Chapter 4 of Letters to Helen is here in full — 416 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IV
Chapter 4 of Letters to Helen is here in full — 416 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
I've been so busy these last days, up till late hours, and writing has been "na-poo." Leave? Yes, leave will come in time. Probably the first half of December. How maddening it is for poor old Tom!
Chapter 4 of Letters to Helen is here in full — 416 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/83 · 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.
actively or fully engaged or occupied
From this reading “I've been so busy these last days, up till late hours, and writing has been "na-poo."”
the last (12th) month of the year
From this reading “Probably the first half of December.”
a period of time assigned for work
From this reading “I've been so busy these last days, up till late hours, and writing has been "na-poo."”
being or occurring at an advanced period of time or after a usual or expected time
From this reading “I've been so busy these last days, up till late hours, and writing has been "na-poo."”
extremely annoying or displeasing
From this reading “How maddening it is for poor old Tom!”
with considerable certainty; without much doubt
From this reading “Probably the first half of December.”
male cat
From this reading “How maddening it is for poor old Tom!”
the act of creating written works
From this reading “I've been so busy these last days, up till late hours, and writing has been "na-poo."”
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 to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading I've been so busy these last days, up till late hours, and writing has been "na-poo."
the past participle of “be”
From this reading I've been so busy these last days, up till late hours, and writing has been "na-poo."
actively or fully engaged or occupied
From this reading I've been so busy these last days, up till late hours, and writing has been "na-poo."
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading Yes, leave will come in time.
the time during which someone's life continues
From this reading I've been so busy these last days, up till late hours, and writing has been "na-poo."
the last (12th) month of the year
From this reading Probably the first half of December.
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading Probably the first half of December.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading How maddening it is for poor old Tom!
consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity
From this reading Probably the first half of December.
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading I've been so busy these last days, up till late hours, and writing has been "na-poo."
a period of time assigned for work
From this reading I've been so busy these last days, up till late hours, and writing has been "na-poo."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading How maddening it is for poor old Tom!
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I've been so busy these last days, up till late hours, and writing has been "na-poo."
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Yes, leave will come in time.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading How maddening it is for poor old Tom!
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading How maddening it is for poor old Tom!
immediately past
From this reading I've been so busy these last days, up till late hours, and writing has been "na-poo."
being or occurring at an advanced period of time or after a usual or expected time
From this reading I've been so busy these last days, up till late hours, and writing has been "na-poo."
go away from a place
From this reading Leave?
extremely annoying or displeasing
From this reading How maddening it is for poor old Tom!
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I've been so busy these last days, up till late hours, and writing has been "na-poo."
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Probably the first half of December.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading How maddening it is for poor old Tom!
deserving or inciting pity
From this reading How maddening it is for poor old Tom!
with considerable certainty; without much doubt
From this reading Probably the first half of December.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading I've been so busy these last days, up till late hours, and writing has been "na-poo."
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Probably the first half of December.
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading I've been so busy these last days, up till late hours, and writing has been "na-poo."
up to a particular time
From this reading I've been so busy these last days, up till late hours, and writing has been "na-poo."
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading Yes, leave will come in time.
male cat
From this reading How maddening it is for poor old Tom!
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading I've been so busy these last days, up till late hours, and writing has been "na-poo."
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading Yes, leave will come in time.
the act of creating written works
From this reading I've been so busy these last days, up till late hours, and writing has been "na-poo."
an affirmative
From this reading Yes, leave will come in time.
Chapter 4 of Letters to Helen by Keith Henderson holds 416 sentences, grouped into 84 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 416 sentences of Letters to Helen, unabridged, divided into 84 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 4 of Letters to Helen by Keith Henderson exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 416 sentences, grouped into 84 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 84 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 84 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 Letters to Helen by Keith Henderson on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 2061 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #16626 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #16626, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 171 minutes of reading across 413 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Letters to Helen section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 5 chapters of Letters to Helen 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 Letters to Helen, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
