Chapter 36 of Helen Ford is here in full — 241 sentences across 49 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XXXVI
Chapter 36 of Helen Ford is here in full — 241 sentences across 49 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
MR. SHARP MAKES AN IMPORTANT COMMUNICATION. Helen was engaged in rinsing up the breakfast dishes, thinking busily meantime what could be done for Herbert, when a gentle tap called her to the door. Wondering a little at so early a call, she looked up to meet the smiling face of Mr. Sharp. “Good morning, Mr. Sharp,” she said, politely.
Chapter 36 of Helen Ford is here in full — 241 sentences across 49 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/48 · 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.
in a busy manner
From this reading “Helen was engaged in rinsing up the breakfast dishes, thinking busily meantime what could be done for Herbert, when a gentle tap called her to the door.”
the activity of communicating; the activity of conveying information
From this reading “SHARP MAKES AN IMPORTANT COMMUNICATION.”
plural of “dish” — a piece of dishware normally used as a container for holding or serving food
From this reading “Helen was engaged in rinsing up the breakfast dishes, thinking busily meantime what could be done for Herbert, when a gentle tap called her to the door.”
United States musician and composer and conductor noted for his comic operas (1859-1924)
From this reading “Helen was engaged in rinsing up the breakfast dishes, thinking busily meantime what could be done for Herbert, when a gentle tap called her to the door.”
the time between one event, process, or period and another
From this reading “Helen was engaged in rinsing up the breakfast dishes, thinking busily meantime what could be done for Herbert, when a gentle tap called her to the door.”
in a polite manner
From this reading ““Good morning, Mr. Sharp,” she said, politely.”
the removal of soap with clean water in the final stage of washing
From this reading “Helen was engaged in rinsing up the breakfast dishes, thinking busily meantime what could be done for Herbert, when a gentle tap called her to the door.”
cut a female screw thread with a tap
From this reading “Helen was engaged in rinsing up the breakfast dishes, thinking busily meantime what could be done for Herbert, when a gentle tap called her to the door.”
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 “Helen was engaged in rinsing up the breakfast dishes, thinking busily meantime what could be done for Herbert, when a gentle tap called her to the door.”
In this reading “Wondering a little at so early a call, she looked up to meet the smiling face of Mr. Sharp.”
seek information from
In this reading “Wondering a little at so early a call, she looked up to meet the smiling face of Mr. Sharp.”
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 Helen was engaged in rinsing up the breakfast dishes, thinking busily meantime what could be done for Herbert, when a gentle tap called her to the door.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading SHARP MAKES AN IMPORTANT COMMUNICATION.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Wondering a little at so early a call, she looked up to meet the smiling face of Mr. Sharp.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Helen was engaged in rinsing up the breakfast dishes, thinking busily meantime what could be done for Herbert, when a gentle tap called her to the door.
eat an early morning meal
From this reading Helen was engaged in rinsing up the breakfast dishes, thinking busily meantime what could be done for Herbert, when a gentle tap called her to the door.
in a busy manner
From this reading Helen was engaged in rinsing up the breakfast dishes, thinking busily meantime what could be done for Herbert, when a gentle tap called her to the door.
assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading Wondering a little at so early a call, she looked up to meet the smiling face of Mr. Sharp.
past form of “call” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading Helen was engaged in rinsing up the breakfast dishes, thinking busily meantime what could be done for Herbert, when a gentle tap called her to the door.
the activity of communicating; the activity of conveying information
From this reading SHARP MAKES AN IMPORTANT COMMUNICATION.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Helen was engaged in rinsing up the breakfast dishes, thinking busily meantime what could be done for Herbert, when a gentle tap called her to the door.
plural of “dish” — a piece of dishware normally used as a container for holding or serving food
From this reading Helen was engaged in rinsing up the breakfast dishes, thinking busily meantime what could be done for Herbert, when a gentle tap called her to the door.
having finished or arrived at completion
From this reading Helen was engaged in rinsing up the breakfast dishes, thinking busily meantime what could be done for Herbert, when a gentle tap called her to the door.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading Helen was engaged in rinsing up the breakfast dishes, thinking busily meantime what could be done for Herbert, when a gentle tap called her to the door.
at or near the beginning of a period of time or course of events or before the usual or expected time
From this reading Wondering a little at so early a call, she looked up to meet the smiling face of Mr. Sharp.
having ones attention or mind or energy engaged
From this reading Helen was engaged in rinsing up the breakfast dishes, thinking busily meantime what could be done for Herbert, when a gentle tap called her to the door.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading Wondering a little at so early a call, she looked up to meet the smiling face of Mr. Sharp.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Helen was engaged in rinsing up the breakfast dishes, thinking busily meantime what could be done for Herbert, when a gentle tap called her to the door.
soft and mild; not harsh or stern or severe
From this reading Helen was engaged in rinsing up the breakfast dishes, thinking busily meantime what could be done for Herbert, when a gentle tap called her to the door.
