Chapter 31 of Mark Twain's Letters — Complete (1853-1910) is here in full — 381 sentences across 77 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XXXI
Chapter 31 of Mark Twain's Letters — Complete (1853-1910) is here in full — 381 sentences across 77 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
LONDON, Jan. 19, '97. DEAR JOE,--Do I want you to write to me? Indeed I do. I do not want most people to write, but I do want you to do it.
Chapter 31 of Mark Twain's Letters — Complete (1853-1910) is here in full — 381 sentences across 77 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/76 · 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.
dearly loved
From this reading “DEAR JOE,--Do I want you to write to me?”
in truth (often tends to intensify)
From this reading “Indeed I do.”
the first month of the year; begins 10 days after the winter solstice
From this reading “LONDON, Jan.”
the capital and largest city of England; located on the Thames in southeastern England; financial and industrial and cultural center
From this reading “LONDON, Jan.”
(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively
From this reading “I do not want most people to write, but I do want you to do it.”
feel or have a desire for; want strongly
From this reading “DEAR JOE,--Do I want you to write to me?”
produce a literary work
From this reading “DEAR JOE,--Do I want you to write to me?”
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.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading 19, '97.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading 19, '97.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading I do not want most people to write, but I do want you to do it.
dearly loved
From this reading DEAR JOE,--Do I want you to write to me?
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading DEAR JOE,--Do I want you to write to me?
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading DEAR JOE,--Do I want you to write to me?
in truth (often tends to intensify)
From this reading Indeed I do.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading I do not want most people to write, but I do want you to do it.
the first month of the year; begins 10 days after the winter solstice
From this reading LONDON, Jan.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading DEAR JOE,--Do I want you to write to me?
the capital and largest city of England; located on the Thames in southeastern England; financial and industrial and cultural center
From this reading LONDON, Jan.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading DEAR JOE,--Do I want you to write to me?
used to form the superlative
From this reading I do not want most people to write, but I do want you to do it.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading I do not want most people to write, but I do want you to do it.
(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively
From this reading I do not want most people to write, but I do want you to do it.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading DEAR JOE,--Do I want you to write to me?
feel or have a desire for; want strongly
From this reading DEAR JOE,--Do I want you to write to me?
produce a literary work
From this reading DEAR JOE,--Do I want you to write to me?
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading DEAR JOE,--Do I want you to write to me?
Chapter 31 of Mark Twain's Letters — Complete (1853-1910) by Mark Twain holds 381 sentences, grouped into 77 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 31 holds 381 sentences of Mark Twain's Letters — Complete (1853-1910), unabridged, divided into 77 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 31 of Mark Twain's Letters — Complete (1853-1910) by Mark Twain exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 381 sentences, grouped into 77 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 77 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 77 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 31 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 Mark Twain's Letters — Complete (1853-1910) by Mark Twain on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 14985 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #3199 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #3199, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 2997 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Mark Twain's Letters — Complete (1853-1910) section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 40 chapters of Mark Twain's Letters — Complete (1853-1910) 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 Mark Twain's Letters — Complete (1853-1910), each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
