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It Never Can Happen Again
It Never Can Happen Again

Chapter XXI

Chapter 21 of It Never Can Happen Again is here in full — 880 sentences across 176 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for It Never Can Happen Again
Context Illustration Reading 1/176 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
HOW JUDITH'S STAGE MANIA HAD COOLED.
TROUT BEND, AND A TICKLISH INTERVIEW.
HALF-A-MILE OFF TEA.
A DISCUSSION ON RELIGIOUS EDUCATION The story has scarcely room for anything that was said or done at Royd until two days after the reunion that closed the last chapter.
All it wants may be told in a few words.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

It Never Can Happen Again

Chapter XXI

Chapter 21 of It Never Can Happen Again is here in full — 880 sentences across 176 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/176 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
HOW JUDITH'S STAGE MANIA HAD COOLED.
Line 2
TROUT BEND, AND A TICKLISH INTERVIEW.
/traʊt bend ənd ə ˈtɪkəlɪʃ ˈɪntərvjuː/
Line 3
HALF-A-MILE OFF TEA.
Line 4
A DISCUSSION ON RELIGIOUS EDUCATION The story has scarcely room for anything that was said or done at Royd until two days after the reunion that closed the last chapter.
Line 5
All it wants may be told in a few words.
/ɔːl ɪt wɑːnts meɪ biː toʊld ɪn ə fjuː wɜːrdz/

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.

bend verb US /bend/

form a curve

From this reading “TROUT BEND, AND A TICKLISH INTERVIEW.”

cooled verb US /kuːld/

past form of “cool” — make cool or cooler

From this reading “HOW JUDITH'S STAGE MANIA HAD COOLED.”

discussion noun US /dɪˈskʌʃən/

an extended communication (often interactive) dealing with some particular topic

From this reading “A DISCUSSION ON RELIGIOUS EDUCATION The story has scarcely room for anything that was said or done at Royd until two days after the reunion that closed the last chapter.”

mania noun US /ˈmeɪniə/

an irrational but irresistible motive for a belief or action

From this reading “HOW JUDITH'S STAGE MANIA HAD COOLED.”

religious adjective US /rɪˈlɪdʒəs/

concerned with sacred matters or religion or the church

From this reading “A DISCUSSION ON RELIGIOUS EDUCATION The story has scarcely room for anything that was said or done at Royd until two days after the reunion that closed the last chapter.”

reunion noun US /riˈuːnjən/

a party of former associates who have come together again

From this reading “A DISCUSSION ON RELIGIOUS EDUCATION The story has scarcely room for anything that was said or done at Royd until two days after the reunion that closed the last chapter.”

ticklish adjective US /ˈtɪkəlɪʃ/

difficult to handle; requiring great tact

From this reading “TROUT BEND, AND A TICKLISH INTERVIEW.”

trout noun US /traʊt/

flesh of any of several primarily freshwater game and food fishes

From this reading “TROUT BEND, AND A TICKLISH INTERVIEW.”

Word partnerships in these lines

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.

few words adjective + noun

In this reading “All it wants may be told in a few words.”

two days noun + noun

In this reading “A DISCUSSION ON RELIGIOUS EDUCATION The story has scarcely room for anything that was said or done at Royd until two days after the reunion that closed the last chapter.”

last chapter adjective + noun

In this reading “A DISCUSSION ON RELIGIOUS EDUCATION The story has scarcely room for anything that was said or done at Royd until two days after the reunion that closed the last chapter.”

All words in this reading · 50

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.

AdeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading TROUT BEND, AND A TICKLISH INTERVIEW.

afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading A DISCUSSION ON RELIGIOUS EDUCATION The story has scarcely room for anything that was said or done at Royd until two days after the reunion that closed the last chapter.

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 All it wants may be told in a few words.

ANDconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading TROUT BEND, AND A TICKLISH INTERVIEW.

anythingpronounUS /ˈeniθɪŋ/

any thing at all

From this reading A DISCUSSION ON RELIGIOUS EDUCATION The story has scarcely room for anything that was said or done at Royd until two days after the reunion that closed the last chapter.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading A DISCUSSION ON RELIGIOUS EDUCATION The story has scarcely room for anything that was said or done at Royd until two days after the reunion that closed the last chapter.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading All it wants may be told in a few words.

