Chapter 4 of Oranges and lemons is here in full — 430 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
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Chapter IV
Chapter 4 of Oranges and lemons is here in full — 430 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
At that moment the door opened and in walked Diana. “Darlings!” she cried, snatching up Shan’t and putting her on Aunt Elsie’s lap so that she might hug them both together and so make up for lost time. “Why did you come?” asked Aunt Elsie; “not that; but how did you get away?” “Quite easily.” “You haven’t—?”
Chapter 4 of Oranges and lemons is here in full — 430 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/86 · 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.
the sister of your father or mother; the wife of your uncle
From this reading ““Darlings!” she cried, snatching up Shan’t and putting her on Aunt Elsie’s lap so that she might hug them both together and so make up for lost time.”
plural of “darling” — a special loved one
From this reading ““Darlings!” she cried, snatching up Shan’t and putting her on Aunt Elsie’s lap so that she might hug them both together and so make up for lost time.”
English aristocrat who was the first wife of Prince Charles; her death in an automobile accident in Paris produced intense national mourning (1961-1997)
From this reading “At that moment the door opened and in walked Diana.”
with ease (“easy” is sometimes used informally for “easily”)
From this reading ““Quite easily.””
hold (someone) tightly in your arms, usually with fondness
From this reading ““Darlings!” she cried, snatching up Shan’t and putting her on Aunt Elsie’s lap so that she might hug them both together and so make up for lost time.”
lie partly over or alongside of something or of one another
From this reading ““Darlings!” she cried, snatching up Shan’t and putting her on Aunt Elsie’s lap so that she might hug them both together and so make up for lost time.”
hitting a golf ball that is on the green using a putter
From this reading ““Darlings!” she cried, snatching up Shan’t and putting her on Aunt Elsie’s lap so that she might hug them both together and so make up for lost time.”
-ing form of “snatch” — to grasp hastily or eagerly
From this reading ““Darlings!” she cried, snatching up Shan’t and putting her on Aunt Elsie’s lap so that she might hug them both together and so make up for lost time.”
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.
to grasp hastily or eagerly
In this reading ““Darlings!” she cried, snatching up Shan’t and putting her on Aunt Elsie’s lap so that she might hug them both together and so make up for lost time.”
run away from confinement
In this reading ““Why did you come?” asked Aunt Elsie; “not that; but how did you get away?””
form or compose
In this reading ““Darlings!” she cried, snatching up Shan’t and putting her on Aunt Elsie’s lap so that she might hug them both together and so make up for lost time.”
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 to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading At that moment the door opened and in walked Diana.
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading “Why did you come?” asked Aunt Elsie; “not that; but how did you get away?”
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading At that moment the door opened and in walked Diana.
the sister of your father or mother; the wife of your uncle
From this reading “Darlings!” she cried, snatching up Shan’t and putting her on Aunt Elsie’s lap so that she might hug them both together and so make up for lost time.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading “Why did you come?” asked Aunt Elsie; “not that; but how did you get away?”
the two together, not just one
From this reading “Darlings!” she cried, snatching up Shan’t and putting her on Aunt Elsie’s lap so that she might hug them both together and so make up for lost time.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading “Why did you come?” asked Aunt Elsie; “not that; but how did you get away?”
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading “Why did you come?” asked Aunt Elsie; “not that; but how did you get away?”
inflected form of “cry” — utter a sudden loud cry
From this reading “Darlings!” she cried, snatching up Shan’t and putting her on Aunt Elsie’s lap so that she might hug them both together and so make up for lost time.
plural of “darling” — a special loved one
From this reading “Darlings!” she cried, snatching up Shan’t and putting her on Aunt Elsie’s lap so that she might hug them both together and so make up for lost time.
English aristocrat who was the first wife of Prince Charles; her death in an automobile accident in Paris produced intense national mourning (1961-1997)
From this reading At that moment the door opened and in walked Diana.
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading “Why did you come?” asked Aunt Elsie; “not that; but how did you get away?”
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading At that moment the door opened and in walked Diana.
with ease (“easy” is sometimes used informally for “easily”)
From this reading “Quite easily.”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Why did you come?” asked Aunt Elsie; “not that; but how did you get away?”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Darlings!” she cried, snatching up Shan’t and putting her on Aunt Elsie’s lap so that she might hug them both together and so make up for lost time.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading “Darlings!” she cried, snatching up Shan’t and putting her on Aunt Elsie’s lap so that she might hug them both together and so make up for lost time.
