Chapter 4 of Null-ABC is here in full — 474 sentences across 95 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IV
Chapter 4 of Null-ABC is here in full — 474 sentences across 95 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"He's absolutely right, Guido," Claire told the sergeant. "Do whatever he tells you." Sergeant Coccozello looked at him, awaiting orders. "We can't commit our reserves in that Chinaware Department fight; we need them up here. Where are they, now, and how many?"
Chapter 4 of Null-ABC is here in full — 474 sentences across 95 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/94 · 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.
completely and without qualification; used informally as intensifiers
From this reading “"He's absolutely right, Guido," Claire told the sergeant.”
-ing form of “await” — look forward to the probable occurrence of
From this reading “Sergeant Coccozello looked at him, awaiting orders.”
perform an act, usually with a negative connotation
From this reading “"We can't commit our reserves in that Chinaware Department fight; we need them up here.”
a specialized division of a large organization
From this reading “"We can't commit our reserves in that Chinaware Department fight; we need them up here.”
plural of “order” — (often plural) a command given by a superior (e.g., a military or law enforcement officer) that must be obeyed
From this reading “Sergeant Coccozello looked at him, awaiting orders.”
civilians trained as soldiers but not part of the regular army
From this reading “"We can't commit our reserves in that Chinaware Department fight; we need them up here.”
any of several noncommissioned officer ranks in the Army or Air Force or Marines ranking above a corporal
From this reading “"He's absolutely right, Guido," Claire told the sergeant.”
plural of “tell” — a Swiss patriot who lived in the early 14th century and who was renowned for his skill as an archer
From this reading “"Do whatever he tells you."”
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.
completely and without qualification; used informally as intensifiers
From this reading "He's absolutely right, Guido," Claire told the sergeant.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Where are they, now, and how many?"
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Where are they, now, and how many?"
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Sergeant Coccozello looked at him, awaiting orders.
-ing form of “await” — look forward to the probable occurrence of
From this reading Sergeant Coccozello looked at him, awaiting orders.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "We can't commit our reserves in that Chinaware Department fight; we need them up here.
dishware made of high quality porcelain
From this reading "We can't commit our reserves in that Chinaware Department fight; we need them up here.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "He's absolutely right, Guido," Claire told the sergeant.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Sergeant Coccozello looked at him, awaiting orders.
perform an act, usually with a negative connotation
From this reading "We can't commit our reserves in that Chinaware Department fight; we need them up here.
a specialized division of a large organization
From this reading "We can't commit our reserves in that Chinaware Department fight; we need them up here.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading "Do whatever he tells you."
be engaged in a fight; carry on a fight
From this reading "We can't commit our reserves in that Chinaware Department fight; we need them up here.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "He's absolutely right, Guido," Claire told the sergeant.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "Do whatever he tells you."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "He's absolutely right, Guido," Claire told the sergeant.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading "We can't commit our reserves in that Chinaware Department fight; we need them up here.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Sergeant Coccozello looked at him, awaiting orders.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Where are they, now, and how many?"
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "We can't commit our reserves in that Chinaware Department fight; we need them up here.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading Sergeant Coccozello looked at him, awaiting orders.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number
From this reading Where are they, now, and how many?"
a condition requiring relief
From this reading "We can't commit our reserves in that Chinaware Department fight; we need them up here.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading Where are they, now, and how many?"
plural of “order” — (often plural) a command given by a superior (e.g., a military or law enforcement officer) that must be obeyed
From this reading Sergeant Coccozello looked at him, awaiting orders.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading "We can't commit our reserves in that Chinaware Department fight; we need them up here.
civilians trained as soldiers but not part of the regular army
From this reading "We can't commit our reserves in that Chinaware Department fight; we need them up here.
precisely, exactly
From this reading "He's absolutely right, Guido," Claire told the sergeant.
any of several noncommissioned officer ranks in the Army or Air Force or Marines ranking above a corporal
From this reading "He's absolutely right, Guido," Claire told the sergeant.
plural of “tell” — a Swiss patriot who lived in the early 14th century and who was renowned for his skill as an archer
From this reading "Do whatever he tells you."
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "We can't commit our reserves in that Chinaware Department fight; we need them up here.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "He's absolutely right, Guido," Claire told the sergeant.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading "We can't commit our reserves in that Chinaware Department fight; we need them up here.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Where are they, now, and how many?"
inflected form of “tell” — express in words
From this reading "He's absolutely right, Guido," Claire told the sergeant.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading "We can't commit our reserves in that Chinaware Department fight; we need them up here.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading "We can't commit our reserves in that Chinaware Department fight; we need them up here.
any or all of a kind, it does not matter which
From this reading "Do whatever he tells you."
in or at the place that
From this reading Where are they, now, and how many?"
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Do whatever he tells you."
Chapter 4 of Null-ABC by H. Beam Piper holds 474 sentences, grouped into 95 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 4 holds 474 sentences of Null-ABC, unabridged, divided into 95 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 4 of Null-ABC by H. Beam Piper exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 474 sentences, grouped into 95 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 95 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 95 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 4 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 Null-ABC by H. Beam Piper on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 2350 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #18346 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #18346, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 195 minutes of reading across 470 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Null-ABC section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 5 chapters of Null-ABC 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 Null-ABC, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
