Chapter 27 of In the Van is here in full — 110 sentences across 22 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XXVII
Chapter 27 of In the Van is here in full — 110 sentences across 22 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"Are you still playing fast and loose with Captain Morris?" Eugenia asked as she and her sister were dressing for dinner. "I never play fast and loose with anyone," was Maud's answer. "I explained everything to him a month ago, why repeat it again now?" "He is devoted to you, surely you must have a preference."
Chapter 27 of In the Van is here in full — 110 sentences across 22 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/22 · 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.
any person at all
From this reading “"I never play fast and loose with anyone," was Maud's answer.”
zealous in devotion or affection
From this reading “"He is devoted to you, surely you must have a preference."”
savory dressings for salads; basically of two kinds: either the thin French or vinaigrette type or the creamy mayonnaise type
From this reading “Eugenia asked as she and her sister were dressing for dinner.”
tropical trees and shrubs with aromatic leaves and often valuable hard wood
From this reading “Eugenia asked as she and her sister were dressing for dinner.”
not compact or dense in structure or arrangement
From this reading “"Are you still playing fast and loose with Captain Morris?"”
United States suffragist in Wyoming (1814-1902)
From this reading “"Are you still playing fast and loose with Captain Morris?"”
a strong liking
From this reading “"He is devoted to you, surely you must have a preference."”
to say, state, or perform again
From this reading “"I explained everything to him a month ago, why repeat it again now?"”
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 “Eugenia asked as she and her sister were dressing for dinner.”
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 "I explained everything to him a month ago, why repeat it again now?"
anew
From this reading "I explained everything to him a month ago, why repeat it again now?"
in the past
From this reading "I explained everything to him a month ago, why repeat it again now?"
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "Are you still playing fast and loose with Captain Morris?"
react verbally
From this reading "I never play fast and loose with anyone," was Maud's answer.
any person at all
From this reading "I never play fast and loose with anyone," was Maud's answer.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading "Are you still playing fast and loose with Captain Morris?"
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Eugenia asked as she and her sister were dressing for dinner.
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading Eugenia asked as she and her sister were dressing for dinner.
an officer holding a rank below a major but above a lieutenant
From this reading "Are you still playing fast and loose with Captain Morris?"
zealous in devotion or affection
From this reading "He is devoted to you, surely you must have a preference."
the main meal of the day served in the evening or at midday
From this reading Eugenia asked as she and her sister were dressing for dinner.
savory dressings for salads; basically of two kinds: either the thin French or vinaigrette type or the creamy mayonnaise type
From this reading Eugenia asked as she and her sister were dressing for dinner.
tropical trees and shrubs with aromatic leaves and often valuable hard wood
From this reading Eugenia asked as she and her sister were dressing for dinner.
all things; all of a situation
From this reading "I explained everything to him a month ago, why repeat it again now?"
past form of “explain” — make plain and comprehensible
From this reading "I explained everything to him a month ago, why repeat it again now?"
quickly or rapidly (often used as a combining form)
From this reading "Are you still playing fast and loose with Captain Morris?"
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Eugenia asked as she and her sister were dressing for dinner.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading "He is devoted to you, surely you must have a preference."
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "He is devoted to you, surely you must have a preference."
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Eugenia asked as she and her sister were dressing for dinner.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "I explained everything to him a month ago, why repeat it again now?"
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I never play fast and loose with anyone," was Maud's answer.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "He is devoted to you, surely you must have a preference."
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "I explained everything to him a month ago, why repeat it again now?"
not compact or dense in structure or arrangement
From this reading "Are you still playing fast and loose with Captain Morris?"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I never play fast and loose with anyone," was Maud's answer.
one of the twelve divisions of the calendar year
From this reading "I explained everything to him a month ago, why repeat it again now?"
United States suffragist in Wyoming (1814-1902)
From this reading "Are you still playing fast and loose with Captain Morris?"
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading "He is devoted to you, surely you must have a preference."
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading "I never play fast and loose with anyone," was Maud's answer.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading "I explained everything to him a month ago, why repeat it again now?"
participate in games or sport
From this reading "I never play fast and loose with anyone," was Maud's answer.
the act of playing a musical instrument
From this reading "Are you still playing fast and loose with Captain Morris?"
a strong liking
From this reading "He is devoted to you, surely you must have a preference."
to say, state, or perform again
From this reading "I explained everything to him a month ago, why repeat it again now?"
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Eugenia asked as she and her sister were dressing for dinner.
a female person who has the same parents as another person
From this reading Eugenia asked as she and her sister were dressing for dinner.
not in physical motion
From this reading "Are you still playing fast and loose with Captain Morris?"
definitely or positively (“sure” is sometimes used informally for “surely”)
From this reading "He is devoted to you, surely you must have a preference."
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "I explained everything to him a month ago, why repeat it again now?"
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "I never play fast and loose with anyone," was Maud's answer.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Eugenia asked as she and her sister were dressing for dinner.
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading "I explained everything to him a month ago, why repeat it again now?"
in the company of; together with
From this reading "Are you still playing fast and loose with Captain Morris?"
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Are you still playing fast and loose with Captain Morris?"
Chapter 27 of In the Van by John Price-Brown holds 110 sentences, grouped into 22 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 27 holds 110 sentences of In the Van, unabridged, divided into 22 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 27 of In the Van by John Price-Brown exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 110 sentences, grouped into 22 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 22 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 22 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 27 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 In the Van by John Price-Brown on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 5208 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #35203 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #35203, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 434 minutes of reading across 1042 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through In the Van section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 39 chapters of In the Van 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 In the Van, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
