Chapter 1 of May Day is here in full — 584 sentences across 117 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of May Day is here in full — 584 sentences across 117 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
MAY DAY; OR, ANECDOTES OF _Miss LYDIA LIVELY_. MAY DAY; OR, ANECDOTES OF _Miss LYDIA LIVELY_. INTENDED TO IMPROVE AND AMUSE THE _RISING GENERATION_. Printed and Sold by JOHN MARSHALL, at No. 4, ALDERMARY CHURCH-YARD, in BOW-LANE; and No. 17, QUEEN-STREET, CHEAPSIDE. MAY DAY, _&c._ CHAPTER THE FIRST.
Chapter 1 of May Day is here in full — 584 sentences across 117 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/116 · 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.
occupy in an agreeable, entertaining or pleasant fashion
From this reading “INTENDED TO IMPROVE AND AMUSE THE _RISING GENERATION_.”
plural of “anecdote” — short account of an incident (especially a biographical one)
From this reading “MAY DAY; OR, ANECDOTES OF _Miss LYDIA LIVELY_.”
all the people living at the same time or of approximately the same age
to make better
From this reading “INTENDED TO IMPROVE AND AMUSE THE _RISING GENERATION_.”
full of life and energy
an ancient region on the coast of western Asia Minor; a powerful kingdom until conquered by the Persians in 546 BC
From this reading “MAY DAY; OR, ANECDOTES OF _Miss LYDIA LIVELY_.”
United States actor (1914-1998)
From this reading “Printed and Sold by JOHN MARSHALL, at No. 4, ALDERMARY CHURCH-YARD, in BOW-LANE; and No. 17, QUEEN-STREET, CHEAPSIDE.”
past form of “print” — put into print
From this reading “Printed and Sold by JOHN MARSHALL, at No. 4, ALDERMARY CHURCH-YARD, in BOW-LANE; and No. 17, QUEEN-STREET, CHEAPSIDE.”
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.
In this reading “INTENDED TO IMPROVE AND AMUSE THE _RISING GENERATION_.”
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 Printed and Sold by JOHN MARSHALL, at No. 4, ALDERMARY CHURCH-YARD, in BOW-LANE; and No. 17, QUEEN-STREET, CHEAPSIDE.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Printed and Sold by JOHN MARSHALL, at No. 4, ALDERMARY CHURCH-YARD, in BOW-LANE; and No. 17, QUEEN-STREET, CHEAPSIDE.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Printed and Sold by JOHN MARSHALL, at No. 4, ALDERMARY CHURCH-YARD, in BOW-LANE; and No. 17, QUEEN-STREET, CHEAPSIDE.
occupy in an agreeable, entertaining or pleasant fashion
From this reading INTENDED TO IMPROVE AND AMUSE THE _RISING GENERATION_.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading INTENDED TO IMPROVE AND AMUSE THE _RISING GENERATION_.
plural of “anecdote” — short account of an incident (especially a biographical one)
From this reading MAY DAY; OR, ANECDOTES OF _Miss LYDIA LIVELY_.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Printed and Sold by JOHN MARSHALL, at No. 4, ALDERMARY CHURCH-YARD, in BOW-LANE; and No. 17, QUEEN-STREET, CHEAPSIDE.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Printed and Sold by JOHN MARSHALL, at No. 4, ALDERMARY CHURCH-YARD, in BOW-LANE; and No. 17, QUEEN-STREET, CHEAPSIDE.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Printed and Sold by JOHN MARSHALL, at No. 4, ALDERMARY CHURCH-YARD, in BOW-LANE; and No. 17, QUEEN-STREET, CHEAPSIDE.
a degree on the centigrade scale of temperature
From this reading MAY DAY, _&c._ CHAPTER THE FIRST.
a subdivision of a written work; usually numbered and titled
From this reading MAY DAY, _&c._ CHAPTER THE FIRST.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Printed and Sold by JOHN MARSHALL, at No. 4, ALDERMARY CHURCH-YARD, in BOW-LANE; and No. 17, QUEEN-STREET, CHEAPSIDE.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Printed and Sold by JOHN MARSHALL, at No. 4, ALDERMARY CHURCH-YARD, in BOW-LANE; and No. 17, QUEEN-STREET, CHEAPSIDE.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading MAY DAY; OR, ANECDOTES OF _Miss LYDIA LIVELY_.
