Chapter 9 of No Thoroughfare is here in full — 188 sentences across 38 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IX
Chapter 9 of No Thoroughfare is here in full — 188 sentences across 38 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"What is it?" "You have honoured me by making a proposal for my niece's hand. For the present (with best thanks and respects), I beg to decline it." "Why?" "Because you are not rich enough."
Chapter 9 of No Thoroughfare is here in full — 188 sentences across 38 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/37 · 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.
call upon in supplication; entreat
From this reading “For the present (with best thanks and respects), I beg to decline it."”
grow worse
From this reading “For the present (with best thanks and respects), I beg to decline it."”
past form of “honour” — bestow honor or rewards upon
From this reading “"You have honoured me by making a proposal for my niece's hand.”
possessive form of “niece” — a daughter of your brother or sister
From this reading “"You have honoured me by making a proposal for my niece's hand.”
something proposed (such as a plan or assumption)
From this reading “"You have honoured me by making a proposal for my niece's hand.”
(often used with “pay”) a formal expression of esteem
From this reading “For the present (with best thanks and respects), I beg to decline it."”
possessing material wealth
From this reading “"Because you are not rich enough."”
an acknowledgment of appreciation
From this reading “For the present (with best thanks and respects), I beg to decline it."”
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 "You have honoured me by making a proposal for my niece's hand.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading For the present (with best thanks and respects), I beg to decline it."
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading "Because you are not rich enough."
for the reason that
From this reading "Because you are not rich enough."
call upon in supplication; entreat
From this reading For the present (with best thanks and respects), I beg to decline it."
the supreme effort one can make
From this reading For the present (with best thanks and respects), I beg to decline it."
showing who or what does the action
From this reading "You have honoured me by making a proposal for my niece's hand.
grow worse
From this reading For the present (with best thanks and respects), I beg to decline it."
an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose
From this reading "Because you are not rich enough."
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading "You have honoured me by making a proposal for my niece's hand.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading "You have honoured me by making a proposal for my niece's hand.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading "You have honoured me by making a proposal for my niece's hand.
past form of “honour” — bestow honor or rewards upon
From this reading "You have honoured me by making a proposal for my niece's hand.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading For the present (with best thanks and respects), I beg to decline it."
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "What is it?"
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "What is it?"
the act that results in something coming to be
From this reading "You have honoured me by making a proposal for my niece's hand.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "You have honoured me by making a proposal for my niece's hand.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading "You have honoured me by making a proposal for my niece's hand.
possessive form of “niece” — a daughter of your brother or sister
From this reading "You have honoured me by making a proposal for my niece's hand.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading "Because you are not rich enough."
give an exhibition of to an interested audience
From this reading For the present (with best thanks and respects), I beg to decline it."
something proposed (such as a plan or assumption)
From this reading "You have honoured me by making a proposal for my niece's hand.
(often used with “pay”) a formal expression of esteem
From this reading For the present (with best thanks and respects), I beg to decline it."
possessing material wealth
From this reading "Because you are not rich enough."
an acknowledgment of appreciation
From this reading For the present (with best thanks and respects), I beg to decline it."
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading For the present (with best thanks and respects), I beg to decline it."
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading For the present (with best thanks and respects), I beg to decline it."
used to ask for information about something
From this reading "What is it?"
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading "Why?"
in the company of; together with
From this reading For the present (with best thanks and respects), I beg to decline it."
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "You have honoured me by making a proposal for my niece's hand.
Chapter 9 of No Thoroughfare by Charles Dickens holds 188 sentences, grouped into 38 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 9 holds 188 sentences of No Thoroughfare, unabridged, divided into 38 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 9 of No Thoroughfare by Charles Dickens exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 188 sentences, grouped into 38 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 38 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 38 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 9 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 No Thoroughfare by Charles Dickens on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3104 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #1423 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #1423, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 258 minutes of reading across 621 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through No Thoroughfare section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 16 chapters of No Thoroughfare 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 No Thoroughfare, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
