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Off duty
Off duty

Chapter IX

Chapter 9 of Off duty is here in full — 401 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Off duty
Context Illustration Reading 1/80 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Will you guide them to grass and help them find shelter?”
The outlaw hesitated for an instant, and Alice interposed: No, no!
Let Gage do that.
I want Mr. Smith to remain here.”
Ward perceived in her entreaty something of anxiety and fear, and after the men and horses had started down the slope he turned to the outlaw and said: I’m mighty grateful to you, Mr. Smith.
0:00 / 0:00
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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.

Off duty

Chapter IX

Chapter 9 of Off duty is here in full — 401 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/80 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Will you guide them to grass and help them find shelter?”
/wɪl juː ɡaɪd ðem tuː ɡræs ənd help ðem faɪnd ˈʃeltər/
Line 2
The outlaw hesitated for an instant, and Alice interposed: “No, no!
Line 3
Let Gage do that.
/let ɡeɪdʒ duː ðæt/
Line 4
I want Mr. Smith to remain here.”
/aɪ wɑːnt ˈmɪstər smɪθ tuː rɪˈmeɪn hiːr/
Line 5
Ward perceived in her entreaty something of anxiety and fear, and after the men and horses had started down the slope he turned to the outlaw and said: “I’m mighty grateful to you, Mr. Smith.

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.

entreaty noun US /enˈtriːti/

earnest or urgent request

From this reading “Ward perceived in her entreaty something of anxiety and fear, and after the men and horses had started down the slope he turned to the outlaw and said: “I’m mighty grateful to you, Mr. Smith.”

Gage noun US /ɡeɪdʒ/

street names for marijuana

From this reading “Let Gage do that.”

grateful adjective US /ˈɡreɪtfəl/

feeling or showing gratitude

From this reading “Ward perceived in her entreaty something of anxiety and fear, and after the men and horses had started down the slope he turned to the outlaw and said: “I’m mighty grateful to you, Mr. Smith.”

outlaw noun US /ˈaʊtlɔː/

someone who has committed a crime or has been legally convicted of a crime

From this reading “The outlaw hesitated for an instant, and Alice interposed: “No, no!”

perceived adjective US /pərˈsiːvd/

detected by instinct or inference rather than by recognized perceptual cues

From this reading “Ward perceived in her entreaty something of anxiety and fear, and after the men and horses had started down the slope he turned to the outlaw and said: “I’m mighty grateful to you, Mr. Smith.”

shelter noun US /ˈʃeltər/

a structure that provides privacy and protection from danger

From this reading ““Will you guide them to grass and help them find shelter?””

slope noun US /sloʊp/

an elevated geological formation

From this reading “Ward perceived in her entreaty something of anxiety and fear, and after the men and horses had started down the slope he turned to the outlaw and said: “I’m mighty grateful to you, Mr. Smith.”

Ward noun US /wɔːrd/

a person who is under the protection or in the custody of another

From this reading “Ward perceived in her entreaty something of anxiety and fear, and after the men and horses had started down the slope he turned to the outlaw and said: “I’m mighty grateful to you, Mr. Smith.”

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.

find shelter verb + noun

In this reading ““Will you guide them to grass and help them find shelter?””

for an instant preposition + article + noun counted as “for … instant”

In this reading “The outlaw hesitated for an instant, and Alice interposed: “No, no!”

remain here verb + particle

In this reading “I want Mr. Smith to remain here.””

hesitated for verb + particle counted as “hesitate for”

In this reading “The outlaw hesitated for an instant, and Alice interposed: “No, no!”

started down verb + adjective counted as “start down”

In this reading “Ward perceived in her entreaty something of anxiety and fear, and after the men and horses had started down the slope he turned to the outlaw and said: “I’m mighty grateful to you, Mr. Smith.”

All words in this reading · 51

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.

afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading Ward perceived in her entreaty something of anxiety and fear, and after the men and horses had started down the slope he turned to the outlaw and said: “I’m mighty grateful to you, Mr. Smith.

Alice

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

From this reading The outlaw hesitated for an instant, and Alice interposed: “No, no!

andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading The outlaw hesitated for an instant, and Alice interposed: “No, no!

