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"My Novel" — Volume 07
"My Novel" — Volume 07

Chapter VIII · Chapter 8

Chapter 8 of "My Novel" — Volume 07 is here in full — 51 sentences across 11 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/10 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Helen was seized with profound and anxious sadness.
Leonard had been three or four times to see her, and each time she saw a change in him that excited all her fears.
He seemed, it is true, more shrewd, more worldly-wise, more fitted, it might be, for coarse daily life; but, on the other hand, the freshness and glory of his youth were waning slowly.
His aspirings drooped earthward.
He had not mastered the Practical, and moulded its uses with the strong hand of the Spiritual Architect, of the Ideal Builder; the Practical was overpowering himself.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

"My Novel" — Volume 07

Chapter VIII · Chapter 8

Chapter 8 of "My Novel" — Volume 07 is here in full — 51 sentences across 11 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/10 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Helen was seized with profound and anxious sadness.
/ˈhelən wɑːz siːzd wɪð proʊˈfaʊnd ənd ˈæŋkʃəs ˈsædnəs/
Line 2
Leonard had been three or four times to see her, and each time she saw a change in him that excited all her fears.
/ˈlenərd hæd bɪn θriː ɔːr fɔːr taɪmz tuː siː hɜːr ənd iːtʃ taɪm ʃiː sɔː ə tʃeɪndʒ ɪn hɪm ðæt ɪkˈsaɪtəd ɔːl hɜːr fɪrz/
Line 3
He seemed, it is true, more shrewd, more worldly-wise, more fitted, it might be, for coarse daily life; but, on the other hand, the freshness and glory of his youth were waning slowly.
Line 4
His aspirings drooped earthward.
Line 5
He had not mastered the Practical, and moulded its uses with the strong hand of the Spiritual Architect, of the Ideal Builder; the Practical was overpowering himself.

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.

Architect noun US /ˈɑːrkətekt/

someone who creates plans to be used in making something (such as buildings)

From this reading “He had not mastered the Practical, and moulded its uses with the strong hand of the Spiritual Architect, of the Ideal Builder; the Practical was overpowering himself.”

Builder noun US /ˈbɪldər/

a substance added to soaps or detergents to increase their cleansing action

From this reading “He had not mastered the Practical, and moulded its uses with the strong hand of the Spiritual Architect, of the Ideal Builder; the Practical was overpowering himself.”

drooped verb US /druːpt/

past form of “droop” — droop, sink, or settle from or as if from pressure or loss of tautness

From this reading “His aspirings drooped earthward.”

freshness noun US /ˈfreʃnəs/

the property of being pure and fresh (as if newly made); not stale or deteriorated

From this reading “He seemed, it is true, more shrewd, more worldly-wise, more fitted, it might be, for coarse daily life; but, on the other hand, the freshness and glory of his youth were waning slowly.”

Leonard noun US /ˈlenərd/

United States writer of thrillers (born in 1925)

From this reading “Leonard had been three or four times to see her, and each time she saw a change in him that excited all her fears.”

mastered adjective US /ˈmæstərd/

understood perfectly

From this reading “He had not mastered the Practical, and moulded its uses with the strong hand of the Spiritual Architect, of the Ideal Builder; the Practical was overpowering himself.”

overpowering adjective US /ˈoʊvərˈpaʊrɪŋ/

so strong as to be irresistible

From this reading “He had not mastered the Practical, and moulded its uses with the strong hand of the Spiritual Architect, of the Ideal Builder; the Practical was overpowering himself.”

waning noun US /ˈweɪnɪŋ/

a gradual decrease in magnitude or extent

From this reading “He seemed, it is true, more shrewd, more worldly-wise, more fitted, it might be, for coarse daily life; but, on the other hand, the freshness and glory of his youth were waning slowly.”

All words in this reading · 74

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.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading Leonard had been three or four times to see her, and each time she saw a change in him that excited all her fears.

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 Leonard had been three or four times to see her, and each time she saw a change in him that excited all her fears.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Helen was seized with profound and anxious sadness.

anxiousadjectiveUS /ˈæŋkʃəs/

eagerly desirous

From this reading Helen was seized with profound and anxious sadness.

