Chapter 1 of Incidents of childhood is here in full — 411 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of Incidents of childhood is here in full — 411 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
INCIDENTS OF CHILDHOOD. THE TINNER’S SON. _CHILDHOOD_. PREFACE. Fictitious narratives, designed for the perusal of children, should (in the opinion of the Writer) be familiar in their _subjects_ as well as in their style; and slight in their construction: They should hardly aim to excite more than a very transient or superficial emotion.
Chapter 1 of Incidents of childhood is here in full — 411 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.
the act of constructing something
From this reading “Fictitious narratives, designed for the perusal of children, should (in the opinion of the Writer) be familiar in their _subjects_ as well as in their style; and slight in their construction: They should hardly aim to excite more than a very transient or superficial emotion.”
arouse or elicit a feeling
From this reading “Fictitious narratives, designed for the perusal of children, should (in the opinion of the Writer) be familiar in their _subjects_ as well as in their style; and slight in their construction: They should hardly aim to excite more than a very transient or superficial emotion.”
formed or conceived by the imagination
From this reading “Fictitious narratives, designed for the perusal of children, should (in the opinion of the Writer) be familiar in their _subjects_ as well as in their style; and slight in their construction: They should hardly aim to excite more than a very transient or superficial emotion.”
plural of “narrative” — a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program
From this reading “Fictitious narratives, designed for the perusal of children, should (in the opinion of the Writer) be familiar in their _subjects_ as well as in their style; and slight in their construction: They should hardly aim to excite more than a very transient or superficial emotion.”
reading carefully with intent to remember
From this reading “Fictitious narratives, designed for the perusal of children, should (in the opinion of the Writer) be familiar in their _subjects_ as well as in their style; and slight in their construction: They should hardly aim to excite more than a very transient or superficial emotion.”
a short introductory essay preceding the text of a book
From this reading “PREFACE.”
concerned with or comprehending only what is apparent or obvious; not deep or penetrating emotionally or intellectually
From this reading “Fictitious narratives, designed for the perusal of children, should (in the opinion of the Writer) be familiar in their _subjects_ as well as in their style; and slight in their construction: They should hardly aim to excite more than a very transient or superficial emotion.”
one who stays for only a short time
From this reading “Fictitious narratives, designed for the perusal of children, should (in the opinion of the Writer) be familiar in their _subjects_ as well as in their style; and slight in their construction: They should hardly aim to excite more than a very transient or superficial emotion.”
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.
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 Fictitious narratives, designed for the perusal of children, should (in the opinion of the Writer) be familiar in their _subjects_ as well as in their style; and slight in their construction: They should hardly aim to excite more than a very transient or superficial emotion.
point or cause to go (blows, weapons, or objects such as photographic equipment) towards
From this reading Fictitious narratives, designed for the perusal of children, should (in the opinion of the Writer) be familiar in their _subjects_ as well as in their style; and slight in their construction: They should hardly aim to excite more than a very transient or superficial emotion.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Fictitious narratives, designed for the perusal of children, should (in the opinion of the Writer) be familiar in their _subjects_ as well as in their style; and slight in their construction: They should hardly aim to excite more than a very transient or superficial emotion.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Fictitious narratives, designed for the perusal of children, should (in the opinion of the Writer) be familiar in their _subjects_ as well as in their style; and slight in their construction: They should hardly aim to excite more than a very transient or superficial emotion.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Fictitious narratives, designed for the perusal of children, should (in the opinion of the Writer) be familiar in their _subjects_ as well as in their style; and slight in their construction: They should hardly aim to excite more than a very transient or superficial emotion.
the time of person's life when they are a child
From this reading INCIDENTS OF CHILDHOOD.
plural of “child” — a young person of either sex
From this reading Fictitious narratives, designed for the perusal of children, should (in the opinion of the Writer) be familiar in their _subjects_ as well as in their style; and slight in their construction: They should hardly aim to excite more than a very transient or superficial emotion.
the act of constructing something
From this reading Fictitious narratives, designed for the perusal of children, should (in the opinion of the Writer) be familiar in their _subjects_ as well as in their style; and slight in their construction: They should hardly aim to excite more than a very transient or superficial emotion.
done or made or performed with purpose and intent
From this reading Fictitious narratives, designed for the perusal of children, should (in the opinion of the Writer) be familiar in their _subjects_ as well as in their style; and slight in their construction: They should hardly aim to excite more than a very transient or superficial emotion.
any strong feeling
From this reading Fictitious narratives, designed for the perusal of children, should (in the opinion of the Writer) be familiar in their _subjects_ as well as in their style; and slight in their construction: They should hardly aim to excite more than a very transient or superficial emotion.
arouse or elicit a feeling
From this reading Fictitious narratives, designed for the perusal of children, should (in the opinion of the Writer) be familiar in their _subjects_ as well as in their style; and slight in their construction: They should hardly aim to excite more than a very transient or superficial emotion.
well known or easily recognized
From this reading Fictitious narratives, designed for the perusal of children, should (in the opinion of the Writer) be familiar in their _subjects_ as well as in their style; and slight in their construction: They should hardly aim to excite more than a very transient or superficial emotion.
formed or conceived by the imagination
From this reading Fictitious narratives, designed for the perusal of children, should (in the opinion of the Writer) be familiar in their _subjects_ as well as in their style; and slight in their construction: They should hardly aim to excite more than a very transient or superficial emotion.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Fictitious narratives, designed for the perusal of children, should (in the opinion of the Writer) be familiar in their _subjects_ as well as in their style; and slight in their construction: They should hardly aim to excite more than a very transient or superficial emotion.
