Chapter 1 of Ingersollia is here in full — 399 sentences across 80 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of Ingersollia is here in full — 399 sentences across 80 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Colonel Robert G. Ingersoll occupies a unique position. He is to a large extent the product of his own generation. A man of the times, for the times. He has had no predecessor, he will have no successor. Such a man was impossible a hundred years ago; the probabilities are that a century hence no such man will be needed.
Chapter 1 of Ingersollia is here in full — 399 sentences across 80 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/79 · 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.
all the people living at the same time or of approximately the same age
From this reading “He is to a large extent the product of his own generation.”
for this reason
From this reading “Such a man was impossible a hundred years ago; the probabilities are that a century hence no such man will be needed.”
third-person singular of “occupy” — keep busy with
From this reading “Colonel Robert G. Ingersoll occupies a unique position.”
one who precedes you in time (as in holding a position or office)
From this reading “He has had no predecessor, he will have no successor.”
plural of “probability” — a measure of how likely it is that some event will occur; a number expressing the ratio of favorable cases to the whole number of cases possible
From this reading “Such a man was impossible a hundred years ago; the probabilities are that a century hence no such man will be needed.”
commodities offered for sale
From this reading “He is to a large extent the product of his own generation.”
a person who follows next in order
From this reading “He has had no predecessor, he will have no successor.”
radically distinctive and without equal
From this reading “Colonel Robert G. Ingersoll occupies a unique position.”
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 “Such a man was impossible a hundred years ago; the probabilities are that a century hence no such man will be needed.”
In this reading “He is to a large extent the product of his own generation.”
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 Colonel Robert G. Ingersoll occupies a unique position.
in the past
From this reading Such a man was impossible a hundred years ago; the probabilities are that a century hence no such man will be needed.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Such a man was impossible a hundred years ago; the probabilities are that a century hence no such man will be needed.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Such a man was impossible a hundred years ago; the probabilities are that a century hence no such man will be needed.
a period of 100 years
From this reading Such a man was impossible a hundred years ago; the probabilities are that a century hence no such man will be needed.
a commissioned military officer in the United States Army or Air Force or Marines who ranks above a lieutenant colonel and below a brigadier general
From this reading Colonel Robert G. Ingersoll occupies a unique position.
the point or degree to which something extends
From this reading He is to a large extent the product of his own generation.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading A man of the times, for the times.
a metric unit of weight equal to one thousandth of a kilogram
From this reading Colonel Robert G. Ingersoll occupies a unique position.
all the people living at the same time or of approximately the same age
From this reading He is to a large extent the product of his own generation.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading He has had no predecessor, he will have no successor.
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading He has had no predecessor, he will have no successor.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading He has had no predecessor, he will have no successor.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He is to a large extent the product of his own generation.
for this reason
From this reading Such a man was impossible a hundred years ago; the probabilities are that a century hence no such man will be needed.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading He is to a large extent the product of his own generation.
ten 10s
From this reading Such a man was impossible a hundred years ago; the probabilities are that a century hence no such man will be needed.
not capable of occurring or being accomplished or dealt with
From this reading Such a man was impossible a hundred years ago; the probabilities are that a century hence no such man will be needed.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Colonel Robert G. Ingersoll occupies a unique position.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading He is to a large extent the product of his own generation.
above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading He is to a large extent the product of his own generation.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading A man of the times, for the times.
necessary for relief or supply
From this reading Such a man was impossible a hundred years ago; the probabilities are that a century hence no such man will be needed.
not any; not one
From this reading He has had no predecessor, he will have no successor.
third-person singular of “occupy” — keep busy with
From this reading Colonel Robert G. Ingersoll occupies a unique position.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading He is to a large extent the product of his own generation.
have ownership or possession of
From this reading He is to a large extent the product of his own generation.
the particular portion of space occupied by something
From this reading Colonel Robert G. Ingersoll occupies a unique position.
one who precedes you in time (as in holding a position or office)
From this reading He has had no predecessor, he will have no successor.
plural of “probability” — a measure of how likely it is that some event will occur; a number expressing the ratio of favorable cases to the whole number of cases possible
From this reading Such a man was impossible a hundred years ago; the probabilities are that a century hence no such man will be needed.
commodities offered for sale
From this reading He is to a large extent the product of his own generation.
United States parliamentary authority and author (in 1876) of Robert's Rules of Order (1837-1923)
From this reading Colonel Robert G. Ingersoll occupies a unique position.
a person who follows next in order
From this reading He has had no predecessor, he will have no successor.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading Such a man was impossible a hundred years ago; the probabilities are that a century hence no such man will be needed.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Such a man was impossible a hundred years ago; the probabilities are that a century hence no such man will be needed.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading He is to a large extent the product of his own generation.
a more or less definite period of time now or previously present
From this reading A man of the times, for the times.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading He is to a large extent the product of his own generation.
radically distinctive and without equal
From this reading Colonel Robert G. Ingersoll occupies a unique position.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Such a man was impossible a hundred years ago; the probabilities are that a century hence no such man will be needed.
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading He has had no predecessor, he will have no successor.
a late time of life
From this reading Such a man was impossible a hundred years ago; the probabilities are that a century hence no such man will be needed.
Chapter 1 of Ingersollia by Robert Green Ingersoll holds 399 sentences, grouped into 80 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 399 sentences of Ingersollia, unabridged, divided into 80 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of Ingersollia by Robert Green Ingersoll exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 399 sentences, grouped into 80 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 80 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 80 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 1 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 Ingersollia by Robert Green Ingersoll on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3993 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #38106 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #38106, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 332 minutes of reading across 799 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Ingersollia section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 10 chapters of Ingersollia 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 Ingersollia, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