BENDverbUS /bend/

form a curve

From this reading TROUT BEND, AND A TICKLISH INTERVIEW.

chapternounUS /ˈtʃæptər/

a subdivision of a written work; usually numbered and titled

From this reading A DISCUSSION ON RELIGIOUS EDUCATION The story has scarcely room for anything that was said or done at Royd until two days after the reunion that closed the last chapter.

closedadjectiveUS /kloʊzd/

not open or affording passage or access

From this reading A DISCUSSION ON RELIGIOUS EDUCATION The story has scarcely room for anything that was said or done at Royd until two days after the reunion that closed the last chapter.

COOLEDverbUS /kuːld/

past form of “cool” — make cool or cooler

From this reading HOW JUDITH'S STAGE MANIA HAD COOLED.

daysnounUS /deɪz/

the time during which someone's life continues

From this reading A DISCUSSION ON RELIGIOUS EDUCATION The story has scarcely room for anything that was said or done at Royd until two days after the reunion that closed the last chapter.

DISCUSSIONnounUS /dɪˈskʌʃən/

an extended communication (often interactive) dealing with some particular topic

From this reading A DISCUSSION ON RELIGIOUS EDUCATION The story has scarcely room for anything that was said or done at Royd until two days after the reunion that closed the last chapter.

doneadjectiveUS /dʌn/

having finished or arrived at completion

From this reading A DISCUSSION ON RELIGIOUS EDUCATION The story has scarcely room for anything that was said or done at Royd until two days after the reunion that closed the last chapter.

EDUCATIONnounUS /ˌedʒəˈkeɪʃən/

the activities of educating or instructing; activities that impart knowledge or skill

From this reading A DISCUSSION ON RELIGIOUS EDUCATION The story has scarcely room for anything that was said or done at Royd until two days after the reunion that closed the last chapter.

fewadjectiveUS /fjuː/

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number

From this reading All it wants may be told in a few words.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading A DISCUSSION ON RELIGIOUS EDUCATION The story has scarcely room for anything that was said or done at Royd until two days after the reunion that closed the last chapter.

HADauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading HOW JUDITH'S STAGE MANIA HAD COOLED.

HALF-A-MILE

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

From this reading HALF-A-MILE OFF TEA.

hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/

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

From this reading A DISCUSSION ON RELIGIOUS EDUCATION The story has scarcely room for anything that was said or done at Royd until two days after the reunion that closed the last chapter.

HOW

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

From this reading HOW JUDITH'S STAGE MANIA HAD COOLED.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading All it wants may be told in a few words.

INTERVIEWverbUS /ˈɪntərvjuː/

conduct an interview in television, newspaper, and radio reporting

From this reading TROUT BEND, AND A TICKLISH INTERVIEW.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading All it wants may be told in a few words.

JUDITH'S

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

From this reading HOW JUDITH'S STAGE MANIA HAD COOLED.

lastadjectiveUS /læst/

immediately past

From this reading A DISCUSSION ON RELIGIOUS EDUCATION The story has scarcely room for anything that was said or done at Royd until two days after the reunion that closed the last chapter.

MANIAnounUS /ˈmeɪniə/

an irrational but irresistible motive for a belief or action

From this reading HOW JUDITH'S STAGE MANIA HAD COOLED.

maymodal verbUS /meɪ/

used to say something is possible, or to give permission

From this reading All it wants may be told in a few words.

OFFadverbUS /ɔːf/

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading HALF-A-MILE OFF TEA.

ONprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading A DISCUSSION ON RELIGIOUS EDUCATION The story has scarcely room for anything that was said or done at Royd until two days after the reunion that closed the last chapter.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading A DISCUSSION ON RELIGIOUS EDUCATION The story has scarcely room for anything that was said or done at Royd until two days after the reunion that closed the last chapter.

RELIGIOUSadjectiveUS /rɪˈlɪdʒəs/

concerned with sacred matters or religion or the church

From this reading A DISCUSSION ON RELIGIOUS EDUCATION The story has scarcely room for anything that was said or done at Royd until two days after the reunion that closed the last chapter.

reunionnounUS /riˈuːnjən/

a party of former associates who have come together again

From this reading A DISCUSSION ON RELIGIOUS EDUCATION The story has scarcely room for anything that was said or done at Royd until two days after the reunion that closed the last chapter.

roomnounUS /ruːm/

an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling

From this reading A DISCUSSION ON RELIGIOUS EDUCATION The story has scarcely room for anything that was said or done at Royd until two days after the reunion that closed the last chapter.