ArchitectnounUS /ˈɑːrkətekt/

someone who creates plans to be used in making something (such as buildings)

From this reading He had not mastered the Practical, and moulded its uses with the strong hand of the Spiritual Architect, of the Ideal Builder; the Practical was overpowering himself.

aspirings

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading His aspirings drooped earthward.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading He seemed, it is true, more shrewd, more worldly-wise, more fitted, it might be, for coarse daily life; but, on the other hand, the freshness and glory of his youth were waning slowly.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading Leonard had been three or four times to see her, and each time she saw a change in him that excited all her fears.

BuildernounUS /ˈbɪldər/

a substance added to soaps or detergents to increase their cleansing action

From this reading He had not mastered the Practical, and moulded its uses with the strong hand of the Spiritual Architect, of the Ideal Builder; the Practical was overpowering himself.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading He seemed, it is true, more shrewd, more worldly-wise, more fitted, it might be, for coarse daily life; but, on the other hand, the freshness and glory of his youth were waning slowly.

changeverbUS /tʃeɪndʒ/

cause to change; make different; cause a transformation

From this reading Leonard had been three or four times to see her, and each time she saw a change in him that excited all her fears.

coarseadjectiveUS /kɔːrs/

of textures that are rough to the touch or substances consisting of relatively large particles

From this reading He seemed, it is true, more shrewd, more worldly-wise, more fitted, it might be, for coarse daily life; but, on the other hand, the freshness and glory of his youth were waning slowly.

dailyadverbUS /ˈdeɪli/

every day; without missing a day

From this reading He seemed, it is true, more shrewd, more worldly-wise, more fitted, it might be, for coarse daily life; but, on the other hand, the freshness and glory of his youth were waning slowly.

droopedverbUS /druːpt/

past form of “droop” — droop, sink, or settle from or as if from pressure or loss of tautness

From this reading His aspirings drooped earthward.

eachdeterminerUS /iːtʃ/

every one of two or more people or things, taken separately

From this reading Leonard had been three or four times to see her, and each time she saw a change in him that excited all her fears.

earthward

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading His aspirings drooped earthward.

excitedadjectiveUS /ɪkˈsaɪtəd/

(of persons) excessively affected by emotion

From this reading Leonard had been three or four times to see her, and each time she saw a change in him that excited all her fears.

fearsnounUS /fɪrz/

plural of “fear” — an emotion experienced in anticipation of some specific pain or danger (usually accompanied by a desire to flee or fight)

From this reading Leonard had been three or four times to see her, and each time she saw a change in him that excited all her fears.

fittedadjectiveUS /ˈfɪtəd/

being the right size and shape to fit as desired

From this reading He seemed, it is true, more shrewd, more worldly-wise, more fitted, it might be, for coarse daily life; but, on the other hand, the freshness and glory of his youth were waning slowly.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading He seemed, it is true, more shrewd, more worldly-wise, more fitted, it might be, for coarse daily life; but, on the other hand, the freshness and glory of his youth were waning slowly.

fournounUS /fɔːr/

the cardinal number that is the sum of three and one

From this reading Leonard had been three or four times to see her, and each time she saw a change in him that excited all her fears.

freshnessnounUS /ˈfreʃnəs/

the property of being pure and fresh (as if newly made); not stale or deteriorated

From this reading He seemed, it is true, more shrewd, more worldly-wise, more fitted, it might be, for coarse daily life; but, on the other hand, the freshness and glory of his youth were waning slowly.

glorynounUS /ˈɡlɔːri/

a state of high honor

From this reading He seemed, it is true, more shrewd, more worldly-wise, more fitted, it might be, for coarse daily life; but, on the other hand, the freshness and glory of his youth were waning slowly.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading Leonard had been three or four times to see her, and each time she saw a change in him that excited all her fears.

handnounUS /hænd/

the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb

From this reading He seemed, it is true, more shrewd, more worldly-wise, more fitted, it might be, for coarse daily life; but, on the other hand, the freshness and glory of his youth were waning slowly.

HepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading He seemed, it is true, more shrewd, more worldly-wise, more fitted, it might be, for coarse daily life; but, on the other hand, the freshness and glory of his youth were waning slowly.

HelennounUS /ˈhelən/

(Greek mythology) the beautiful daughter of Zeus and Leda who was abducted by Paris; the Greek army sailed to Troy to get her back which resulted in the Trojan War

From this reading Helen was seized with profound and anxious sadness.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading Leonard had been three or four times to see her, and each time she saw a change in him that excited all her fears.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading Leonard had been three or four times to see her, and each time she saw a change in him that excited all her fears.

himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/

used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object

From this reading He had not mastered the Practical, and moulded its uses with the strong hand of the Spiritual Architect, of the Ideal Builder; the Practical was overpowering himself.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading He seemed, it is true, more shrewd, more worldly-wise, more fitted, it might be, for coarse daily life; but, on the other hand, the freshness and glory of his youth were waning slowly.

