Chapter 4 of It Could Be Anything is here in full — 398 sentences across 80 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IV
Chapter 4 of It Could Be Anything is here in full — 398 sentences across 80 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"I saw it," said Dhuva faintly. "But it moved so fast ..." "You're safe here for the moment," Brett said. "There are none of them around. But they may be back.
Chapter 4 of It Could Be Anything is here in full — 398 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.
surrounding, or on every side of, something
From this reading “"There are none of them around.”
to a faint degree or weakly perceived
From this reading “"I saw it," said Dhuva faintly.”
quickly or rapidly (often used as a combining form)
From this reading “"But it moved so fast ..."”
a particular point in time
From this reading “"You're safe here for the moment," Brett said.”
being excited or provoked to the expression of an emotion
From this reading “"But it moved so fast ..."”
not one, and not any
From this reading “"There are none of them around.”
free from danger or the risk of harm
From this reading “"You're safe here for the moment," Brett said.”
cut with a saw
From this reading “"I saw it," said Dhuva faintly.”
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.
temporarily
In this reading “"You're safe here for the moment," Brett said.”
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.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading "There are none of them around.
surrounding, or on every side of, something
From this reading "There are none of them around.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading But they may be back.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading But they may be back.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "You're safe here for the moment," Brett said.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading "But it moved so fast ..."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I saw it," said Dhuva faintly.
to a faint degree or weakly perceived
From this reading "I saw it," said Dhuva faintly.
quickly or rapidly (often used as a combining form)
From this reading "But it moved so fast ..."
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading "You're safe here for the moment," Brett said.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading "You're safe here for the moment," Brett said.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I saw it," said Dhuva faintly.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "I saw it," said Dhuva faintly.
used to say something is possible, or to give permission
From this reading But they may be back.
a particular point in time
From this reading "You're safe here for the moment," Brett said.
being excited or provoked to the expression of an emotion
From this reading "But it moved so fast ..."
not one, and not any
From this reading "There are none of them around.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "There are none of them around.
free from danger or the risk of harm
From this reading "You're safe here for the moment," Brett said.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "I saw it," said Dhuva faintly.
cut with a saw
From this reading "I saw it," said Dhuva faintly.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading "But it moved so fast ..."
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "You're safe here for the moment," Brett said.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading "There are none of them around.
in or at that place or location
From this reading "There are none of them around.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading But they may be back.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "You're safe here for the moment," Brett said.
Chapter 4 of It Could Be Anything by Keith Laumer holds 398 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 4 holds 398 sentences of It Could Be Anything, unabridged, divided into 80 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 4 of It Could Be Anything by Keith Laumer exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 398 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 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.
Common questions about reading It Could Be Anything by Keith Laumer on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 0 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #? are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #?, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 5 minutes of reading across 0 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through It Could Be Anything section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 0 chapters of It Could Be Anything 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 It Could Be Anything, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
