Mrs. Dalloway

Chapter VI

Chapter 6 of Mrs. Dalloway is here in full — 429 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Virginia Woolf • Curated US English Learning Edition

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

She was about to split asunder, she felt.

The agony was so terrific.

If she could grasp her, if she could clasp her, if she could make her hers absolutely and forever and then die; that was all she wanted.

But to sit here, unable to think of anything to say; to see Elizabeth turning against her; to be felt repulsive even by her--it was too much; she could not stand it.

The thick fingers curled inwards.

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Chapter VI Reading 1/85

Mrs. Dalloway

Chapter VI

Chapter 6 of Mrs. Dalloway is here in full — 429 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/85 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

She was about to split asunder, she felt.

/ʃiː wɑːz əˈbaʊt tuː splɪt əˈsʌndər ʃiː felt/

Line 2

The agony was so terrific.

/ðə ˈæɡ.ə.ni wɑːz soʊ tərˈɪfɪk/

Line 3

If she could grasp her, if she could clasp her, if she could make her hers absolutely and forever and then die; that was all she wanted.

/ɪf ʃiː kʊd ɡræsp hɜːr ɪf ʃiː kʊd klæsp hɜːr ɪf ʃiː kʊd meɪk hɜːr hərz ˌæbsəˈluːtli ənd fərˈevər ənd ðen daɪ ðæt wɑːz ɔːl ʃiː ˈwɔːntɪd/

Line 4

But to sit here, unable to think of anything to say; to see Elizabeth turning against her; to be felt repulsive even by her--it was too much; she could not stand it.

Line 5

The thick fingers curled inwards.

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.

agony noun US /ˈæɡ.ə.ni/

Extreme physical or mental suffering; intense anguish.

From this reading “The agony was so terrific.”

asunder adjective US /əˈsʌndər/

widely separated especially in space

From this reading “She was about to split asunder, she felt.”

clasp verb US /klæsp/

hold firmly and tightly

From this reading “If she could grasp her, if she could clasp her, if she could make her hers absolutely and forever and then die; that was all she wanted.”

curled adjective US /kɜːrld/

(of hair) making curls or having been made to curl

From this reading “The thick fingers curled inwards.”

grasp verb US /ɡræsp/

hold firmly

From this reading “If she could grasp her, if she could clasp her, if she could make her hers absolutely and forever and then die; that was all she wanted.”

repulsive adjective US /riˈpʌlsɪv/

offensive to the mind

From this reading “But to sit here, unable to think of anything to say; to see Elizabeth turning against her; to be felt repulsive even by her--it was too much; she could not stand it.”

split verb US /splɪt/

separate into parts or portions

From this reading “She was about to split asunder, she felt.”

terrific adjective US /tərˈɪfɪk/

very great or intense

From this reading “The agony was so terrific.”

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.

sit here verb + particle

In this reading “But to sit here, unable to think of anything to say; to see Elizabeth turning against her; to be felt repulsive even by her--it was too much; she could not stand it.”

think of verb + particle

keep in mind for attention or consideration

In this reading “But to sit here, unable to think of anything to say; to see Elizabeth turning against her; to be felt repulsive even by her--it was too much; she could not stand it.”

All words in this reading · 51

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.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading She was about to split asunder, she felt.

absolutelyadverbUS /ˌæbsəˈluːtli/

completely and without qualification; used informally as intensifiers

From this reading If she could grasp her, if she could clasp her, if she could make her hers absolutely and forever and then die; that was all she wanted.

againstprepositionUS /əˈɡenst/

touching and pressing; in opposition to

From this reading But to sit here, unable to think of anything to say; to see Elizabeth turning against her; to be felt repulsive even by her--it was too much; she could not stand it.

agonynounUS /ˈæɡ.ə.ni/

Extreme physical or mental suffering; intense anguish.

From this reading The agony was so terrific.

