Chapter 2 of Grammar-land is here in full — 88 sentences across 18 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of Grammar-land is here in full — 88 sentences across 18 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
MR. NOUN. The first Part-of-Speech that was called was Mr. Noun. He is a stout big fellow, very well dressed, for he does not mind showing that he is very rich. As Mr. Noun came forward, Serjeant Parsing rose, put his pen behind his ear, arranged his papers on the table before him, and looking at Mr. Noun through his eye-glass, asked: “What is your name?”
Chapter 2 of Grammar-land is here in full — 88 sentences across 18 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/17 · 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.
disposed or placed in a particular kind of order
From this reading “As Mr. Noun came forward, Serjeant Parsing rose, put his pen behind his ear, arranged his papers on the table before him, and looking at Mr. Noun through his eye-glass, asked: “What is your name?””
dressed or clothed especially in fine attire; often used in combination
From this reading “He is a stout big fellow, very well dressed, for he does not mind showing that he is very rich.”
a content word that can be used to refer to a person, place, thing, quality, or action
From this reading “NOUN.”
writing that provides information (especially information of an official nature)
From this reading “As Mr. Noun came forward, Serjeant Parsing rose, put his pen behind his ear, arranged his papers on the table before him, and looking at Mr. Noun through his eye-glass, asked: “What is your name?””
-ing form of “parse” — analyze syntactically by assigning a constituent structure to (a sentence)
From this reading “As Mr. Noun came forward, Serjeant Parsing rose, put his pen behind his ear, arranged his papers on the table before him, and looking at Mr. Noun through his eye-glass, asked: “What is your name?””
a writing implement with a point from which ink flows
From this reading “As Mr. Noun came forward, Serjeant Parsing rose, put his pen behind his ear, arranged his papers on the table before him, and looking at Mr. Noun through his eye-glass, asked: “What is your name?””
the display of a motion picture
From this reading “He is a stout big fellow, very well dressed, for he does not mind showing that he is very rich.”
dependable
From this reading “He is a stout big fellow, very well dressed, for he does not mind showing that he is very rich.”
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.
In this reading “He is a stout big fellow, very well dressed, for he does not mind showing that he is very rich.”
make oneself visible; take action
In this reading “As Mr. Noun came forward, Serjeant Parsing rose, put his pen behind his ear, arranged his papers on the table before him, and looking at Mr. Noun through his eye-glass, asked: “What is your name?””
able to be negotiated or arranged by compromise
In this reading “As Mr. Noun came forward, Serjeant Parsing rose, put his pen behind his ear, arranged his papers on the table before him, and looking at Mr. Noun through his eye-glass, asked: “What is your name?””
In this reading “He is a stout big fellow, very well dressed, for he does not mind showing that he is very rich.”
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 He is a stout big fellow, very well dressed, for he does not mind showing that he is very rich.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading As Mr. Noun came forward, Serjeant Parsing rose, put his pen behind his ear, arranged his papers on the table before him, and looking at Mr. Noun through his eye-glass, asked: “What is your name?”
disposed or placed in a particular kind of order
From this reading As Mr. Noun came forward, Serjeant Parsing rose, put his pen behind his ear, arranged his papers on the table before him, and looking at Mr. Noun through his eye-glass, asked: “What is your name?”
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading As Mr. Noun came forward, Serjeant Parsing rose, put his pen behind his ear, arranged his papers on the table before him, and looking at Mr. Noun through his eye-glass, asked: “What is your name?”
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading As Mr. Noun came forward, Serjeant Parsing rose, put his pen behind his ear, arranged his papers on the table before him, and looking at Mr. Noun through his eye-glass, asked: “What is your name?”
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading As Mr. Noun came forward, Serjeant Parsing rose, put his pen behind his ear, arranged his papers on the table before him, and looking at Mr. Noun through his eye-glass, asked: “What is your name?”
earlier than; in front of
From this reading As Mr. Noun came forward, Serjeant Parsing rose, put his pen behind his ear, arranged his papers on the table before him, and looking at Mr. Noun through his eye-glass, asked: “What is your name?”
at or toward the back of something
From this reading As Mr. Noun came forward, Serjeant Parsing rose, put his pen behind his ear, arranged his papers on the table before him, and looking at Mr. Noun through his eye-glass, asked: “What is your name?”
above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading He is a stout big fellow, very well dressed, for he does not mind showing that he is very rich.
past form of “call” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading The first Part-of-Speech that was called was Mr. Noun.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading As Mr. Noun came forward, Serjeant Parsing rose, put his pen behind his ear, arranged his papers on the table before him, and looking at Mr. Noun through his eye-glass, asked: “What is your name?”
the form of “do” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading He is a stout big fellow, very well dressed, for he does not mind showing that he is very rich.
dressed or clothed especially in fine attire; often used in combination
From this reading He is a stout big fellow, very well dressed, for he does not mind showing that he is very rich.
the sense organ for hearing and equilibrium
From this reading As Mr. Noun came forward, Serjeant Parsing rose, put his pen behind his ear, arranged his papers on the table before him, and looking at Mr. Noun through his eye-glass, asked: “What is your name?”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As Mr. Noun came forward, Serjeant Parsing rose, put his pen behind his ear, arranged his papers on the table before him, and looking at Mr. Noun through his eye-glass, asked: “What is your name?”
a boy or man
From this reading He is a stout big fellow, very well dressed, for he does not mind showing that he is very rich.
