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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 Uncle George's annual visit was to William a purgatory only to be endured by a resolutely philosophic attitude of mind and the knowledge that sooner or later it must come to an end.
andeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading It was an interest with which William would gladly have dispensed.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading WILLIAM'S HOBBY Uncle George was William's godfather, and he was intensely interested in William's upbringing.
annual
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Uncle George's annual visit was to William a purgatory only to be endured by a resolutely philosophic attitude of mind and the knowledge that sooner or later it must come to an end.
attitude
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From this reading Uncle George's annual visit was to William a purgatory only to be endured by a resolutely philosophic attitude of mind and the knowledge that sooner or later it must come to an end.
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Uncle George's annual visit was to William a purgatory only to be endured by a resolutely philosophic attitude of mind and the knowledge that sooner or later it must come to an end.
boy
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From this reading Uncle George had an ideal of what a boy should be, and it was a continual grief to him that William fell so short of this ideal.
ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But he never relinquished his efforts to make William conform to it.
byprepositionUS /baɪ/
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Uncle George's annual visit was to William a purgatory only to be endured by a resolutely philosophic attitude of mind and the knowledge that sooner or later it must come to an end.
comenounUS /come/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Uncle George's annual visit was to William a purgatory only to be endured by a resolutely philosophic attitude of mind and the knowledge that sooner or later it must come to an end.
conform
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But he never relinquished his efforts to make William conform to it.
continual
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From this reading Uncle George had an ideal of what a boy should be, and it was a continual grief to him that William fell so short of this ideal.
dispensed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was an interest with which William would gladly have dispensed.
efforts
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From this reading But he never relinquished his efforts to make William conform to it.
end
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From this reading Uncle George's annual visit was to William a purgatory only to be endured by a resolutely philosophic attitude of mind and the knowledge that sooner or later it must come to an end.
endured
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From this reading Uncle George's annual visit was to William a purgatory only to be endured by a resolutely philosophic attitude of mind and the knowledge that sooner or later it must come to an end.
fell
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From this reading Uncle George had an ideal of what a boy should be, and it was a continual grief to him that William fell so short of this ideal.
George
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading WILLIAM'S HOBBY Uncle George was William's godfather, and he was intensely interested in William's upbringing.
George's
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From this reading Uncle George's annual visit was to William a purgatory only to be endured by a resolutely philosophic attitude of mind and the knowledge that sooner or later it must come to an end.
gladly
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was an interest with which William would gladly have dispensed.
godfather
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading WILLIAM'S HOBBY Uncle George was William's godfather, and he was intensely interested in William's upbringing.
grief
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Uncle George had an ideal of what a boy should be, and it was a continual grief to him that William fell so short of this ideal.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Uncle George had an ideal of what a boy should be, and it was a continual grief to him that William fell so short of this ideal.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading It was an interest with which William would gladly have dispensed.
hepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading WILLIAM'S HOBBY Uncle George was William's godfather, and he was intensely interested in William's upbringing.
himpronounUS /hɪm/
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Uncle George had an ideal of what a boy should be, and it was a continual grief to him that William fell so short of this ideal.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading But he never relinquished his efforts to make William conform to it.
HOBBY
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading WILLIAM'S HOBBY Uncle George was William's godfather, and he was intensely interested in William's upbringing.
ideal
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Uncle George had an ideal of what a boy should be, and it was a continual grief to him that William fell so short of this ideal.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading WILLIAM'S HOBBY Uncle George was William's godfather, and he was intensely interested in William's upbringing.
intensely
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading WILLIAM'S HOBBY Uncle George was William's godfather, and he was intensely interested in William's upbringing.
interest
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was an interest with which William would gladly have dispensed.
interested
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading WILLIAM'S HOBBY Uncle George was William's godfather, and he was intensely interested in William's upbringing.
ItpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was an interest with which William would gladly have dispensed.
knowledge
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Uncle George's annual visit was to William a purgatory only to be endured by a resolutely philosophic attitude of mind and the knowledge that sooner or later it must come to an end.
later
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Uncle George's annual visit was to William a purgatory only to be endured by a resolutely philosophic attitude of mind and the knowledge that sooner or later it must come to an end.
makenounUS /make/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading But he never relinquished his efforts to make William conform to it.
mindnounUS /mind/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Uncle George's annual visit was to William a purgatory only to be endured by a resolutely philosophic attitude of mind and the knowledge that sooner or later it must come to an end.
mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading Uncle George's annual visit was to William a purgatory only to be endured by a resolutely philosophic attitude of mind and the knowledge that sooner or later it must come to an end.
nevernounUS /never/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading But he never relinquished his efforts to make William conform to it.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Uncle George's annual visit was to William a purgatory only to be endured by a resolutely philosophic attitude of mind and the knowledge that sooner or later it must come to an end.
only
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Uncle George's annual visit was to William a purgatory only to be endured by a resolutely philosophic attitude of mind and the knowledge that sooner or later it must come to an end.
orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Uncle George's annual visit was to William a purgatory only to be endured by a resolutely philosophic attitude of mind and the knowledge that sooner or later it must come to an end.
philosophic
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Uncle George's annual visit was to William a purgatory only to be endured by a resolutely philosophic attitude of mind and the knowledge that sooner or later it must come to an end.
purgatory
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Uncle George's annual visit was to William a purgatory only to be endured by a resolutely philosophic attitude of mind and the knowledge that sooner or later it must come to an end.
relinquished
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But he never relinquished his efforts to make William conform to it.
resolutely
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From this reading Uncle George's annual visit was to William a purgatory only to be endured by a resolutely philosophic attitude of mind and the knowledge that sooner or later it must come to an end.
shortadjectiveUS /ʃɔrt/
brief or direct in expression
From this reading Uncle George had an ideal of what a boy should be, and it was a continual grief to him that William fell so short of this ideal.
shouldmodal verbUS /ʃʊd/
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading Uncle George had an ideal of what a boy should be, and it was a continual grief to him that William fell so short of this ideal.
soconjunctionUS /soʊ/
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading Uncle George had an ideal of what a boy should be, and it was a continual grief to him that William fell so short of this ideal.
sooner
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Uncle George's annual visit was to William a purgatory only to be endured by a resolutely philosophic attitude of mind and the knowledge that sooner or later it must come to an end.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Uncle George's annual visit was to William a purgatory only to be endured by a resolutely philosophic attitude of mind and the knowledge that sooner or later it must come to an end.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Uncle George's annual visit was to William a purgatory only to be endured by a resolutely philosophic attitude of mind and the knowledge that sooner or later it must come to an end.
thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading Uncle George had an ideal of what a boy should be, and it was a continual grief to him that William fell so short of this ideal.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Uncle George's annual visit was to William a purgatory only to be endured by a resolutely philosophic attitude of mind and the knowledge that sooner or later it must come to an end.
Uncle
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading WILLIAM'S HOBBY Uncle George was William's godfather, and he was intensely interested in William's upbringing.
upbringing
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading WILLIAM'S HOBBY Uncle George was William's godfather, and he was intensely interested in William's upbringing.
visit
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Uncle George's annual visit was to William a purgatory only to be endured by a resolutely philosophic attitude of mind and the knowledge that sooner or later it must come to an end.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading WILLIAM'S HOBBY Uncle George was William's godfather, and he was intensely interested in William's upbringing.
whatpronounUS /wʌt/
used to ask for information about something
From this reading Uncle George had an ideal of what a boy should be, and it was a continual grief to him that William fell so short of this ideal.
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading It was an interest with which William would gladly have dispensed.
William
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was an interest with which William would gladly have dispensed.
WILLIAM'S
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading WILLIAM'S HOBBY Uncle George was William's godfather, and he was intensely interested in William's upbringing.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading It was an interest with which William would gladly have dispensed.
wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading It was an interest with which William would gladly have dispensed.