only a very short time before
From this reading Fictitious narratives, designed for the perusal of children, should (in the opinion of the Writer) be familiar in their _subjects_ as well as in their style; and slight in their construction: They should hardly aim to excite more than a very transient or superficial emotion.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Fictitious narratives, designed for the perusal of children, should (in the opinion of the Writer) be familiar in their _subjects_ as well as in their style; and slight in their construction: They should hardly aim to excite more than a very transient or superficial emotion.
plural of “incident” — a single distinct event
From this reading INCIDENTS OF CHILDHOOD.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading Fictitious narratives, designed for the perusal of children, should (in the opinion of the Writer) be familiar in their _subjects_ as well as in their style; and slight in their construction: They should hardly aim to excite more than a very transient or superficial emotion.
plural of “narrative” — a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program
From this reading Fictitious narratives, designed for the perusal of children, should (in the opinion of the Writer) be familiar in their _subjects_ as well as in their style; and slight in their construction: They should hardly aim to excite more than a very transient or superficial emotion.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading INCIDENTS OF CHILDHOOD.
a personal belief or judgment that is not founded on proof or certainty
From this reading Fictitious narratives, designed for the perusal of children, should (in the opinion of the Writer) be familiar in their _subjects_ as well as in their style; and slight in their construction: They should hardly aim to excite more than a very transient or superficial emotion.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Fictitious narratives, designed for the perusal of children, should (in the opinion of the Writer) be familiar in their _subjects_ as well as in their style; and slight in their construction: They should hardly aim to excite more than a very transient or superficial emotion.
reading carefully with intent to remember
From this reading Fictitious narratives, designed for the perusal of children, should (in the opinion of the Writer) be familiar in their _subjects_ as well as in their style; and slight in their construction: They should hardly aim to excite more than a very transient or superficial emotion.
a short introductory essay preceding the text of a book
From this reading PREFACE.
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading Fictitious narratives, designed for the perusal of children, should (in the opinion of the Writer) be familiar in their _subjects_ as well as in their style; and slight in their construction: They should hardly aim to excite more than a very transient or superficial emotion.
a deliberate discourteous act (usually as an expression of anger or disapproval)
From this reading Fictitious narratives, designed for the perusal of children, should (in the opinion of the Writer) be familiar in their _subjects_ as well as in their style; and slight in their construction: They should hardly aim to excite more than a very transient or superficial emotion.
a male human offspring
From this reading THE TINNER’S SON.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading Fictitious narratives, designed for the perusal of children, should (in the opinion of the Writer) be familiar in their _subjects_ as well as in their style; and slight in their construction: They should hardly aim to excite more than a very transient or superficial emotion.
plural of “subject” — the subject matter of a conversation or discussion
From this reading Fictitious narratives, designed for the perusal of children, should (in the opinion of the Writer) be familiar in their _subjects_ as well as in their style; and slight in their construction: They should hardly aim to excite more than a very transient or superficial emotion.
concerned with or comprehending only what is apparent or obvious; not deep or penetrating emotionally or intellectually
From this reading Fictitious narratives, designed for the perusal of children, should (in the opinion of the Writer) be familiar in their _subjects_ as well as in their style; and slight in their construction: They should hardly aim to excite more than a very transient or superficial emotion.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading Fictitious narratives, designed for the perusal of children, should (in the opinion of the Writer) be familiar in their _subjects_ as well as in their style; and slight in their construction: They should hardly aim to excite more than a very transient or superficial emotion.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE TINNER’S SON.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading Fictitious narratives, designed for the perusal of children, should (in the opinion of the Writer) be familiar in their _subjects_ as well as in their style; and slight in their construction: They should hardly aim to excite more than a very transient or superficial emotion.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Fictitious narratives, designed for the perusal of children, should (in the opinion of the Writer) be familiar in their _subjects_ as well as in their style; and slight in their construction: They should hardly aim to excite more than a very transient or superficial emotion.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE TINNER’S SON.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Fictitious narratives, designed for the perusal of children, should (in the opinion of the Writer) be familiar in their _subjects_ as well as in their style; and slight in their construction: They should hardly aim to excite more than a very transient or superficial emotion.
one who stays for only a short time
From this reading Fictitious narratives, designed for the perusal of children, should (in the opinion of the Writer) be familiar in their _subjects_ as well as in their style; and slight in their construction: They should hardly aim to excite more than a very transient or superficial emotion.
precisely as stated
From this reading Fictitious narratives, designed for the perusal of children, should (in the opinion of the Writer) be familiar in their _subjects_ as well as in their style; and slight in their construction: They should hardly aim to excite more than a very transient or superficial emotion.
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading Fictitious narratives, designed for the perusal of children, should (in the opinion of the Writer) be familiar in their _subjects_ as well as in their style; and slight in their construction: They should hardly aim to excite more than a very transient or superficial emotion.
writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)
From this reading Fictitious narratives, designed for the perusal of children, should (in the opinion of the Writer) be familiar in their _subjects_ as well as in their style; and slight in their construction: They should hardly aim to excite more than a very transient or superficial emotion.
Chapter 1 of Incidents of childhood by Anonymous holds 411 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 1 holds 411 sentences of Incidents of childhood, unabridged, divided into 83 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of Incidents of childhood by Anonymous exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 411 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.
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About 68 minutes of reading across 166 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
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Words and structures a reader meets early in Incidents of childhood, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
