Chapter 21 of Neighbours is here in full — 381 sentences across 77 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XXI
Chapter 21 of Neighbours is here in full — 381 sentences across 77 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Next morning I was stirring my oatmeal and water when the door opened and in burst Jack. His attire gave evidence of haste; he had thrown a pea-jacket about a somewhat incomplete toilet. I was about to summon up a jocular remark when something in his face silenced me. "Have you seen Jean?" he demanded. "No. Why----" "She's not in her room.
Chapter 21 of Neighbours is here in full — 381 sentences across 77 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/76 · 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.
clothing of a distinctive style or for a particular occasion
From this reading “His attire gave evidence of haste; he had thrown a pea-jacket about a somewhat incomplete toilet.”
not complete or total; not completed
From this reading “His attire gave evidence of haste; he had thrown a pea-jacket about a somewhat incomplete toilet.”
characterized by jokes and good humor
From this reading “I was about to summon up a jocular remark when something in his face silenced me.”
porridge made of rolled oats
From this reading “Next morning I was stirring my oatmeal and water when the door opened and in burst Jack.”
reduced to silence
From this reading “I was about to summon up a jocular remark when something in his face silenced me.”
agitating a liquid with an implement
From this reading “Next morning I was stirring my oatmeal and water when the door opened and in burst Jack.”
call in an official matter, such as to attend court
From this reading “I was about to summon up a jocular remark when something in his face silenced me.”
a room or building equipped with one or more toilets
From this reading “His attire gave evidence of haste; he had thrown a pea-jacket about a somewhat incomplete toilet.”
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 “Next morning I was stirring my oatmeal and water when the door opened and in burst Jack.”
In this reading “His attire gave evidence of haste; he had thrown a pea-jacket about a somewhat incomplete toilet.”
In this reading “I was about to summon up a jocular remark when something in his face silenced me.”
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 His attire gave evidence of haste; he had thrown a pea-jacket about a somewhat incomplete toilet.
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading His attire gave evidence of haste; he had thrown a pea-jacket about a somewhat incomplete toilet.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Next morning I was stirring my oatmeal and water when the door opened and in burst Jack.
clothing of a distinctive style or for a particular occasion
From this reading His attire gave evidence of haste; he had thrown a pea-jacket about a somewhat incomplete toilet.
come open suddenly and violently, as if from internal pressure
From this reading Next morning I was stirring my oatmeal and water when the door opened and in burst Jack.
past form of “demand” — request urgently and forcefully
From this reading "Have you seen Jean?" he demanded.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading Next morning I was stirring my oatmeal and water when the door opened and in burst Jack.
your basis for belief or disbelief; knowledge on which to base belief
From this reading His attire gave evidence of haste; he had thrown a pea-jacket about a somewhat incomplete toilet.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading I was about to summon up a jocular remark when something in his face silenced me.
inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading His attire gave evidence of haste; he had thrown a pea-jacket about a somewhat incomplete toilet.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading His attire gave evidence of haste; he had thrown a pea-jacket about a somewhat incomplete toilet.
overly eager speed (and possible carelessness)
From this reading His attire gave evidence of haste; he had thrown a pea-jacket about a somewhat incomplete toilet.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading "Have you seen Jean?" he demanded.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading His attire gave evidence of haste; he had thrown a pea-jacket about a somewhat incomplete toilet.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading "No. Why----" "She's not in her room.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading His attire gave evidence of haste; he had thrown a pea-jacket about a somewhat incomplete toilet.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading Next morning I was stirring my oatmeal and water when the door opened and in burst Jack.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Next morning I was stirring my oatmeal and water when the door opened and in burst Jack.
not complete or total; not completed
From this reading His attire gave evidence of haste; he had thrown a pea-jacket about a somewhat incomplete toilet.
a small worthless amount
From this reading Next morning I was stirring my oatmeal and water when the door opened and in burst Jack.
a coarse durable twill-weave cotton fabric
From this reading "Have you seen Jean?" he demanded.
characterized by jokes and good humor
From this reading I was about to summon up a jocular remark when something in his face silenced me.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading I was about to summon up a jocular remark when something in his face silenced me.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading Next morning I was stirring my oatmeal and water when the door opened and in burst Jack.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading Next morning I was stirring my oatmeal and water when the door opened and in burst Jack.
immediately following in time or order
From this reading Next morning I was stirring my oatmeal and water when the door opened and in burst Jack.
not any; not one
From this reading "No. Why----" "She's not in her room.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading "No. Why----" "She's not in her room.
porridge made of rolled oats
From this reading Next morning I was stirring my oatmeal and water when the door opened and in burst Jack.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading His attire gave evidence of haste; he had thrown a pea-jacket about a somewhat incomplete toilet.
used of mouth or eyes
From this reading Next morning I was stirring my oatmeal and water when the door opened and in burst Jack.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading His attire gave evidence of haste; he had thrown a pea-jacket about a somewhat incomplete toilet.
a statement that expresses a personal opinion or belief or adds information
From this reading I was about to summon up a jocular remark when something in his face silenced me.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading "No. Why----" "She's not in her room.
inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading "Have you seen Jean?" he demanded.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "No. Why----" "She's not in her room.
reduced to silence
From this reading I was about to summon up a jocular remark when something in his face silenced me.
a thing, without saying which
From this reading I was about to summon up a jocular remark when something in his face silenced me.
to a small degree or extent
From this reading His attire gave evidence of haste; he had thrown a pea-jacket about a somewhat incomplete toilet.
agitating a liquid with an implement
From this reading Next morning I was stirring my oatmeal and water when the door opened and in burst Jack.
call in an official matter, such as to attend court
From this reading I was about to summon up a jocular remark when something in his face silenced me.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Next morning I was stirring my oatmeal and water when the door opened and in burst Jack.
caused to fall to the ground
From this reading His attire gave evidence of haste; he had thrown a pea-jacket about a somewhat incomplete toilet.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading I was about to summon up a jocular remark when something in his face silenced me.
a room or building equipped with one or more toilets
From this reading His attire gave evidence of haste; he had thrown a pea-jacket about a somewhat incomplete toilet.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading I was about to summon up a jocular remark when something in his face silenced me.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Next morning I was stirring my oatmeal and water when the door opened and in burst Jack.
binary compound that occurs at room temperature as a clear colorless odorless tasteless liquid; freezes into ice below 0 degrees centigrade and boils above 100 degrees centigrade; widely used as a solvent
From this reading Next morning I was stirring my oatmeal and water when the door opened and in burst Jack.
at the time that
From this reading Next morning I was stirring my oatmeal and water when the door opened and in burst Jack.
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading "No. Why----" "She's not in her room.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Have you seen Jean?" he demanded.
Chapter 21 of Neighbours by Robert J. C. Stead holds 381 sentences, grouped into 77 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 21 holds 381 sentences of Neighbours, unabridged, divided into 77 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 21 of Neighbours by Robert J. C. Stead exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 381 sentences, grouped into 77 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 77 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 77 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 21 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.