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading “Good morning, Mr. Sharp,” she said, politely.
(Greek mythology) the beautiful daughter of Zeus and Leda who was abducted by Paris; the Greek army sailed to Troy to get her back which resulted in the Trojan War
From this reading Helen was engaged in rinsing up the breakfast dishes, thinking busily meantime what could be done for Herbert, when a gentle tap called her to the door.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Helen was engaged in rinsing up the breakfast dishes, thinking busily meantime what could be done for Herbert, when a gentle tap called her to the door.
United States musician and composer and conductor noted for his comic operas (1859-1924)
From this reading Helen was engaged in rinsing up the breakfast dishes, thinking busily meantime what could be done for Herbert, when a gentle tap called her to the door.
of great significance or value
From this reading SHARP MAKES AN IMPORTANT COMMUNICATION.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Helen was engaged in rinsing up the breakfast dishes, thinking busily meantime what could be done for Herbert, when a gentle tap called her to the door.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Wondering a little at so early a call, she looked up to meet the smiling face of Mr. Sharp.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading Wondering a little at so early a call, she looked up to meet the smiling face of Mr. Sharp.
plural of “make” — a recognizable kind
From this reading SHARP MAKES AN IMPORTANT COMMUNICATION.
the time between one event, process, or period and another
From this reading Helen was engaged in rinsing up the breakfast dishes, thinking busily meantime what could be done for Herbert, when a gentle tap called her to the door.
come together
From this reading Wondering a little at so early a call, she looked up to meet the smiling face of Mr. Sharp.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading “Good morning, Mr. Sharp,” she said, politely.
a form of address for a man
From this reading MR.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Wondering a little at so early a call, she looked up to meet the smiling face of Mr. Sharp.
in a polite manner
From this reading “Good morning, Mr. Sharp,” she said, politely.
the removal of soap with clean water in the final stage of washing
From this reading Helen was engaged in rinsing up the breakfast dishes, thinking busily meantime what could be done for Herbert, when a gentle tap called her to the door.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “Good morning, Mr. Sharp,” she said, politely.
(of something seen or heard) clearly defined
From this reading SHARP MAKES AN IMPORTANT COMMUNICATION.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Wondering a little at so early a call, she looked up to meet the smiling face of Mr. Sharp.
a facial expression characterized by turning up the corners of the mouth; usually shows pleasure or amusement
From this reading Wondering a little at so early a call, she looked up to meet the smiling face of Mr. Sharp.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading Wondering a little at so early a call, she looked up to meet the smiling face of Mr. Sharp.
cut a female screw thread with a tap
From this reading Helen was engaged in rinsing up the breakfast dishes, thinking busily meantime what could be done for Herbert, when a gentle tap called her to the door.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Helen was engaged in rinsing up the breakfast dishes, thinking busily meantime what could be done for Herbert, when a gentle tap called her to the door.
the process of using your mind to consider something carefully
From this reading Helen was engaged in rinsing up the breakfast dishes, thinking busily meantime what could be done for Herbert, when a gentle tap called her to the door.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Helen was engaged in rinsing up the breakfast dishes, thinking busily meantime what could be done for Herbert, when a gentle tap called her to the door.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading Helen was engaged in rinsing up the breakfast dishes, thinking busily meantime what could be done for Herbert, when a gentle tap called her to the door.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Helen was engaged in rinsing up the breakfast dishes, thinking busily meantime what could be done for Herbert, when a gentle tap called her to the door.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading Helen was engaged in rinsing up the breakfast dishes, thinking busily meantime what could be done for Herbert, when a gentle tap called her to the door.
at the time that
From this reading Helen was engaged in rinsing up the breakfast dishes, thinking busily meantime what could be done for Herbert, when a gentle tap called her to the door.
showing curiosity
From this reading Wondering a little at so early a call, she looked up to meet the smiling face of Mr. Sharp.
Chapter 36 of Helen Ford by Horatio, Jr. Alger holds 241 sentences, grouped into 49 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 36 holds 241 sentences of Helen Ford, unabridged, divided into 49 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 36 of Helen Ford by Horatio, Jr. Alger exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 241 sentences, grouped into 49 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 49 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 49 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 36 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 Helen Ford by Horatio, Jr. Alger on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 5561 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #53868 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #53868, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 463 minutes of reading across 1113 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Helen Ford section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 39 chapters of Helen Ford 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 Helen Ford, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
