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Motor Matt's Hard Luck
Motor Matt's Hard Luck

Chapter XVII

Chapter 17 of Motor Matt's Hard Luck is here in full — 424 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Motor Matt's Hard Luck
Context Illustration Reading 1/84 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
BACK IN SOUTH CHICAGO.
There was some great rejoicing on Carl's part when he learned what had happened in Grand Haven and out along the trolley line to Grand Rapids.
"Ach, aber dot all sounds too goot to be droo!" exulted the Dutch boy.
"I vish I hat peen dere during der fragas.
Ferral vas fooling mit me ven he saidt dot Jerrold und I mighdt haf more drouples as der resdt oof you.
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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.

Motor Matt's Hard Luck

Chapter XVII

Chapter 17 of Motor Matt's Hard Luck is here in full — 424 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/84 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
BACK IN SOUTH CHICAGO.
/bæk ɪn saʊθ ʃəˈkɑːɡoʊ/
Line 2
There was some great rejoicing on Carl's part when he learned what had happened in Grand Haven and out along the trolley line to Grand Rapids.
Line 3
"Ach, aber dot all sounds too goot to be droo!" exulted the Dutch boy.
Line 4
"I vish I hat peen dere during der fragas.
Line 5
Ferral vas fooling mit me ven he saidt dot Jerrold und I mighdt haf more drouples as der resdt oof you.

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.

dot noun US /dɑːt/

a very small circular shape

From this reading “"Ach, aber dot all sounds too goot to be droo!" exulted the Dutch boy.”

exulted verb US /ɪɡˈzʌltɪd/

past form of “exult” — feel extreme happiness or elation

From this reading “"Ach, aber dot all sounds too goot to be droo!" exulted the Dutch boy.”

fooling adjective US /ˈfuːlɪŋ/

characterized by a feeling of irresponsibility

From this reading “Ferral vas fooling mit me ven he saidt dot Jerrold und I mighdt haf more drouples as der resdt oof you.”

Haven noun US /ˈheɪvən/

a shelter serving as a place of safety or sanctuary

From this reading “There was some great rejoicing on Carl's part when he learned what had happened in Grand Haven and out along the trolley line to Grand Rapids.”

mit noun US /ˈeˈmaɪˈtiː/

an engineering university in Cambridge

From this reading “Ferral vas fooling mit me ven he saidt dot Jerrold und I mighdt haf more drouples as der resdt oof you.”

Rapids noun US /ˈræpədz/

plural of “rapid” — a part of a river where the current is very fast

From this reading “There was some great rejoicing on Carl's part when he learned what had happened in Grand Haven and out along the trolley line to Grand Rapids.”

rejoicing noun US /rɪˈdʒɔɪsɪŋ/

a feeling of great happiness

From this reading “There was some great rejoicing on Carl's part when he learned what had happened in Grand Haven and out along the trolley line to Grand Rapids.”

trolley noun US /ˈtrɑːli/

a wheeled vehicle that runs on rails and is propelled by electricity

From this reading “There was some great rejoicing on Carl's part when he learned what had happened in Grand Haven and out along the trolley line to Grand Rapids.”

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.

trolley line noun + noun

a transit line using streetcars or trolley buses

In this reading “There was some great rejoicing on Carl's part when he learned what had happened in Grand Haven and out along the trolley line to Grand Rapids.”

great rejoicing adjective + noun

In this reading “There was some great rejoicing on Carl's part when he learned what had happened in Grand Haven and out along the trolley line to Grand Rapids.”

All words in this reading · 65

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.

aber

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

From this reading "Ach, aber dot all sounds too goot to be droo!" exulted the Dutch boy.

Ach

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

From this reading "Ach, aber dot all sounds too goot to be droo!" exulted the Dutch boy.

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading "Ach, aber dot all sounds too goot to be droo!" exulted the Dutch boy.

alongprepositionUS /əˈlɔːŋ/

following the length of something from one end toward the other

From this reading There was some great rejoicing on Carl's part when he learned what had happened in Grand Haven and out along the trolley line to Grand Rapids.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading There was some great rejoicing on Carl's part when he learned what had happened in Grand Haven and out along the trolley line to Grand Rapids.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading Ferral vas fooling mit me ven he saidt dot Jerrold und I mighdt haf more drouples as der resdt oof you.

BACKadverbUS /bæk/

in or to or toward a former location

From this reading BACK IN SOUTH CHICAGO.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading "Ach, aber dot all sounds too goot to be droo!" exulted the Dutch boy.

boynounUS /bɔɪ/

a youthful male person

From this reading "Ach, aber dot all sounds too goot to be droo!" exulted the Dutch boy.

Carl's

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

From this reading There was some great rejoicing on Carl's part when he learned what had happened in Grand Haven and out along the trolley line to Grand Rapids.

