London Lavender

Chapter IV

Chapter 4 of London Lavender is here in full — 98 sentences across 20 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By E. V. (Edward Verrall) Lucas • Curated US English Learning Edition

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

IN WHICH I AM FORBIDDEN TO BE IDLE AND THEREFORE FIND CONGENIAL EMPLOYMENT Naomi was very firm about my finding an occupation.

Men must do something, she said.

As for herself, she intended to retain her various poor protégés, and to continue to visit her mother in Queen Anne's Gate every day, and probably lunch there; which made it the more important that I should have something to engage me.

"A man who has no employment is like a ship without a rudder," she said.

I replied that perhaps it was employment enough to be married to an epigrammatist.

Narrator

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LEARNER DICTIONARY

Archivist

/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/

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A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Chapter IV Reading 1/19

London Lavender E. V. (Edward Verrall) Lucas

Chapter IV

Chapter 4 of London Lavender is here in full — 98 sentences across 20 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

IN WHICH I AM FORBIDDEN TO BE IDLE AND THEREFORE FIND CONGENIAL EMPLOYMENT Naomi was very firm about my finding an occupation. Men must do something, she said. As for herself, she intended to retain her various poor protégés, and to continue to visit her mother in Queen Anne's Gate every day, and probably lunch there; which made it the more important that I should have something to engage me. "A man who has no employment is like a ship without a rudder," she said. I replied that perhaps it was employment enough to be married to an epigrammatist.

London Lavender

Chapter IV

Chapter 4 of London Lavender is here in full — 98 sentences across 20 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/19 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

IN WHICH I AM FORBIDDEN TO BE IDLE AND THEREFORE FIND CONGENIAL EMPLOYMENT Naomi was very firm about my finding an occupation.

/ɪn wɪtʃ aɪ æm fərˈbɪd.ən tuː biː ˈaɪdəl ənd ˈðerfɔːr faɪnd kənˈdʒiːnjəl emˈplɔɪmənt neɪˈoʊmi wɑːz ˈveri fɜːrm əˈbaʊt maɪ ˈfaɪndɪŋ æn ˌɑːkjəˈpeɪʃən/

Line 2

Men must do something, she said.

/men mʌst duː ˈsʌmθɪŋ ʃiː sed/

Line 3

Line 4

"A man who has no employment is like a ship without a rudder," she said.

/ə mæn huː hæz noʊ emˈplɔɪmənt ɪz laɪk ə ʃɪp wɪˈθaʊt ə ˈrʌdər ʃiː sed/

Line 5

I replied that perhaps it was employment enough to be married to an epigrammatist.

Learner Dictionary

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.

Anne's noun US /ænz/

possessive form of “anne” — Queen of England and Scotland and Ireland; daughter if James II and the last of the Stuart monarchs; in 1707 she was the last English ruler to exercise the royal veto over parliament (1665-1714)

From this reading “As for herself, she intended to retain her various poor protégés, and to continue to visit her mother in Queen Anne's Gate every day, and probably lunch there; which made it the more important that I should have something to engage me.”

congenial adjective US /kənˈdʒiːnjəl/

suitable to your needs

From this reading “IN WHICH I AM FORBIDDEN TO BE IDLE AND THEREFORE FIND CONGENIAL EMPLOYMENT Naomi was very firm about my finding an occupation.”

employment noun US /emˈplɔɪmənt/

the state of being employed or having a job

From this reading “IN WHICH I AM FORBIDDEN TO BE IDLE AND THEREFORE FIND CONGENIAL EMPLOYMENT Naomi was very firm about my finding an occupation.”

engage verb US /enˈɡeɪdʒ/

carry out or participate in an activity; be involved in

forbidden adjective US /fərˈbɪd.ən/

Not allowed; banned or prohibited by rule or law.

From this reading “IN WHICH I AM FORBIDDEN TO BE IDLE AND THEREFORE FIND CONGENIAL EMPLOYMENT Naomi was very firm about my finding an occupation.”

Naomi noun US /neɪˈoʊmi/

the mother-in-law of Ruth whose story is told in the Book of Ruth in the Old Testament

From this reading “IN WHICH I AM FORBIDDEN TO BE IDLE AND THEREFORE FIND CONGENIAL EMPLOYMENT Naomi was very firm about my finding an occupation.”

retain verb US /rɪˈteɪn/

hold back within

rudder noun US /ˈrʌdər/

a hinged vertical airfoil mounted at the tail of an aircraft and used to make horizontal course changes

From this reading “"A man who has no employment is like a ship without a rudder," she said.”

All words in this reading · 73

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.

AdeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading "A man who has no employment is like a ship without a rudder," she said.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading IN WHICH I AM FORBIDDEN TO BE IDLE AND THEREFORE FIND CONGENIAL EMPLOYMENT Naomi was very firm about my finding an occupation.