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading The first Part-of-Speech that was called was Mr. Noun.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading He is a stout big fellow, very well dressed, for he does not mind showing that he is very rich.
at or to or toward the front
From this reading As Mr. Noun came forward, Serjeant Parsing rose, put his pen behind his ear, arranged his papers on the table before him, and looking at Mr. Noun through his eye-glass, asked: “What is your name?”
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He is a stout big fellow, very well dressed, for he does not mind showing that he is very rich.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading As Mr. Noun came forward, Serjeant Parsing rose, put his pen behind his ear, arranged his papers on the table before him, and looking at Mr. Noun through his eye-glass, asked: “What is your name?”
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading As Mr. Noun came forward, Serjeant Parsing rose, put his pen behind his ear, arranged his papers on the table before him, and looking at Mr. Noun through his eye-glass, asked: “What is your name?”
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading He is a stout big fellow, very well dressed, for he does not mind showing that he is very rich.
the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually
From this reading As Mr. Noun came forward, Serjeant Parsing rose, put his pen behind his ear, arranged his papers on the table before him, and looking at Mr. Noun through his eye-glass, asked: “What is your name?”
The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.
From this reading He is a stout big fellow, very well dressed, for he does not mind showing that he is very rich.
a form of address for a man
From this reading MR.
assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading As Mr. Noun came forward, Serjeant Parsing rose, put his pen behind his ear, arranged his papers on the table before him, and looking at Mr. Noun through his eye-glass, asked: “What is your name?”
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading He is a stout big fellow, very well dressed, for he does not mind showing that he is very rich.
a content word that can be used to refer to a person, place, thing, quality, or action
From this reading NOUN.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading As Mr. Noun came forward, Serjeant Parsing rose, put his pen behind his ear, arranged his papers on the table before him, and looking at Mr. Noun through his eye-glass, asked: “What is your name?”
writing that provides information (especially information of an official nature)
From this reading As Mr. Noun came forward, Serjeant Parsing rose, put his pen behind his ear, arranged his papers on the table before him, and looking at Mr. Noun through his eye-glass, asked: “What is your name?”
-ing form of “parse” — analyze syntactically by assigning a constituent structure to (a sentence)
From this reading As Mr. Noun came forward, Serjeant Parsing rose, put his pen behind his ear, arranged his papers on the table before him, and looking at Mr. Noun through his eye-glass, asked: “What is your name?”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The first Part-of-Speech that was called was Mr. Noun.
a writing implement with a point from which ink flows
From this reading As Mr. Noun came forward, Serjeant Parsing rose, put his pen behind his ear, arranged his papers on the table before him, and looking at Mr. Noun through his eye-glass, asked: “What is your name?”
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading As Mr. Noun came forward, Serjeant Parsing rose, put his pen behind his ear, arranged his papers on the table before him, and looking at Mr. Noun through his eye-glass, asked: “What is your name?”
possessing material wealth
From this reading He is a stout big fellow, very well dressed, for he does not mind showing that he is very rich.
any of many shrubs of the genus Rosa that bear roses
From this reading As Mr. Noun came forward, Serjeant Parsing rose, put his pen behind his ear, arranged his papers on the table before him, and looking at Mr. Noun through his eye-glass, asked: “What is your name?”
an English barrister of the highest rank
From this reading As Mr. Noun came forward, Serjeant Parsing rose, put his pen behind his ear, arranged his papers on the table before him, and looking at Mr. Noun through his eye-glass, asked: “What is your name?”
the display of a motion picture
From this reading He is a stout big fellow, very well dressed, for he does not mind showing that he is very rich.
dependable
From this reading He is a stout big fellow, very well dressed, for he does not mind showing that he is very rich.
a set of data arranged in rows and columns
From this reading As Mr. Noun came forward, Serjeant Parsing rose, put his pen behind his ear, arranged his papers on the table before him, and looking at Mr. Noun through his eye-glass, asked: “What is your name?”
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The first Part-of-Speech that was called was Mr. Noun.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The first Part-of-Speech that was called was Mr. Noun.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading As Mr. Noun came forward, Serjeant Parsing rose, put his pen behind his ear, arranged his papers on the table before him, and looking at Mr. Noun through his eye-glass, asked: “What is your name?”
precisely as stated
From this reading He is a stout big fellow, very well dressed, for he does not mind showing that he is very rich.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The first Part-of-Speech that was called was Mr. Noun.
(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 He is a stout big fellow, very well dressed, for he does not mind showing that he is very rich.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading As Mr. Noun came forward, Serjeant Parsing rose, put his pen behind his ear, arranged his papers on the table before him, and looking at Mr. Noun through his eye-glass, asked: “What is your name?”
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading As Mr. Noun came forward, Serjeant Parsing rose, put his pen behind his ear, arranged his papers on the table before him, and looking at Mr. Noun through his eye-glass, asked: “What is your name?”
Chapter 2 of Grammar-land by M. L. Nesbitt holds 88 sentences, grouped into 18 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 2 holds 88 sentences of Grammar-land, unabridged, divided into 18 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of Grammar-land by M. L. Nesbitt exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 88 sentences, grouped into 18 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 18 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 18 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 2 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 Grammar-land by M. L. Nesbitt on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 1319 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #66712 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #66712, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 109 minutes of reading across 264 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Grammar-land section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 18 chapters of Grammar-land 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 Grammar-land, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
