Chapter 13 of Half Portions is here in full — 413 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XIII
Chapter 13 of Half Portions is here in full — 413 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
He did not hesitate. He might have if he had thought a moment, but he acted automatically. He stood before her. "You're Emma Byers, ain't you?" She did not know him at first.
Chapter 13 of Half Portions is here in full — 413 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/82 · 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.
past form of “act” — perform an action, or work out or perform (an action)
From this reading “He might have if he had thought a moment, but he acted automatically.”
in a reflex manner
From this reading “He might have if he had thought a moment, but he acted automatically.”
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading “She did not know him at first.”
pause or hold back in uncertainty or unwillingness
From this reading “He did not hesitate.”
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading “He might have if he had thought a moment, but he acted automatically.”
a particular point in time
From this reading “He might have if he had thought a moment, but he acted automatically.”
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading “He stood before her.”
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading “He might have if he had thought a moment, but he acted automatically.”
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 might have if he had thought a moment, but he acted automatically.
past form of “act” — perform an action, or work out or perform (an action)
From this reading He might have if he had thought a moment, but he acted automatically.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "You're Emma Byers, ain't you?"
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading She did not know him at first.
in a reflex manner
From this reading He might have if he had thought a moment, but he acted automatically.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading He stood before her.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading He might have if he had thought a moment, but he acted automatically.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "You're Emma Byers, ain't you?"
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading He did not hesitate.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "You're Emma Byers, ain't you?"
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading She did not know him at first.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading He might have if he had thought a moment, but he acted automatically.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading He might have if he had thought a moment, but he acted automatically.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He did not hesitate.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading He stood before her.
pause or hold back in uncertainty or unwillingness
From this reading He did not hesitate.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading She did not know him at first.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading He might have if he had thought a moment, but he acted automatically.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading She did not know him at first.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading He might have if he had thought a moment, but he acted automatically.
a particular point in time
From this reading He might have if he had thought a moment, but he acted automatically.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading He did not hesitate.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She did not know him at first.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading He stood before her.
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading He might have if he had thought a moment, but he acted automatically.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "You're Emma Byers, ain't you?"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "You're Emma Byers, ain't you?"
Chapter 13 of Half Portions by Edna Ferber holds 413 sentences, grouped into 83 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 13 holds 413 sentences of Half Portions, unabridged, divided into 83 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 13 of Half Portions by Edna Ferber exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 413 sentences, grouped into 83 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 83 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 83 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 13 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 Half Portions by Edna Ferber on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 5692 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #14714 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #14714, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 474 minutes of reading across 1139 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Half Portions section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 14 chapters of Half Portions 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 Half Portions, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
