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Oakleigh
Oakleigh

Chapter II

Chapter 2 of Oakleigh is here in full — 266 sentences across 54 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Oakleigh
Context Illustration Reading 1/53 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
They were all in the "long parlor" after tea.
It was a beautiful room, extending the length of the house, and it was large enough to contain four windows and two fireplaces.
The paper on the walls was old-fashioned--indeed, it had been there when the children's grandmother was a girl, and the furniture was of equally early date.
It was all handsome, but shabby-looking.
A few dollars wisely spent would have made a vast difference in its appearance; but, unfortunately, there were never any dollars to spare.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Oakleigh

Chapter II

Chapter 2 of Oakleigh is here in full — 266 sentences across 54 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/53 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
They were all in the "long parlor" after tea.
/ðeɪ wɜːr ɔːl ɪn ðə lɔːŋ ˈpɑːrlər ˈæftər tiː/
Line 2
It was a beautiful room, extending the length of the house, and it was large enough to contain four windows and two fireplaces.
/ɪt wɑːz ə ˈbjuːtəfəl ruːm ɪkˈstendɪŋ ðə leŋkθ ʌv ðə haʊs ənd ɪt wɑːz lɑːrdʒ ɪˈnʌf tuː kənˈteɪn fɔːr ˈwɪndoʊz ənd tuː ˈfaɪərpleɪsəz/
Line 3
The paper on the walls was old-fashioned--indeed, it had been there when the children's grandmother was a girl, and the furniture was of equally early date.
Line 4
It was all handsome, but shabby-looking.
Line 5
A few dollars wisely spent would have made a vast difference in its appearance; but, unfortunately, there were never any dollars to spare.
/ə fjuː ˈdɑːlərz ˈwaɪzli spent wʊd hæv meɪd ə væst ˈdɪfərəns ɪn ɪts əˈpɪrəns bʌt ənˈfɔːrtʃənətli ðer wɜːr ˈnevər ˈeni ˈdɑːlərz tuː sper/

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.

contain verb US /kənˈteɪn/

include or contain; have as a component

From this reading “It was a beautiful room, extending the length of the house, and it was large enough to contain four windows and two fireplaces.”

extending verb US /ɪkˈstendɪŋ/

-ing form of “extend” — extend in scope or range or area

From this reading “It was a beautiful room, extending the length of the house, and it was large enough to contain four windows and two fireplaces.”

fireplaces noun US /ˈfaɪərpleɪsəz/

plural of “fireplace” — an open recess in a wall at the base of a chimney where a fire can be built

From this reading “It was a beautiful room, extending the length of the house, and it was large enough to contain four windows and two fireplaces.”

grandmother noun US /ˈɡrændmʌðər/

the mother of your father or mother

From this reading “The paper on the walls was old-fashioned--indeed, it had been there when the children's grandmother was a girl, and the furniture was of equally early date.”

old-fashioned adjective US /ˌoʊldˈfæʃənd/

out of fashion

From this reading “The paper on the walls was old-fashioned--indeed, it had been there when the children's grandmother was a girl, and the furniture was of equally early date.”

parlor noun US /ˈpɑːrlər/

reception room in an inn or club where visitors can be received

From this reading “They were all in the "long parlor" after tea.”

unfortunately adverb US /ənˈfɔːrtʃənətli/

by bad luck

From this reading “A few dollars wisely spent would have made a vast difference in its appearance; but, unfortunately, there were never any dollars to spare.”

wisely adverb US /ˈwaɪzli/

in a wise manner

From this reading “A few dollars wisely spent would have made a vast difference in its appearance; but, unfortunately, there were never any dollars to spare.”

Word partnerships in these lines

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.

vast difference adjective + noun

In this reading “A few dollars wisely spent would have made a vast difference in its appearance; but, unfortunately, there were never any dollars to spare.”

early date adjective + noun

In this reading “The paper on the walls was old-fashioned--indeed, it had been there when the children's grandmother was a girl, and the furniture was of equally early date.”

large enough adjective + noun

In this reading “It was a beautiful room, extending the length of the house, and it was large enough to contain four windows and two fireplaces.”

after tea preposition + noun

In this reading “They were all in the "long parlor" after tea.”

few dollars adjective + noun counted as “few dollar”

In this reading “A few dollars wisely spent would have made a vast difference in its appearance; but, unfortunately, there were never any dollars to spare.”

contain four verb + noun

In this reading “It was a beautiful room, extending the length of the house, and it was large enough to contain four windows and two fireplaces.”

on the walls preposition + article + noun counted as “on … wall”

In this reading “The paper on the walls was old-fashioned--indeed, it had been there when the children's grandmother was a girl, and the furniture was of equally early date.”

All words in this reading · 61

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.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading It was a beautiful room, extending the length of the house, and it was large enough to contain four windows and two fireplaces.

afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading They were all in the "long parlor" after tea.