IdealadjectiveUS /aɪˈdiːl/

conforming to an ultimate standard of perfection or excellence; embodying an ideal

From this reading He had not mastered the Practical, and moulded its uses with the strong hand of the Spiritual Architect, of the Ideal Builder; the Practical was overpowering himself.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading Leonard had been three or four times to see her, and each time she saw a change in him that excited all her fears.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading He seemed, it is true, more shrewd, more worldly-wise, more fitted, it might be, for coarse daily life; but, on the other hand, the freshness and glory of his youth were waning slowly.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading He seemed, it is true, more shrewd, more worldly-wise, more fitted, it might be, for coarse daily life; but, on the other hand, the freshness and glory of his youth were waning slowly.

itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading He had not mastered the Practical, and moulded its uses with the strong hand of the Spiritual Architect, of the Ideal Builder; the Practical was overpowering himself.

LeonardnounUS /ˈlenərd/

United States writer of thrillers (born in 1925)

From this reading Leonard had been three or four times to see her, and each time she saw a change in him that excited all her fears.

lifenounUS /laɪf/

a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading He seemed, it is true, more shrewd, more worldly-wise, more fitted, it might be, for coarse daily life; but, on the other hand, the freshness and glory of his youth were waning slowly.

masteredadjectiveUS /ˈmæstərd/

understood perfectly

From this reading He had not mastered the Practical, and moulded its uses with the strong hand of the Spiritual Architect, of the Ideal Builder; the Practical was overpowering himself.

mightmodal verbUS /maɪt/

used to say something is possible but not certain

From this reading He seemed, it is true, more shrewd, more worldly-wise, more fitted, it might be, for coarse daily life; but, on the other hand, the freshness and glory of his youth were waning slowly.

moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading He seemed, it is true, more shrewd, more worldly-wise, more fitted, it might be, for coarse daily life; but, on the other hand, the freshness and glory of his youth were waning slowly.

moulded

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading He had not mastered the Practical, and moulded its uses with the strong hand of the Spiritual Architect, of the Ideal Builder; the Practical was overpowering himself.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading He had not mastered the Practical, and moulded its uses with the strong hand of the Spiritual Architect, of the Ideal Builder; the Practical was overpowering himself.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading He seemed, it is true, more shrewd, more worldly-wise, more fitted, it might be, for coarse daily life; but, on the other hand, the freshness and glory of his youth were waning slowly.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading He seemed, it is true, more shrewd, more worldly-wise, more fitted, it might be, for coarse daily life; but, on the other hand, the freshness and glory of his youth were waning slowly.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading Leonard had been three or four times to see her, and each time she saw a change in him that excited all her fears.

otheradjectiveUS /ˈʌðər/

not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied

From this reading He seemed, it is true, more shrewd, more worldly-wise, more fitted, it might be, for coarse daily life; but, on the other hand, the freshness and glory of his youth were waning slowly.

overpoweringadjectiveUS /ˈoʊvərˈpaʊrɪŋ/

so strong as to be irresistible

From this reading He had not mastered the Practical, and moulded its uses with the strong hand of the Spiritual Architect, of the Ideal Builder; the Practical was overpowering himself.

PracticaladjectiveUS /ˈpræktəkəl/

concerned with actual use or practice

From this reading He had not mastered the Practical, and moulded its uses with the strong hand of the Spiritual Architect, of the Ideal Builder; the Practical was overpowering himself.

profoundadjectiveUS /proʊˈfaʊnd/

showing intellectual penetration or emotional depth

From this reading Helen was seized with profound and anxious sadness.

sadnessnounUS /ˈsædnəs/

emotions experienced when not in a state of well-being

From this reading Helen was seized with profound and anxious sadness.

sawverbUS /sɔː/

cut with a saw

From this reading Leonard had been three or four times to see her, and each time she saw a change in him that excited all her fears.

seeverbUS /siː/

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading Leonard had been three or four times to see her, and each time she saw a change in him that excited all her fears.

