Chapter 8 of Jack Hardy is here in full — 424 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter VIII
Chapter 8 of Jack Hardy is here in full — 424 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
One man, however, was left on the field. In the entrance to the porch lay a big fellow groaning. Comely held him fast by the leg. Gumley hastened to him and tried to release him from the dog’s teeth, but, finding that impossible, he dragged dog and man bodily into the cottage, slammed the door, and bolted it. Jack was already inside.
Chapter 8 of Jack Hardy is here in full — 424 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/84 · 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.
in bodily form
From this reading “Gumley hastened to him and tried to release him from the dog’s teeth, but, finding that impossible, he dragged dog and man bodily into the cottage, slammed the door, and bolted it.”
past form of “bolt” — move or jump suddenly
From this reading “Gumley hastened to him and tried to release him from the dog’s teeth, but, finding that impossible, he dragged dog and man bodily into the cottage, slammed the door, and bolted it.”
according with custom or propriety
From this reading “Comely held him fast by the leg.”
possessive form of “dog” — a member of the genus Canis (probably descended from the common wolf) that has been domesticated by man since prehistoric times; occurs in many breeds
-ing form of “groan” — indicate pain, discomfort, or displeasure
From this reading “In the entrance to the porch lay a big fellow groaning.”
a structure attached to the exterior of a building often forming a covered entrance
From this reading “In the entrance to the porch lay a big fellow groaning.”
release, as from one's grip
From this reading “Gumley hastened to him and tried to release him from the dog’s teeth, but, finding that impossible, he dragged dog and man bodily into the cottage, slammed the door, and bolted it.”
inflected form of “slam” — close violently
From this reading “Gumley hastened to him and tried to release him from the dog’s teeth, but, finding that impossible, he dragged dog and man bodily into the cottage, slammed the door, and bolted it.”
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 “Gumley hastened to him and tried to release him from the dog’s teeth, but, finding that impossible, he dragged dog and man bodily into the cottage, slammed the door, and bolted it.”
In this reading “In the entrance to the porch lay a big fellow groaning.”
In this reading “One man, however, was left on the field.”
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 In the entrance to the porch lay a big fellow groaning.
prior to a specified or implied time
From this reading Jack was already inside.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Gumley hastened to him and tried to release him from the dog’s teeth, but, finding that impossible, he dragged dog and man bodily into the cottage, slammed the door, and bolted it.
above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading In the entrance to the porch lay a big fellow groaning.
in bodily form
From this reading Gumley hastened to him and tried to release him from the dog’s teeth, but, finding that impossible, he dragged dog and man bodily into the cottage, slammed the door, and bolted it.
past form of “bolt” — move or jump suddenly
From this reading Gumley hastened to him and tried to release him from the dog’s teeth, but, finding that impossible, he dragged dog and man bodily into the cottage, slammed the door, and bolted it.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Gumley hastened to him and tried to release him from the dog’s teeth, but, finding that impossible, he dragged dog and man bodily into the cottage, slammed the door, and bolted it.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Comely held him fast by the leg.
according with custom or propriety
From this reading Comely held him fast by the leg.
a small house with a single story
From this reading Gumley hastened to him and tried to release him from the dog’s teeth, but, finding that impossible, he dragged dog and man bodily into the cottage, slammed the door, and bolted it.
a member of the genus Canis (probably descended from the common wolf) that has been domesticated by man since prehistoric times; occurs in many breeds
From this reading Gumley hastened to him and tried to release him from the dog’s teeth, but, finding that impossible, he dragged dog and man bodily into the cottage, slammed the door, and bolted it.
possessive form of “dog” — a member of the genus Canis (probably descended from the common wolf) that has been domesticated by man since prehistoric times; occurs in many breeds
From this reading Gumley hastened to him and tried to release him from the dog’s teeth, but, finding that impossible, he dragged dog and man bodily into the cottage, slammed the door, and bolted it.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading Gumley hastened to him and tried to release him from the dog’s teeth, but, finding that impossible, he dragged dog and man bodily into the cottage, slammed the door, and bolted it.
inflected form of “drag” — pull, as against a resistance
From this reading Gumley hastened to him and tried to release him from the dog’s teeth, but, finding that impossible, he dragged dog and man bodily into the cottage, slammed the door, and bolted it.
something that provides access (to get in or get out)
From this reading In the entrance to the porch lay a big fellow groaning.
quickly or rapidly (often used as a combining form)
From this reading Comely held him fast by the leg.
a boy or man
From this reading In the entrance to the porch lay a big fellow groaning.
a piece of land cleared of trees and usually enclosed
From this reading One man, however, was left on the field.
the act of determining the properties of something, usually by research or calculation
From this reading Gumley hastened to him and tried to release him from the dog’s teeth, but, finding that impossible, he dragged dog and man bodily into the cottage, slammed the door, and bolted it.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Gumley hastened to him and tried to release him from the dog’s teeth, but, finding that impossible, he dragged dog and man bodily into the cottage, slammed the door, and bolted it.