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading MAY DAY, _&c._ CHAPTER THE FIRST.
all the people living at the same time or of approximately the same age
From this reading INTENDED TO IMPROVE AND AMUSE THE _RISING GENERATION_.
to make better
From this reading INTENDED TO IMPROVE AND AMUSE THE _RISING GENERATION_.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Printed and Sold by JOHN MARSHALL, at No. 4, ALDERMARY CHURCH-YARD, in BOW-LANE; and No. 17, QUEEN-STREET, CHEAPSIDE.
resulting from one's intentions
From this reading INTENDED TO IMPROVE AND AMUSE THE _RISING GENERATION_.
a room or building equipped with one or more toilets
From this reading Printed and Sold by JOHN MARSHALL, at No. 4, ALDERMARY CHURCH-YARD, in BOW-LANE; and No. 17, QUEEN-STREET, CHEAPSIDE.
full of life and energy
From this reading MAY DAY; OR, ANECDOTES OF _Miss LYDIA LIVELY_.
an ancient region on the coast of western Asia Minor; a powerful kingdom until conquered by the Persians in 546 BC
From this reading MAY DAY; OR, ANECDOTES OF _Miss LYDIA LIVELY_.
United States actor (1914-1998)
From this reading Printed and Sold by JOHN MARSHALL, at No. 4, ALDERMARY CHURCH-YARD, in BOW-LANE; and No. 17, QUEEN-STREET, CHEAPSIDE.
used to say something is possible, or to give permission
From this reading MAY DAY; OR, ANECDOTES OF _Miss LYDIA LIVELY_.
fail to perceive or to catch with the senses or the mind
From this reading MAY DAY; OR, ANECDOTES OF _Miss LYDIA LIVELY_.
not any; not one
From this reading Printed and Sold by JOHN MARSHALL, at No. 4, ALDERMARY CHURCH-YARD, in BOW-LANE; and No. 17, QUEEN-STREET, CHEAPSIDE.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading MAY DAY; OR, ANECDOTES OF _Miss LYDIA LIVELY_.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading MAY DAY; OR, ANECDOTES OF _Miss LYDIA LIVELY_.
past form of “print” — put into print
From this reading Printed and Sold by JOHN MARSHALL, at No. 4, ALDERMARY CHURCH-YARD, in BOW-LANE; and No. 17, QUEEN-STREET, CHEAPSIDE.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Printed and Sold by JOHN MARSHALL, at No. 4, ALDERMARY CHURCH-YARD, in BOW-LANE; and No. 17, QUEEN-STREET, CHEAPSIDE.
advancing or becoming higher or greater in degree or value or status
From this reading INTENDED TO IMPROVE AND AMUSE THE _RISING GENERATION_.
disposed of to a purchaser
From this reading Printed and Sold by JOHN MARSHALL, at No. 4, ALDERMARY CHURCH-YARD, in BOW-LANE; and No. 17, QUEEN-STREET, CHEAPSIDE.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading INTENDED TO IMPROVE AND AMUSE THE _RISING GENERATION_.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading INTENDED TO IMPROVE AND AMUSE THE _RISING GENERATION_.
Chapter 1 of May Day by Unknown holds 584 sentences, grouped into 117 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 1 holds 584 sentences of May Day, unabridged, divided into 117 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of May Day by Unknown exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 584 sentences, grouped into 117 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 117 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 117 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 1 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 May Day by Unknown on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 584 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #59334 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #59334, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 48 minutes of reading across 117 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through May Day section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 1 chapters of May Day 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 May Day, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
