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Pattern
Pattern

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of Pattern is here in full — 306 sentences across 62 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Pattern
Context Illustration Reading 1/61 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
By ROBERT H. ROHRER, JR.
_Sometimes the only way to fight fire is with fire.
One can hardly stop to consider what the second fire may destroy.
Can one?_ Rahll floated, a dim pattern of electrical impulse in the void of space.
He was vaguely aware that he was dying into nothingness, and that in a short time he would be a meaningless mass of aimless patterning, with no consciousness and no unity.
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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.

Pattern

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of Pattern is here in full — 306 sentences across 62 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/61 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
By ROBERT H. ROHRER, JR.
Line 2
_Sometimes the only way to fight fire is with fire.
/səmˈtaɪmz ðə ˈoʊnli weɪ tuː faɪt ˈfaɪər ɪz wɪð ˈfaɪər/
Line 3
One can hardly stop to consider what the second fire may destroy.
/wʌn kæn ˈhɑːrdli stɑːp tuː kənˈsɪdər wʌt ðə ˈsekənd ˈfaɪər meɪ dɪˈstrɔɪ/
Line 4
Can one?_ Rahll floated, a dim pattern of electrical impulse in the void of space.
Line 5
He was vaguely aware that he was dying into nothingness, and that in a short time he would be a meaningless mass of aimless patterning, with no consciousness and no unity.

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.

aimless adjective US /ˈeɪmləs/

aimlessly drifting

From this reading “He was vaguely aware that he was dying into nothingness, and that in a short time he would be a meaningless mass of aimless patterning, with no consciousness and no unity.”

electrical adjective US /ɪˈlektrɪkəl/

relating to or concerned with electricity

From this reading “Can one?_ Rahll floated, a dim pattern of electrical impulse in the void of space.”

meaningless adjective US /ˈmiːnɪŋləs/

having no meaning or direction or purpose

From this reading “He was vaguely aware that he was dying into nothingness, and that in a short time he would be a meaningless mass of aimless patterning, with no consciousness and no unity.”

nothingness noun US /ˈnʌθɪŋnəs/

the state of nonexistence

From this reading “He was vaguely aware that he was dying into nothingness, and that in a short time he would be a meaningless mass of aimless patterning, with no consciousness and no unity.”

pattern noun US /ˈpætərn/

a perceptual structure

From this reading “Can one?_ Rahll floated, a dim pattern of electrical impulse in the void of space.”

unity noun US /ˈjuːnəti/

an undivided or unbroken completeness or totality with nothing wanting

From this reading “He was vaguely aware that he was dying into nothingness, and that in a short time he would be a meaningless mass of aimless patterning, with no consciousness and no unity.”

vaguely adverb US /ˈveɪɡli/

in a vague way

From this reading “He was vaguely aware that he was dying into nothingness, and that in a short time he would be a meaningless mass of aimless patterning, with no consciousness and no unity.”

void adjective US /vɔɪd/

lacking any legal or binding force

From this reading “Can one?_ Rahll floated, a dim pattern of electrical impulse in the void of space.”

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.

vaguely aware adverb + adjective

In this reading “He was vaguely aware that he was dying into nothingness, and that in a short time he would be a meaningless mass of aimless patterning, with no consciousness and no unity.”

into nothingness preposition + noun

In this reading “He was vaguely aware that he was dying into nothingness, and that in a short time he would be a meaningless mass of aimless patterning, with no consciousness and no unity.”

short time adjective + noun

In this reading “He was vaguely aware that he was dying into nothingness, and that in a short time he would be a meaningless mass of aimless patterning, with no consciousness and no unity.”

All words in this reading · 54

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 Can one?_ Rahll floated, a dim pattern of electrical impulse in the void of space.

aimlessadjectiveUS /ˈeɪmləs/

aimlessly drifting

From this reading He was vaguely aware that he was dying into nothingness, and that in a short time he would be a meaningless mass of aimless patterning, with no consciousness and no unity.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading He was vaguely aware that he was dying into nothingness, and that in a short time he would be a meaningless mass of aimless patterning, with no consciousness and no unity.

awareadjectiveUS /əˈwer/

(sometimes followed by “of”) having or showing knowledge or understanding or realization or perception

From this reading He was vaguely aware that he was dying into nothingness, and that in a short time he would be a meaningless mass of aimless patterning, with no consciousness and no unity.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading He was vaguely aware that he was dying into nothingness, and that in a short time he would be a meaningless mass of aimless patterning, with no consciousness and no unity.

ByprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading By ROBERT H. ROHRER, JR.

canmodal verbUS /kæn/

to be able to, or to be allowed to

From this reading One can hardly stop to consider what the second fire may destroy.

consciousnessnounUS /ˈkɑːnʃəsnəs/

an alert cognitive state in which you are aware of yourself and your situation

From this reading He was vaguely aware that he was dying into nothingness, and that in a short time he would be a meaningless mass of aimless patterning, with no consciousness and no unity.

considerverbUS /kənˈsɪdər/

deem to be

From this reading One can hardly stop to consider what the second fire may destroy.

destroyverbUS /dɪˈstrɔɪ/

do away with, cause the destruction or undoing of

From this reading One can hardly stop to consider what the second fire may destroy.

dimadjectiveUS /dɪm/

lacking in light; not bright or harsh

From this reading Can one?_ Rahll floated, a dim pattern of electrical impulse in the void of space.

dyingadjectiveUS /ˈdaɪɪŋ/

in or associated with the process of passing from life or ceasing to be

From this reading He was vaguely aware that he was dying into nothingness, and that in a short time he would be a meaningless mass of aimless patterning, with no consciousness and no unity.

electricaladjectiveUS /ɪˈlektrɪkəl/

relating to or concerned with electricity

From this reading Can one?_ Rahll floated, a dim pattern of electrical impulse in the void of space.

fightverbUS /faɪt/

be engaged in a fight; carry on a fight

From this reading _Sometimes the only way to fight fire is with fire.

fireverbUS /ˈfaɪər/

start firing a weapon

From this reading _Sometimes the only way to fight fire is with fire.

floatedverbUS /ˈfloʊtəd/

past form of “float” — be in motion due to some air or water current

From this reading Can one?_ Rahll floated, a dim pattern of electrical impulse in the void of space.

HnounUS /eɪtʃ/

a nonmetallic univalent element that is normally a colorless and odorless highly flammable diatomic gas; the simplest and lightest and most abundant element in the universe

From this reading By ROBERT H. ROHRER, JR.

hardlyadverbUS /ˈhɑːrdli/

only a very short time before

From this reading One can hardly stop to consider what the second fire may destroy.

HepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading He was vaguely aware that he was dying into nothingness, and that in a short time he would be a meaningless mass of aimless patterning, with no consciousness and no unity.

impulsenounUS /ˈɪmpəls/

an instinctive motive

From this reading Can one?_ Rahll floated, a dim pattern of electrical impulse in the void of space.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Can one?_ Rahll floated, a dim pattern of electrical impulse in the void of space.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading He was vaguely aware that he was dying into nothingness, and that in a short time he would be a meaningless mass of aimless patterning, with no consciousness and no unity.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading _Sometimes the only way to fight fire is with fire.

JRnounUS /ˈdʒuːnjər/

a son who has the same first name as his father

From this reading By ROBERT H. ROHRER, JR.

massnounUS /mæs/

the property of a body that causes it to have weight in a gravitational field

From this reading He was vaguely aware that he was dying into nothingness, and that in a short time he would be a meaningless mass of aimless patterning, with no consciousness and no unity.

maymodal verbUS /meɪ/

used to say something is possible, or to give permission

From this reading One can hardly stop to consider what the second fire may destroy.

meaninglessadjectiveUS /ˈmiːnɪŋləs/

having no meaning or direction or purpose

From this reading He was vaguely aware that he was dying into nothingness, and that in a short time he would be a meaningless mass of aimless patterning, with no consciousness and no unity.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading He was vaguely aware that he was dying into nothingness, and that in a short time he would be a meaningless mass of aimless patterning, with no consciousness and no unity.

nothingnessnounUS /ˈnʌθɪŋnəs/

the state of nonexistence

From this reading He was vaguely aware that he was dying into nothingness, and that in a short time he would be a meaningless mass of aimless patterning, with no consciousness and no unity.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Can one?_ Rahll floated, a dim pattern of electrical impulse in the void of space.

OnepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading One can hardly stop to consider what the second fire may destroy.

onlyadverbUS /ˈoʊnli/

and nothing more

From this reading _Sometimes the only way to fight fire is with fire.

patternnounUS /ˈpætərn/

a perceptual structure

From this reading Can one?_ Rahll floated, a dim pattern of electrical impulse in the void of space.

patterning

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

From this reading He was vaguely aware that he was dying into nothingness, and that in a short time he would be a meaningless mass of aimless patterning, with no consciousness and no unity.

Rahll

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

From this reading Can one?_ Rahll floated, a dim pattern of electrical impulse in the void of space.

ROBERTnounUS /ˈrɑːbərt/

United States parliamentary authority and author (in 1876) of Robert's Rules of Order (1837-1923)

From this reading By ROBERT H. ROHRER, JR.

ROHRER

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

From this reading By ROBERT H. ROHRER, JR.

secondnounUS /ˈsekənd/

1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites

From this reading One can hardly stop to consider what the second fire may destroy.

shortadjectiveUS /ʃɔːrt/

primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration

From this reading He was vaguely aware that he was dying into nothingness, and that in a short time he would be a meaningless mass of aimless patterning, with no consciousness and no unity.

SometimesadverbUS /səmˈtaɪmz/

on certain occasions or in certain cases but not always

From this reading _Sometimes the only way to fight fire is with fire.

spacenounUS /speɪs/

the unlimited expanse in which everything is located

From this reading Can one?_ Rahll floated, a dim pattern of electrical impulse in the void of space.

stopverbUS /stɑːp/

come to a halt, stop moving

From this reading One can hardly stop to consider what the second fire may destroy.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading He was vaguely aware that he was dying into nothingness, and that in a short time he would be a meaningless mass of aimless patterning, with no consciousness and no unity.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading _Sometimes the only way to fight fire is with fire.

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading He was vaguely aware that he was dying into nothingness, and that in a short time he would be a meaningless mass of aimless patterning, with no consciousness and no unity.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading _Sometimes the only way to fight fire is with fire.

unitynounUS /ˈjuːnəti/

an undivided or unbroken completeness or totality with nothing wanting

From this reading He was vaguely aware that he was dying into nothingness, and that in a short time he would be a meaningless mass of aimless patterning, with no consciousness and no unity.

vaguelyadverbUS /ˈveɪɡli/

in a vague way

From this reading He was vaguely aware that he was dying into nothingness, and that in a short time he would be a meaningless mass of aimless patterning, with no consciousness and no unity.

voidadjectiveUS /vɔɪd/

lacking any legal or binding force

From this reading Can one?_ Rahll floated, a dim pattern of electrical impulse in the void of space.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading He was vaguely aware that he was dying into nothingness, and that in a short time he would be a meaningless mass of aimless patterning, with no consciousness and no unity.

waynounUS /weɪ/

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading _Sometimes the only way to fight fire is with fire.

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading One can hardly stop to consider what the second fire may destroy.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading _Sometimes the only way to fight fire is with fire.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

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

From this reading He was vaguely aware that he was dying into nothingness, and that in a short time he would be a meaningless mass of aimless patterning, with no consciousness and no unity.

Chapter 1 of Pattern by Robert H. Rohrer holds 306 sentences, grouped into 62 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 1 of Pattern contain?

Chapter 1 holds 306 sentences of Pattern, unabridged, divided into 62 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of Pattern by Robert H. Rohrer exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 306 sentences, grouped into 62 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 1 of Pattern?

Work through the 62 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 62 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 1 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 1 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 Pattern

Common questions about reading Pattern by Robert H. Rohrer on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Pattern?

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

Which edition of Pattern is used?

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

How long does Pattern take to read?

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

How to read Pattern section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 0 chapters of Pattern 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 Pattern

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

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