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 They were all in the "long parlor" after tea.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading It was a beautiful room, extending the length of the house, and it was large enough to contain four windows and two fireplaces.

anyadjectiveUS /ˈeni/

one or some or every or all without specification

From this reading A few dollars wisely spent would have made a vast difference in its appearance; but, unfortunately, there were never any dollars to spare.

appearancenounUS /əˈpɪrəns/

outward or visible aspect of a person or thing

From this reading A few dollars wisely spent would have made a vast difference in its appearance; but, unfortunately, there were never any dollars to spare.

beautifuladjectiveUS /ˈbjuːtəfəl/

delighting the senses or exciting intellectual or emotional admiration

From this reading It was a beautiful room, extending the length of the house, and it was large enough to contain four windows and two fireplaces.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading The paper on the walls was old-fashioned--indeed, it had been there when the children's grandmother was a girl, and the furniture was of equally early date.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading It was all handsome, but shabby-looking.

children's

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The paper on the walls was old-fashioned--indeed, it had been there when the children's grandmother was a girl, and the furniture was of equally early date.

containverbUS /kənˈteɪn/

include or contain; have as a component

From this reading It was a beautiful room, extending the length of the house, and it was large enough to contain four windows and two fireplaces.

datenounUS /deɪt/

the specified day of the month

From this reading The paper on the walls was old-fashioned--indeed, it had been there when the children's grandmother was a girl, and the furniture was of equally early date.

differencenounUS /ˈdɪfərəns/

the quality of being unlike or dissimilar

From this reading A few dollars wisely spent would have made a vast difference in its appearance; but, unfortunately, there were never any dollars to spare.

dollarsnounUS /ˈdɑːlərz/

plural of “dollar” — the basic monetary unit in many countries; equal to 100 cents

From this reading A few dollars wisely spent would have made a vast difference in its appearance; but, unfortunately, there were never any dollars to spare.

earlyadjectiveUS /ˈɜːrli/

at or near the beginning of a period of time or course of events or before the usual or expected time

From this reading The paper on the walls was old-fashioned--indeed, it had been there when the children's grandmother was a girl, and the furniture was of equally early date.

enoughnounUS /ɪˈnʌf/

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

From this reading It was a beautiful room, extending the length of the house, and it was large enough to contain four windows and two fireplaces.

equallyadverbUS /ˈiːkwəli/

to the same degree (often followed by “as”)

From this reading The paper on the walls was old-fashioned--indeed, it had been there when the children's grandmother was a girl, and the furniture was of equally early date.

extendingverbUS /ɪkˈstendɪŋ/

-ing form of “extend” — extend in scope or range or area

From this reading It was a beautiful room, extending the length of the house, and it was large enough to contain four windows and two fireplaces.

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 A few dollars wisely spent would have made a vast difference in its appearance; but, unfortunately, there were never any dollars to spare.

fireplacesnounUS /ˈfaɪərpleɪsəz/

plural of “fireplace” — an open recess in a wall at the base of a chimney where a fire can be built

From this reading It was a beautiful room, extending the length of the house, and it was large enough to contain four windows and two fireplaces.

fournounUS /fɔːr/

the cardinal number that is the sum of three and one

From this reading It was a beautiful room, extending the length of the house, and it was large enough to contain four windows and two fireplaces.

furniturenounUS /ˈfɜːrnɪtʃər/

furnishings that make a room or other area ready for occupancy

From this reading The paper on the walls was old-fashioned--indeed, it had been there when the children's grandmother was a girl, and the furniture was of equally early date.

girlnounUS /ɡɜːrl/

a young female

From this reading The paper on the walls was old-fashioned--indeed, it had been there when the children's grandmother was a girl, and the furniture was of equally early date.

grandmothernounUS /ˈɡrændmʌðər/

the mother of your father or mother

From this reading The paper on the walls was old-fashioned--indeed, it had been there when the children's grandmother was a girl, and the furniture was of equally early date.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading The paper on the walls was old-fashioned--indeed, it had been there when the children's grandmother was a girl, and the furniture was of equally early date.

handsomeadjectiveUS /ˈhænsəm/

pleasing in appearance especially by reason of conformity to ideals of form and proportion

From this reading It was all handsome, but shabby-looking.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading A few dollars wisely spent would have made a vast difference in its appearance; but, unfortunately, there were never any dollars to spare.

housenounUS /haʊs/

a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families

From this reading It was a beautiful room, extending the length of the house, and it was large enough to contain four windows and two fireplaces.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading They were all in the "long parlor" after tea.

indeedadverbUS /ˌɪnˈdiːd/

in truth (often tends to intensify)

From this reading The paper on the walls was old-fashioned--indeed, it had been there when the children's grandmother was a girl, and the furniture was of equally early date.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It was a beautiful room, extending the length of the house, and it was large enough to contain four windows and two fireplaces.

itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading A few dollars wisely spent would have made a vast difference in its appearance; but, unfortunately, there were never any dollars to spare.

largeadjectiveUS /lɑːrdʒ/

above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading It was a beautiful room, extending the length of the house, and it was large enough to contain four windows and two fireplaces.

lengthnounUS /leŋkθ/

the linear extent in space from one end to the other; the longest dimension of something that is fixed in place

From this reading It was a beautiful room, extending the length of the house, and it was large enough to contain four windows and two fireplaces.