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading “Why did you come?” asked Aunt Elsie; “not that; but how did you get away?”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “You haven’t—?”
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading “Darlings!” she cried, snatching up Shan’t and putting her on Aunt Elsie’s lap so that she might hug them both together and so make up for lost time.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Why did you come?” asked Aunt Elsie; “not that; but how did you get away?”
hold (someone) tightly in your arms, usually with fondness
From this reading “Darlings!” she cried, snatching up Shan’t and putting her on Aunt Elsie’s lap so that she might hug them both together and so make up for lost time.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading At that moment the door opened and in walked Diana.
lie partly over or alongside of something or of one another
From this reading “Darlings!” she cried, snatching up Shan’t and putting her on Aunt Elsie’s lap so that she might hug them both together and so make up for lost time.
no longer in your possession or control; unable to be found or recovered
From this reading “Darlings!” she cried, snatching up Shan’t and putting her on Aunt Elsie’s lap so that she might hug them both together and so make up for lost time.
engage in
From this reading “Darlings!” she cried, snatching up Shan’t and putting her on Aunt Elsie’s lap so that she might hug them both together and so make up for lost time.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading “Darlings!” she cried, snatching up Shan’t and putting her on Aunt Elsie’s lap so that she might hug them both together and so make up for lost time.
a particular point in time
From this reading At that moment the door opened and in walked Diana.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading “Why did you come?” asked Aunt Elsie; “not that; but how did you get away?”
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading “Darlings!” she cried, snatching up Shan’t and putting her on Aunt Elsie’s lap so that she might hug them both together and so make up for lost time.
used of mouth or eyes
From this reading At that moment the door opened and in walked Diana.
hitting a golf ball that is on the green using a putter
From this reading “Darlings!” she cried, snatching up Shan’t and putting her on Aunt Elsie’s lap so that she might hug them both together and so make up for lost time.
to a degree (not used with a negative)
From this reading “Quite easily.”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Darlings!” she cried, snatching up Shan’t and putting her on Aunt Elsie’s lap so that she might hug them both together and so make up for lost time.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “Darlings!” she cried, snatching up Shan’t and putting her on Aunt Elsie’s lap so that she might hug them both together and so make up for lost time.
-ing form of “snatch” — to grasp hastily or eagerly
From this reading “Darlings!” she cried, snatching up Shan’t and putting her on Aunt Elsie’s lap so that she might hug them both together and so make up for lost time.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading “Darlings!” she cried, snatching up Shan’t and putting her on Aunt Elsie’s lap so that she might hug them both together and so make up for lost time.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading At that moment the door opened and in walked Diana.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading At that moment the door opened and in walked Diana.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading “Darlings!” she cried, snatching up Shan’t and putting her on Aunt Elsie’s lap so that she might hug them both together and so make up for lost time.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading “Darlings!” she cried, snatching up Shan’t and putting her on Aunt Elsie’s lap so that she might hug them both together and so make up for lost time.
in contact with each other or in proximity
From this reading “Darlings!” she cried, snatching up Shan’t and putting her on Aunt Elsie’s lap so that she might hug them both together and so make up for lost time.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading “Darlings!” she cried, snatching up Shan’t and putting her on Aunt Elsie’s lap so that she might hug them both together and so make up for lost time.
past form of “walk” — use one's feet to advance; advance by steps
From this reading At that moment the door opened and in walked Diana.
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading “Why did you come?” asked Aunt Elsie; “not that; but how did you get away?”
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “Why did you come?” asked Aunt Elsie; “not that; but how did you get away?”
Chapter 4 of Oranges and lemons by Mary C. E. Wemyss holds 430 sentences, grouped into 86 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 430 sentences of Oranges and lemons, unabridged, divided into 86 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 4 of Oranges and lemons by Mary C. E. Wemyss exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 430 sentences, grouped into 86 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 86 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 86 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 Oranges and lemons by Mary C. E. Wemyss on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4370 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #72741 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #72741, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 364 minutes of reading across 874 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Oranges and lemons section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 10 chapters of Oranges and lemons 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 Oranges and lemons, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