seemedverbUS /siːmd/

past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading He seemed, it is true, more shrewd, more worldly-wise, more fitted, it might be, for coarse daily life; but, on the other hand, the freshness and glory of his youth were waning slowly.

seizedverbUS /siːzd/

past form of “seize” — take hold of; grab

From this reading Helen was seized with profound and anxious sadness.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading Leonard had been three or four times to see her, and each time she saw a change in him that excited all her fears.

shrewdadjectiveUS /ʃruːd/

marked by practical hardheaded intelligence

From this reading He seemed, it is true, more shrewd, more worldly-wise, more fitted, it might be, for coarse daily life; but, on the other hand, the freshness and glory of his youth were waning slowly.

slowlyadverbUS /ˈsloʊli/

without speed (“slow” is sometimes used informally for “slowly”)

From this reading He seemed, it is true, more shrewd, more worldly-wise, more fitted, it might be, for coarse daily life; but, on the other hand, the freshness and glory of his youth were waning slowly.

SpiritualadjectiveUS /ˈspɪrɪtʃuːəl/

concerned with sacred matters or religion or the church

From this reading He had not mastered the Practical, and moulded its uses with the strong hand of the Spiritual Architect, of the Ideal Builder; the Practical was overpowering himself.

strongadjectiveUS /strɔːŋ/

having strength or power greater than average or expected

From this reading He had not mastered the Practical, and moulded its uses with the strong hand of the Spiritual Architect, of the Ideal Builder; the Practical was overpowering himself.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Leonard had been three or four times to see her, and each time she saw a change in him that excited all her fears.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading He seemed, it is true, more shrewd, more worldly-wise, more fitted, it might be, for coarse daily life; but, on the other hand, the freshness and glory of his youth were waning slowly.

threenounUS /θriː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one

From this reading Leonard had been three or four times to see her, and each time she saw a change in him that excited all her fears.

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading Leonard had been three or four times to see her, and each time she saw a change in him that excited all her fears.

timesnounUS /taɪmz/

a more or less definite period of time now or previously present

From this reading Leonard had been three or four times to see her, and each time she saw a change in him that excited all her fears.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Leonard had been three or four times to see her, and each time she saw a change in him that excited all her fears.

trueadjectiveUS /truː/

consistent with fact or reality; not false

From this reading He seemed, it is true, more shrewd, more worldly-wise, more fitted, it might be, for coarse daily life; but, on the other hand, the freshness and glory of his youth were waning slowly.

usesnounUS /ˈjuːsəz/

plural of “use” — the act of using

From this reading He had not mastered the Practical, and moulded its uses with the strong hand of the Spiritual Architect, of the Ideal Builder; the Practical was overpowering himself.

waningnounUS /ˈweɪnɪŋ/

a gradual decrease in magnitude or extent

From this reading He seemed, it is true, more shrewd, more worldly-wise, more fitted, it might be, for coarse daily life; but, on the other hand, the freshness and glory of his youth were waning slowly.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Helen was seized with profound and anxious sadness.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading He seemed, it is true, more shrewd, more worldly-wise, more fitted, it might be, for coarse daily life; but, on the other hand, the freshness and glory of his youth were waning slowly.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Helen was seized with profound and anxious sadness.

worldly-wiseadjective

experienced in and wise to the ways of the world

From this reading He seemed, it is true, more shrewd, more worldly-wise, more fitted, it might be, for coarse daily life; but, on the other hand, the freshness and glory of his youth were waning slowly.

youthnounUS /juːθ/

a young person (especially a young man or boy)

From this reading He seemed, it is true, more shrewd, more worldly-wise, more fitted, it might be, for coarse daily life; but, on the other hand, the freshness and glory of his youth were waning slowly.

Chapter 8 of "My Novel" — Volume 07 by Edward Bulwer Lytton, Baron Lytton holds 51 sentences, grouped into 11 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 8 of "My Novel" — Volume 07 contain?

Chapter 8 holds 51 sentences of "My Novel" — Volume 07, unabridged, divided into 11 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 8 of "My Novel" — Volume 07 by Edward Bulwer Lytton, Baron Lytton exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 51 sentences, grouped into 11 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 8 of "My Novel" — Volume 07?

Work through the 11 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

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Vocabulary met early in "My Novel" — Volume 07

Words and structures a reader meets early in "My Novel" — Volume 07, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Chapter 1
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Chapter 2
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Chapter 3
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