CHICAGOnounUS /ʃəˈkɑːɡoʊ/

largest city in Illinois; a bustling Great Lakes port that extends 26 miles along the southwestern shoreline of Lake Michigan

From this reading BACK IN SOUTH CHICAGO.

der

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

From this reading "I vish I hat peen dere during der fragas.

dere

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

From this reading "I vish I hat peen dere during der fragas.

dotnounUS /dɑːt/

a very small circular shape

From this reading "Ach, aber dot all sounds too goot to be droo!" exulted the Dutch boy.

droo

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

From this reading "Ach, aber dot all sounds too goot to be droo!" exulted the Dutch boy.

drouples

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

From this reading Ferral vas fooling mit me ven he saidt dot Jerrold und I mighdt haf more drouples as der resdt oof you.

duringprepositionUS /ˈdʊrɪŋ/

all through a period, or at some point within it

From this reading "I vish I hat peen dere during der fragas.

DutchadjectiveUS /dʌtʃ/

of or relating to the Netherlands or its people or culture

From this reading "Ach, aber dot all sounds too goot to be droo!" exulted the Dutch boy.

exultedverbUS /ɪɡˈzʌltɪd/

past form of “exult” — feel extreme happiness or elation

From this reading "Ach, aber dot all sounds too goot to be droo!" exulted the Dutch boy.

Ferral

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

From this reading Ferral vas fooling mit me ven he saidt dot Jerrold und I mighdt haf more drouples as der resdt oof you.

foolingadjectiveUS /ˈfuːlɪŋ/

characterized by a feeling of irresponsibility

From this reading Ferral vas fooling mit me ven he saidt dot Jerrold und I mighdt haf more drouples as der resdt oof you.

fragas

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

From this reading "I vish I hat peen dere during der fragas.

goot

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

From this reading "Ach, aber dot all sounds too goot to be droo!" exulted the Dutch boy.

GrandadjectiveUS /ɡrænd/

of behavior that is impressive and ambitious in scale or scope

From this reading There was some great rejoicing on Carl's part when he learned what had happened in Grand Haven and out along the trolley line to Grand Rapids.

greatadjectiveUS /ɡreɪt/

relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind

From this reading There was some great rejoicing on Carl's part when he learned what had happened in Grand Haven and out along the trolley line to Grand Rapids.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading There was some great rejoicing on Carl's part when he learned what had happened in Grand Haven and out along the trolley line to Grand Rapids.

haf

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

From this reading Ferral vas fooling mit me ven he saidt dot Jerrold und I mighdt haf more drouples as der resdt oof you.

happenedverbUS /ˈhæpənd/

past form of “happen” — come to pass

From this reading There was some great rejoicing on Carl's part when he learned what had happened in Grand Haven and out along the trolley line to Grand Rapids.

hatnounUS /hæt/

headdress that protects the head from bad weather; has shaped crown and usually a brim

From this reading "I vish I hat peen dere during der fragas.

HavennounUS /ˈheɪvən/

a shelter serving as a place of safety or sanctuary

From this reading There was some great rejoicing on Carl's part when he learned what had happened in Grand Haven and out along the trolley line to Grand Rapids.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading There was some great rejoicing on Carl's part when he learned what had happened in Grand Haven and out along the trolley line to Grand Rapids.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading "I vish I hat peen dere during der fragas.

INprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading BACK IN SOUTH CHICAGO.

Jerrold

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

From this reading Ferral vas fooling mit me ven he saidt dot Jerrold und I mighdt haf more drouples as der resdt oof you.

learnedadjectiveUS /lɜːrnd/

having or showing profound knowledge

From this reading There was some great rejoicing on Carl's part when he learned what had happened in Grand Haven and out along the trolley line to Grand Rapids.

linenounUS /laɪn/

a formation of people or things one beside another

From this reading There was some great rejoicing on Carl's part when he learned what had happened in Grand Haven and out along the trolley line to Grand Rapids.

mepronounUS /miː/

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

From this reading Ferral vas fooling mit me ven he saidt dot Jerrold und I mighdt haf more drouples as der resdt oof you.

mighdt

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

From this reading Ferral vas fooling mit me ven he saidt dot Jerrold und I mighdt haf more drouples as der resdt oof you.

mitnounUS /ˈeˈmaɪˈtiː/

an engineering university in Cambridge

From this reading Ferral vas fooling mit me ven he saidt dot Jerrold und I mighdt haf more drouples as der resdt oof you.

moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading Ferral vas fooling mit me ven he saidt dot Jerrold und I mighdt haf more drouples as der resdt oof you.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading There was some great rejoicing on Carl's part when he learned what had happened in Grand Haven and out along the trolley line to Grand Rapids.

oof

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

From this reading Ferral vas fooling mit me ven he saidt dot Jerrold und I mighdt haf more drouples as der resdt oof you.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading There was some great rejoicing on Carl's part when he learned what had happened in Grand Haven and out along the trolley line to Grand Rapids.

partnounUS /pɑːrt/

something determined in relation to something that includes it

From this reading There was some great rejoicing on Carl's part when he learned what had happened in Grand Haven and out along the trolley line to Grand Rapids.

peennoun

the part of a hammerhead opposite the flat striking surface (may have various shapes)

From this reading "I vish I hat peen dere during der fragas.

