Chapter 1 of My Little Sister is here in full — 50 sentences across 10 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
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Chapter I
Chapter 1 of My Little Sister is here in full — 50 sentences across 10 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
UNDER HIS ROOF (WOMAN WRITER'S LEAGUE, 12 HENRIETTA ST.) She is very fair, my little sister. I mean, not only she is good to look upon. I mean that she is white and golden, and always seemed to bring a shining where she went. I have not been able, I see, to set down these few sentences without touching the quick.
Chapter 1 of My Little Sister is here in full — 50 sentences across 10 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/10 · 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.
having the deep slightly brownish color of gold
From this reading “I mean that she is white and golden, and always seemed to bring a shining where she went.”
an association of sports teams that organizes matches for its members
From this reading “UNDER HIS ROOF (WOMAN WRITER'S LEAGUE, 12 HENRIETTA ST.)”
accomplished rapidly and without delay
From this reading “I have not been able, I see, to set down these few sentences without touching the quick.”
a protective covering that covers or forms the top of a building
From this reading “UNDER HIS ROOF (WOMAN WRITER'S LEAGUE, 12 HENRIETTA ST.)”
plural of “sentence” — a string of words satisfying the grammatical rules of a language
From this reading “I have not been able, I see, to set down these few sentences without touching the quick.”
marked by exceptional merit
From this reading “I mean that she is white and golden, and always seemed to bring a shining where she went.”
arousing affect
From this reading “I have not been able, I see, to set down these few sentences without touching the quick.”
possessive form of “writer” — writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)
From this reading “UNDER HIS ROOF (WOMAN WRITER'S LEAGUE, 12 HENRIETTA ST.)”
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.
In this reading “I have not been able, I see, to set down these few sentences without touching the quick.”
put down in writing; of texts, musical compositions, etc.
In this reading “I have not been able, I see, to set down these few sentences without touching the quick.”
look on as or consider
In this reading “I mean, not only she is good to look upon.”
a younger sister
In this reading “She is very fair, my little sister.”
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.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading UNDER HIS ROOF (WOMAN WRITER'S LEAGUE, 12 HENRIETTA ST.)
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading I mean that she is white and golden, and always seemed to bring a shining where she went.
(usually followed by “to”) having the necessary means or skill or know-how or authority to do something
From this reading I have not been able, I see, to set down these few sentences without touching the quick.
at all times; all the time and on every occasion
From this reading I mean that she is white and golden, and always seemed to bring a shining where she went.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading I mean that she is white and golden, and always seemed to bring a shining where she went.
the past participle of “be”
From this reading I have not been able, I see, to set down these few sentences without touching the quick.
take something or somebody with oneself somewhere
From this reading I mean that she is white and golden, and always seemed to bring a shining where she went.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading I have not been able, I see, to set down these few sentences without touching the quick.
free from favoritism or self-interest or bias or deception; conforming with established standards or rules
From this reading She is very fair, my little sister.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading I have not been able, I see, to set down these few sentences without touching the quick.
having the deep slightly brownish color of gold
From this reading I mean that she is white and golden, and always seemed to bring a shining where she went.
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading I mean, not only she is good to look upon.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading I have not been able, I see, to set down these few sentences without touching the quick.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading UNDER HIS ROOF (WOMAN WRITER'S LEAGUE, 12 HENRIETTA ST.)
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading UNDER HIS ROOF (WOMAN WRITER'S LEAGUE, 12 HENRIETTA ST.)
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I mean, not only she is good to look upon.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading She is very fair, my little sister.
an association of sports teams that organizes matches for its members
From this reading UNDER HIS ROOF (WOMAN WRITER'S LEAGUE, 12 HENRIETTA ST.)
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading She is very fair, my little sister.
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading I mean, not only she is good to look upon.
mean or intend to express or convey
From this reading I mean, not only she is good to look upon.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading She is very fair, my little sister.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading I mean, not only she is good to look upon.
and nothing more
From this reading I mean, not only she is good to look upon.
accomplished rapidly and without delay
From this reading I have not been able, I see, to set down these few sentences without touching the quick.
a protective covering that covers or forms the top of a building
From this reading UNDER HIS ROOF (WOMAN WRITER'S LEAGUE, 12 HENRIETTA ST.)
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading I have not been able, I see, to set down these few sentences without touching the quick.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading I mean that she is white and golden, and always seemed to bring a shining where she went.
plural of “sentence” — a string of words satisfying the grammatical rules of a language
From this reading I have not been able, I see, to set down these few sentences without touching the quick.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading I have not been able, I see, to set down these few sentences without touching the quick.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She is very fair, my little sister.
marked by exceptional merit
From this reading I mean that she is white and golden, and always seemed to bring a shining where she went.
a female person who has the same parents as another person
From this reading She is very fair, my little sister.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading UNDER HIS ROOF (WOMAN WRITER'S LEAGUE, 12 HENRIETTA ST.)
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading I mean that she is white and golden, and always seemed to bring a shining where she went.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading I have not been able, I see, to set down these few sentences without touching the quick.
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading I have not been able, I see, to set down these few sentences without touching the quick.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading I mean, not only she is good to look upon.
arousing affect
From this reading I have not been able, I see, to set down these few sentences without touching the quick.
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading UNDER HIS ROOF (WOMAN WRITER'S LEAGUE, 12 HENRIETTA ST.)
a formal word for “on”
From this reading I mean, not only she is good to look upon.
precisely as stated
From this reading She is very fair, my little sister.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading I mean that she is white and golden, and always seemed to bring a shining where she went.
in or at the place that
From this reading I mean that she is white and golden, and always seemed to bring a shining where she went.
a Caucasian
From this reading I mean that she is white and golden, and always seemed to bring a shining where she went.
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading I have not been able, I see, to set down these few sentences without touching the quick.
an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading UNDER HIS ROOF (WOMAN WRITER'S LEAGUE, 12 HENRIETTA ST.)
possessive form of “writer” — writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)
From this reading UNDER HIS ROOF (WOMAN WRITER'S LEAGUE, 12 HENRIETTA ST.)
Chapter 1 of My Little Sister by Elizabeth Robins holds 50 sentences, grouped into 10 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 1 holds 50 sentences of My Little Sister, unabridged, divided into 10 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of My Little Sister by Elizabeth Robins exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 50 sentences, grouped into 10 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 10 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 10 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 1 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 Little Sister by Elizabeth Robins on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 5145 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #36220 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #36220, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 428 minutes of reading across 1029 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through My Little Sister section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 34 chapters of My Little Sister 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 Little Sister, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