-ing form of “groan” — indicate pain, discomfort, or displeasure
From this reading In the entrance to the porch lay a big fellow groaning.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Gumley hastened to him and tried to release him from the dog’s teeth, but, finding that impossible, he dragged dog and man bodily into the cottage, slammed the door, and bolted it.
past form of “hasten” — act or move at high speed
From this reading Gumley hastened to him and tried to release him from the dog’s teeth, but, finding that impossible, he dragged dog and man bodily into the cottage, slammed the door, and bolted it.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Gumley hastened to him and tried to release him from the dog’s teeth, but, finding that impossible, he dragged dog and man bodily into the cottage, slammed the door, and bolted it.
occupied or in the control of; often used in combination
From this reading Comely held him fast by the leg.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Comely held him fast by the leg.
used to add a contrasting statement
From this reading One man, however, was left on the field.
not capable of occurring or being accomplished or dealt with
From this reading Gumley hastened to him and tried to release him from the dog’s teeth, but, finding that impossible, he dragged dog and man bodily into the cottage, slammed the door, and bolted it.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading In the entrance to the porch lay a big fellow groaning.
relating to or being on the side closer to the center or within a defined space
From this reading Jack was already inside.
moving to the inside of something
From this reading Gumley hastened to him and tried to release him from the dog’s teeth, but, finding that impossible, he dragged dog and man bodily into the cottage, slammed the door, and bolted it.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Gumley hastened to him and tried to release him from the dog’s teeth, but, finding that impossible, he dragged dog and man bodily into the cottage, slammed the door, and bolted it.
a small worthless amount
From this reading Jack was already inside.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading In the entrance to the porch lay a big fellow groaning.
location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east
From this reading One man, however, was left on the field.
a human limb; commonly used to refer to a whole limb but technically only the part of the limb between the knee and ankle
From this reading Comely held him fast by the leg.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading One man, however, was left on the field.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading One man, however, was left on the field.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading One man, however, was left on the field.
a structure attached to the exterior of a building often forming a covered entrance
From this reading In the entrance to the porch lay a big fellow groaning.
release, as from one's grip
From this reading Gumley hastened to him and tried to release him from the dog’s teeth, but, finding that impossible, he dragged dog and man bodily into the cottage, slammed the door, and bolted it.
inflected form of “slam” — close violently
From this reading Gumley hastened to him and tried to release him from the dog’s teeth, but, finding that impossible, he dragged dog and man bodily into the cottage, slammed the door, and bolted it.
the kind and number and arrangement of teeth (collectively) in a person or animal
From this reading Gumley hastened to him and tried to release him from the dog’s teeth, but, finding that impossible, he dragged dog and man bodily into the cottage, slammed the door, and bolted it.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Gumley hastened to him and tried to release him from the dog’s teeth, but, finding that impossible, he dragged dog and man bodily into the cottage, slammed the door, and bolted it.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading One man, however, was left on the field.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading In the entrance to the porch lay a big fellow groaning.
tested and proved useful or correct
From this reading Gumley hastened to him and tried to release him from the dog’s teeth, but, finding that impossible, he dragged dog and man bodily into the cottage, slammed the door, and bolted it.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading One man, however, was left on the field.
Chapter 8 of Jack Hardy by Herbert Strang holds 424 sentences, grouped into 85 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 8 holds 424 sentences of Jack Hardy, unabridged, divided into 85 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 8 of Jack Hardy by Herbert Strang exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 424 sentences, grouped into 85 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 85 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 85 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 8 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 Jack Hardy by Herbert Strang on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3816 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #43334 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #43334, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 318 minutes of reading across 764 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Jack Hardy section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 9 chapters of Jack Hardy 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 Jack Hardy, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
