14 of General Bramble by André Maurois holds 92 sentences, grouped into 19 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 14 of General Bramble contain?

Chapter 14 holds 92 sentences of General Bramble, unabridged, divided into 19 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 14 of General Bramble by André Maurois exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 92 sentences, grouped into 19 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 14 of General Bramble?

Work through the 19 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 19 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 14 be read aloud to me?

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.

Questions about reading General Bramble

Common questions about reading General Bramble by André Maurois on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of General Bramble?

Yes. All 1495 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #30596 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of General Bramble is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #30596, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does General Bramble take to read?

About 124 minutes of reading across 299 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read General Bramble section by section

How to work through General Bramble section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 18 chapters of General Bramble 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 General Bramble

Words and structures a reader meets early in General Bramble, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Picture
A word that appears in the opening chapter of General Bramble; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Represents
A word that appears in the opening chapter of General Bramble; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Depends
A word that appears in the opening chapter of General Bramble; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Looks
A word that appears in the opening chapter of General Bramble; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.