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Is Shakespeare Dead? From My Autobiography
Is Shakespeare Dead? From My Autobiography

Chapter IV · Chapter 4

Chapter 4 of Is Shakespeare Dead? From My Autobiography is here in full — 64 sentences across 13 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/12 · 5 lines
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The historians "suppose" that Shakespeare attended the Free School in Stratford from the time he was seven years old till he was thirteen.
There is no _evidence_ in existence that he ever went to school at all.
The historians "infer" that he got his Latin in that school--the school which they "suppose" he attended.
They "suppose" his father's declining fortunes made it necessary for him to leave the school they supposed he attended, and get to work and help support his parents and their ten children.
But there is no evidence that he ever entered or retired from the school they suppose he attended.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Is Shakespeare Dead? From My Autobiography

Chapter IV · Chapter 4

Chapter 4 of Is Shakespeare Dead? From My Autobiography is here in full — 64 sentences across 13 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/12 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
The historians "suppose" that Shakespeare attended the Free School in Stratford from the time he was seven years old till he was thirteen.
Line 2
There is no _evidence_ in existence that he ever went to school at all.
/ðer ɪz noʊ ˈevədəns ɪn eɡˈzɪstəns ðæt hiː ˈevər went tuː skuːl æt ɔːl/
Line 3
The historians "infer" that he got his Latin in that school--the school which they "suppose" he attended.
Line 4
They "suppose" his father's declining fortunes made it necessary for him to leave the school they supposed he attended, and get to work and help support his parents and their ten children.
/ðeɪ səˈpoʊz hɪz ˈfɑːðərz dɪˈklaɪnɪŋ ˈfɔːrtʃənz meɪd ɪt ˈnesəseri fɔːr hɪm tuː liːv ðə skuːl ðeɪ səˈpoʊzd hiː əˈtendɪd ənd ɡet tuː wɜːrk ənd help səˈpɔːrt hɪz ˈperənts ənd ðer ten ˈtʃɪldrən/
Line 5
But there is no evidence that he ever entered or retired from the school they suppose he attended.
/bʌt ðer ɪz noʊ ˈevədəns ðæt hiː ˈevər ˈentərd ɔːr rɪˈtaɪrd frʌm ðə skuːl ðeɪ səˈpoʊz hiː əˈtendɪd/

Learner Dictionary

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.

attended adjective US /əˈtendɪd/

playing or singing with instrumental or vocal accompaniment

From this reading “The historians "suppose" that Shakespeare attended the Free School in Stratford from the time he was seven years old till he was thirteen.”

declining verb US /dɪˈklaɪnɪŋ/

-ing form of “decline” — grow worse

From this reading “They "suppose" his father's declining fortunes made it necessary for him to leave the school they supposed he attended, and get to work and help support his parents and their ten children.”

fortunes noun US /ˈfɔːrtʃənz/

plural of “fortune” — an unknown and unpredictable phenomenon that causes an event to result one way rather than another

From this reading “They "suppose" his father's declining fortunes made it necessary for him to leave the school they supposed he attended, and get to work and help support his parents and their ten children.”

historians noun US /hɪˈstɔːriənz/

plural of “historian” — a person who is an authority on history and who studies it and writes about it

From this reading “The historians "suppose" that Shakespeare attended the Free School in Stratford from the time he was seven years old till he was thirteen.”

infer verb US /ˌɪnˈfɜːr/

reason by deduction; establish by deduction

From this reading “The historians "infer" that he got his Latin in that school--the school which they "suppose" he attended.”

Latin adjective US /ˈlætən/

of or relating to the ancient Latins or the Latin language

From this reading “The historians "infer" that he got his Latin in that school--the school which they "suppose" he attended.”

Shakespeare noun US /ˈʃeɪkspiːr/

English poet and dramatist considered one of the greatest English writers (1564-1616)

From this reading “The historians "suppose" that Shakespeare attended the Free School in Stratford from the time he was seven years old till he was thirteen.”

thirteen noun US /ˈθɜːrˈtiːn/

the cardinal number that is the sum of twelve and one

From this reading “The historians "suppose" that Shakespeare attended the Free School in Stratford from the time he was seven years old till he was thirteen.”

All words in this reading · 58

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.

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading There is no _evidence_ in existence that he ever went to school at all.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading They "suppose" his father's declining fortunes made it necessary for him to leave the school they supposed he attended, and get to work and help support his parents and their ten children.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading There is no _evidence_ in existence that he ever went to school at all.

attendedadjectiveUS /əˈtendɪd/

playing or singing with instrumental or vocal accompaniment

From this reading The historians "suppose" that Shakespeare attended the Free School in Stratford from the time he was seven years old till he was thirteen.

ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading But there is no evidence that he ever entered or retired from the school they suppose he attended.

childrennounUS /ˈtʃɪldrən/

plural of “child” — a young person of either sex

From this reading They "suppose" his father's declining fortunes made it necessary for him to leave the school they supposed he attended, and get to work and help support his parents and their ten children.

decliningverbUS /dɪˈklaɪnɪŋ/

-ing form of “decline” — grow worse

From this reading They "suppose" his father's declining fortunes made it necessary for him to leave the school they supposed he attended, and get to work and help support his parents and their ten children.

enteredverbUS /ˈentərd/

past form of “enter” — to come or go into

From this reading But there is no evidence that he ever entered or retired from the school they suppose he attended.

everadverbUS /ˈevər/

at any time

From this reading There is no _evidence_ in existence that he ever went to school at all.

evidencenounUS /ˈevədəns/

your basis for belief or disbelief; knowledge on which to base belief

From this reading There is no _evidence_ in existence that he ever went to school at all.

existencenounUS /eɡˈzɪstəns/

the state or fact of existing

From this reading There is no _evidence_ in existence that he ever went to school at all.

father'snounUS /ˈfɑːðərz/

possessive form of “father” — a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)

From this reading They "suppose" his father's declining fortunes made it necessary for him to leave the school they supposed he attended, and get to work and help support his parents and their ten children.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading They "suppose" his father's declining fortunes made it necessary for him to leave the school they supposed he attended, and get to work and help support his parents and their ten children.

fortunesnounUS /ˈfɔːrtʃənz/

plural of “fortune” — an unknown and unpredictable phenomenon that causes an event to result one way rather than another

From this reading They "suppose" his father's declining fortunes made it necessary for him to leave the school they supposed he attended, and get to work and help support his parents and their ten children.

FreeverbUS /friː/

grant freedom to; free from confinement

From this reading The historians "suppose" that Shakespeare attended the Free School in Stratford from the time he was seven years old till he was thirteen.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading The historians "suppose" that Shakespeare attended the Free School in Stratford from the time he was seven years old till he was thirteen.

getverbUS /ɡet/

come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

From this reading They "suppose" his father's declining fortunes made it necessary for him to leave the school they supposed he attended, and get to work and help support his parents and their ten children.

gotverbUS /ɡɑːt/

inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

From this reading The historians "infer" that he got his Latin in that school--the school which they "suppose" he attended.

hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading The historians "suppose" that Shakespeare attended the Free School in Stratford from the time he was seven years old till he was thirteen.

helpverbUS /help/

give help or assistance; be of service

From this reading They "suppose" his father's declining fortunes made it necessary for him to leave the school they supposed he attended, and get to work and help support his parents and their ten children.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading They "suppose" his father's declining fortunes made it necessary for him to leave the school they supposed he attended, and get to work and help support his parents and their ten children.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading The historians "infer" that he got his Latin in that school--the school which they "suppose" he attended.

historiansnounUS /hɪˈstɔːriənz/

plural of “historian” — a person who is an authority on history and who studies it and writes about it

From this reading The historians "suppose" that Shakespeare attended the Free School in Stratford from the time he was seven years old till he was thirteen.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading The historians "suppose" that Shakespeare attended the Free School in Stratford from the time he was seven years old till he was thirteen.

inferverbUS /ˌɪnˈfɜːr/

reason by deduction; establish by deduction

From this reading The historians "infer" that he got his Latin in that school--the school which they "suppose" he attended.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading There is no _evidence_ in existence that he ever went to school at all.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading They "suppose" his father's declining fortunes made it necessary for him to leave the school they supposed he attended, and get to work and help support his parents and their ten children.

LatinadjectiveUS /ˈlætən/

of or relating to the ancient Latins or the Latin language

From this reading The historians "infer" that he got his Latin in that school--the school which they "suppose" he attended.

leaveverbUS /liːv/

go away from a place

From this reading They "suppose" his father's declining fortunes made it necessary for him to leave the school they supposed he attended, and get to work and help support his parents and their ten children.

madeadjectiveUS /meɪd/

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading They "suppose" his father's declining fortunes made it necessary for him to leave the school they supposed he attended, and get to work and help support his parents and their ten children.

necessaryadjectiveUS /ˈnesəseri/

absolutely essential

From this reading They "suppose" his father's declining fortunes made it necessary for him to leave the school they supposed he attended, and get to work and help support his parents and their ten children.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading There is no _evidence_ in existence that he ever went to school at all.

oldadjectiveUS /oʊld/

(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

From this reading The historians "suppose" that Shakespeare attended the Free School in Stratford from the time he was seven years old till he was thirteen.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading But there is no evidence that he ever entered or retired from the school they suppose he attended.

parentsnounUS /ˈperənts/

plural of “parent” — a father or mother; one who begets or one who gives birth to or nurtures and raises a child; a relative who plays the role of guardian

From this reading They "suppose" his father's declining fortunes made it necessary for him to leave the school they supposed he attended, and get to work and help support his parents and their ten children.

retiredadjectiveUS /rɪˈtaɪrd/

no longer active in your work or profession

From this reading But there is no evidence that he ever entered or retired from the school they suppose he attended.

