Chapter 4 of Mothers to Men is here in full — 423 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IV
Chapter 4 of Mothers to Men is here in full — 423 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"'What are we going to do with him?' Insley asks. I loved the way he always said 'we' about everything. Not 'they' or 'you,' but always, 'What are _we_ going to do.' "'I'll keep him awhile,' Mis' Emmons says, 'and see what develops.
Chapter 4 of Mothers to Men is here in full — 423 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/84 · 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.
third-person singular of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading “Insley asks.”
for a short time
From this reading “"'I'll keep him awhile,' Mis' Emmons says, 'and see what develops.”
third-person singular of “develop” — make something new, such as a product or a mental or artistic creation
From this reading “"'I'll keep him awhile,' Mis' Emmons says, 'and see what develops.”
all things; all of a situation
From this reading “I loved the way he always said 'we' about everything.”
cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”
From this reading “"'I'll keep him awhile,' Mis' Emmons says, 'and see what develops.”
held dear
From this reading “I loved the way he always said 'we' about everything.”
plural of “mi” — destruction of heart tissue resulting from obstruction of the blood supply to the heart muscle
From this reading “"'I'll keep him awhile,' Mis' Emmons says, 'and see what develops.”
plural of “say” — the chance to speak
From this reading “"'I'll keep him awhile,' Mis' Emmons says, 'and see what develops.”
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.
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.
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading I loved the way he always said 'we' about everything.
at all times; all the time and on every occasion
From this reading I loved the way he always said 'we' about everything.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "'I'll keep him awhile,' Mis' Emmons says, 'and see what develops.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading "'What are we going to do with him?'
third-person singular of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading Insley asks.
for a short time
From this reading "'I'll keep him awhile,' Mis' Emmons says, 'and see what develops.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Not 'they' or 'you,' but always, 'What are _we_ going to do.'
third-person singular of “develop” — make something new, such as a product or a mental or artistic creation
From this reading "'I'll keep him awhile,' Mis' Emmons says, 'and see what develops.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading "'What are we going to do with him?'
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "'I'll keep him awhile,' Mis' Emmons says, 'and see what develops.
all things; all of a situation
From this reading I loved the way he always said 'we' about everything.
the act of departing
From this reading "'What are we going to do with him?'
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading I loved the way he always said 'we' about everything.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "'What are we going to do with him?'
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I loved the way he always said 'we' about everything.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "'I'll keep him awhile,' Mis' Emmons says, 'and see what develops.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Insley asks.
cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”
From this reading "'I'll keep him awhile,' Mis' Emmons says, 'and see what develops.
held dear
From this reading I loved the way he always said 'we' about everything.
plural of “mi” — destruction of heart tissue resulting from obstruction of the blood supply to the heart muscle
From this reading "'I'll keep him awhile,' Mis' Emmons says, 'and see what develops.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Not 'they' or 'you,' but always, 'What are _we_ going to do.'
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Not 'they' or 'you,' but always, 'What are _we_ going to do.'
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading I loved the way he always said 'we' about everything.
plural of “say” — the chance to speak
From this reading "'I'll keep him awhile,' Mis' Emmons says, 'and see what develops.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading "'I'll keep him awhile,' Mis' Emmons says, 'and see what develops.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading I loved the way he always said 'we' about everything.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Not 'they' or 'you,' but always, 'What are _we_ going to do.'
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "'What are we going to do with him?'
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading I loved the way he always said 'we' about everything.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading "'What are we going to do with him?'
used to ask for information about something
From this reading "'What are we going to do with him?'
in the company of; together with
From this reading "'What are we going to do with him?'
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading Not 'they' or 'you,' but always, 'What are _we_ going to do.'
Chapter 4 of Mothers to Men by Zona Gale holds 423 sentences, grouped into 85 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 4 holds 423 sentences of Mothers to Men, unabridged, divided into 85 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 4 of Mothers to Men by Zona Gale exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 423 sentences, grouped into 85 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 85 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 85 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 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.
Common questions about reading Mothers to Men by Zona Gale on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4225 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #53650 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #53650, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 352 minutes of reading across 845 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Mothers to Men section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 10 chapters of Mothers to Men 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 Mothers to Men, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
