Chapter 16 of Neighbours is here in full — 254 sentences across 51 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XVI
Chapter 16 of Neighbours is here in full — 254 sentences across 51 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
That gaunt phantom of doubt gradually closed in upon me. I resolved to fight it, but its very intangibility baffled my efforts to throw it off. When I struck, it was not there. When I gripped it, my fingers closed on space. When I challenged Jean's whole-heartedness she burst into tears and asked what proof she could give that she had not given.
Chapter 16 of Neighbours is here in full — 254 sentences across 51 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/50 · 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.
people who are frustrated and perplexed
From this reading “I resolved to fight it, but its very intangibility baffled my efforts to throw it off.”
past form of “challenge” — take exception to
From this reading “When I challenged Jean's whole-heartedness she burst into tears and asked what proof she could give that she had not given.”
plural of “effort” — earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something
From this reading “I resolved to fight it, but its very intangibility baffled my efforts to throw it off.”
very thin especially from disease or hunger or cold
From this reading “That gaunt phantom of doubt gradually closed in upon me.”
inflected form of “grip” — hold fast or firmly
From this reading “When I gripped it, my fingers closed on space.”
possessive form of “jean” — a coarse durable twill-weave cotton fabric
From this reading “When I challenged Jean's whole-heartedness she burst into tears and asked what proof she could give that she had not given.”
A ghost or apparition; a figment of the imagination or a hidden dweller.
From this reading “That gaunt phantom of doubt gradually closed in upon me.”
any factual evidence that helps to establish the truth of something
From this reading “When I challenged Jean's whole-heartedness she burst into tears and asked what proof she could give that she had not given.”
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 “When I challenged Jean's whole-heartedness she burst into tears and asked what proof she could give that she had not given.”
In this reading “When I gripped it, my fingers closed on space.”
In this reading “When I challenged Jean's whole-heartedness she burst into tears and asked what proof she could give that she had not given.”
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 to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading When I challenged Jean's whole-heartedness she burst into tears and asked what proof she could give that she had not given.
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading When I challenged Jean's whole-heartedness she burst into tears and asked what proof she could give that she had not given.
people who are frustrated and perplexed
From this reading I resolved to fight it, but its very intangibility baffled my efforts to throw it off.
come open suddenly and violently, as if from internal pressure
From this reading When I challenged Jean's whole-heartedness she burst into tears and asked what proof she could give that she had not given.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading I resolved to fight it, but its very intangibility baffled my efforts to throw it off.
past form of “challenge” — take exception to
From this reading When I challenged Jean's whole-heartedness she burst into tears and asked what proof she could give that she had not given.
not open or affording passage or access
From this reading That gaunt phantom of doubt gradually closed in upon me.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading When I challenged Jean's whole-heartedness she burst into tears and asked what proof she could give that she had not given.
the state of being unsure of something
From this reading That gaunt phantom of doubt gradually closed in upon me.
plural of “effort” — earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something
From this reading I resolved to fight it, but its very intangibility baffled my efforts to throw it off.
be engaged in a fight; carry on a fight
From this reading I resolved to fight it, but its very intangibility baffled my efforts to throw it off.
plural of “finger” — any of the terminal members of the hand (sometimes excepting the thumb)
From this reading When I gripped it, my fingers closed on space.
very thin especially from disease or hunger or cold
From this reading That gaunt phantom of doubt gradually closed in upon me.
cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading When I challenged Jean's whole-heartedness she burst into tears and asked what proof she could give that she had not given.
acknowledged as a supposition
From this reading When I challenged Jean's whole-heartedness she burst into tears and asked what proof she could give that she had not given.
in a gradual manner
From this reading That gaunt phantom of doubt gradually closed in upon me.
inflected form of “grip” — hold fast or firmly
From this reading When I gripped it, my fingers closed on space.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading When I challenged Jean's whole-heartedness she burst into tears and asked what proof she could give that she had not given.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I resolved to fight it, but its very intangibility baffled my efforts to throw it off.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading That gaunt phantom of doubt gradually closed in upon me.
the quality of being intangible and not perceptible by touch
From this reading I resolved to fight it, but its very intangibility baffled my efforts to throw it off.
moving to the inside of something
From this reading When I challenged Jean's whole-heartedness she burst into tears and asked what proof she could give that she had not given.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading I resolved to fight it, but its very intangibility baffled my efforts to throw it off.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading I resolved to fight it, but its very intangibility baffled my efforts to throw it off.
possessive form of “jean” — a coarse durable twill-weave cotton fabric
From this reading When I challenged Jean's whole-heartedness she burst into tears and asked what proof she could give that she had not given.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading That gaunt phantom of doubt gradually closed in upon me.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading I resolved to fight it, but its very intangibility baffled my efforts to throw it off.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading When I struck, it was not there.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading That gaunt phantom of doubt gradually closed in upon me.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading I resolved to fight it, but its very intangibility baffled my efforts to throw it off.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading When I gripped it, my fingers closed on space.
A ghost or apparition; a figment of the imagination or a hidden dweller.
From this reading That gaunt phantom of doubt gradually closed in upon me.
any factual evidence that helps to establish the truth of something
From this reading When I challenged Jean's whole-heartedness she burst into tears and asked what proof she could give that she had not given.
determined
From this reading I resolved to fight it, but its very intangibility baffled my efforts to throw it off.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading When I challenged Jean's whole-heartedness she burst into tears and asked what proof she could give that she had not given.
the unlimited expanse in which everything is located
From this reading When I gripped it, my fingers closed on space.
(used in combination) affected by something overwhelming
From this reading When I struck, it was not there.
the process of shedding tears (usually accompanied by sobs or other inarticulate sounds)
From this reading When I challenged Jean's whole-heartedness she burst into tears and asked what proof she could give that she had not given.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading That gaunt phantom of doubt gradually closed in upon me.
in or at that place or location
From this reading When I struck, it was not there.
propel through the air
From this reading I resolved to fight it, but its very intangibility baffled my efforts to throw it off.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading I resolved to fight it, but its very intangibility baffled my efforts to throw it off.
a formal word for “on”
From this reading That gaunt phantom of doubt gradually closed in upon me.
precisely as stated
From this reading I resolved to fight it, but its very intangibility baffled my efforts to throw it off.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading When I struck, it was not there.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading When I challenged Jean's whole-heartedness she burst into tears and asked what proof she could give that she had not given.
at the time that
From this reading When I struck, it was not there.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When I challenged Jean's whole-heartedness she burst into tears and asked what proof she could give that she had not given.
Chapter 16 of Neighbours by Robert J. C. Stead holds 254 sentences, grouped into 51 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 254 sentences of Neighbours, unabridged, divided into 51 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 16 of Neighbours by Robert J. C. Stead exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 254 sentences, grouped into 51 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 51 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 51 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 Neighbours by Robert J. C. Stead on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 5202 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #35478 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #35478, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 433 minutes of reading across 1041 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Neighbours section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 23 chapters of Neighbours 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 Neighbours, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
