Chapter I
Chapter 1 of Gretchen: A Novel is here in full — 94 sentences across 19 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
POPULAR NOVELS. _MRS. MARY J. HOLMES_. TEMPEST AND SUNSHINE. ENGLISH ORPHANS.
Gretchen: A Novel
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of Gretchen: A Novel is here in full — 94 sentences across 19 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
English subtitles · tap any word to listen
1 / 5
POPULAR
NOVELS.
_MRS.
MARY
J.
HOLMES_.
TEMPEST
AND
SUNSHINE.
ENGLISH
ORPHANS.
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Gretchen: A Novel
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of Gretchen: A Novel is here in full — 94 sentences across 19 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/18 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
Line 1
POPULAR
NOVELS.
/ˈpɑːpjələr ˈnɑːvəlz/
Line 2
_MRS.
/ˈmɪsɪz/
Line 3
MARY
J.
HOLMES_.
/ˈmeri dʒeɪ hoʊmz/
Line 4
TEMPEST
AND
SUNSHINE.
/ˈtempəst ənd ˈsʌnʃaɪn/
Line 5
ENGLISH
ORPHANS.
/ˈɪŋɡlɪʃ ˈɔːrfənz/
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.
an Indo-European language belonging to the West Germanic branch; the official language of Britain and the United States and most of the commonwealth countries
From this reading “ENGLISH ORPHANS.”
holmes
noun
US /hoʊmz/
a fictitious detective in stories by A. Conan Doyle
the mother of Jesus; Christians refer to her as the Virgin Mary; she is especially honored by Roman Catholics
From this reading “MARY J. HOLMES_.”
novels
noun
US /ˈnɑːvəlz/
plural of “novel” — an extended fictional work in prose; usually in the form of a story
From this reading “POPULAR NOVELS.”
orphans
noun
US /ˈɔːrfənz/
plural of “orphan” — a child who has lost both parents
From this reading “ENGLISH ORPHANS.”
regarded with great favor, approval, or affection especially by the general public
From this reading “POPULAR NOVELS.”
the rays of the sun
From this reading “TEMPEST AND SUNSHINE.”
tempest
noun
US /ˈtempəst/
a violent commotion or disturbance
From this reading “TEMPEST AND SUNSHINE.”
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.
POPULAR NOVELS
adjective + noun
counted as “popular novel”
In this reading “POPULAR NOVELS.”
All words in this reading · 11
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 to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading TEMPEST AND SUNSHINE.
an Indo-European language belonging to the West Germanic branch; the official language of Britain and the United States and most of the commonwealth countries
From this reading ENGLISH ORPHANS.
HOLMESnounUS /hoʊmz/
a fictitious detective in stories by A. Conan Doyle
From this reading MARY J. HOLMES_.
a unit of electrical energy equal to the work done when a current of one ampere passes through a resistance of one ohm for one second
From this reading MARY J. HOLMES_.
the mother of Jesus; Christians refer to her as the Virgin Mary; she is especially honored by Roman Catholics
From this reading MARY J. HOLMES_.
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading _MRS.
NOVELSnounUS /ˈnɑːvəlz/
plural of “novel” — an extended fictional work in prose; usually in the form of a story
From this reading POPULAR NOVELS.
ORPHANSnounUS /ˈɔːrfənz/
plural of “orphan” — a child who has lost both parents
From this reading ENGLISH ORPHANS.
regarded with great favor, approval, or affection especially by the general public
From this reading POPULAR NOVELS.
the rays of the sun
From this reading TEMPEST AND SUNSHINE.
TEMPESTnounUS /ˈtempəst/
a violent commotion or disturbance
From this reading TEMPEST AND SUNSHINE.
Chapter 1 of Gretchen: A Novel by Mary Jane Holmes holds 94 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 1 of Gretchen: A Novel contain?
Chapter 1 holds 94 sentences of Gretchen: A Novel, unabridged, divided into 19 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of Gretchen: A Novel by Mary Jane Holmes exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 94 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 1 of Gretchen: A Novel?
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 1 be read aloud to me?
Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 1 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 Gretchen: A Novel
Common questions about reading Gretchen: A Novel by Mary Jane Holmes on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Is this the complete text of Gretchen: A Novel?
Yes. All 7422 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #40702 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Which edition of Gretchen: A Novel is used?
Project Gutenberg eBook #40702, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
How long does Gretchen: A Novel take to read?
About 600 minutes of reading across 1485 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to read Gretchen: A Novel section by section
How to work through Gretchen: A Novel section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
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Vocabulary met early in Gretchen: A Novel
Words and structures a reader meets early in Gretchen: A Novel, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
- Popular
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of Gretchen: A Novel; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Novels
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of Gretchen: A Novel; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Holmes
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of Gretchen: A Novel; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Tempest
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of Gretchen: A Novel; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.