Chapter 12 of Penelope's English Experiences is here in full — 110 sentences across 22 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XII
Chapter 12 of Penelope's English Experiences is here in full — 110 sentences across 22 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
For three days we had been overseeing the details. Would they approve the result? Would they think the grand piano in the proper corner? Were the garlands hung too low? Was the balcony scheme effective?
Chapter 12 of Penelope's English Experiences is here in full — 110 sentences across 22 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/22 · 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.
give sanction to
From this reading “Would they approve the result?”
an upper floor projecting from the rear over the main floor in an auditorium
From this reading “Was the balcony scheme effective?”
true confidential information
From this reading “For three days we had been overseeing the details.”
producing or capable of producing an intended result or having a striking effect
From this reading “Was the balcony scheme effective?”
-ing form of “oversee” — watch and direct
From this reading “For three days we had been overseeing the details.”
a keyboard instrument that is played by depressing keys that cause hammers to strike tuned strings and produce sounds
From this reading “Would they think the grand piano in the proper corner?”
marked by suitability or rightness or appropriateness
From this reading “Would they think the grand piano in the proper corner?”
an elaborate and systematic plan of action
From this reading “Was the balcony scheme effective?”
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.
give sanction to
From this reading Would they approve the result?
an upper floor projecting from the rear over the main floor in an auditorium
From this reading Was the balcony scheme effective?
the past participle of “be”
From this reading For three days we had been overseeing the details.
a place off to the side of an area
From this reading Would they think the grand piano in the proper corner?
the time during which someone's life continues
From this reading For three days we had been overseeing the details.
true confidential information
From this reading For three days we had been overseeing the details.
producing or capable of producing an intended result or having a striking effect
From this reading Was the balcony scheme effective?
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading For three days we had been overseeing the details.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Were the garlands hung too low?
of behavior that is impressive and ambitious in scale or scope
From this reading Would they think the grand piano in the proper corner?
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading For three days we had been overseeing the details.
inflected form of “hang” — be suspended or hanging
From this reading Were the garlands hung too low?
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Would they think the grand piano in the proper corner?
less than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading Were the garlands hung too low?
-ing form of “oversee” — watch and direct
From this reading For three days we had been overseeing the details.
a keyboard instrument that is played by depressing keys that cause hammers to strike tuned strings and produce sounds
From this reading Would they think the grand piano in the proper corner?
marked by suitability or rightness or appropriateness
From this reading Would they think the grand piano in the proper corner?
a phenomenon that follows and is caused by some previous phenomenon
From this reading Would they approve the result?
an elaborate and systematic plan of action
From this reading Was the balcony scheme effective?
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading For three days we had been overseeing the details.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Would they approve the result?
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading Would they think the grand piano in the proper corner?
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading For three days we had been overseeing the details.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading Were the garlands hung too low?
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Was the balcony scheme effective?
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading For three days we had been overseeing the details.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Were the garlands hung too low?
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading Would they approve the result?
Chapter 12 of Penelope's English Experiences by Kate Douglas Smith Wiggin holds 110 sentences, grouped into 22 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 12 holds 110 sentences of Penelope's English Experiences, unabridged, divided into 22 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 12 of Penelope's English Experiences by Kate Douglas Smith Wiggin exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 110 sentences, grouped into 22 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 22 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 22 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 12 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 Penelope's English Experiences by Kate Douglas Smith Wiggin on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 1348 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #1278 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #1278, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 112 minutes of reading across 270 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Penelope's English Experiences section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 25 chapters of Penelope's English Experiences 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 Penelope's English Experiences, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
