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Mark the Match Boy
Mark the Match Boy

Chapter III

Chapter 3 of Mark the Match Boy is here in full — 144 sentences across 29 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Mark the Match Boy
Context Illustration Reading 1/28 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
FOSDICK'S FORTUNE.
Mr. Bates took from his pocket a memorandum book, and jotted down a few figures in it.
"As nearly as I can remember," he said, "it is four years since I ceased paying interest on the money which your father entrusted to me.
The rate I agreed to pay was six per cent.
How much will that amount to?"
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Mark the Match Boy

Chapter III

Chapter 3 of Mark the Match Boy is here in full — 144 sentences across 29 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/28 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
FOSDICK'S FORTUNE.
Line 2
Mr. Bates took from his pocket a memorandum book, and jotted down a few figures in it.
/ˈmɪstər beɪts tʊk frʌm hɪz ˈpɑːkət ə ˌmemərˈændəm bʊk ənd ˈdʒɑːtɪd daʊn ə fjuː ˈfɪɡjərz ɪn ɪt/
Line 3
"As nearly as I can remember," he said, "it is four years since I ceased paying interest on the money which your father entrusted to me.
/æz ˈnɪrli æz aɪ kæn rɪˈmɛm.bər hiː sed ɪt ɪz fɔːr jɪrz sɪns aɪ siːst ˈpeɪɪŋ ˈɪntrəst ɑːn ðə ˈmʌni wɪtʃ jɔːr ˈfɑːðər enˈtrʌstɪd tuː miː/
Line 4
The rate I agreed to pay was six per cent.
/ðə reɪt aɪ əˈɡriːd tuː peɪ wɑːz sɪks pɜːr sent/
Line 5
How much will that amount to?"

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.

Bates verb US /beɪts/

third-person singular of “bate” — moderate or restrain; lessen the force of

From this reading “Mr. Bates took from his pocket a memorandum book, and jotted down a few figures in it.”

cent noun US /sent/

a fractional monetary unit of several countries

From this reading “The rate I agreed to pay was six per cent.”

entrusted verb US /enˈtrʌstɪd/

past form of “entrust” — confer a trust upon

From this reading “"As nearly as I can remember," he said, "it is four years since I ceased paying interest on the money which your father entrusted to me.”

figures noun US /ˈfɪɡjərz/

plural of “figure” — a diagram or picture illustrating textual material

From this reading “Mr. Bates took from his pocket a memorandum book, and jotted down a few figures in it.”

jotted verb US /ˈdʒɑːtɪd/

inflected form of “jot” — write briefly or hurriedly; write a short note of

From this reading “Mr. Bates took from his pocket a memorandum book, and jotted down a few figures in it.”

memorandum noun US /ˌmemərˈændəm/

a written proposal or reminder

From this reading “Mr. Bates took from his pocket a memorandum book, and jotted down a few figures in it.”

paying adjective US /ˈpeɪɪŋ/

yielding a fair profit

From this reading “"As nearly as I can remember," he said, "it is four years since I ceased paying interest on the money which your father entrusted to me.”

per preposition US /pɜːr/

for each

From this reading “The rate I agreed to pay was six per cent.”

Word partnerships in these lines

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.

per cent preposition + noun

In this reading “The rate I agreed to pay was six per cent.”

memorandum book noun + noun

In this reading “Mr. Bates took from his pocket a memorandum book, and jotted down a few figures in it.”

four years noun + noun

In this reading “"As nearly as I can remember," he said, "it is four years since I ceased paying interest on the money which your father entrusted to me.”

All words in this reading · 53

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 Mr. Bates took from his pocket a memorandum book, and jotted down a few figures in it.

agreedadjectiveUS /əˈɡriːd/

united by being of the same opinion

From this reading The rate I agreed to pay was six per cent.

amountnounUS /əˈmaʊnt/

a quantity of money

From this reading How much will that amount to?"

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Mr. Bates took from his pocket a memorandum book, and jotted down a few figures in it.

AsconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading "As nearly as I can remember," he said, "it is four years since I ceased paying interest on the money which your father entrusted to me.

BatesverbUS /beɪts/

third-person singular of “bate” — moderate or restrain; lessen the force of

From this reading Mr. Bates took from his pocket a memorandum book, and jotted down a few figures in it.

booknounUS /bʊk/

a written work or composition that has been published (printed on pages bound together)

From this reading Mr. Bates took from his pocket a memorandum book, and jotted down a few figures in it.

canmodal verbUS /kæn/

to be able to, or to be allowed to

From this reading "As nearly as I can remember," he said, "it is four years since I ceased paying interest on the money which your father entrusted to me.

ceasedverbUS /siːst/

past form of “cease” — put an end to a state or an activity

From this reading "As nearly as I can remember," he said, "it is four years since I ceased paying interest on the money which your father entrusted to me.

centnounUS /sent/

a fractional monetary unit of several countries

From this reading The rate I agreed to pay was six per cent.

downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading Mr. Bates took from his pocket a memorandum book, and jotted down a few figures in it.

entrustedverbUS /enˈtrʌstɪd/

past form of “entrust” — confer a trust upon

From this reading "As nearly as I can remember," he said, "it is four years since I ceased paying interest on the money which your father entrusted to me.

fathernounUS /ˈfɑːðər/

a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)

From this reading "As nearly as I can remember," he said, "it is four years since I ceased paying interest on the money which your father entrusted to me.

fewadjectiveUS /fjuː/

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number

From this reading Mr. Bates took from his pocket a memorandum book, and jotted down a few figures in it.

figuresnounUS /ˈfɪɡjərz/

plural of “figure” — a diagram or picture illustrating textual material

From this reading Mr. Bates took from his pocket a memorandum book, and jotted down a few figures in it.

FORTUNEnounUS /ˈfɔːrtʃən/

an unknown and unpredictable phenomenon that causes an event to result one way rather than another

From this reading FOSDICK'S FORTUNE.

FOSDICK'S

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

From this reading FOSDICK'S FORTUNE.

fournounUS /fɔːr/

the cardinal number that is the sum of three and one

From this reading "As nearly as I can remember," he said, "it is four years since I ceased paying interest on the money which your father entrusted to me.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading Mr. Bates took from his pocket a memorandum book, and jotted down a few figures in it.

hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading "As nearly as I can remember," he said, "it is four years since I ceased paying interest on the money which your father entrusted to me.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading Mr. Bates took from his pocket a memorandum book, and jotted down a few figures in it.

How

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

From this reading How much will that amount to?"

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading "As nearly as I can remember," he said, "it is four years since I ceased paying interest on the money which your father entrusted to me.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Mr. Bates took from his pocket a memorandum book, and jotted down a few figures in it.

interestnounUS /ˈɪntrəst/

a sense of concern with and curiosity about someone or something

From this reading "As nearly as I can remember," he said, "it is four years since I ceased paying interest on the money which your father entrusted to me.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading "As nearly as I can remember," he said, "it is four years since I ceased paying interest on the money which your father entrusted to me.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Mr. Bates took from his pocket a memorandum book, and jotted down a few figures in it.

jottedverbUS /ˈdʒɑːtɪd/

inflected form of “jot” — write briefly or hurriedly; write a short note of

From this reading Mr. Bates took from his pocket a memorandum book, and jotted down a few figures in it.

mepronounUS /miː/

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

From this reading "As nearly as I can remember," he said, "it is four years since I ceased paying interest on the money which your father entrusted to me.

memorandumnounUS /ˌmemərˈændəm/

a written proposal or reminder

From this reading Mr. Bates took from his pocket a memorandum book, and jotted down a few figures in it.

moneynounUS /ˈmʌni/

the most common medium of exchange; functions as legal tender

From this reading "As nearly as I can remember," he said, "it is four years since I ceased paying interest on the money which your father entrusted to me.

