Chapter 4 of Multitude and Solitude is here in full — 422 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 Multitude and Solitude is here in full — 422 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"I don't think I should care to do it," she said suddenly. "I've not been used to that class of work." Turning at the door as he went out, he saw that she was watching him with a faint smile. Only the hospital remained. It took him a long way out of his way.
Chapter 4 of Multitude and Solitude is here in full — 422 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.
a collection of things sharing a common attribute
From this reading “"I've not been used to that class of work."”
deficient in magnitude; barely perceptible; lacking clarity or brightness or loudness etc
From this reading “Turning at the door as he went out, he saw that she was watching him with a faint smile.”
a health facility where patients receive treatment
From this reading “Only the hospital remained.”
past form of “remain” — stay the same; remain in a certain state
From this reading “Only the hospital remained.”
change one's facial expression by spreading the lips, often to signal pleasure
From this reading “Turning at the door as he went out, he saw that she was watching him with a faint smile.”
the act of changing or reversing the direction of the course
From this reading “Turning at the door as he went out, he saw that she was watching him with a faint smile.”
employed in accomplishing something
From this reading “"I've not been used to that class of work."”
the act of observing; taking a patient look
From this reading “Turning at the door as he went out, he saw that she was watching him with a faint smile.”
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.
move out of or depart from
In this reading “Turning at the door as he went out, he saw that she was watching him with a faint smile.”
In this reading “Turning at the door as he went out, he saw that she was watching him with a faint smile.”
In this reading “It took him a long way out of his way.”
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.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Turning at the door as he went out, he saw that she was watching him with a faint smile.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Turning at the door as he went out, he saw that she was watching him with a faint smile.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Turning at the door as he went out, he saw that she was watching him with a faint smile.
the past participle of “be”
From this reading "I've not been used to that class of work."
the work of providing treatment for or attending to someone or something
From this reading "I don't think I should care to do it," she said suddenly.
a collection of things sharing a common attribute
From this reading "I've not been used to that class of work."
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading "I don't think I should care to do it," she said suddenly.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I don't think I should care to do it," she said suddenly.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading Turning at the door as he went out, he saw that she was watching him with a faint smile.
deficient in magnitude; barely perceptible; lacking clarity or brightness or loudness etc
From this reading Turning at the door as he went out, he saw that she was watching him with a faint smile.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Turning at the door as he went out, he saw that she was watching him with a faint smile.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Turning at the door as he went out, he saw that she was watching him with a faint smile.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading It took him a long way out of his way.
a health facility where patients receive treatment
From this reading Only the hospital remained.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I don't think I should care to do it," she said suddenly.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I've not been used to that class of work."
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "I don't think I should care to do it," she said suddenly.
primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified
From this reading It took him a long way out of his way.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading "I've not been used to that class of work."
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "I've not been used to that class of work."
and nothing more
From this reading Only the hospital remained.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading Turning at the door as he went out, he saw that she was watching him with a faint smile.
past form of “remain” — stay the same; remain in a certain state
From this reading Only the hospital remained.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "I don't think I should care to do it," she said suddenly.
cut with a saw
From this reading Turning at the door as he went out, he saw that she was watching him with a faint smile.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "I don't think I should care to do it," she said suddenly.
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading "I don't think I should care to do it," she said suddenly.
change one's facial expression by spreading the lips, often to signal pleasure
From this reading Turning at the door as he went out, he saw that she was watching him with a faint smile.
happening unexpectedly
From this reading "I don't think I should care to do it," she said suddenly.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "I've not been used to that class of work."
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Turning at the door as he went out, he saw that she was watching him with a faint smile.
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading "I don't think I should care to do it," she said suddenly.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "I don't think I should care to do it," she said suddenly.
inflected form of “take” — carry out
From this reading It took him a long way out of his way.
the act of changing or reversing the direction of the course
From this reading Turning at the door as he went out, he saw that she was watching him with a faint smile.
employed in accomplishing something
From this reading "I've not been used to that class of work."
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Turning at the door as he went out, he saw that she was watching him with a faint smile.
the act of observing; taking a patient look
From this reading Turning at the door as he went out, he saw that she was watching him with a faint smile.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading It took him a long way out of his way.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading Turning at the door as he went out, he saw that she was watching him with a faint smile.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Turning at the door as he went out, he saw that she was watching him with a faint smile.
exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading "I've not been used to that class of work."
Chapter 4 of Multitude and Solitude by John Masefield holds 422 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 422 sentences of Multitude and Solitude, unabridged, divided into 85 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 4 of Multitude and Solitude by John Masefield exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 422 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 Multitude and Solitude by John Masefield on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 7061 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #58436 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #58436, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 588 minutes of reading across 1413 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Multitude and Solitude section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 17 chapters of Multitude and Solitude 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 Multitude and Solitude, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