AMauxiliary verbUS /æm/

the form of “be” used with “I”

From this reading IN WHICH I AM FORBIDDEN TO BE IDLE AND THEREFORE FIND CONGENIAL EMPLOYMENT Naomi was very firm about my finding an occupation.

andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading IN WHICH I AM FORBIDDEN TO BE IDLE AND THEREFORE FIND CONGENIAL EMPLOYMENT Naomi was very firm about my finding an occupation.

ANDconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading IN WHICH I AM FORBIDDEN TO BE IDLE AND THEREFORE FIND CONGENIAL EMPLOYMENT Naomi was very firm about my finding an occupation.

Anne'snounUS /ænz/

From this reading As for herself, she intended to retain her various poor protégés, and to continue to visit her mother in Queen Anne's Gate every day, and probably lunch there; which made it the more important that I should have something to engage me.

AsconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

BEauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading IN WHICH I AM FORBIDDEN TO BE IDLE AND THEREFORE FIND CONGENIAL EMPLOYMENT Naomi was very firm about my finding an occupation.

CONGENIALadjectiveUS /kənˈdʒiːnjəl/

suitable to your needs

From this reading IN WHICH I AM FORBIDDEN TO BE IDLE AND THEREFORE FIND CONGENIAL EMPLOYMENT Naomi was very firm about my finding an occupation.

continueverbUS /kənˈtɪnjuː/

continue a certain state, condition, or activity

daynounUS /deɪ/

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading Men must do something, she said.

EMPLOYMENTnounUS /emˈplɔɪmənt/

the state of being employed or having a job

From this reading IN WHICH I AM FORBIDDEN TO BE IDLE AND THEREFORE FIND CONGENIAL EMPLOYMENT Naomi was very firm about my finding an occupation.

engageverbUS /enˈɡeɪdʒ/

carry out or participate in an activity; be involved in

enoughnounUS /ɪˈnʌf/

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

From this reading I replied that perhaps it was employment enough to be married to an epigrammatist.

epigrammatist

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I replied that perhaps it was employment enough to be married to an epigrammatist.

everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/

all the members of a group, with none left out

FINDverbUS /faɪnd/

come upon, as if by accident; meet with

From this reading IN WHICH I AM FORBIDDEN TO BE IDLE AND THEREFORE FIND CONGENIAL EMPLOYMENT Naomi was very firm about my finding an occupation.

findingnounUS /ˈfaɪndɪŋ/

the act of determining the properties of something, usually by research or calculation

From this reading IN WHICH I AM FORBIDDEN TO BE IDLE AND THEREFORE FIND CONGENIAL EMPLOYMENT Naomi was very firm about my finding an occupation.

firmadjectiveUS /fɜːrm/

marked by firm determination or resolution; not shakable

From this reading IN WHICH I AM FORBIDDEN TO BE IDLE AND THEREFORE FIND CONGENIAL EMPLOYMENT Naomi was very firm about my finding an occupation.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

FORBIDDENadjectiveUS /fərˈbɪd.ən/

Not allowed; banned or prohibited by rule or law.

From this reading IN WHICH I AM FORBIDDEN TO BE IDLE AND THEREFORE FIND CONGENIAL EMPLOYMENT Naomi was very firm about my finding an occupation.

GatenounUS /ɡeɪt/

a movable barrier in a fence or wall

hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/

the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading "A man who has no employment is like a ship without a rudder," she said.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

herselfpronounUS /hərˈself/

used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading IN WHICH I AM FORBIDDEN TO BE IDLE AND THEREFORE FIND CONGENIAL EMPLOYMENT Naomi was very firm about my finding an occupation.

IDLEadjectiveUS /ˈaɪdəl/

not in action or at work

From this reading IN WHICH I AM FORBIDDEN TO BE IDLE AND THEREFORE FIND CONGENIAL EMPLOYMENT Naomi was very firm about my finding an occupation.

importantadjectiveUS /ˌɪmˈpɔːrtənt/

of great significance or value

INprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading IN WHICH I AM FORBIDDEN TO BE IDLE AND THEREFORE FIND CONGENIAL EMPLOYMENT Naomi was very firm about my finding an occupation.

intendedadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈtendɪd/

resulting from one's intentions

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading "A man who has no employment is like a ship without a rudder," she said.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

likeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading "A man who has no employment is like a ship without a rudder," she said.

lunchverbUS /lʌntʃ/

take the midday meal

madeadjectiveUS /meɪd/

produced by a manufacturing process

mannounUS /mæn/

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading "A man who has no employment is like a ship without a rudder," she said.

marriedadjectiveUS /ˈmerid/

joined in matrimony

From this reading I replied that perhaps it was employment enough to be married to an epigrammatist.

mepronounUS /miː/

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

MennounUS /men/

the force of workers available

From this reading Men must do something, she said.

moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

mothernounUS /ˈmʌðər/

a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)

mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading Men must do something, she said.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading IN WHICH I AM FORBIDDEN TO BE IDLE AND THEREFORE FIND CONGENIAL EMPLOYMENT Naomi was very firm about my finding an occupation.