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading “Will you guide them to grass and help them find shelter?”

anxietynounUS /æŋˈzaɪəti/

(psychiatry) a relatively permanent state of worry and nervousness occurring in a variety of mental disorders, usually accompanied by compulsive behavior or attacks of panic

From this reading Ward perceived in her entreaty something of anxiety and fear, and after the men and horses had started down the slope he turned to the outlaw and said: “I’m mighty grateful to you, Mr. Smith.

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading Let Gage do that.

downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading Ward perceived in her entreaty something of anxiety and fear, and after the men and horses had started down the slope he turned to the outlaw and said: “I’m mighty grateful to you, Mr. Smith.

entreatynounUS /enˈtriːti/

earnest or urgent request

From this reading Ward perceived in her entreaty something of anxiety and fear, and after the men and horses had started down the slope he turned to the outlaw and said: “I’m mighty grateful to you, Mr. Smith.

fearverbUS /fɪr/

be afraid or feel anxious or apprehensive about a possible or probable situation or event

From this reading Ward perceived in her entreaty something of anxiety and fear, and after the men and horses had started down the slope he turned to the outlaw and said: “I’m mighty grateful to you, Mr. Smith.

findverbUS /faɪnd/

come upon, as if by accident; meet with

From this reading “Will you guide them to grass and help them find shelter?”

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading The outlaw hesitated for an instant, and Alice interposed: “No, no!

GagenounUS /ɡeɪdʒ/

street names for marijuana

From this reading Let Gage do that.

grassverbUS /ɡræs/

shoot down, of birds

From this reading “Will you guide them to grass and help them find shelter?”

gratefuladjectiveUS /ˈɡreɪtfəl/

feeling or showing gratitude

From this reading Ward perceived in her entreaty something of anxiety and fear, and after the men and horses had started down the slope he turned to the outlaw and said: “I’m mighty grateful to you, Mr. Smith.

guidenounUS /ɡaɪd/

someone employed to conduct others

From this reading “Will you guide them to grass and help them find shelter?”

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading Ward perceived in her entreaty something of anxiety and fear, and after the men and horses had started down the slope he turned to the outlaw and said: “I’m mighty grateful to you, Mr. Smith.

hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Ward perceived in her entreaty something of anxiety and fear, and after the men and horses had started down the slope he turned to the outlaw and said: “I’m mighty grateful to you, Mr. Smith.

helpverbUS /help/

give help or assistance; be of service

From this reading “Will you guide them to grass and help them find shelter?”

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading Ward perceived in her entreaty something of anxiety and fear, and after the men and horses had started down the slope he turned to the outlaw and said: “I’m mighty grateful to you, Mr. Smith.

hereadverbUS /hiːr/

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

From this reading I want Mr. Smith to remain here.”

hesitatedverbUS /ˈhezɪteɪtɪd/

past form of “hesitate” — pause or hold back in uncertainty or unwillingness

From this reading The outlaw hesitated for an instant, and Alice interposed: “No, no!

horsesnounUS /ˈhɔːrsəz/

plural of “horse” — solid-hoofed herbivorous quadruped domesticated since prehistoric times

From this reading Ward perceived in her entreaty something of anxiety and fear, and after the men and horses had started down the slope he turned to the outlaw and said: “I’m mighty grateful to you, Mr. Smith.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading I want Mr. Smith to remain here.”

I'm

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

From this reading Ward perceived in her entreaty something of anxiety and fear, and after the men and horses had started down the slope he turned to the outlaw and said: “I’m mighty grateful to you, Mr. Smith.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Ward perceived in her entreaty something of anxiety and fear, and after the men and horses had started down the slope he turned to the outlaw and said: “I’m mighty grateful to you, Mr. Smith.

instantnounUS /ˈɪnstənt/

a very short time (as the time it takes the eye to blink or the heart to beat)

From this reading The outlaw hesitated for an instant, and Alice interposed: “No, no!

interposed

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

From this reading The outlaw hesitated for an instant, and Alice interposed: “No, no!