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 If she could grasp her, if she could clasp her, if she could make her hers absolutely and forever and then die; that was all she wanted.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading If she could grasp her, if she could clasp her, if she could make her hers absolutely and forever and then die; that was all she wanted.

anythingpronounUS /ˈeniθɪŋ/

any thing at all

From this reading But to sit here, unable to think of anything to say; to see Elizabeth turning against her; to be felt repulsive even by her--it was too much; she could not stand it.

asunderadjectiveUS /əˈsʌndər/

widely separated especially in space

From this reading She was about to split asunder, she felt.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading But to sit here, unable to think of anything to say; to see Elizabeth turning against her; to be felt repulsive even by her--it was too much; she could not stand it.

ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading But to sit here, unable to think of anything to say; to see Elizabeth turning against her; to be felt repulsive even by her--it was too much; she could not stand it.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading But to sit here, unable to think of anything to say; to see Elizabeth turning against her; to be felt repulsive even by her--it was too much; she could not stand it.

claspverbUS /klæsp/

hold firmly and tightly

From this reading If she could grasp her, if she could clasp her, if she could make her hers absolutely and forever and then die; that was all she wanted.

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading If she could grasp her, if she could clasp her, if she could make her hers absolutely and forever and then die; that was all she wanted.

curledadjectiveUS /kɜːrld/

(of hair) making curls or having been made to curl

From this reading The thick fingers curled inwards.

dieverbUS /daɪ/

pass from physical life and lose all bodily attributes and functions necessary to sustain life

From this reading If she could grasp her, if she could clasp her, if she could make her hers absolutely and forever and then die; that was all she wanted.

ElizabethnounUS /ɪˈlɪzəbəθ/

daughter of George VI who became the Queen of England and Northern Ireland in 1952 on the death of her father (1926-)

From this reading But to sit here, unable to think of anything to say; to see Elizabeth turning against her; to be felt repulsive even by her--it was too much; she could not stand it.

evenadjectiveUS /ˈiːvɪn/

divisible by two

From this reading But to sit here, unable to think of anything to say; to see Elizabeth turning against her; to be felt repulsive even by her--it was too much; she could not stand it.

feltverbUS /felt/

mat together and make felt-like

From this reading She was about to split asunder, she felt.

fingersnounUS /ˈfɪŋɡərz/

plural of “finger” — any of the terminal members of the hand (sometimes excepting the thumb)

From this reading The thick fingers curled inwards.

foreveradverbUS /fərˈevər/

for a limitless time

From this reading If she could grasp her, if she could clasp her, if she could make her hers absolutely and forever and then die; that was all she wanted.

graspverbUS /ɡræsp/

hold firmly

From this reading If she could grasp her, if she could clasp her, if she could make her hers absolutely and forever and then die; that was all she wanted.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading If she could grasp her, if she could clasp her, if she could make her hers absolutely and forever and then die; that was all she wanted.

hereadverbUS /hiːr/

in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is

From this reading But to sit here, unable to think of anything to say; to see Elizabeth turning against her; to be felt repulsive even by her--it was too much; she could not stand it.

herspronounUS /hərz/

the one or ones belonging to her

From this reading If she could grasp her, if she could clasp her, if she could make her hers absolutely and forever and then die; that was all she wanted.

IfconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading If she could grasp her, if she could clasp her, if she could make her hers absolutely and forever and then die; that was all she wanted.

inwardsadverb

to or toward the inside of

From this reading The thick fingers curled inwards.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading But to sit here, unable to think of anything to say; to see Elizabeth turning against her; to be felt repulsive even by her--it was too much; she could not stand it.

makeverbUS /meɪk/

engage in

From this reading If she could grasp her, if she could clasp her, if she could make her hers absolutely and forever and then die; that was all she wanted.