NaominounUS /neɪˈoʊmi/

the mother-in-law of Ruth whose story is told in the Book of Ruth in the Old Testament

From this reading IN WHICH I AM FORBIDDEN TO BE IDLE AND THEREFORE FIND CONGENIAL EMPLOYMENT Naomi was very firm about my finding an occupation.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading "A man who has no employment is like a ship without a rudder," she said.

occupationnounUS /ˌɑːkjəˈpeɪʃən/

the principal activity in your life that you do to earn money

From this reading IN WHICH I AM FORBIDDEN TO BE IDLE AND THEREFORE FIND CONGENIAL EMPLOYMENT Naomi was very firm about my finding an occupation.

perhapsadverbUS /pərˈhæps/

by chance

From this reading I replied that perhaps it was employment enough to be married to an epigrammatist.

pooradjectiveUS /puːr/

deserving or inciting pity

probablyadverbUS /ˈprɑːbəbliː/

with considerable certainty; without much doubt

protégés

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

QueennounUS /kwiːn/

the only fertile female in a colony of social insects such as bees and ants and termites; its function is to lay eggs

repliedverbUS /rɪˈplaɪd/

inflected form of “reply” — react verbally

From this reading I replied that perhaps it was employment enough to be married to an epigrammatist.

retainverbUS /rɪˈteɪn/

hold back within

ruddernounUS /ˈrʌdər/

a hinged vertical airfoil mounted at the tail of an aircraft and used to make horizontal course changes

From this reading "A man who has no employment is like a ship without a rudder," she said.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading Men must do something, she said.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Men must do something, she said.

shipverbUS /ʃɪp/

transport commercially

From this reading "A man who has no employment is like a ship without a rudder," she said.

shouldmodal verbUS /ʃʊd/

used to say what is right, expected, or advisable

somethingpronounUS /ˈsʌmθɪŋ/

a thing, without saying which

From this reading Men must do something, she said.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

THEREFOREadverbUS /ˈðerfɔːr/

for that reason; as a result

From this reading IN WHICH I AM FORBIDDEN TO BE IDLE AND THEREFORE FIND CONGENIAL EMPLOYMENT Naomi was very firm about my finding an occupation.

TOparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading IN WHICH I AM FORBIDDEN TO BE IDLE AND THEREFORE FIND CONGENIAL EMPLOYMENT Naomi was very firm about my finding an occupation.

variousadjectiveUS /ˈveriəs/

of many different kinds purposefully arranged but lacking any uniformity

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading IN WHICH I AM FORBIDDEN TO BE IDLE AND THEREFORE FIND CONGENIAL EMPLOYMENT Naomi was very firm about my finding an occupation.

visitverbUS /ˈvɪzɪt/

go to see a place, as for entertainment

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading IN WHICH I AM FORBIDDEN TO BE IDLE AND THEREFORE FIND CONGENIAL EMPLOYMENT Naomi was very firm about my finding an occupation.

WHICHpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading IN WHICH I AM FORBIDDEN TO BE IDLE AND THEREFORE FIND CONGENIAL EMPLOYMENT Naomi was very firm about my finding an occupation.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading "A man who has no employment is like a ship without a rudder," she said.

withoutprepositionUS /wɪˈθaʊt/

not having, not using, or not accompanied by

From this reading "A man who has no employment is like a ship without a rudder," she said.

Chapter 4 of London Lavender by E. V. (Edward Verrall) Lucas holds 98 sentences, grouped into 20 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.

What does chapter 4 of London Lavender contain?

Chapter 4 holds 98 sentences of London Lavender, unabridged, divided into 20 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 4 of London Lavender by E. V. (Edward Verrall) Lucas exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 98 sentences, grouped into 20 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.

How do I study chapter 4 of London Lavender?

Work through the 20 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 20 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.

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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.

Questions about reading London Lavender

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Is this the complete text of London Lavender?

Yes. All 3851 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #76154 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of London Lavender is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #76154, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does London Lavender take to read?

About 320 minutes of reading across 771 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in London Lavender

Words and structures a reader meets early in London Lavender, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Author: A word that appears in the opening chapter of London Lavender; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Bemerton's: A word that appears in the opening chapter of London Lavender; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
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Electrotyped: A word that appears in the opening chapter of London Lavender; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

Chapter IV

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