used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Edward was about a week away from home.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading Edward was about a week away from home.
the state of being absent
From this reading He had often been away before, and his absence had caused no particular commotion: but now it affected a good many people.
acted upon; influenced
From this reading He had often been away before, and his absence had caused no particular commotion: but now it affected a good many people.
ALARMSnounUS /əˈlɑːrmz/
plural of “alarm” — fear resulting from the awareness of danger
From this reading ALARMS.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He had often been away before, and his absence had caused no particular commotion: but now it affected a good many people.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading Edward was about a week away from home.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading To Catherine, if it were possible, it might be said to have been a certain relief.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading He had often been away before, and his absence had caused no particular commotion: but now it affected a good many people.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading He had often been away before, and his absence had caused no particular commotion: but now it affected a good many people.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading He had often been away before, and his absence had caused no particular commotion: but now it affected a good many people.
CatherinenounUS /ˈkæθərən/
first wife of Henry VIII; Henry VIII's divorce from her was the initial step of the Reformation in England (1485-1536)
From this reading To Catherine, if it were possible, it might be said to have been a certain relief.
past form of “cause” — give rise to; cause to happen or occur, not always intentionally
From this reading He had often been away before, and his absence had caused no particular commotion: but now it affected a good many people.
definite but not specified or identified
From this reading To Catherine, if it were possible, it might be said to have been a certain relief.
commotionnounUS /kəˈmoʊʃən/
a disorderly outburst or tumult
From this reading He had often been away before, and his absence had caused no particular commotion: but now it affected a good many people.
King of England and Ireland in 1936; his marriage to Wallis Warfield Simpson created a constitutional crisis leading to his abdication (1894-1972)
From this reading Edward was about a week away from home.
a statement that makes something comprehensible by describing the relevant structure or operation or circumstances etc.
From this reading He and she had got over that explanation when she had intended to say so many things to him, and had found the words taken out of her mouth.
set up or found
From this reading He and she had got over that explanation when she had intended to say so many things to him, and had found the words taken out of her mouth.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Edward was about a week away from home.
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading He had often been away before, and his absence had caused no particular commotion: but now it affected a good many people.
inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading He and she had got over that explanation when she had intended to say so many things to him, and had found the words taken out of her mouth.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading He had often been away before, and his absence had caused no particular commotion: but now it affected a good many people.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading To Catherine, if it were possible, it might be said to have been a certain relief.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He had often been away before, and his absence had caused no particular commotion: but now it affected a good many people.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading He and she had got over that explanation when she had intended to say so many things to him, and had found the words taken out of her mouth.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading He and she had got over that explanation when she had intended to say so many things to him, and had found the words taken out of her mouth.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading He had often been away before, and his absence had caused no particular commotion: but now it affected a good many people.
where you live at a particular time
From this reading Edward was about a week away from home.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading To Catherine, if it were possible, it might be said to have been a certain relief.
resulting from one's intentions
From this reading He and she had got over that explanation when she had intended to say so many things to him, and had found the words taken out of her mouth.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading He had often been away before, and his absence had caused no particular commotion: but now it affected a good many people.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number
From this reading He had often been away before, and his absence had caused no particular commotion: but now it affected a good many people.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading To Catherine, if it were possible, it might be said to have been a certain relief.
the opening through which food is taken in and vocalizations emerge
From this reading He and she had got over that explanation when she had intended to say so many things to him, and had found the words taken out of her mouth.
not any; not one
From this reading He had often been away before, and his absence had caused no particular commotion: but now it affected a good many people.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading He had often been away before, and his absence had caused no particular commotion: but now it affected a good many people.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading He and she had got over that explanation when she had intended to say so many things to him, and had found the words taken out of her mouth.
many times at short intervals
From this reading He had often been away before, and his absence had caused no particular commotion: but now it affected a good many people.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading He and she had got over that explanation when she had intended to say so many things to him, and had found the words taken out of her mouth.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading He and she had got over that explanation when she had intended to say so many things to him, and had found the words taken out of her mouth.
unique or specific to a person or thing or category
From this reading He had often been away before, and his absence had caused no particular commotion: but now it affected a good many people.
(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively
From this reading He had often been away before, and his absence had caused no particular commotion: but now it affected a good many people.
capable of happening or existing
From this reading To Catherine, if it were possible, it might be said to have been a certain relief.
the feeling that comes when something burdensome is removed or reduced
From this reading To Catherine, if it were possible, it might be said to have been a certain relief.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading To Catherine, if it were possible, it might be said to have been a certain relief.
express in words
From this reading He and she had got over that explanation when she had intended to say so many things to him, and had found the words taken out of her mouth.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He and she had got over that explanation when she had intended to say so many things to him, and had found the words taken out of her mouth.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading He and she had got over that explanation when she had intended to say so many things to him, and had found the words taken out of her mouth.
takenadjectiveUS /ˈteɪkən/
understood in a certain way; made sense of
From this reading He and she had got over that explanation when she had intended to say so many things to him, and had found the words taken out of her mouth.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading He and she had got over that explanation when she had intended to say so many things to him, and had found the words taken out of her mouth.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading He and she had got over that explanation when she had intended to say so many things to him, and had found the words taken out of her mouth.
any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)
From this reading He and she had got over that explanation when she had intended to say so many things to him, and had found the words taken out of her mouth.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading To Catherine, if it were possible, it might be said to have been a certain relief.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Edward was about a week away from home.
any period of seven consecutive days
From this reading Edward was about a week away from home.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading To Catherine, if it were possible, it might be said to have been a certain relief.
at the time that
From this reading He and she had got over that explanation when she had intended to say so many things to him, and had found the words taken out of her mouth.
the words that are spoken
From this reading He and she had got over that explanation when she had intended to say so many things to him, and had found the words taken out of her mouth.