Letauxiliary verbUS /let/

used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker

From this reading Let Gage do that.

mennounUS /men/

the force of workers available

From this reading Ward perceived in her entreaty something of anxiety and fear, and after the men and horses had started down the slope he turned to the outlaw and said: “I’m mighty grateful to you, Mr. Smith.

mightyadjectiveUS /ˈmaɪti/

having or showing great strength or force or intensity

From this reading Ward perceived in her entreaty something of anxiety and fear, and after the men and horses had started down the slope he turned to the outlaw and said: “I’m mighty grateful to you, Mr. Smith.

MrnounUS /ˈmɪstər/

a form of address for a man

From this reading I want Mr. Smith to remain here.”

NodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading The outlaw hesitated for an instant, and Alice interposed: “No, no!

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Ward perceived in her entreaty something of anxiety and fear, and after the men and horses had started down the slope he turned to the outlaw and said: “I’m mighty grateful to you, Mr. Smith.

outlawnounUS /ˈaʊtlɔː/

someone who has committed a crime or has been legally convicted of a crime

From this reading The outlaw hesitated for an instant, and Alice interposed: “No, no!

perceivedadjectiveUS /pərˈsiːvd/

detected by instinct or inference rather than by recognized perceptual cues

From this reading Ward perceived in her entreaty something of anxiety and fear, and after the men and horses had started down the slope he turned to the outlaw and said: “I’m mighty grateful to you, Mr. Smith.

remainverbUS /rɪˈmeɪn/

stay the same; remain in a certain state

From this reading I want Mr. Smith to remain here.”

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading Ward perceived in her entreaty something of anxiety and fear, and after the men and horses had started down the slope he turned to the outlaw and said: “I’m mighty grateful to you, Mr. Smith.

shelternounUS /ˈʃeltər/

a structure that provides privacy and protection from danger

From this reading “Will you guide them to grass and help them find shelter?”

slopenounUS /sloʊp/

an elevated geological formation

From this reading Ward perceived in her entreaty something of anxiety and fear, and after the men and horses had started down the slope he turned to the outlaw and said: “I’m mighty grateful to you, Mr. Smith.

SmithnounUS /smɪθ/

Rhodesian statesman who declared independence of Zimbabwe from Great Britain (born in 1919)

From this reading I want Mr. Smith to remain here.”

somethingpronounUS /ˈsʌmθɪŋ/

a thing, without saying which

From this reading Ward perceived in her entreaty something of anxiety and fear, and after the men and horses had started down the slope he turned to the outlaw and said: “I’m mighty grateful to you, Mr. Smith.

startedverbUS /ˈstɑːrtɪd/

past form of “start” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action

From this reading Ward perceived in her entreaty something of anxiety and fear, and after the men and horses had started down the slope he turned to the outlaw and said: “I’m mighty grateful to you, Mr. Smith.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Let Gage do that.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading The outlaw hesitated for an instant, and Alice interposed: “No, no!

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading “Will you guide them to grass and help them find shelter?”

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading “Will you guide them to grass and help them find shelter?”

turnedadjectiveUS /tɜːrnd/

moved around an axis or center

From this reading Ward perceived in her entreaty something of anxiety and fear, and after the men and horses had started down the slope he turned to the outlaw and said: “I’m mighty grateful to you, Mr. Smith.

wantverbUS /wɑːnt/

feel or have a desire for; want strongly

From this reading I want Mr. Smith to remain here.”

WardnounUS /wɔːrd/

a person who is under the protection or in the custody of another

From this reading Ward perceived in her entreaty something of anxiety and fear, and after the men and horses had started down the slope he turned to the outlaw and said: “I’m mighty grateful to you, Mr. Smith.

Willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading “Will you guide them to grass and help them find shelter?”

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading “Will you guide them to grass and help them find shelter?”

Chapter 9 of Off duty by Wilhelmina [Compiler] Harper holds 401 sentences, grouped into 81 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 9 of Off duty contain?

Chapter 9 holds 401 sentences of Off duty, unabridged, divided into 81 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 9 of Off duty by Wilhelmina [Compiler] Harper exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 401 sentences, grouped into 81 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 9 of Off duty?

Work through the 81 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 81 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 9 be read aloud to me?

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.

Questions about reading Off duty

Common questions about reading Off duty by Wilhelmina [Compiler] Harper on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Off duty?

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

Which edition of Off duty is used?

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

How long does Off duty take to read?

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

How to read Off duty section by section

How to work through Off duty 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 Off duty

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

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