SchoolnounUS /skuːl/

an educational institution

From this reading The historians "suppose" that Shakespeare attended the Free School in Stratford from the time he was seven years old till he was thirteen.

sevennounUS /ˈsevən/

the cardinal number that is the sum of six and one

From this reading The historians "suppose" that Shakespeare attended the Free School in Stratford from the time he was seven years old till he was thirteen.

ShakespearenounUS /ˈʃeɪkspiːr/

English poet and dramatist considered one of the greatest English writers (1564-1616)

From this reading The historians "suppose" that Shakespeare attended the Free School in Stratford from the time he was seven years old till he was thirteen.

Stratford

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The historians "suppose" that Shakespeare attended the Free School in Stratford from the time he was seven years old till he was thirteen.

supportnounUS /səˈpɔːrt/

the activity of providing for or maintaining by supplying with money or necessities

From this reading They "suppose" his father's declining fortunes made it necessary for him to leave the school they supposed he attended, and get to work and help support his parents and their ten children.

supposeverbUS /səˈpoʊz/

express a supposition

From this reading The historians "suppose" that Shakespeare attended the Free School in Stratford from the time he was seven years old till he was thirteen.

supposedadjectiveUS /səˈpoʊzd/

required or under orders

From this reading They "suppose" his father's declining fortunes made it necessary for him to leave the school they supposed he attended, and get to work and help support his parents and their ten children.

tennounUS /ten/

the cardinal number that is the sum of nine and one; the base of the decimal system

From this reading They "suppose" his father's declining fortunes made it necessary for him to leave the school they supposed he attended, and get to work and help support his parents and their ten children.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading The historians "suppose" that Shakespeare attended the Free School in Stratford from the time he was seven years old till he was thirteen.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading The historians "suppose" that Shakespeare attended the Free School in Stratford from the time he was seven years old till he was thirteen.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading They "suppose" his father's declining fortunes made it necessary for him to leave the school they supposed he attended, and get to work and help support his parents and their ten children.

ThereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading There is no _evidence_ in existence that he ever went to school at all.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading The historians "infer" that he got his Latin in that school--the school which they "suppose" he attended.

thirteennounUS /ˈθɜːrˈtiːn/

the cardinal number that is the sum of twelve and one

From this reading The historians "suppose" that Shakespeare attended the Free School in Stratford from the time he was seven years old till he was thirteen.

tillprepositionUS /tɪl/

up to a particular time

From this reading The historians "suppose" that Shakespeare attended the Free School in Stratford from the time he was seven years old till he was thirteen.

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading The historians "suppose" that Shakespeare attended the Free School in Stratford from the time he was seven years old till he was thirteen.

toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading There is no _evidence_ in existence that he ever went to school at all.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading The historians "suppose" that Shakespeare attended the Free School in Stratford from the time he was seven years old till he was thirteen.

wentverbUS /went/

inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading There is no _evidence_ in existence that he ever went to school at all.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading The historians "infer" that he got his Latin in that school--the school which they "suppose" he attended.

workverbUS /wɜːrk/

exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity

From this reading They "suppose" his father's declining fortunes made it necessary for him to leave the school they supposed he attended, and get to work and help support his parents and their ten children.

yearsnounUS /jɪrz/

a late time of life

From this reading The historians "suppose" that Shakespeare attended the Free School in Stratford from the time he was seven years old till he was thirteen.

Chapter 4 of Is Shakespeare Dead? From My Autobiography by Mark Twain holds 64 sentences, grouped into 13 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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.

What does chapter 4 of Is Shakespeare Dead? From My Autobiography contain?

Chapter 4 holds 64 sentences of Is Shakespeare Dead? From My Autobiography, unabridged, divided into 13 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 4 of Is Shakespeare Dead? From My Autobiography by Mark Twain exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 64 sentences, grouped into 13 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.

How do I study chapter 4 of Is Shakespeare Dead? From My Autobiography?

Work through the 13 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 13 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.

Can chapter 4 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 4 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.

Questions about reading Is Shakespeare Dead? From My Autobiography

Common questions about reading Is Shakespeare Dead? From My Autobiography by Mark Twain on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Is Shakespeare Dead? From My Autobiography?

Yes. All 867 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #2431 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Is Shakespeare Dead? From My Autobiography is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #2431, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Is Shakespeare Dead? From My Autobiography take to read?

About 72 minutes of reading across 174 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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How to work through Is Shakespeare Dead? From My Autobiography section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

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  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in Is Shakespeare Dead? From My Autobiography

Words and structures a reader meets early in Is Shakespeare Dead? From My Autobiography, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Scattered
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Is Shakespeare Dead? From My Autobiography; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Through
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Is Shakespeare Dead? From My Autobiography; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Stacks
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Is Shakespeare Dead? From My Autobiography; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Unpublished
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Is Shakespeare Dead? From My Autobiography; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.