Chapter 7 of Original Plays, Second Series is here in full — 401 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
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Chapter VII
Chapter 7 of Original Plays, Second Series is here in full — 401 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
_Ch._ (_writing_). You are quite right, the word is bouncers. Bouncers or bangers--either will do. _Min._ Then forgive my little silly fancies, Mr. Hill; but, before I listen to your suggestion, I must have the very clearest proof that your position is, in every way, fully assured. _Ch._ Mercenary little donkey!
Chapter 7 of Original Plays, Second Series 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
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.
plural of “banger” — (British informal) pork sausage
From this reading “Bouncers or bangers--either will do.”
plural of “bouncer” — a person whose duty is to throw troublemakers out of a bar or public meeting
From this reading “You are quite right, the word is bouncers.”
superlative of “clear” — readily apparent to the mind
From this reading “_Min._ Then forgive my little silly fancies, Mr. Hill; but, before I listen to your suggestion, I must have the very clearest proof that your position is, in every way, fully assured.”
the symbol of the Democratic Party; introduced in cartoons by Thomas Nast in 1874
From this reading “_Ch._ Mercenary little donkey!”
plural of “fancy” — something many people believe that is false
From this reading “_Min._ Then forgive my little silly fancies, Mr. Hill; but, before I listen to your suggestion, I must have the very clearest proof that your position is, in every way, fully assured.”
a person hired to fight for another country than their own
From this reading “_Ch._ Mercenary little donkey!”
a unit of time equal to 60 seconds or 1/60th of an hour
an idea that is suggested
From this reading “_Min._ Then forgive my little silly fancies, Mr. Hill; but, before I listen to your suggestion, I must have the very clearest proof that your position is, in every way, fully assured.”
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.
In this reading “_Min._ Then forgive my little silly fancies, Mr. Hill; but, before I listen to your suggestion, I must have the very clearest proof that your position is, in every way, fully assured.”
In this reading “_Ch._ Mercenary little donkey!”
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.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading You are quite right, the word is bouncers.
marked by assurance; exhibiting confidence
From this reading _Min._ Then forgive my little silly fancies, Mr. Hill; but, before I listen to your suggestion, I must have the very clearest proof that your position is, in every way, fully assured.
plural of “banger” — (British informal) pork sausage
From this reading Bouncers or bangers--either will do.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading _Min._ Then forgive my little silly fancies, Mr. Hill; but, before I listen to your suggestion, I must have the very clearest proof that your position is, in every way, fully assured.
plural of “bouncer” — a person whose duty is to throw troublemakers out of a bar or public meeting
From this reading You are quite right, the word is bouncers.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading _Min._ Then forgive my little silly fancies, Mr. Hill; but, before I listen to your suggestion, I must have the very clearest proof that your position is, in every way, fully assured.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading _Ch._ (_writing_).
superlative of “clear” — readily apparent to the mind
From this reading _Min._ Then forgive my little silly fancies, Mr. Hill; but, before I listen to your suggestion, I must have the very clearest proof that your position is, in every way, fully assured.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading Bouncers or bangers--either will do.
the symbol of the Democratic Party; introduced in cartoons by Thomas Nast in 1874
From this reading _Ch._ Mercenary little donkey!
one or the other of two
From this reading Bouncers or bangers--either will do.
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading _Min._ Then forgive my little silly fancies, Mr. Hill; but, before I listen to your suggestion, I must have the very clearest proof that your position is, in every way, fully assured.
plural of “fancy” — something many people believe that is false
From this reading _Min._ Then forgive my little silly fancies, Mr. Hill; but, before I listen to your suggestion, I must have the very clearest proof that your position is, in every way, fully assured.
stop blaming or grant forgiveness
From this reading _Min._ Then forgive my little silly fancies, Mr. Hill; but, before I listen to your suggestion, I must have the very clearest proof that your position is, in every way, fully assured.
to the greatest degree or extent; completely or entirely; (“full” in this sense is used as a combining form)
From this reading _Min._ Then forgive my little silly fancies, Mr. Hill; but, before I listen to your suggestion, I must have the very clearest proof that your position is, in every way, fully assured.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading _Min._ Then forgive my little silly fancies, Mr. Hill; but, before I listen to your suggestion, I must have the very clearest proof that your position is, in every way, fully assured.
