Chapter 4 of Light Freights is here in full — 449 sentences across 90 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IV
Chapter 4 of Light Freights is here in full — 449 sentences across 90 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
“‘Is it all over?’ he asks. “‘Yes,’ ses somebody. “‘How is Bill?’ ses Joe’s voice again. “‘Look for yourself,’ ses Tom. “Joe sat up in ’is bunk then and looked out, and he no sooner saw Bill’s face than he gave a loud cry and fell back agin, and, as true as I’m sitting here, fainted clean away.
Chapter 4 of Light Freights is here in full — 449 sentences across 90 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/89 · 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.
third-person singular of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading ““‘Is it all over?’ he asks.”
a statute in draft before it becomes law
From this reading ““‘How is Bill?’ ses Joe’s voice again.”
possessive form of “bill” — a statute in draft before it becomes law
a long trough for feeding cattle
From this reading ““Joe sat up in ’is bunk then and looked out, and he no sooner saw Bill’s face than he gave a loud cry and fell back agin, and, as true as I’m sitting here, fainted clean away.”
free from dirt or impurities; or having clean habits
From this reading ““Joe sat up in ’is bunk then and looked out, and he no sooner saw Bill’s face than he gave a loud cry and fell back agin, and, as true as I’m sitting here, fainted clean away.”
past form of “faint” — pass out from weakness, physical or emotional distress due to a loss of blood supply to the brain
From this reading ““Joe sat up in ’is bunk then and looked out, and he no sooner saw Bill’s face than he gave a loud cry and fell back agin, and, as true as I’m sitting here, fainted clean away.”
a person, without saying who
From this reading ““‘Yes,’ ses somebody.”
comparatives of “soon” or “early”
From this reading ““Joe sat up in ’is bunk then and looked out, and he no sooner saw Bill’s face than he gave a loud cry and fell back agin, and, as true as I’m sitting here, fainted clean away.”
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 “Joe sat up in ’is bunk then and looked out, and he no sooner saw Bill’s face than he gave a loud cry and fell back agin, and, as true as I’m sitting here, fainted clean away.
anew
From this reading “‘How is Bill?’ ses Joe’s voice again.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Joe sat up in ’is bunk then and looked out, and he no sooner saw Bill’s face than he gave a loud cry and fell back agin, and, as true as I’m sitting here, fainted clean away.
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading “‘Is it all over?’ he asks.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading “Joe sat up in ’is bunk then and looked out, and he no sooner saw Bill’s face than he gave a loud cry and fell back agin, and, as true as I’m sitting here, fainted clean away.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading “Joe sat up in ’is bunk then and looked out, and he no sooner saw Bill’s face than he gave a loud cry and fell back agin, and, as true as I’m sitting here, fainted clean away.
third-person singular of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading “‘Is it all over?’ he asks.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading “Joe sat up in ’is bunk then and looked out, and he no sooner saw Bill’s face than he gave a loud cry and fell back agin, and, as true as I’m sitting here, fainted clean away.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading “Joe sat up in ’is bunk then and looked out, and he no sooner saw Bill’s face than he gave a loud cry and fell back agin, and, as true as I’m sitting here, fainted clean away.
a statute in draft before it becomes law
From this reading “‘How is Bill?’ ses Joe’s voice again.
possessive form of “bill” — a statute in draft before it becomes law
From this reading “Joe sat up in ’is bunk then and looked out, and he no sooner saw Bill’s face than he gave a loud cry and fell back agin, and, as true as I’m sitting here, fainted clean away.
a long trough for feeding cattle
From this reading “Joe sat up in ’is bunk then and looked out, and he no sooner saw Bill’s face than he gave a loud cry and fell back agin, and, as true as I’m sitting here, fainted clean away.
free from dirt or impurities; or having clean habits
From this reading “Joe sat up in ’is bunk then and looked out, and he no sooner saw Bill’s face than he gave a loud cry and fell back agin, and, as true as I’m sitting here, fainted clean away.
utter a sudden loud cry
From this reading “Joe sat up in ’is bunk then and looked out, and he no sooner saw Bill’s face than he gave a loud cry and fell back agin, and, as true as I’m sitting here, fainted clean away.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading “Joe sat up in ’is bunk then and looked out, and he no sooner saw Bill’s face than he gave a loud cry and fell back agin, and, as true as I’m sitting here, fainted clean away.
past form of “faint” — pass out from weakness, physical or emotional distress due to a loss of blood supply to the brain
From this reading “Joe sat up in ’is bunk then and looked out, and he no sooner saw Bill’s face than he gave a loud cry and fell back agin, and, as true as I’m sitting here, fainted clean away.