Royd

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

From this reading A DISCUSSION ON RELIGIOUS EDUCATION The story has scarcely room for anything that was said or done at Royd until two days after the reunion that closed the last chapter.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading A DISCUSSION ON RELIGIOUS EDUCATION The story has scarcely room for anything that was said or done at Royd until two days after the reunion that closed the last chapter.

scarcelyadverbUS /ˈskersli/

only a very short time before

From this reading A DISCUSSION ON RELIGIOUS EDUCATION The story has scarcely room for anything that was said or done at Royd until two days after the reunion that closed the last chapter.

STAGEnounUS /steɪdʒ/

any distinct time period in a sequence of events

From this reading HOW JUDITH'S STAGE MANIA HAD COOLED.

storynounUS /ˈstɔːri/

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 A DISCUSSION ON RELIGIOUS EDUCATION The story has scarcely room for anything that was said or done at Royd until two days after the reunion that closed the last chapter.

TEAnounUS /tiː/

a beverage made by steeping tea leaves in water

From this reading HALF-A-MILE OFF TEA.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading A DISCUSSION ON RELIGIOUS EDUCATION The story has scarcely room for anything that was said or done at Royd until two days after the reunion that closed the last chapter.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading A DISCUSSION ON RELIGIOUS EDUCATION The story has scarcely room for anything that was said or done at Royd until two days after the reunion that closed the last chapter.

TICKLISHadjectiveUS /ˈtɪkəlɪʃ/

difficult to handle; requiring great tact

From this reading TROUT BEND, AND A TICKLISH INTERVIEW.

toldverbUS /toʊld/

inflected form of “tell” — express in words

From this reading All it wants may be told in a few words.

TROUTnounUS /traʊt/

flesh of any of several primarily freshwater game and food fishes

From this reading TROUT BEND, AND A TICKLISH INTERVIEW.

twonounUS /tuː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading A DISCUSSION ON RELIGIOUS EDUCATION The story has scarcely room for anything that was said or done at Royd until two days after the reunion that closed the last chapter.

untilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/

up to a particular time

From this reading A DISCUSSION ON RELIGIOUS EDUCATION The story has scarcely room for anything that was said or done at Royd until two days after the reunion that closed the last chapter.

wantsnounUS /wɑːnts/

plural of “want” — a state of extreme poverty

From this reading All it wants may be told in a few words.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading A DISCUSSION ON RELIGIOUS EDUCATION The story has scarcely room for anything that was said or done at Royd until two days after the reunion that closed the last chapter.

wordsnounUS /wɜːrdz/

the words that are spoken

From this reading All it wants may be told in a few words.

Chapter 21 of It Never Can Happen Again by William De Morgan holds 880 sentences, grouped into 176 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.

What does chapter 21 of It Never Can Happen Again contain?

Chapter 21 holds 880 sentences of It Never Can Happen Again, unabridged, divided into 176 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 21 of It Never Can Happen Again by William De Morgan exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 880 sentences, grouped into 176 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 21 of It Never Can Happen Again?

Work through the 176 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 176 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 21 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 21 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 It Never Can Happen Again

Common questions about reading It Never Can Happen Again by William De Morgan on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of It Never Can Happen Again?

Yes. All 19361 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #46228 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of It Never Can Happen Again is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #46228, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does It Never Can Happen Again take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 3873 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read It Never Can Happen Again section by section

How to work through It Never Can Happen Again section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 40 chapters of It Never Can Happen Again to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

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

Vocabulary met early in It Never Can Happen Again

Words and structures a reader meets early in It Never Can Happen Again, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Https
A word that appears in the opening chapter of It Never Can Happen Again; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Reader
A word that appears in the opening chapter of It Never Can Happen Again; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Likes
A word that appears in the opening chapter of It Never Can Happen Again; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
David
A word that appears in the opening chapter of It Never Can Happen Again; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.