a local and well-defined elevation of the land
From this reading _Min._ Then forgive my little silly fancies, Mr. Hill; but, before I listen to your suggestion, I must have the very clearest proof that your position is, in every way, fully assured.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading _Min._ Then forgive my little silly fancies, Mr. Hill; but, before I listen to your suggestion, I must have the very clearest proof that your position is, in every way, fully assured.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading _Min._ Then forgive my little silly fancies, Mr. Hill; but, before I listen to your suggestion, I must have the very clearest proof that your position is, in every way, fully assured.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading You are quite right, the word is bouncers.
hear with intention
From this reading _Min._ Then forgive my little silly fancies, Mr. Hill; but, before I listen to your suggestion, I must have the very clearest proof that your position is, in every way, fully assured.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading _Min._ Then forgive my little silly fancies, Mr. Hill; but, before I listen to your suggestion, I must have the very clearest proof that your position is, in every way, fully assured.
a person hired to fight for another country than their own
From this reading _Ch._ Mercenary little donkey!
a unit of time equal to 60 seconds or 1/60th of an hour
From this reading _Min._ Then forgive my little silly fancies, Mr. Hill; but, before I listen to your suggestion, I must have the very clearest proof that your position is, in every way, fully assured.
a form of address for a man
From this reading _Min._ Then forgive my little silly fancies, Mr. Hill; but, before I listen to your suggestion, I must have the very clearest proof that your position is, in every way, fully assured.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading _Min._ Then forgive my little silly fancies, Mr. Hill; but, before I listen to your suggestion, I must have the very clearest proof that your position is, in every way, fully assured.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading _Min._ Then forgive my little silly fancies, Mr. Hill; but, before I listen to your suggestion, I must have the very clearest proof that your position is, in every way, fully assured.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Bouncers or bangers--either will do.
the particular portion of space occupied by something
From this reading _Min._ Then forgive my little silly fancies, Mr. Hill; but, before I listen to your suggestion, I must have the very clearest proof that your position is, in every way, fully assured.
any factual evidence that helps to establish the truth of something
From this reading _Min._ Then forgive my little silly fancies, Mr. Hill; but, before I listen to your suggestion, I must have the very clearest proof that your position is, in every way, fully assured.
to a degree (not used with a negative)
From this reading You are quite right, the word is bouncers.
precisely, exactly
From this reading You are quite right, the word is bouncers.
ludicrous, foolish
From this reading _Min._ Then forgive my little silly fancies, Mr. Hill; but, before I listen to your suggestion, I must have the very clearest proof that your position is, in every way, fully assured.
an idea that is suggested
From this reading _Min._ Then forgive my little silly fancies, Mr. Hill; but, before I listen to your suggestion, I must have the very clearest proof that your position is, in every way, fully assured.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading _Min._ Then forgive my little silly fancies, Mr. Hill; but, before I listen to your suggestion, I must have the very clearest proof that your position is, in every way, fully assured.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading You are quite right, the word is bouncers.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading _Min._ Then forgive my little silly fancies, Mr. Hill; but, before I listen to your suggestion, I must have the very clearest proof that your position is, in every way, fully assured.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading _Min._ Then forgive my little silly fancies, Mr. Hill; but, before I listen to your suggestion, I must have the very clearest proof that your position is, in every way, fully assured.
precisely as stated
From this reading _Min._ Then forgive my little silly fancies, Mr. Hill; but, before I listen to your suggestion, I must have the very clearest proof that your position is, in every way, fully assured.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading _Min._ Then forgive my little silly fancies, Mr. Hill; but, before I listen to your suggestion, I must have the very clearest proof that your position is, in every way, fully assured.
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading Bouncers or bangers--either will do.
a unit of language that native speakers can identify
From this reading You are quite right, the word is bouncers.
the act of creating written works
From this reading _Ch._ (_writing_).
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading You are quite right, the word is bouncers.
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading _Min._ Then forgive my little silly fancies, Mr. Hill; but, before I listen to your suggestion, I must have the very clearest proof that your position is, in every way, fully assured.
Chapter 7 of Original Plays, Second Series by W. S. (William Schwenck) Gilbert 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.
Chapter 7 holds 401 sentences of Original Plays, Second Series, unabridged, divided into 81 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 7 of Original Plays, Second Series by W. S. (William Schwenck) Gilbert 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.
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.
Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 7 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 Original Plays, Second Series by W. S. (William Schwenck) Gilbert on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 12140 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #59685 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #59685, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 2428 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Original Plays, Second Series section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 31 chapters of Original Plays, Second Series 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 Original Plays, Second Series, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