muchadverbUS /mʌtʃ/

to a great degree or extent

From this reading But to sit here, unable to think of anything to say; to see Elizabeth turning against her; to be felt repulsive even by her--it was too much; she could not stand it.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading But to sit here, unable to think of anything to say; to see Elizabeth turning against her; to be felt repulsive even by her--it was too much; she could not stand it.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading But to sit here, unable to think of anything to say; to see Elizabeth turning against her; to be felt repulsive even by her--it was too much; she could not stand it.

repulsiveadjectiveUS /riˈpʌlsɪv/

offensive to the mind

From this reading But to sit here, unable to think of anything to say; to see Elizabeth turning against her; to be felt repulsive even by her--it was too much; she could not stand it.

sayverbUS /seɪ/

express in words

From this reading But to sit here, unable to think of anything to say; to see Elizabeth turning against her; to be felt repulsive even by her--it was too much; she could not stand it.

seeverbUS /siː/

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading But to sit here, unable to think of anything to say; to see Elizabeth turning against her; to be felt repulsive even by her--it was too much; she could not stand it.

ShepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading She was about to split asunder, she felt.

sitverbUS /sɪt/

be seated

From this reading But to sit here, unable to think of anything to say; to see Elizabeth turning against her; to be felt repulsive even by her--it was too much; she could not stand it.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading The agony was so terrific.

splitverbUS /splɪt/

separate into parts or portions

From this reading She was about to split asunder, she felt.

standverbUS /stænd/

be standing; be upright

From this reading But to sit here, unable to think of anything to say; to see Elizabeth turning against her; to be felt repulsive even by her--it was too much; she could not stand it.

terrificadjectiveUS /tərˈɪfɪk/

very great or intense

From this reading The agony was so terrific.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading If she could grasp her, if she could clasp her, if she could make her hers absolutely and forever and then die; that was all she wanted.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading The agony was so terrific.

thenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading If she could grasp her, if she could clasp her, if she could make her hers absolutely and forever and then die; that was all she wanted.

thickadjectiveUS /θɪk/

not thin; of a specific thickness or of relatively great extent from one surface to the opposite usually in the smallest of the three solid dimensions

From this reading The thick fingers curled inwards.

thinkverbUS /θɪŋk/

judge or regard; look upon; judge

From this reading But to sit here, unable to think of anything to say; to see Elizabeth turning against her; to be felt repulsive even by her--it was too much; she could not stand it.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading She was about to split asunder, she felt.

tooadverbUS /tuː/

to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits

From this reading But to sit here, unable to think of anything to say; to see Elizabeth turning against her; to be felt repulsive even by her--it was too much; she could not stand it.

turningnounUS /ˈtɜːrnɪŋ/

the act of changing or reversing the direction of the course

From this reading But to sit here, unable to think of anything to say; to see Elizabeth turning against her; to be felt repulsive even by her--it was too much; she could not stand it.

unableadjectiveUS /əˈneɪbəl/

(usually followed by “to”) not having the necessary means or skill or know-how

From this reading But to sit here, unable to think of anything to say; to see Elizabeth turning against her; to be felt repulsive even by her--it was too much; she could not stand it.

wantedadjectiveUS /ˈwɔːntɪd/

desired or wished for or sought

From this reading If she could grasp her, if she could clasp her, if she could make her hers absolutely and forever and then die; that was all she wanted.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading She was about to split asunder, she felt.

Chapter 6 of Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf holds 429 sentences, grouped into 86 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 6 of Mrs. Dalloway contain?

Chapter 6 holds 429 sentences of Mrs. Dalloway, unabridged, divided into 86 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 6 of Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 429 sentences, grouped into 86 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 6 of Mrs. Dalloway?

Work through the 86 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 86 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 6 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 6 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 Mrs. Dalloway

Common questions about reading Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Mrs. Dalloway?

Yes. All 3385 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #71865 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Mrs. Dalloway is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #71865, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Mrs. Dalloway take to read?

About 282 minutes of reading across 677 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in Mrs. Dalloway

Words and structures a reader meets early in Mrs. Dalloway, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

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Chapter VI

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