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adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading He did not like to see the evidence of Jennie’s previous misdeeds walking about in the shape of a human being; but, as a matter of fact, he admitted to himself that long ago he might have forced Jennie’s story out of her if he had gone about it in earnest.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading He did not like to see the evidence of Jennie’s previous misdeeds walking about in the shape of a human being; but, as a matter of fact, he admitted to himself that long ago he might have forced Jennie’s story out of her if he had gone about it in earnest.
action
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The sullen, philosophic Lester was not so determined upon his future course of action as he appeared to be.
admitted
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He did not like to see the evidence of Jennie’s previous misdeeds walking about in the shape of a human being; but, as a matter of fact, he admitted to himself that long ago he might have forced Jennie’s story out of her if he had gone about it in earnest.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading Stern as was his mood, he did not see, after all, exactly what grounds he had for complaint.
ago
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He did not like to see the evidence of Jennie’s previous misdeeds walking about in the shape of a human being; but, as a matter of fact, he admitted to himself that long ago he might have forced Jennie’s story out of her if he had gone about it in earnest.
all
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Stern as was his mood, he did not see, after all, exactly what grounds he had for complaint.
AndconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading And yet the child’s existence complicated matters considerably.
appeared
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The sullen, philosophic Lester was not so determined upon his future course of action as he appeared to be.
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The sullen, philosophic Lester was not so determined upon his future course of action as he appeared to be.
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading The sullen, philosophic Lester was not so determined upon his future course of action as he appeared to be.
beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading He did not like to see the evidence of Jennie’s previous misdeeds walking about in the shape of a human being; but, as a matter of fact, he admitted to himself that long ago he might have forced Jennie’s story out of her if he had gone about it in earnest.
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading He did not like to see the evidence of Jennie’s previous misdeeds walking about in the shape of a human being; but, as a matter of fact, he admitted to himself that long ago he might have forced Jennie’s story out of her if he had gone about it in earnest.
child's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And yet the child’s existence complicated matters considerably.
complaint
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Stern as was his mood, he did not see, after all, exactly what grounds he had for complaint.
complicated
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And yet the child’s existence complicated matters considerably.
considerably
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And yet the child’s existence complicated matters considerably.
coursenounUS /course/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The sullen, philosophic Lester was not so determined upon his future course of action as he appeared to be.
determinedadjectiveUS /dɪˈtɜrmɪnd/
having firmly decided to do something
From this reading The sullen, philosophic Lester was not so determined upon his future course of action as he appeared to be.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading Stern as was his mood, he did not see, after all, exactly what grounds he had for complaint.
earnest
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He did not like to see the evidence of Jennie’s previous misdeeds walking about in the shape of a human being; but, as a matter of fact, he admitted to himself that long ago he might have forced Jennie’s story out of her if he had gone about it in earnest.
evidence
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He did not like to see the evidence of Jennie’s previous misdeeds walking about in the shape of a human being; but, as a matter of fact, he admitted to himself that long ago he might have forced Jennie’s story out of her if he had gone about it in earnest.
exactly
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Stern as was his mood, he did not see, after all, exactly what grounds he had for complaint.
existence
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And yet the child’s existence complicated matters considerably.
fact
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He did not like to see the evidence of Jennie’s previous misdeeds walking about in the shape of a human being; but, as a matter of fact, he admitted to himself that long ago he might have forced Jennie’s story out of her if he had gone about it in earnest.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Stern as was his mood, he did not see, after all, exactly what grounds he had for complaint.
forced
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He did not like to see the evidence of Jennie’s previous misdeeds walking about in the shape of a human being; but, as a matter of fact, he admitted to himself that long ago he might have forced Jennie’s story out of her if he had gone about it in earnest.
future
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The sullen, philosophic Lester was not so determined upon his future course of action as he appeared to be.
gone
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He did not like to see the evidence of Jennie’s previous misdeeds walking about in the shape of a human being; but, as a matter of fact, he admitted to himself that long ago he might have forced Jennie’s story out of her if he had gone about it in earnest.
grounds
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Stern as was his mood, he did not see, after all, exactly what grounds he had for complaint.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Stern as was his mood, he did not see, after all, exactly what grounds he had for complaint.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading He did not like to see the evidence of Jennie’s previous misdeeds walking about in the shape of a human being; but, as a matter of fact, he admitted to himself that long ago he might have forced Jennie’s story out of her if he had gone about it in earnest.
hepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The sullen, philosophic Lester was not so determined upon his future course of action as he appeared to be.
herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading He did not like to see the evidence of Jennie’s previous misdeeds walking about in the shape of a human being; but, as a matter of fact, he admitted to himself that long ago he might have forced Jennie’s story out of her if he had gone about it in earnest.
himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading He did not like to see the evidence of Jennie’s previous misdeeds walking about in the shape of a human being; but, as a matter of fact, he admitted to himself that long ago he might have forced Jennie’s story out of her if he had gone about it in earnest.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading The sullen, philosophic Lester was not so determined upon his future course of action as he appeared to be.
human
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He did not like to see the evidence of Jennie’s previous misdeeds walking about in the shape of a human being; but, as a matter of fact, he admitted to himself that long ago he might have forced Jennie’s story out of her if he had gone about it in earnest.
ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading He did not like to see the evidence of Jennie’s previous misdeeds walking about in the shape of a human being; but, as a matter of fact, he admitted to himself that long ago he might have forced Jennie’s story out of her if he had gone about it in earnest.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading He did not like to see the evidence of Jennie’s previous misdeeds walking about in the shape of a human being; but, as a matter of fact, he admitted to himself that long ago he might have forced Jennie’s story out of her if he had gone about it in earnest.
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading He did not like to see the evidence of Jennie’s previous misdeeds walking about in the shape of a human being; but, as a matter of fact, he admitted to himself that long ago he might have forced Jennie’s story out of her if he had gone about it in earnest.
Jennie's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He did not like to see the evidence of Jennie’s previous misdeeds walking about in the shape of a human being; but, as a matter of fact, he admitted to himself that long ago he might have forced Jennie’s story out of her if he had gone about it in earnest.
knew
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She would not have lied, he knew that.
Lester
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The sullen, philosophic Lester was not so determined upon his future course of action as he appeared to be.
lied
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She would not have lied, he knew that.
like
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He did not like to see the evidence of Jennie’s previous misdeeds walking about in the shape of a human being; but, as a matter of fact, he admitted to himself that long ago he might have forced Jennie’s story out of her if he had gone about it in earnest.
longnounUS /long/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading He did not like to see the evidence of Jennie’s previous misdeeds walking about in the shape of a human being; but, as a matter of fact, he admitted to himself that long ago he might have forced Jennie’s story out of her if he had gone about it in earnest.
matter
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He did not like to see the evidence of Jennie’s previous misdeeds walking about in the shape of a human being; but, as a matter of fact, he admitted to himself that long ago he might have forced Jennie’s story out of her if he had gone about it in earnest.
matters
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And yet the child’s existence complicated matters considerably.
mightmodal verbUS /maɪt/
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading He did not like to see the evidence of Jennie’s previous misdeeds walking about in the shape of a human being; but, as a matter of fact, he admitted to himself that long ago he might have forced Jennie’s story out of her if he had gone about it in earnest.
misdeeds
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He did not like to see the evidence of Jennie’s previous misdeeds walking about in the shape of a human being; but, as a matter of fact, he admitted to himself that long ago he might have forced Jennie’s story out of her if he had gone about it in earnest.
mood
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Stern as was his mood, he did not see, after all, exactly what grounds he had for complaint.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading The sullen, philosophic Lester was not so determined upon his future course of action as he appeared to be.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The sullen, philosophic Lester was not so determined upon his future course of action as he appeared to be.
out
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He did not like to see the evidence of Jennie’s previous misdeeds walking about in the shape of a human being; but, as a matter of fact, he admitted to himself that long ago he might have forced Jennie’s story out of her if he had gone about it in earnest.
philosophic
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The sullen, philosophic Lester was not so determined upon his future course of action as he appeared to be.
previous
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He did not like to see the evidence of Jennie’s previous misdeeds walking about in the shape of a human being; but, as a matter of fact, he admitted to himself that long ago he might have forced Jennie’s story out of her if he had gone about it in earnest.
see
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Stern as was his mood, he did not see, after all, exactly what grounds he had for complaint.
shape
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He did not like to see the evidence of Jennie’s previous misdeeds walking about in the shape of a human being; but, as a matter of fact, he admitted to himself that long ago he might have forced Jennie’s story out of her if he had gone about it in earnest.
ShepronounUS /ʃiː/
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She would not have lied, he knew that.
soconjunctionUS /soʊ/
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading The sullen, philosophic Lester was not so determined upon his future course of action as he appeared to be.
Stern
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Stern as was his mood, he did not see, after all, exactly what grounds he had for complaint.
story
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He did not like to see the evidence of Jennie’s previous misdeeds walking about in the shape of a human being; but, as a matter of fact, he admitted to himself that long ago he might have forced Jennie’s story out of her if he had gone about it in earnest.
sullen
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The sullen, philosophic Lester was not so determined upon his future course of action as he appeared to be.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading He did not like to see the evidence of Jennie’s previous misdeeds walking about in the shape of a human being; but, as a matter of fact, he admitted to himself that long ago he might have forced Jennie’s story out of her if he had gone about it in earnest.
ThedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The sullen, philosophic Lester was not so determined upon his future course of action as he appeared to be.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The sullen, philosophic Lester was not so determined upon his future course of action as he appeared to be.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading The sullen, philosophic Lester was not so determined upon his future course of action as he appeared to be.
walking
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He did not like to see the evidence of Jennie’s previous misdeeds walking about in the shape of a human being; but, as a matter of fact, he admitted to himself that long ago he might have forced Jennie’s story out of her if he had gone about it in earnest.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The sullen, philosophic Lester was not so determined upon his future course of action as he appeared to be.
whatpronounUS /wʌt/
used to ask for information about something
From this reading Stern as was his mood, he did not see, after all, exactly what grounds he had for complaint.
wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading She would not have lied, he knew that.
yetconjunctionUS /jet/
but in spite of that
From this reading And yet the child’s existence complicated matters considerably.
