Chapter 4 of John Ames, Native Commissioner is here in full — 422 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IV
Chapter 4 of John Ames, Native Commissioner is here in full — 422 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"That's quite true. I wonder are there any exceptions to the rule?" "Safely, no. People set one up for themselves and adore it; then crash--bang! some fine day they knock it down, and it shatters into smithereens. Then there is a pedestal empty--a pedestal to let."
Chapter 4 of John Ames, Native Commissioner is here in full — 422 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.
love intensely
From this reading “People set one up for themselves and adore it; then crash--bang! some fine day they knock it down, and it shatters into smithereens.”
strike violently
From this reading “People set one up for themselves and adore it; then crash--bang! some fine day they knock it down, and it shatters into smithereens.”
fall or come down violently
From this reading “People set one up for themselves and adore it; then crash--bang! some fine day they knock it down, and it shatters into smithereens.”
plural of “exception” — a deliberate act of omission
From this reading “I wonder are there any exceptions to the rule?"”
deliver a sharp blow or push
From this reading “People set one up for themselves and adore it; then crash--bang! some fine day they knock it down, and it shatters into smithereens.”
a support or foundation
From this reading “Then there is a pedestal empty--a pedestal to let."”
third-person singular of “shatter” — break into many pieces
From this reading “People set one up for themselves and adore it; then crash--bang! some fine day they knock it down, and it shatters into smithereens.”
a collection of small fragments considered as a whole
From this reading “People set one up for themselves and adore it; then crash--bang! some fine day they knock it down, and it shatters into smithereens.”
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 “"That's quite true.”
In this reading “People set one up for themselves and adore it; then crash--bang! some fine day they knock it down, and it shatters into smithereens.”
In this reading “I wonder are there any exceptions to the rule?"”
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 Then there is a pedestal empty--a pedestal to let."
love intensely
From this reading People set one up for themselves and adore it; then crash--bang! some fine day they knock it down, and it shatters into smithereens.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading People set one up for themselves and adore it; then crash--bang! some fine day they knock it down, and it shatters into smithereens.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading I wonder are there any exceptions to the rule?"
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading I wonder are there any exceptions to the rule?"
strike violently
From this reading People set one up for themselves and adore it; then crash--bang! some fine day they knock it down, and it shatters into smithereens.
fall or come down violently
From this reading People set one up for themselves and adore it; then crash--bang! some fine day they knock it down, and it shatters into smithereens.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading People set one up for themselves and adore it; then crash--bang! some fine day they knock it down, and it shatters into smithereens.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading People set one up for themselves and adore it; then crash--bang! some fine day they knock it down, and it shatters into smithereens.
make void or empty of contents
From this reading Then there is a pedestal empty--a pedestal to let."
plural of “exception” — a deliberate act of omission
From this reading I wonder are there any exceptions to the rule?"
being satisfactory or in satisfactory condition
From this reading People set one up for themselves and adore it; then crash--bang! some fine day they knock it down, and it shatters into smithereens.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading People set one up for themselves and adore it; then crash--bang! some fine day they knock it down, and it shatters into smithereens.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I wonder are there any exceptions to the rule?"
moving to the inside of something
From this reading People set one up for themselves and adore it; then crash--bang! some fine day they knock it down, and it shatters into smithereens.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Then there is a pedestal empty--a pedestal to let."
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading People set one up for themselves and adore it; then crash--bang! some fine day they knock it down, and it shatters into smithereens.
deliver a sharp blow or push
From this reading People set one up for themselves and adore it; then crash--bang! some fine day they knock it down, and it shatters into smithereens.
used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker
From this reading Then there is a pedestal empty--a pedestal to let."
not any; not one
From this reading "Safely, no.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading People set one up for themselves and adore it; then crash--bang! some fine day they knock it down, and it shatters into smithereens.
a support or foundation
From this reading Then there is a pedestal empty--a pedestal to let."
(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively
From this reading People set one up for themselves and adore it; then crash--bang! some fine day they knock it down, and it shatters into smithereens.
to a degree (not used with a negative)
From this reading "That's quite true.
a principle or condition that customarily governs behavior
From this reading I wonder are there any exceptions to the rule?"
with safety; in a safe manner
From this reading "Safely, no.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading People set one up for themselves and adore it; then crash--bang! some fine day they knock it down, and it shatters into smithereens.
third-person singular of “shatter” — break into many pieces
From this reading People set one up for themselves and adore it; then crash--bang! some fine day they knock it down, and it shatters into smithereens.
a collection of small fragments considered as a whole
From this reading People set one up for themselves and adore it; then crash--bang! some fine day they knock it down, and it shatters into smithereens.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading People set one up for themselves and adore it; then crash--bang! some fine day they knock it down, and it shatters into smithereens.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "That's quite true.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading I wonder are there any exceptions to the rule?"
used when the people doing the action are also its object
From this reading People set one up for themselves and adore it; then crash--bang! some fine day they knock it down, and it shatters into smithereens.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading People set one up for themselves and adore it; then crash--bang! some fine day they knock it down, and it shatters into smithereens.
in or at that place or location
From this reading I wonder are there any exceptions to the rule?"
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading People set one up for themselves and adore it; then crash--bang! some fine day they knock it down, and it shatters into smithereens.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading I wonder are there any exceptions to the rule?"
consistent with fact or reality; not false
From this reading "That's quite true.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading People set one up for themselves and adore it; then crash--bang! some fine day they knock it down, and it shatters into smithereens.
the feeling aroused by something strange and surprising
From this reading I wonder are there any exceptions to the rule?"
Chapter 4 of John Ames, Native Commissioner by Bertram Mitford holds 422 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 4 holds 422 sentences of John Ames, Native Commissioner, unabridged, divided into 85 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 4 of John Ames, Native Commissioner by Bertram Mitford exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 422 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 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 John Ames, Native Commissioner by Bertram Mitford on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 5426 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #32926 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #32926, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 452 minutes of reading across 1086 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through John Ames, Native Commissioner section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 13 chapters of John Ames, Native Commissioner 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 John Ames, Native Commissioner, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
