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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 A few minutes later he stood before the mahogany counter, his eyes fixed upon the half sheet of notepaper which the manager had laid before him.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The words were few enough and simple enough, yet they constituted for him a message written in the very ink of tragedy.
AtprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading SIGNS OF TROUBLE At ten o'clock the next morning, Hunterleys crossed the sunlit gardens towards the English bank, to receive what was, perhaps, the greatest shock of his life.
bank
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From this reading SIGNS OF TROUBLE At ten o'clock the next morning, Hunterleys crossed the sunlit gardens towards the English bank, to receive what was, perhaps, the greatest shock of his life.
beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/
earlier than; in front of
From this reading A few minutes later he stood before the mahogany counter, his eyes fixed upon the half sheet of notepaper which the manager had laid before him.
constituted
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From this reading The words were few enough and simple enough, yet they constituted for him a message written in the very ink of tragedy.
counter
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From this reading A few minutes later he stood before the mahogany counter, his eyes fixed upon the half sheet of notepaper which the manager had laid before him.
crossed
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From this reading SIGNS OF TROUBLE At ten o'clock the next morning, Hunterleys crossed the sunlit gardens towards the English bank, to receive what was, perhaps, the greatest shock of his life.
date
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From this reading The notepaper was the notepaper of the Hotel de Paris, the date the night before, the words few and unmistakable:
de
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From this reading The notepaper was the notepaper of the Hotel de Paris, the date the night before, the words few and unmistakable:
English
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From this reading SIGNS OF TROUBLE At ten o'clock the next morning, Hunterleys crossed the sunlit gardens towards the English bank, to receive what was, perhaps, the greatest shock of his life.
enough
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From this reading The words were few enough and simple enough, yet they constituted for him a message written in the very ink of tragedy.
eyes
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From this reading A few minutes later he stood before the mahogany counter, his eyes fixed upon the half sheet of notepaper which the manager had laid before him.
few
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From this reading A few minutes later he stood before the mahogany counter, his eyes fixed upon the half sheet of notepaper which the manager had laid before him.
fixed
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From this reading A few minutes later he stood before the mahogany counter, his eyes fixed upon the half sheet of notepaper which the manager had laid before him.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading The words were few enough and simple enough, yet they constituted for him a message written in the very ink of tragedy.
gardens
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From this reading SIGNS OF TROUBLE At ten o'clock the next morning, Hunterleys crossed the sunlit gardens towards the English bank, to receive what was, perhaps, the greatest shock of his life.
greatest
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From this reading SIGNS OF TROUBLE At ten o'clock the next morning, Hunterleys crossed the sunlit gardens towards the English bank, to receive what was, perhaps, the greatest shock of his life.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading A few minutes later he stood before the mahogany counter, his eyes fixed upon the half sheet of notepaper which the manager had laid before him.
halfnounUS /half/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading A few minutes later he stood before the mahogany counter, his eyes fixed upon the half sheet of notepaper which the manager had laid before him.
hepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading A few minutes later he stood before the mahogany counter, his eyes fixed upon the half sheet of notepaper which the manager had laid before him.
himpronounUS /hɪm/
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading A few minutes later he stood before the mahogany counter, his eyes fixed upon the half sheet of notepaper which the manager had laid before him.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading SIGNS OF TROUBLE At ten o'clock the next morning, Hunterleys crossed the sunlit gardens towards the English bank, to receive what was, perhaps, the greatest shock of his life.
Hotel
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From this reading The notepaper was the notepaper of the Hotel de Paris, the date the night before, the words few and unmistakable:
Hunterleys
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From this reading SIGNS OF TROUBLE At ten o'clock the next morning, Hunterleys crossed the sunlit gardens towards the English bank, to receive what was, perhaps, the greatest shock of his life.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The words were few enough and simple enough, yet they constituted for him a message written in the very ink of tragedy.
ink
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From this reading The words were few enough and simple enough, yet they constituted for him a message written in the very ink of tragedy.
laid
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From this reading A few minutes later he stood before the mahogany counter, his eyes fixed upon the half sheet of notepaper which the manager had laid before him.
later
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From this reading A few minutes later he stood before the mahogany counter, his eyes fixed upon the half sheet of notepaper which the manager had laid before him.
lifenounUS /life/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading SIGNS OF TROUBLE At ten o'clock the next morning, Hunterleys crossed the sunlit gardens towards the English bank, to receive what was, perhaps, the greatest shock of his life.
mahogany
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From this reading A few minutes later he stood before the mahogany counter, his eyes fixed upon the half sheet of notepaper which the manager had laid before him.
manager
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From this reading A few minutes later he stood before the mahogany counter, his eyes fixed upon the half sheet of notepaper which the manager had laid before him.
message
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From this reading The words were few enough and simple enough, yet they constituted for him a message written in the very ink of tragedy.
minutes
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From this reading A few minutes later he stood before the mahogany counter, his eyes fixed upon the half sheet of notepaper which the manager had laid before him.
morningnounUS /morning/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading SIGNS OF TROUBLE At ten o'clock the next morning, Hunterleys crossed the sunlit gardens towards the English bank, to receive what was, perhaps, the greatest shock of his life.