cause to fall by or as if by delivering a blow
From this reading “Joe sat up in ’is bunk then and looked out, and he no sooner saw Bill’s face than he gave a loud cry and fell back agin, and, as true as I’m sitting here, fainted clean away.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading “‘Look for yourself,’ ses Tom.
inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading “Joe sat up in ’is bunk then and looked out, and he no sooner saw Bill’s face than he gave a loud cry and fell back agin, and, as true as I’m sitting here, fainted clean away.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “‘Is it all over?’ he asks.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading “Joe sat up in ’is bunk then and looked out, and he no sooner saw Bill’s face than he gave a loud cry and fell back agin, and, as true as I’m sitting here, fainted clean away.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “‘How is Bill?’ ses Joe’s voice again.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Joe sat up in ’is bunk then and looked out, and he no sooner saw Bill’s face than he gave a loud cry and fell back agin, and, as true as I’m sitting here, fainted clean away.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading “Joe sat up in ’is bunk then and looked out, and he no sooner saw Bill’s face than he gave a loud cry and fell back agin, and, as true as I’m sitting here, fainted clean away.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “‘Is it all over?’ he asks.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading “‘Is it all over?’ he asks.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Joe sat up in ’is bunk then and looked out, and he no sooner saw Bill’s face than he gave a loud cry and fell back agin, and, as true as I’m sitting here, fainted clean away.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “‘How is Bill?’ ses Joe’s voice again.
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading “‘Look for yourself,’ ses Tom.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading “Joe sat up in ’is bunk then and looked out, and he no sooner saw Bill’s face than he gave a loud cry and fell back agin, and, as true as I’m sitting here, fainted clean away.
characterized by or producing sound of great volume or intensity
From this reading “Joe sat up in ’is bunk then and looked out, and he no sooner saw Bill’s face than he gave a loud cry and fell back agin, and, as true as I’m sitting here, fainted clean away.
not any; not one
From this reading “Joe sat up in ’is bunk then and looked out, and he no sooner saw Bill’s face than he gave a loud cry and fell back agin, and, as true as I’m sitting here, fainted clean away.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading “Joe sat up in ’is bunk then and looked out, and he no sooner saw Bill’s face than he gave a loud cry and fell back agin, and, as true as I’m sitting here, fainted clean away.
above and across; more than
From this reading “‘Is it all over?’ he asks.
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading “Joe sat up in ’is bunk then and looked out, and he no sooner saw Bill’s face than he gave a loud cry and fell back agin, and, as true as I’m sitting here, fainted clean away.
cut with a saw
From this reading “Joe sat up in ’is bunk then and looked out, and he no sooner saw Bill’s face than he gave a loud cry and fell back agin, and, as true as I’m sitting here, fainted clean away.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “‘Yes,’ ses somebody.
(photography) the act of assuming a certain position (as for a photograph or portrait)
From this reading “Joe sat up in ’is bunk then and looked out, and he no sooner saw Bill’s face than he gave a loud cry and fell back agin, and, as true as I’m sitting here, fainted clean away.
a person, without saying who
From this reading “‘Yes,’ ses somebody.
comparatives of “soon” or “early”
From this reading “Joe sat up in ’is bunk then and looked out, and he no sooner saw Bill’s face than he gave a loud cry and fell back agin, and, as true as I’m sitting here, fainted clean away.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading “Joe sat up in ’is bunk then and looked out, and he no sooner saw Bill’s face than he gave a loud cry and fell back agin, and, as true as I’m sitting here, fainted clean away.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading “Joe sat up in ’is bunk then and looked out, and he no sooner saw Bill’s face than he gave a loud cry and fell back agin, and, as true as I’m sitting here, fainted clean away.
male cat
From this reading “‘Look for yourself,’ ses Tom.
consistent with fact or reality; not false
From this reading “Joe sat up in ’is bunk then and looked out, and he no sooner saw Bill’s face than he gave a loud cry and fell back agin, and, as true as I’m sitting here, fainted clean away.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading “Joe sat up in ’is bunk then and looked out, and he no sooner saw Bill’s face than he gave a loud cry and fell back agin, and, as true as I’m sitting here, fainted clean away.
the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading “‘How is Bill?’ ses Joe’s voice again.
an affirmative
From this reading “‘Yes,’ ses somebody.
used when the person spoken to is also the object of the action
From this reading “‘Look for yourself,’ ses Tom.
Chapter 4 of Light Freights by W. W. (William Wymark) Jacobs holds 449 sentences, grouped into 90 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 449 sentences of Light Freights, unabridged, divided into 90 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 4 of Light Freights by W. W. (William Wymark) Jacobs exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 449 sentences, grouped into 90 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 90 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 90 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 Light Freights by W. W. (William Wymark) Jacobs on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3557 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #21928 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #21928, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 296 minutes of reading across 712 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Light Freights section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 8 chapters of Light Freights 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 Light Freights, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
