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Notes on Life & Letters
Notes on Life & Letters

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of Notes on Life & Letters is here in full — 60 sentences across 12 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Notes on Life & Letters
Context Illustration Reading 9/12 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
The logic that may be found there is only the logic of the language.
But I need not labour the point.
There will be plenty of people sagacious enough to perceive the absence of all wisdom from these pages.
But I believe sufficiently in human sympathies to imagine that very few will question their sincerity.
Whatever delusions I may have suffered from I have had no delusions as to the nature of the facts commented on here.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Notes on Life & Letters

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of Notes on Life & Letters is here in full — 60 sentences across 12 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 9/12 · 5 reading units · Lines 41–45

Line 1
The logic that may be found there is only the logic of the language.
/ðə ˈlɑːdʒɪk ðæt meɪ biː faʊnd ðer ɪz ˈoʊnli ðə ˈlɑːdʒɪk ʌv ðə ˈlæŋɡwədʒ/
Line 2
But I need not labour the point.
/bʌt aɪ niːd nɑːt ˈleɪbər ðə pɔɪnt/
Line 3
There will be plenty of people sagacious enough to perceive the absence of all wisdom from these pages.
Line 4
But I believe sufficiently in human sympathies to imagine that very few will question their sincerity.
/bʌt aɪ bɪˈliːv səˈfɪʃəntli ɪn ˈhjuːmən ˈsɪmpəθiz tuː ˌɪˈmædʒən ðæt ˈveri fjuː wɪl ˈkwestʃən ðer sɪnˈserəti/
Line 5
Whatever delusions I may have suffered from I have had no delusions as to the nature of the facts commented on here.
/ˌwʌˈtevər dɪˈluːʒənz aɪ meɪ hæv ˈsʌfərd frʌm aɪ hæv hæd noʊ dɪˈluːʒənz æz tuː ðə ˈneɪtʃər ʌv ðə fækts ˈkɑːmentəd ɑːn hiːr/

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.

commented verb US /ˈkɑːmentəd/

past form of “comment” — make or write a comment on

From this reading “Whatever delusions I may have suffered from I have had no delusions as to the nature of the facts commented on here.”

delusions noun US /dɪˈluːʒənz/

plural of “delusion” — (psychology) an erroneous belief that is held in the face of evidence to the contrary

From this reading “Whatever delusions I may have suffered from I have had no delusions as to the nature of the facts commented on here.”

labour noun US /ˈleɪbər/

a social class comprising those who do manual labor or work for wages

From this reading “But I need not labour the point.”

logic noun US /ˈlɑːdʒɪk/

the branch of philosophy that analyzes inference

From this reading “The logic that may be found there is only the logic of the language.”

pages noun US /ˈpeɪdʒəz/

plural of “page” — one side of one leaf (of a book or magazine or newspaper or letter etc.) or the written or pictorial matter it contains

From this reading “There will be plenty of people sagacious enough to perceive the absence of all wisdom from these pages.”

perceive verb US /pərˈsiːv/

to become aware of through the senses

From this reading “There will be plenty of people sagacious enough to perceive the absence of all wisdom from these pages.”

sincerity noun US /sɪnˈserəti/

an earnest and sincere feeling

From this reading “But I believe sufficiently in human sympathies to imagine that very few will question their sincerity.”

sympathies noun US /ˈsɪmpəθiz/

plural of “sympathy” — an inclination to support or be loyal to or to agree with an opinion

From this reading “But I believe sufficiently in human sympathies to imagine that very few will question their sincerity.”

All words in this reading · 53

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.

absencenounUS /ˈæbsəns/

the state of being absent

From this reading There will be plenty of people sagacious enough to perceive the absence of all wisdom from these pages.

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 There will be plenty of people sagacious enough to perceive the absence of all wisdom from these pages.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading Whatever delusions I may have suffered from I have had no delusions as to the nature of the facts commented on here.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading The logic that may be found there is only the logic of the language.

believeverbUS /bɪˈliːv/

accept as true; take to be true

From this reading But I believe sufficiently in human sympathies to imagine that very few will question their sincerity.

ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading But I need not labour the point.

commentedverbUS /ˈkɑːmentəd/

past form of “comment” — make or write a comment on

From this reading Whatever delusions I may have suffered from I have had no delusions as to the nature of the facts commented on here.

delusionsnounUS /dɪˈluːʒənz/

plural of “delusion” — (psychology) an erroneous belief that is held in the face of evidence to the contrary

From this reading Whatever delusions I may have suffered from I have had no delusions as to the nature of the facts commented on here.

enoughnounUS /ɪˈnʌf/

an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose

From this reading There will be plenty of people sagacious enough to perceive the absence of all wisdom from these pages.

factsnounUS /fækts/

plural of “fact” — a piece of information about circumstances that exist or events that have occurred

From this reading Whatever delusions I may have suffered from I have had no delusions as to the nature of the facts commented on here.

fewadjectiveUS /fjuː/

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number

From this reading But I believe sufficiently in human sympathies to imagine that very few will question their sincerity.

foundverbUS /faʊnd/

set up or found

From this reading The logic that may be found there is only the logic of the language.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading There will be plenty of people sagacious enough to perceive the absence of all wisdom from these pages.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading Whatever delusions I may have suffered from I have had no delusions as to the nature of the facts commented on here.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading Whatever delusions I may have suffered from I have had no delusions as to the nature of the facts commented on here.

hereadverbUS /hiːr/

in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is

From this reading Whatever delusions I may have suffered from I have had no delusions as to the nature of the facts commented on here.

humanadjectiveUS /ˈhjuːmən/

characteristic of humanity

From this reading But I believe sufficiently in human sympathies to imagine that very few will question their sincerity.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading But I need not labour the point.