MrnounUS /ˈmɪstər/

a form of address for a man

From this reading Mr. Bates took from his pocket a memorandum book, and jotted down a few figures in it.

muchadverbUS /mʌtʃ/

to a great degree or extent

From this reading How much will that amount to?"

nearlyadverbUS /ˈnɪrli/

(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but

From this reading "As nearly as I can remember," he said, "it is four years since I ceased paying interest on the money which your father entrusted to me.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading "As nearly as I can remember," he said, "it is four years since I ceased paying interest on the money which your father entrusted to me.

payverbUS /peɪ/

give money, usually in exchange for goods or services

From this reading The rate I agreed to pay was six per cent.

payingadjectiveUS /ˈpeɪɪŋ/

yielding a fair profit

From this reading "As nearly as I can remember," he said, "it is four years since I ceased paying interest on the money which your father entrusted to me.

perprepositionUS /pɜːr/

for each

From this reading The rate I agreed to pay was six per cent.

pocketnounUS /ˈpɑːkət/

a small pouch inside a garment for carrying small articles

From this reading Mr. Bates took from his pocket a memorandum book, and jotted down a few figures in it.

ratenounUS /reɪt/

a magnitude or frequency relative to a time unit

From this reading The rate I agreed to pay was six per cent.

rememberverbUS /rɪˈmɛm.bər/

To recall to mind.

From this reading "As nearly as I can remember," he said, "it is four years since I ceased paying interest on the money which your father entrusted to me.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading "As nearly as I can remember," he said, "it is four years since I ceased paying interest on the money which your father entrusted to me.

sinceprepositionUS /sɪns/

from a time in the past until now

From this reading "As nearly as I can remember," he said, "it is four years since I ceased paying interest on the money which your father entrusted to me.

sixnounUS /sɪks/

the cardinal number that is the sum of five and one

From this reading The rate I agreed to pay was six per cent.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading How much will that amount to?"

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading "As nearly as I can remember," he said, "it is four years since I ceased paying interest on the money which your father entrusted to me.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading "As nearly as I can remember," he said, "it is four years since I ceased paying interest on the money which your father entrusted to me.

tookverbUS /tʊk/

inflected form of “take” — carry out

From this reading Mr. Bates took from his pocket a memorandum book, and jotted down a few figures in it.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading The rate I agreed to pay was six per cent.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading "As nearly as I can remember," he said, "it is four years since I ceased paying interest on the money which your father entrusted to me.

willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading How much will that amount to?"

yearsnounUS /jɪrz/

a late time of life

From this reading "As nearly as I can remember," he said, "it is four years since I ceased paying interest on the money which your father entrusted to me.

yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "As nearly as I can remember," he said, "it is four years since I ceased paying interest on the money which your father entrusted to me.

Chapter 3 of Mark the Match Boy by Horatio, Jr. Alger holds 144 sentences, grouped into 29 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 3 of Mark the Match Boy contain?

Chapter 3 holds 144 sentences of Mark the Match Boy, unabridged, divided into 29 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 3 of Mark the Match Boy by Horatio, Jr. Alger exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 144 sentences, grouped into 29 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 3 of Mark the Match Boy?

Work through the 29 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 29 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.

Can chapter 3 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 3 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 Mark the Match Boy

Common questions about reading Mark the Match Boy by Horatio, Jr. Alger on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Mark the Match Boy?

Yes. All 3757 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #53071 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Mark the Match Boy is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #53071, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Mark the Match Boy take to read?

About 313 minutes of reading across 752 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Mark the Match Boy section by section

How to work through Mark the Match Boy section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 26 chapters of Mark the Match Boy to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in Mark the Match Boy

Words and structures a reader meets early in Mark the Match Boy, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Richard
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Mark the Match Boy; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Hunter
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Mark the Match Boy; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Fosdick
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Mark the Match Boy; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Father
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Mark the Match Boy; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.