nextnounUS /next/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading SIGNS OF TROUBLE At ten o'clock the next morning, Hunterleys crossed the sunlit gardens towards the English bank, to receive what was, perhaps, the greatest shock of his life.
night
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From this reading The notepaper was the notepaper of the Hotel de Paris, the date the night before, the words few and unmistakable:
notepaper
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From this reading A few minutes later he stood before the mahogany counter, his eyes fixed upon the half sheet of notepaper which the manager had laid before him.
o'clock
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From this reading SIGNS OF TROUBLE At ten o'clock the next morning, Hunterleys crossed the sunlit gardens towards the English bank, to receive what was, perhaps, the greatest shock of his life.
OFprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading SIGNS OF TROUBLE At ten o'clock the next morning, Hunterleys crossed the sunlit gardens towards the English bank, to receive what was, perhaps, the greatest shock of his life.
Paris
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The notepaper was the notepaper of the Hotel de Paris, the date the night before, the words few and unmistakable:
perhaps
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From this reading SIGNS OF TROUBLE At ten o'clock the next morning, Hunterleys crossed the sunlit gardens towards the English bank, to receive what was, perhaps, the greatest shock of his life.
receive
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From this reading SIGNS OF TROUBLE At ten o'clock the next morning, Hunterleys crossed the sunlit gardens towards the English bank, to receive what was, perhaps, the greatest shock of his life.
sheet
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From this reading A few minutes later he stood before the mahogany counter, his eyes fixed upon the half sheet of notepaper which the manager had laid before him.
shock
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From this reading SIGNS OF TROUBLE At ten o'clock the next morning, Hunterleys crossed the sunlit gardens towards the English bank, to receive what was, perhaps, the greatest shock of his life.
SIGNS
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From this reading SIGNS OF TROUBLE At ten o'clock the next morning, Hunterleys crossed the sunlit gardens towards the English bank, to receive what was, perhaps, the greatest shock of his life.
simple
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From this reading The words were few enough and simple enough, yet they constituted for him a message written in the very ink of tragedy.
stoodnounUS /stood/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading A few minutes later he stood before the mahogany counter, his eyes fixed upon the half sheet of notepaper which the manager had laid before him.
sunlit
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From this reading SIGNS OF TROUBLE At ten o'clock the next morning, Hunterleys crossed the sunlit gardens towards the English bank, to receive what was, perhaps, the greatest shock of his life.
ten
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From this reading SIGNS OF TROUBLE At ten o'clock the next morning, Hunterleys crossed the sunlit gardens towards the English bank, to receive what was, perhaps, the greatest shock of his life.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading SIGNS OF TROUBLE At ten o'clock the next morning, Hunterleys crossed the sunlit gardens towards the English bank, to receive what was, perhaps, the greatest shock of his life.
theypronounUS /ðeɪ/
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The words were few enough and simple enough, yet they constituted for him a message written in the very ink of tragedy.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading SIGNS OF TROUBLE At ten o'clock the next morning, Hunterleys crossed the sunlit gardens towards the English bank, to receive what was, perhaps, the greatest shock of his life.
towardsprepositionUS /təˈwɔːrdz/
in the direction of
From this reading SIGNS OF TROUBLE At ten o'clock the next morning, Hunterleys crossed the sunlit gardens towards the English bank, to receive what was, perhaps, the greatest shock of his life.
tragedy
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The words were few enough and simple enough, yet they constituted for him a message written in the very ink of tragedy.
TROUBLE
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From this reading SIGNS OF TROUBLE At ten o'clock the next morning, Hunterleys crossed the sunlit gardens towards the English bank, to receive what was, perhaps, the greatest shock of his life.
unmistakable
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From this reading The notepaper was the notepaper of the Hotel de Paris, the date the night before, the words few and unmistakable:
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading A few minutes later he stood before the mahogany counter, his eyes fixed upon the half sheet of notepaper which the manager had laid before him.
very
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The words were few enough and simple enough, yet they constituted for him a message written in the very ink of tragedy.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading SIGNS OF TROUBLE At ten o'clock the next morning, Hunterleys crossed the sunlit gardens towards the English bank, to receive what was, perhaps, the greatest shock of his life.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The words were few enough and simple enough, yet they constituted for him a message written in the very ink of tragedy.
whatpronounUS /wʌt/
used to ask for information about something
From this reading SIGNS OF TROUBLE At ten o'clock the next morning, Hunterleys crossed the sunlit gardens towards the English bank, to receive what was, perhaps, the greatest shock of his life.
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading A few minutes later he stood before the mahogany counter, his eyes fixed upon the half sheet of notepaper which the manager had laid before him.
words
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The words were few enough and simple enough, yet they constituted for him a message written in the very ink of tragedy.
written
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The words were few enough and simple enough, yet they constituted for him a message written in the very ink of tragedy.
yetconjunctionUS /jet/
but in spite of that
From this reading The words were few enough and simple enough, yet they constituted for him a message written in the very ink of tragedy.