imagineverbUS /ˌɪˈmædʒən/

form a mental image of something that is not present or that is not the case

From this reading But I believe sufficiently in human sympathies to imagine that very few will question their sincerity.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading But I believe sufficiently in human sympathies to imagine that very few will question their sincerity.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading The logic that may be found there is only the logic of the language.

labournounUS /ˈleɪbər/

a social class comprising those who do manual labor or work for wages

From this reading But I need not labour the point.

languagenounUS /ˈlæŋɡwədʒ/

a systematic means of communicating by the use of sounds or conventional symbols

From this reading The logic that may be found there is only the logic of the language.

logicnounUS /ˈlɑːdʒɪk/

the branch of philosophy that analyzes inference

From this reading The logic that may be found there is only the logic of the language.

maymodal verbUS /meɪ/

used to say something is possible, or to give permission

From this reading The logic that may be found there is only the logic of the language.

naturenounUS /ˈneɪtʃər/

the essential qualities or characteristics by which something is recognized

From this reading Whatever delusions I may have suffered from I have had no delusions as to the nature of the facts commented on here.

neednounUS /niːd/

a condition requiring relief

From this reading But I need not labour the point.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading Whatever delusions I may have suffered from I have had no delusions as to the nature of the facts commented on here.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading But I need not labour the point.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading The logic that may be found there is only the logic of the language.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Whatever delusions I may have suffered from I have had no delusions as to the nature of the facts commented on here.

onlyadverbUS /ˈoʊnli/

and nothing more

From this reading The logic that may be found there is only the logic of the language.

pagesnounUS /ˈpeɪdʒəz/

plural of “page” — one side of one leaf (of a book or magazine or newspaper or letter etc.) or the written or pictorial matter it contains

From this reading There will be plenty of people sagacious enough to perceive the absence of all wisdom from these pages.

peoplenounUS /ˈpiːpəl/

(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively

From this reading There will be plenty of people sagacious enough to perceive the absence of all wisdom from these pages.

perceiveverbUS /pərˈsiːv/

to become aware of through the senses

From this reading There will be plenty of people sagacious enough to perceive the absence of all wisdom from these pages.

plentynounUS /ˈplenti/

a full supply

From this reading There will be plenty of people sagacious enough to perceive the absence of all wisdom from these pages.

pointnounUS /pɔɪnt/

a geometric element that has position but no extension

From this reading But I need not labour the point.

questionverbUS /ˈkwestʃən/

challenge the accuracy, probity, or propriety of

From this reading But I believe sufficiently in human sympathies to imagine that very few will question their sincerity.

sagaciousadjective

acutely insightful and wise

From this reading There will be plenty of people sagacious enough to perceive the absence of all wisdom from these pages.

sinceritynounUS /sɪnˈserəti/

an earnest and sincere feeling

From this reading But I believe sufficiently in human sympathies to imagine that very few will question their sincerity.

sufferedverbUS /ˈsʌfərd/

past form of “suffer” — undergo or be subjected to

From this reading Whatever delusions I may have suffered from I have had no delusions as to the nature of the facts commented on here.

sufficientlyadverbUS /səˈfɪʃəntli/

to a sufficient degree

From this reading But I believe sufficiently in human sympathies to imagine that very few will question their sincerity.

sympathiesnounUS /ˈsɪmpəθiz/

plural of “sympathy” — an inclination to support or be loyal to or to agree with an opinion

From this reading But I believe sufficiently in human sympathies to imagine that very few will question their sincerity.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading The logic that may be found there is only the logic of the language.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading The logic that may be found there is only the logic of the language.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading But I believe sufficiently in human sympathies to imagine that very few will question their sincerity.

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading The logic that may be found there is only the logic of the language.

thesedeterminerUS /ðiːz/

the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned

From this reading There will be plenty of people sagacious enough to perceive the absence of all wisdom from these pages.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading There will be plenty of people sagacious enough to perceive the absence of all wisdom from these pages.

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading But I believe sufficiently in human sympathies to imagine that very few will question their sincerity.

WhateverdeterminerUS /ˌwʌˈtevər/

any or all of a kind, it does not matter which

From this reading Whatever delusions I may have suffered from I have had no delusions as to the nature of the facts commented on here.

willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading There will be plenty of people sagacious enough to perceive the absence of all wisdom from these pages.

wisdomnounUS /ˈwɪzdəm/

accumulated knowledge or erudition or enlightenment

From this reading There will be plenty of people sagacious enough to perceive the absence of all wisdom from these pages.

Chapter 1 of Notes on Life & Letters by Joseph Conrad holds 60 sentences, grouped into 12 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 1 of Notes on Life & Letters contain?

Chapter 1 holds 60 sentences of Notes on Life & Letters, unabridged, divided into 12 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of Notes on Life & Letters by Joseph Conrad exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 60 sentences, grouped into 12 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 1 of Notes on Life & Letters?

Work through the 12 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 12 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.

Can chapter 1 be read aloud to me?

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.

Questions about reading Notes on Life & Letters

Common questions about reading Notes on Life & Letters by Joseph Conrad on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Notes on Life & Letters?

Yes. All 3415 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #1143 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Notes on Life & Letters is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #1143, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Notes on Life & Letters take to read?

About 284 minutes of reading across 683 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Notes on Life & Letters section by section

How to work through Notes on Life & Letters section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

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  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in Notes on Life & Letters

Words and structures a reader meets early in Notes on Life & Letters, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Don't
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Notes on Life & Letters; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Whether
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Notes on Life & Letters; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Ought
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Notes on Life & Letters; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Offer
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Notes on Life & Letters; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.