longadjectiveUS /lɔːŋ/

primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified

From this reading They were all in the "long parlor" after tea.

madeadjectiveUS /meɪd/

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading A few dollars wisely spent would have made a vast difference in its appearance; but, unfortunately, there were never any dollars to spare.

neveradverbUS /ˈnevər/

not ever; at no time in the past or future

From this reading A few dollars wisely spent would have made a vast difference in its appearance; but, unfortunately, there were never any dollars to spare.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading It was a beautiful room, extending the length of the house, and it was large enough to contain four windows and two fireplaces.

old-fashionedadjectiveUS /ˌoʊldˈfæʃənd/

out of fashion

From this reading The paper on the walls was old-fashioned--indeed, it had been there when the children's grandmother was a girl, and the furniture was of equally early date.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading The paper on the walls was old-fashioned--indeed, it had been there when the children's grandmother was a girl, and the furniture was of equally early date.

papernounUS /ˈpeɪpər/

a material made of cellulose pulp derived mainly from wood or rags or certain grasses

From this reading The paper on the walls was old-fashioned--indeed, it had been there when the children's grandmother was a girl, and the furniture was of equally early date.

parlornounUS /ˈpɑːrlər/

reception room in an inn or club where visitors can be received

From this reading They were all in the "long parlor" after tea.

roomnounUS /ruːm/

an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling

From this reading It was a beautiful room, extending the length of the house, and it was large enough to contain four windows and two fireplaces.

shabby-looking

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading It was all handsome, but shabby-looking.

spareverbUS /sper/

refrain from harming

From this reading A few dollars wisely spent would have made a vast difference in its appearance; but, unfortunately, there were never any dollars to spare.

spentadjectiveUS /spent/

depleted of energy, force, or strength

From this reading A few dollars wisely spent would have made a vast difference in its appearance; but, unfortunately, there were never any dollars to spare.

teanounUS /tiː/

a beverage made by steeping tea leaves in water

From this reading They were all in the "long parlor" after tea.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading They were all in the "long parlor" after tea.

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading The paper on the walls was old-fashioned--indeed, it had been there when the children's grandmother was a girl, and the furniture was of equally early date.

TheypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading They were all in the "long parlor" after tea.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading It was a beautiful room, extending the length of the house, and it was large enough to contain four windows and two fireplaces.

twonounUS /tuː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading It was a beautiful room, extending the length of the house, and it was large enough to contain four windows and two fireplaces.

unfortunatelyadverbUS /ənˈfɔːrtʃənətli/

by bad luck

From this reading A few dollars wisely spent would have made a vast difference in its appearance; but, unfortunately, there were never any dollars to spare.

vastadjectiveUS /væst/

unusually great in size or amount or degree or especially extent or scope

From this reading A few dollars wisely spent would have made a vast difference in its appearance; but, unfortunately, there were never any dollars to spare.

wallsnounUS /wɔːlz/

plural of “wall” — an architectural partition with a height and length greater than its thickness; used to divide or enclose an area or to support another structure

From this reading The paper on the walls was old-fashioned--indeed, it had been there when the children's grandmother was a girl, and the furniture was of equally early date.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading It was a beautiful room, extending the length of the house, and it was large enough to contain four windows and two fireplaces.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading They were all in the "long parlor" after tea.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading The paper on the walls was old-fashioned--indeed, it had been there when the children's grandmother was a girl, and the furniture was of equally early date.

windowsnounUS /ˈwɪndoʊz/

(trademark) an operating system with a graphical user interface

From this reading It was a beautiful room, extending the length of the house, and it was large enough to contain four windows and two fireplaces.

wiselyadverbUS /ˈwaɪzli/

in a wise manner

From this reading A few dollars wisely spent would have made a vast difference in its appearance; but, unfortunately, there were never any dollars to spare.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading A few dollars wisely spent would have made a vast difference in its appearance; but, unfortunately, there were never any dollars to spare.

Chapter 2 of Oakleigh by Ellen Douglas Deland holds 266 sentences, grouped into 54 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 2 of Oakleigh contain?

Chapter 2 holds 266 sentences of Oakleigh, unabridged, divided into 54 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 2 of Oakleigh by Ellen Douglas Deland exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 266 sentences, grouped into 54 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 2 of Oakleigh?

Work through the 54 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 54 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 2 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 2 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 Oakleigh

Common questions about reading Oakleigh by Ellen Douglas Deland on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Oakleigh?

Yes. All 0 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #? are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Oakleigh is used?

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

How long does Oakleigh take to read?

About 5 minutes of reading across 0 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Oakleigh section by section

How to work through Oakleigh section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 0 chapters of Oakleigh to begin.

  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 Oakleigh

Words and structures a reader meets early in Oakleigh, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Chapter 1
One of the 0 chapters of Oakleigh, divided into 5-sentence reading sections.
Chapter 2
One of the 0 chapters of Oakleigh, divided into 5-sentence reading sections.
Chapter 3
One of the 0 chapters of Oakleigh, divided into 5-sentence reading sections.