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adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading They noticed this, after so long a time, and one day, while they were sitting there complaining and declaring that they were ruined, I went in to get a drink of water.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading They noticed this, after so long a time, and one day, while they were sitting there complaining and declaring that they were ruined, I went in to get a drink of water.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Brother Wolf and Brother Bear would come and sit on my front porch and do nothing but complain; but I said nothing.
asking
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I came back gently and heard them asking each other how it was that I didn't join in their complaints.
back
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From this reading I came back gently and heard them asking each other how it was that I didn't join in their complaints.
bad
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "The drouth got so bad that everybody was complaining--everybody except me.
Bear
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From this reading Brother Wolf and Brother Bear would come and sit on my front porch and do nothing but complain; but I said nothing.
Brother
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From this reading Brother Wolf and Brother Bear would come and sit on my front porch and do nothing but complain; but I said nothing.
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Brother Wolf and Brother Bear would come and sit on my front porch and do nothing but complain; but I said nothing.
came
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I came back gently and heard them asking each other how it was that I didn't join in their complaints.
comenounUS /come/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Brother Wolf and Brother Bear would come and sit on my front porch and do nothing but complain; but I said nothing.
complain
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Brother Wolf and Brother Bear would come and sit on my front porch and do nothing but complain; but I said nothing.
complaining
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "The drouth got so bad that everybody was complaining--everybody except me.
complaints
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I came back gently and heard them asking each other how it was that I didn't join in their complaints.
day
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They noticed this, after so long a time, and one day, while they were sitting there complaining and declaring that they were ruined, I went in to get a drink of water.
declaring
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From this reading They noticed this, after so long a time, and one day, while they were sitting there complaining and declaring that they were ruined, I went in to get a drink of water.
didn't
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I came back gently and heard them asking each other how it was that I didn't join in their complaints.
doauxiliary verbUS /duː/
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading Brother Wolf and Brother Bear would come and sit on my front porch and do nothing but complain; but I said nothing.
drink
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From this reading They noticed this, after so long a time, and one day, while they were sitting there complaining and declaring that they were ruined, I went in to get a drink of water.
drouth
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "The drouth got so bad that everybody was complaining--everybody except me.
eachdeterminerUS /iːtʃ/
every one of two or more people or things, taken separately
From this reading I came back gently and heard them asking each other how it was that I didn't join in their complaints.
everybodypronounUS /ˈevribɑːdi/
every person
From this reading "The drouth got so bad that everybody was complaining--everybody except me.
exceptprepositionUS /ɪkˈsept/
apart from; not including
From this reading "The drouth got so bad that everybody was complaining--everybody except me.
front
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Brother Wolf and Brother Bear would come and sit on my front porch and do nothing but complain; but I said nothing.
gently
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I came back gently and heard them asking each other how it was that I didn't join in their complaints.
get
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They noticed this, after so long a time, and one day, while they were sitting there complaining and declaring that they were ruined, I went in to get a drink of water.
got
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "The drouth got so bad that everybody was complaining--everybody except me.
head
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I simply smoked my pipe and shook my head, and said nothing.
heard
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I came back gently and heard them asking each other how it was that I didn't join in their complaints.
how
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I came back gently and heard them asking each other how it was that I didn't join in their complaints.
IpronounUS /aɪ/
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading Brother Wolf and Brother Bear would come and sit on my front porch and do nothing but complain; but I said nothing.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading They noticed this, after so long a time, and one day, while they were sitting there complaining and declaring that they were ruined, I went in to get a drink of water.
