Chapter II · Chapter 2

possessing life

From this reading The bread and milk George gave them was not enough to keep them alive.

in addition

From this reading George told me he had also learnt the same thing by experience, when he caught three very young blackbirds once.

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

From this reading He thought he could feed them, though the gardener said they would die, because, while they could not feed themselves, the old blackbird could do it best and not George.

for the reason that

From this reading He thought he could feed them, though the gardener said they would die, because, while they could not feed themselves, the old blackbird could do it best and not George.

the supreme effort one can make

From this reading He thought he could feed them, though the gardener said they would die, because, while they could not feed themselves, the old blackbird could do it best and not George.

any bird of the family Icteridae whose male is black or predominantly black

From this reading He thought he could feed them, though the gardener said they would die, because, while they could not feed themselves, the old blackbird could do it best and not George.

plural of “blackbird” — any bird of the family Icteridae whose male is black or predominantly black

From this reading George told me he had also learnt the same thing by experience, when he caught three very young blackbirds once.

food made from dough of flour or meal and usually raised with yeast or baking powder and then baked

From this reading The bread and milk George gave them was not enough to keep them alive.

showing who or what does the action

From this reading George told me he had also learnt the same thing by experience, when he caught three very young blackbirds once.

inflected form of “catch” — discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state

From this reading George told me he had also learnt the same thing by experience, when he caught three very young blackbirds once.

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading He thought he could feed them, though the gardener said they would die, because, while they could not feed themselves, the old blackbird could do it best and not George.

a politically organized body of people under a single government

From this reading We were living in the country then.

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading So they did die one by one.

pass from physical life and lose all bodily attributes and functions necessary to sustain life

From this reading He thought he could feed them, though the gardener said they would die, because, while they could not feed themselves, the old blackbird could do it best and not George.

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading He thought he could feed them, though the gardener said they would die, because, while they could not feed themselves, the old blackbird could do it best and not George.

an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose

From this reading The bread and milk George gave them was not enough to keep them alive.

undergo or live through a difficult experience

From this reading George told me he had also learnt the same thing by experience, when he caught three very young blackbirds once.

provide as food

From this reading He thought he could feed them, though the gardener said they would die, because, while they could not feed themselves, the old blackbird could do it best and not George.

someone who takes care of a garden

From this reading He thought he could feed them, though the gardener said they would die, because, while they could not feed themselves, the old blackbird could do it best and not George.

inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense

From this reading The bread and milk George gave them was not enough to keep them alive.

Christian martyr; patron saint of England; hero of the legend of Saint George and the Dragon in which he slew a dragon and saved a princess (?-303)

From this reading George told me he had also learnt the same thing by experience, when he caught three very young blackbirds once.

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

From this reading George told me he had also learnt the same thing by experience, when he caught three very young blackbirds once.

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading George told me he had also learnt the same thing by experience, when he caught three very young blackbirds once.

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

From this reading We were living in the country then.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading He thought he could feed them, though the gardener said they would die, because, while they could not feed themselves, the old blackbird could do it best and not George.

cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”

From this reading The bread and milk George gave them was not enough to keep them alive.

inflected form of “learn” — gain knowledge or skills

From this reading George told me he had also learnt the same thing by experience, when he caught three very young blackbirds once.

the experience of being alive; the course of human events and activities

From this reading We were living in the country then.

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading George told me he had also learnt the same thing by experience, when he caught three very young blackbirds once.

a white nutritious liquid secreted by mammals and used as food by human beings

From this reading The bread and milk George gave them was not enough to keep them alive.

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading He thought he could feed them, though the gardener said they would die, because, while they could not feed themselves, the old blackbird could do it best and not George.

(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

From this reading He thought he could feed them, though the gardener said they would die, because, while they could not feed themselves, the old blackbird could do it best and not George.

on one occasion

From this reading George told me he had also learnt the same thing by experience, when he caught three very young blackbirds once.

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading So they did die one by one.

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading He thought he could feed them, though the gardener said they would die, because, while they could not feed themselves, the old blackbird could do it best and not George.

Identical; not different.

From this reading George told me he had also learnt the same thing by experience, when he caught three very young blackbirds once.

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading So they did die one by one.

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

From this reading George told me he had also learnt the same thing by experience, when he caught three very young blackbirds once.

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading He thought he could feed them, though the gardener said they would die, because, while they could not feed themselves, the old blackbird could do it best and not George.

used when the people doing the action are also its object

From this reading He thought he could feed them, though the gardener said they would die, because, while they could not feed themselves, the old blackbird could do it best and not George.

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading We were living in the country then.

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading He thought he could feed them, though the gardener said they would die, because, while they could not feed themselves, the old blackbird could do it best and not George.

a special situation

From this reading George told me he had also learnt the same thing by experience, when he caught three very young blackbirds once.

in spite of the fact that

From this reading He thought he could feed them, though the gardener said they would die, because, while they could not feed themselves, the old blackbird could do it best and not George.

the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about

From this reading He thought he could feed them, though the gardener said they would die, because, while they could not feed themselves, the old blackbird could do it best and not George.

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one

From this reading George told me he had also learnt the same thing by experience, when he caught three very young blackbirds once.

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading The bread and milk George gave them was not enough to keep them alive.

inflected form of “tell” — express in words

From this reading George told me he had also learnt the same thing by experience, when he caught three very young blackbirds once.

precisely as stated

From this reading George told me he had also learnt the same thing by experience, when he caught three very young blackbirds once.

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

From this reading The bread and milk George gave them was not enough to keep them alive.

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading We were living in the country then.

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading We were living in the country then.

at the time that

From this reading George told me he had also learnt the same thing by experience, when he caught three very young blackbirds once.

during the time that

From this reading He thought he could feed them, though the gardener said they would die, because, while they could not feed themselves, the old blackbird could do it best and not George.

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading He thought he could feed them, though the gardener said they would die, because, while they could not feed themselves, the old blackbird could do it best and not George.

(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth

From this reading George told me he had also learnt the same thing by experience, when he caught three very young blackbirds once.