Chapter 16 of My Friend Smith is here in full — 415 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XVI
Chapter 16 of My Friend Smith is here in full — 415 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"I see," said he, "he has got you under this thumb again, and means to keep you there." "Will you let me get on with my work?" I said. "Oh, certainly!" said he, smiling blandly. "I merely wished to tell you how glad I was to see you back at last; but I dare say that doesn't interest you."
Chapter 16 of My Friend Smith is here in full — 415 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/83 · 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.
in a bland manner
From this reading “"Oh, certainly!" said he, smiling blandly.”
definitely or positively (“sure” is sometimes used informally for “surely”)
From this reading “"Oh, certainly!" said he, smiling blandly.”
take upon oneself; act presumptuously, without permission
From this reading “"I merely wished to tell you how glad I was to see you back at last; but I dare say that doesn't interest you."”
a sense of concern with and curiosity about someone or something
From this reading “"I merely wished to tell you how glad I was to see you back at last; but I dare say that doesn't interest you."”
and nothing more
From this reading “"I merely wished to tell you how glad I was to see you back at last; but I dare say that doesn't interest you."”
a facial expression characterized by turning up the corners of the mouth; usually shows pleasure or amusement
From this reading “"Oh, certainly!" said he, smiling blandly.”
the thick short innermost digit of the forelimb
From this reading “"I see," said he, "he has got you under this thumb again, and means to keep you there."”
past form of “wish” — hope for; have a wish
From this reading “"I merely wished to tell you how glad I was to see you back at last; but I dare say that doesn't interest you."”
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.
anew
From this reading "I see," said he, "he has got you under this thumb again, and means to keep you there."
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "I see," said he, "he has got you under this thumb again, and means to keep you there."
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading "I merely wished to tell you how glad I was to see you back at last; but I dare say that doesn't interest you."
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading "I merely wished to tell you how glad I was to see you back at last; but I dare say that doesn't interest you."
in a bland manner
From this reading "Oh, certainly!" said he, smiling blandly.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading "I merely wished to tell you how glad I was to see you back at last; but I dare say that doesn't interest you."
definitely or positively (“sure” is sometimes used informally for “surely”)
From this reading "Oh, certainly!" said he, smiling blandly.
take upon oneself; act presumptuously, without permission
From this reading "I merely wished to tell you how glad I was to see you back at last; but I dare say that doesn't interest you."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I merely wished to tell you how glad I was to see you back at last; but I dare say that doesn't interest you."
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading "Will you let me get on with my work?"
showing or causing joy and pleasure; especially made happy
From this reading "I merely wished to tell you how glad I was to see you back at last; but I dare say that doesn't interest you."
inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading "I see," said he, "he has got you under this thumb again, and means to keep you there."
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "I see," said he, "he has got you under this thumb again, and means to keep you there."
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "I see," said he, "he has got you under this thumb again, and means to keep you there."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I merely wished to tell you how glad I was to see you back at last; but I dare say that doesn't interest you."
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I see," said he, "he has got you under this thumb again, and means to keep you there."
a sense of concern with and curiosity about someone or something
From this reading "I merely wished to tell you how glad I was to see you back at last; but I dare say that doesn't interest you."
cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”
From this reading "I see," said he, "he has got you under this thumb again, and means to keep you there."
immediately past
From this reading "I merely wished to tell you how glad I was to see you back at last; but I dare say that doesn't interest you."
used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker
From this reading "Will you let me get on with my work?"
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "Will you let me get on with my work?"
thing or person that acts to produce a particular effect or achieve an end
From this reading "I see," said he, "he has got you under this thumb again, and means to keep you there."
and nothing more
From this reading "I merely wished to tell you how glad I was to see you back at last; but I dare say that doesn't interest you."
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading "Will you let me get on with my work?"
a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region
From this reading "Oh, certainly!" said he, smiling blandly.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading "Will you let me get on with my work?"
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "I see," said he, "he has got you under this thumb again, and means to keep you there."
express in words
From this reading "I merely wished to tell you how glad I was to see you back at last; but I dare say that doesn't interest you."
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading "I see," said he, "he has got you under this thumb again, and means to keep you there."
a facial expression characterized by turning up the corners of the mouth; usually shows pleasure or amusement
From this reading "Oh, certainly!" said he, smiling blandly.
express in words
From this reading "I merely wished to tell you how glad I was to see you back at last; but I dare say that doesn't interest you."
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "I merely wished to tell you how glad I was to see you back at last; but I dare say that doesn't interest you."
in or at that place or location
From this reading "I see," said he, "he has got you under this thumb again, and means to keep you there."
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading "I see," said he, "he has got you under this thumb again, and means to keep you there."
the thick short innermost digit of the forelimb
From this reading "I see," said he, "he has got you under this thumb again, and means to keep you there."
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "I see," said he, "he has got you under this thumb again, and means to keep you there."
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading "I see," said he, "he has got you under this thumb again, and means to keep you there."
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "I merely wished to tell you how glad I was to see you back at last; but I dare say that doesn't interest you."
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading "Will you let me get on with my work?"
past form of “wish” — hope for; have a wish
From this reading "I merely wished to tell you how glad I was to see you back at last; but I dare say that doesn't interest you."
in the company of; together with
From this reading "Will you let me get on with my work?"
exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading "Will you let me get on with my work?"
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "I see," said he, "he has got you under this thumb again, and means to keep you there."
Chapter 16 of My Friend Smith by Talbot Baines Reed holds 415 sentences, grouped into 83 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 16 holds 415 sentences of My Friend Smith, unabridged, divided into 83 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 16 of My Friend Smith by Talbot Baines Reed exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 415 sentences, grouped into 83 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 83 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 83 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 16 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 My Friend Smith by Talbot Baines Reed on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 8701 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #21036 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #21036, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 1741 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through My Friend Smith section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 21 chapters of My Friend Smith 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 My Friend Smith, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
