Chapter 19 of John Dene of Toronto: A Comedy of Whitehall is here in full — 204 sentences across 41 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
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Chapter XIX
Chapter 19 of John Dene of Toronto: A Comedy of Whitehall is here in full — 204 sentences across 41 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
THE RETURN OF JOHN DENE "It's very strange," murmured Sir Lyster Grayne, as he raised his eyes from an official-looking document. "What are the official figures for the last six weeks, Heyworth?" he enquired. "Seven certainties and two doubtful," was the reply. "About normal, then?" Admiral Heyworth nodded.
Chapter 19 of John Dene of Toronto: A Comedy of Whitehall is here in full — 204 sentences across 41 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/40 · 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.
the supreme commander of a fleet; ranks above a vice admiral and below a fleet admiral
From this reading “Admiral Heyworth nodded.”
plural of “certainty” — the state of being certain
From this reading “"Seven certainties and two doubtful," was the reply.”
writing that provides information (especially information of an official nature)
From this reading “THE RETURN OF JOHN DENE "It's very strange," murmured Sir Lyster Grayne, as he raised his eyes from an official-looking document.”
open to doubt or suspicion
From this reading “"Seven certainties and two doubtful," was the reply.”
plural of “figure” — a diagram or picture illustrating textual material
From this reading “"What are the official figures for the last six weeks, Heyworth?" he enquired.”
past form of “murmur” — speak softly or indistinctly
From this reading “THE RETURN OF JOHN DENE "It's very strange," murmured Sir Lyster Grayne, as he raised his eyes from an official-looking document.”
conforming with or constituting a norm or standard or level or type or social norm; not abnormal
From this reading “"About normal, then?"”
having official authority or sanction
From this reading “THE RETURN OF JOHN DENE "It's very strange," murmured Sir Lyster Grayne, as he raised his eyes from an official-looking document.”
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 “"What are the official figures for the last six weeks, Heyworth?" he enquired.”
In this reading “"What are the official figures for the last six weeks, Heyworth?" he enquired.”
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.
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading "About normal, then?"
the supreme commander of a fleet; ranks above a vice admiral and below a fleet admiral
From this reading Admiral Heyworth nodded.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading THE RETURN OF JOHN DENE "It's very strange," murmured Sir Lyster Grayne, as he raised his eyes from an official-looking document.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "Seven certainties and two doubtful," was the reply.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading "What are the official figures for the last six weeks, Heyworth?" he enquired.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading THE RETURN OF JOHN DENE "It's very strange," murmured Sir Lyster Grayne, as he raised his eyes from an official-looking document.
plural of “certainty” — the state of being certain
From this reading "Seven certainties and two doubtful," was the reply.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE RETURN OF JOHN DENE "It's very strange," murmured Sir Lyster Grayne, as he raised his eyes from an official-looking document.
writing that provides information (especially information of an official nature)
From this reading THE RETURN OF JOHN DENE "It's very strange," murmured Sir Lyster Grayne, as he raised his eyes from an official-looking document.
open to doubt or suspicion
From this reading "Seven certainties and two doubtful," was the reply.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "What are the official figures for the last six weeks, Heyworth?" he enquired.
opinion or judgment
From this reading THE RETURN OF JOHN DENE "It's very strange," murmured Sir Lyster Grayne, as he raised his eyes from an official-looking document.
plural of “figure” — a diagram or picture illustrating textual material
From this reading "What are the official figures for the last six weeks, Heyworth?" he enquired.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading "What are the official figures for the last six weeks, Heyworth?" he enquired.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading THE RETURN OF JOHN DENE "It's very strange," murmured Sir Lyster Grayne, as he raised his eyes from an official-looking document.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE RETURN OF JOHN DENE "It's very strange," murmured Sir Lyster Grayne, as he raised his eyes from an official-looking document.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading THE RETURN OF JOHN DENE "It's very strange," murmured Sir Lyster Grayne, as he raised his eyes from an official-looking document.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "What are the official figures for the last six weeks, Heyworth?" he enquired.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading THE RETURN OF JOHN DENE "It's very strange," murmured Sir Lyster Grayne, as he raised his eyes from an official-looking document.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE RETURN OF JOHN DENE "It's very strange," murmured Sir Lyster Grayne, as he raised his eyes from an official-looking document.
a room or building equipped with one or more toilets
From this reading THE RETURN OF JOHN DENE "It's very strange," murmured Sir Lyster Grayne, as he raised his eyes from an official-looking document.
immediately past
From this reading "What are the official figures for the last six weeks, Heyworth?" he enquired.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE RETURN OF JOHN DENE "It's very strange," murmured Sir Lyster Grayne, as he raised his eyes from an official-looking document.
past form of “murmur” — speak softly or indistinctly
From this reading THE RETURN OF JOHN DENE "It's very strange," murmured Sir Lyster Grayne, as he raised his eyes from an official-looking document.
inflected form of “nod” — express or signify by nodding
From this reading Admiral Heyworth nodded.
conforming with or constituting a norm or standard or level or type or social norm; not abnormal
From this reading "About normal, then?"
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE RETURN OF JOHN DENE "It's very strange," murmured Sir Lyster Grayne, as he raised his eyes from an official-looking document.
having official authority or sanction
From this reading "What are the official figures for the last six weeks, Heyworth?" he enquired.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE RETURN OF JOHN DENE "It's very strange," murmured Sir Lyster Grayne, as he raised his eyes from an official-looking document.
located or moved above the surround or above the normal position
From this reading THE RETURN OF JOHN DENE "It's very strange," murmured Sir Lyster Grayne, as he raised his eyes from an official-looking document.
a statement (either spoken or written) that is made to reply to a question or request or criticism or accusation
From this reading "Seven certainties and two doubtful," was the reply.
go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before
From this reading THE RETURN OF JOHN DENE "It's very strange," murmured Sir Lyster Grayne, as he raised his eyes from an official-looking document.
the cardinal number that is the sum of six and one
From this reading "Seven certainties and two doubtful," was the reply.
term of address for a man
From this reading THE RETURN OF JOHN DENE "It's very strange," murmured Sir Lyster Grayne, as he raised his eyes from an official-looking document.
the cardinal number that is the sum of five and one
From this reading "What are the official figures for the last six weeks, Heyworth?" he enquired.
being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird
From this reading THE RETURN OF JOHN DENE "It's very strange," murmured Sir Lyster Grayne, as he raised his eyes from an official-looking document.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE RETURN OF JOHN DENE "It's very strange," murmured Sir Lyster Grayne, as he raised his eyes from an official-looking document.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading "About normal, then?"
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading "Seven certainties and two doubtful," was the reply.
precisely as stated
From this reading THE RETURN OF JOHN DENE "It's very strange," murmured Sir Lyster Grayne, as he raised his eyes from an official-looking document.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "Seven certainties and two doubtful," was the reply.
plural of “week” — any period of seven consecutive days
From this reading "What are the official figures for the last six weeks, Heyworth?" he enquired.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading "What are the official figures for the last six weeks, Heyworth?" he enquired.
Chapter 19 of John Dene of Toronto: A Comedy of Whitehall by Herbert George Jenkins holds 204 sentences, grouped into 41 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 19 holds 204 sentences of John Dene of Toronto: A Comedy of Whitehall, unabridged, divided into 41 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 19 of John Dene of Toronto: A Comedy of Whitehall by Herbert George Jenkins exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 204 sentences, grouped into 41 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 41 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 41 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 19 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.
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About 409 minutes of reading across 982 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
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