RapidsnounUS /ˈræpədz/

plural of “rapid” — a part of a river where the current is very fast

From this reading There was some great rejoicing on Carl's part when he learned what had happened in Grand Haven and out along the trolley line to Grand Rapids.

rejoicingnounUS /rɪˈdʒɔɪsɪŋ/

a feeling of great happiness

From this reading There was some great rejoicing on Carl's part when he learned what had happened in Grand Haven and out along the trolley line to Grand Rapids.

resdt

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

From this reading Ferral vas fooling mit me ven he saidt dot Jerrold und I mighdt haf more drouples as der resdt oof you.

saidt

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

From this reading Ferral vas fooling mit me ven he saidt dot Jerrold und I mighdt haf more drouples as der resdt oof you.

someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading There was some great rejoicing on Carl's part when he learned what had happened in Grand Haven and out along the trolley line to Grand Rapids.

soundsnounUS /saʊndz/

plural of “sound” — the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause

From this reading "Ach, aber dot all sounds too goot to be droo!" exulted the Dutch boy.

SOUTHnounUS /saʊθ/

the region of the United States lying to the south of the Mason-Dixon line

From this reading BACK IN SOUTH CHICAGO.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading There was some great rejoicing on Carl's part when he learned what had happened in Grand Haven and out along the trolley line to Grand Rapids.

ThereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading There was some great rejoicing on Carl's part when he learned what had happened in Grand Haven and out along the trolley line to Grand Rapids.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading There was some great rejoicing on Carl's part when he learned what had happened in Grand Haven and out along the trolley line to Grand Rapids.

tooadverbUS /tuː/

to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits

From this reading "Ach, aber dot all sounds too goot to be droo!" exulted the Dutch boy.

trolleynounUS /ˈtrɑːli/

a wheeled vehicle that runs on rails and is propelled by electricity

From this reading There was some great rejoicing on Carl's part when he learned what had happened in Grand Haven and out along the trolley line to Grand Rapids.

und

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

From this reading Ferral vas fooling mit me ven he saidt dot Jerrold und I mighdt haf more drouples as der resdt oof you.

vasnoun

a tube in which a body fluid circulates

From this reading Ferral vas fooling mit me ven he saidt dot Jerrold und I mighdt haf more drouples as der resdt oof you.

ven

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

From this reading Ferral vas fooling mit me ven he saidt dot Jerrold und I mighdt haf more drouples as der resdt oof you.

vish

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

From this reading "I vish I hat peen dere during der fragas.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading There was some great rejoicing on Carl's part when he learned what had happened in Grand Haven and out along the trolley line to Grand Rapids.

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading There was some great rejoicing on Carl's part when he learned what had happened in Grand Haven and out along the trolley line to Grand Rapids.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading There was some great rejoicing on Carl's part when he learned what had happened in Grand Haven and out along the trolley line to Grand Rapids.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading Ferral vas fooling mit me ven he saidt dot Jerrold und I mighdt haf more drouples as der resdt oof you.

Chapter 17 of Motor Matt's Hard Luck by Stanley R. Matthews holds 424 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.

What does chapter 17 of Motor Matt's Hard Luck contain?

Chapter 17 holds 424 sentences of Motor Matt's Hard Luck, unabridged, divided into 85 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 17 of Motor Matt's Hard Luck by Stanley R. Matthews exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 424 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.

How do I study chapter 17 of Motor Matt's Hard Luck?

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.

Can chapter 17 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 17 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 Motor Matt's Hard Luck

Common questions about reading Motor Matt's Hard Luck by Stanley R. Matthews on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Motor Matt's Hard Luck?

Yes. All 2297 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #47975 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Motor Matt's Hard Luck is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #47975, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Motor Matt's Hard Luck take to read?

About 191 minutes of reading across 460 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Motor Matt's Hard Luck section by section

How to work through Motor Matt's Hard Luck section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 17 chapters of Motor Matt's Hard Luck 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 Motor Matt's Hard Luck

Words and structures a reader meets early in Motor Matt's Hard Luck, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Issued
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Motor Matt's Hard Luck; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Weekly
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Motor Matt's Hard Luck; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Subscription
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Motor Matt's Hard Luck; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Entered
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Motor Matt's Hard Luck; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.