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading I came back gently and heard them asking each other how it was that I didn't join in their complaints.
join
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I came back gently and heard them asking each other how it was that I didn't join in their complaints.
longnounUS /long/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading They noticed this, after so long a time, and one day, while they were sitting there complaining and declaring that they were ruined, I went in to get a drink of water.
mepronounUS /miː/
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "The drouth got so bad that everybody was complaining--everybody except me.
mydeterminerUS /maɪ/
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading Brother Wolf and Brother Bear would come and sit on my front porch and do nothing but complain; but I said nothing.
nothingpronounUS /ˈnʌθɪŋ/
not one thing; not anything
From this reading Brother Wolf and Brother Bear would come and sit on my front porch and do nothing but complain; but I said nothing.
noticed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They noticed this, after so long a time, and one day, while they were sitting there complaining and declaring that they were ruined, I went in to get a drink of water.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading They noticed this, after so long a time, and one day, while they were sitting there complaining and declaring that they were ruined, I went in to get a drink of water.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Brother Wolf and Brother Bear would come and sit on my front porch and do nothing but complain; but I said nothing.
onepronounUS /wʌn/
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading They noticed this, after so long a time, and one day, while they were sitting there complaining and declaring that they were ruined, I went in to get a drink of water.
other
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I came back gently and heard them asking each other how it was that I didn't join in their complaints.
pipe
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I simply smoked my pipe and shook my head, and said nothing.
porch
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Brother Wolf and Brother Bear would come and sit on my front porch and do nothing but complain; but I said nothing.
ruined
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They noticed this, after so long a time, and one day, while they were sitting there complaining and declaring that they were ruined, I went in to get a drink of water.
said
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Brother Wolf and Brother Bear would come and sit on my front porch and do nothing but complain; but I said nothing.
shook
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I simply smoked my pipe and shook my head, and said nothing.
simply
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I simply smoked my pipe and shook my head, and said nothing.
sit
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Brother Wolf and Brother Bear would come and sit on my front porch and do nothing but complain; but I said nothing.
sitting
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They noticed this, after so long a time, and one day, while they were sitting there complaining and declaring that they were ruined, I went in to get a drink of water.
smoked
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I simply smoked my pipe and shook my head, and said nothing.
soconjunctionUS /soʊ/
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading "The drouth got so bad that everybody was complaining--everybody except me.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "The drouth got so bad that everybody was complaining--everybody except me.
ThedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "The drouth got so bad that everybody was complaining--everybody except me.
theirdeterminerUS /ðer/
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading I came back gently and heard them asking each other how it was that I didn't join in their complaints.
thempronounUS /ðem/
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading I came back gently and heard them asking each other how it was that I didn't join in their complaints.
there
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They noticed this, after so long a time, and one day, while they were sitting there complaining and declaring that they were ruined, I went in to get a drink of water.
TheypronounUS /ðeɪ/
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They noticed this, after so long a time, and one day, while they were sitting there complaining and declaring that they were ruined, I went in to get a drink of water.
thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading They noticed this, after so long a time, and one day, while they were sitting there complaining and declaring that they were ruined, I went in to get a drink of water.
timenounUS /time/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading They noticed this, after so long a time, and one day, while they were sitting there complaining and declaring that they were ruined, I went in to get a drink of water.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading They noticed this, after so long a time, and one day, while they were sitting there complaining and declaring that they were ruined, I went in to get a drink of water.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "The drouth got so bad that everybody was complaining--everybody except me.
water
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They noticed this, after so long a time, and one day, while they were sitting there complaining and declaring that they were ruined, I went in to get a drink of water.
wentnounUS /went/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading They noticed this, after so long a time, and one day, while they were sitting there complaining and declaring that they were ruined, I went in to get a drink of water.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading They noticed this, after so long a time, and one day, while they were sitting there complaining and declaring that they were ruined, I went in to get a drink of water.
whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading They noticed this, after so long a time, and one day, while they were sitting there complaining and declaring that they were ruined, I went in to get a drink of water.
Wolf
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Brother Wolf and Brother Bear would come and sit on my front porch and do nothing but complain; but I said nothing.
wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading Brother Wolf and Brother Bear would come and sit on my front porch and do nothing but complain; but I said nothing.