Chapter 1 of Learning Theory is here in full — 305 sentences across 61 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of Learning Theory is here in full — 305 sentences across 61 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
_Destiny's tricks can be pretty weird sometimes. And this was one to be proud of. A cosmic joke, a witch that could make a nightmare seem tame!_ I am writing this because I presume He wants me to. Otherwise He would not have left paper and pencil handy for me to use. And I put the word "He" in capitals because it seems the only thing to do.
Chapter 1 of Learning Theory is here in full — 305 sentences across 61 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/61 · 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.
plural of “capital” — assets available for use in the production of further assets
From this reading “And I put the word "He" in capitals because it seems the only thing to do.”
of or from or pertaining to or characteristic of the cosmos or universe
From this reading “A cosmic joke, a witch that could make a nightmare seem tame!_ I am writing this because I presume He wants me to.”
easy to reach
From this reading “Otherwise He would not have left paper and pencil handy for me to use.”
A terrifying or distressing dream.
From this reading “A cosmic joke, a witch that could make a nightmare seem tame!_ I am writing this because I presume He wants me to.”
take to be the case or to be true; accept without verification or proof
From this reading “A cosmic joke, a witch that could make a nightmare seem tame!_ I am writing this because I presume He wants me to.”
correct by punishment or discipline
From this reading “A cosmic joke, a witch that could make a nightmare seem tame!_ I am writing this because I presume He wants me to.”
suggesting the operation of supernatural influences
From this reading “_Destiny's tricks can be pretty weird sometimes.”
a female sorcerer or magician
From this reading “A cosmic joke, a witch that could make a nightmare seem tame!_ I am writing this because I presume He wants me to.”
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.
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 A cosmic joke, a witch that could make a nightmare seem tame!_ I am writing this because I presume He wants me to.
the form of “be” used with “I”
From this reading A cosmic joke, a witch that could make a nightmare seem tame!_ I am writing this because I presume He wants me to.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading And this was one to be proud of.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading _Destiny's tricks can be pretty weird sometimes.
for the reason that
From this reading A cosmic joke, a witch that could make a nightmare seem tame!_ I am writing this because I presume He wants me to.
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading _Destiny's tricks can be pretty weird sometimes.
plural of “capital” — assets available for use in the production of further assets
From this reading And I put the word "He" in capitals because it seems the only thing to do.
of or from or pertaining to or characteristic of the cosmos or universe
From this reading A cosmic joke, a witch that could make a nightmare seem tame!_ I am writing this because I presume He wants me to.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading A cosmic joke, a witch that could make a nightmare seem tame!_ I am writing this because I presume He wants me to.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading _Destiny's tricks can be pretty weird sometimes.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading And I put the word "He" in capitals because it seems the only thing to do.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Otherwise He would not have left paper and pencil handy for me to use.
easy to reach
From this reading Otherwise He would not have left paper and pencil handy for me to use.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading Otherwise He would not have left paper and pencil handy for me to use.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading A cosmic joke, a witch that could make a nightmare seem tame!_ I am writing this because I presume He wants me to.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading A cosmic joke, a witch that could make a nightmare seem tame!_ I am writing this because I presume He wants me to.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading And I put the word "He" in capitals because it seems the only thing to do.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading And I put the word "He" in capitals because it seems the only thing to do.
a humorous anecdote or remark intended to provoke laughter
From this reading A cosmic joke, a witch that could make a nightmare seem tame!_ I am writing this because I presume He wants me to.
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 Otherwise He would not have left paper and pencil handy for me to use.
engage in
From this reading A cosmic joke, a witch that could make a nightmare seem tame!_ I am writing this because I presume He wants me to.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading A cosmic joke, a witch that could make a nightmare seem tame!_ I am writing this because I presume He wants me to.
A terrifying or distressing dream.
From this reading A cosmic joke, a witch that could make a nightmare seem tame!_ I am writing this because I presume He wants me to.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Otherwise He would not have left paper and pencil handy for me to use.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading And this was one to be proud of.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading And this was one to be proud of.
and nothing more
From this reading And I put the word "He" in capitals because it seems the only thing to do.
in other respects or ways
From this reading Otherwise He would not have left paper and pencil handy for me to use.
a material made of cellulose pulp derived mainly from wood or rags or certain grasses
From this reading Otherwise He would not have left paper and pencil handy for me to use.
a thin cylindrical pointed writing implement; a rod of marking substance encased in wood
From this reading Otherwise He would not have left paper and pencil handy for me to use.
take to be the case or to be true; accept without verification or proof
From this reading A cosmic joke, a witch that could make a nightmare seem tame!_ I am writing this because I presume He wants me to.
pleasing by delicacy or grace; not imposing
From this reading _Destiny's tricks can be pretty weird sometimes.
feeling self-respect or pleasure in something by which you measure your self-worth; or being a reason for pride
From this reading And this was one to be proud of.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading And I put the word "He" in capitals because it seems the only thing to do.
give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading A cosmic joke, a witch that could make a nightmare seem tame!_ I am writing this because I presume He wants me to.
third-person singular of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading And I put the word "He" in capitals because it seems the only thing to do.
on certain occasions or in certain cases but not always
From this reading _Destiny's tricks can be pretty weird sometimes.
correct by punishment or discipline
From this reading A cosmic joke, a witch that could make a nightmare seem tame!_ I am writing this because I presume He wants me to.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading A cosmic joke, a witch that could make a nightmare seem tame!_ I am writing this because I presume He wants me to.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading And I put the word "He" in capitals because it seems the only thing to do.
a special situation
From this reading And I put the word "He" in capitals because it seems the only thing to do.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading And this was one to be proud of.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading And this was one to be proud of.
plural of “trick” — a cunning or deceitful action or device
From this reading _Destiny's tricks can be pretty weird sometimes.
the act of using
From this reading Otherwise He would not have left paper and pencil handy for me to use.
plural of “want” — a state of extreme poverty
From this reading A cosmic joke, a witch that could make a nightmare seem tame!_ I am writing this because I presume He wants me to.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading And this was one to be proud of.
suggesting the operation of supernatural influences
From this reading _Destiny's tricks can be pretty weird sometimes.
a female sorcerer or magician
From this reading A cosmic joke, a witch that could make a nightmare seem tame!_ I am writing this because I presume He wants me to.
a unit of language that native speakers can identify
From this reading And I put the word "He" in capitals because it seems the only thing to do.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading Otherwise He would not have left paper and pencil handy for me to use.
the act of creating written works
From this reading A cosmic joke, a witch that could make a nightmare seem tame!_ I am writing this because I presume He wants me to.
Chapter 1 of Learning Theory by James V. McConnell holds 305 sentences, grouped into 61 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 1 holds 305 sentences of Learning Theory, unabridged, divided into 61 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of Learning Theory by James V. McConnell exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 305 sentences, grouped into 61 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 61 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 61 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 1 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 Learning Theory by James V. McConnell on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 305 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #60434 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #60434, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 25 minutes of reading across 61 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Learning Theory section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 1 chapters of Learning Theory 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 Learning Theory, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
