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Persuasion
Persuasion

Chapter XVI · Chapter 16

Chapter 16 of Persuasion is here in full — 96 sentences across 20 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/19 · 5 lines
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There was one point which Anne, on returning to her family, would have been more thankful to ascertain even than Mr Elliot’s being in love with Elizabeth, which was, her father’s not being in love with Mrs Clay; and she was very far from easy about it, when she had been at home a few hours.
On going down to breakfast the next morning, she found there had just been a decent pretence on the lady’s side of meaning to leave them.
She could imagine Mrs Clay to have said, that now Miss Anne was come, she could not suppose herself at all wanted;” for Elizabeth was replying in a sort of whisper, That must not be any reason, indeed.
I assure you I feel it none.
She is nothing to me, compared with you;” and she was in full time to hear her father say, My dear madam, this must not be.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Persuasion

Chapter XVI · Chapter 16

Chapter 16 of Persuasion is here in full — 96 sentences across 20 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/19 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
There was one point which Anne, on returning to her family, would have been more thankful to ascertain even than Mr Elliot’s being in love with Elizabeth, which was, her father’s not being in love with Mrs Clay; and she was very far from easy about it, when she had been at home a few hours.
Line 2
On going down to breakfast the next morning, she found there had just been a decent pretence on the lady’s side of meaning to leave them.
Line 3
She could imagine Mrs Clay to have said, thatnow Miss Anne was come, she could not suppose herself at all wanted;” for Elizabeth was replying in a sort of whisper, “That must not be any reason, indeed.
/ʃiː kʊd ˌɪˈmædʒən ˈmɪsɪz kleɪ tuː hæv sed ðæt naʊ mɪs æn wɑːz kʌm ʃiː kʊd nɑːt səˈpoʊz hərˈself æt ɔːl ˈwɔːntɪd fɔːr ɪˈlɪzəbəθ wɑːz rɪˈplaɪɪŋ ɪn ə sɔːrt ʌv ˈwɪspər ðæt mʌst nɑːt biː ˈeni ˈriːzən ˌɪnˈdiːd/
Line 4
I assure you I feel it none.
/aɪ əˈʃʊr juː aɪ fiːl ɪt nʌn/
Line 5
She is nothing to me, compared with you;” and she was in full time to hear her father say, “My dear madam, this must not be.
/ʃiː ɪz ˈnʌθɪŋ tuː miː kəmˈperd wɪð juː ənd ʃiː wɑːz ɪn fʊl taɪm tuː hiːr hɜːr ˈfɑːðər seɪ maɪ dɪr ˈmædəm ðɪs mʌst nɑːt biː/

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.

ascertain verb US /ˌæsərˈteɪn/

establish after a calculation, investigation, experiment, survey, or study

From this reading “There was one point which Anne, on returning to her family, would have been more thankful to ascertain even than Mr Elliot’s being in love with Elizabeth, which was, her father’s not being in love with Mrs Clay; and she was very far from easy about it, when she had been at home a few hours.”

Clay noun US /kleɪ/

a very fine-grained soil that is plastic when moist but hard when fired

From this reading “There was one point which Anne, on returning to her family, would have been more thankful to ascertain even than Mr Elliot’s being in love with Elizabeth, which was, her father’s not being in love with Mrs Clay; and she was very far from easy about it, when she had been at home a few hours.”

compared verb US /kəmˈperd/

past form of “compare” — examine and note the similarities or differences of

From this reading “She is nothing to me, compared with you;” and she was in full time to hear her father say, “My dear madam, this must not be.”

decent adjective US /ˈdiːsənt/

socially or conventionally correct; refined or virtuous

From this reading “On going down to breakfast the next morning, she found there had just been a decent pretence on the lady’s side of meaning to leave them.”

father's noun US /ˈfɑːðərz/

possessive form of “father” — a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)

lady's noun US /ˈleɪdiz/

possessive form of “lady” — a polite name for any woman

replying verb US /rɪˈplaɪɪŋ/

-ing form of “reply” — react verbally

From this reading “She could imagine Mrs Clay to have said, that “now Miss Anne was come, she could not suppose herself at all wanted;” for Elizabeth was replying in a sort of whisper, “That must not be any reason, indeed.”

thankful adjective US /ˈθæŋkfəl/

feeling or showing gratitude

From this reading “There was one point which Anne, on returning to her family, would have been more thankful to ascertain even than Mr Elliot’s being in love with Elizabeth, which was, her father’s not being in love with Mrs Clay; and she was very far from easy about it, when she had been at home a few hours.”

All words in this reading · 99

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 There was one point which Anne, on returning to her family, would have been more thankful to ascertain even than Mr Elliot’s being in love with Elizabeth, which was, her father’s not being in love with Mrs Clay; and she was very far from easy about it, when she had been at home a few hours.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading There was one point which Anne, on returning to her family, would have been more thankful to ascertain even than Mr Elliot’s being in love with Elizabeth, which was, her father’s not being in love with Mrs Clay; and she was very far from easy about it, when she had been at home a few hours.

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading She could imagine Mrs Clay to have said, that “now Miss Anne was come, she could not suppose herself at all wanted;” for Elizabeth was replying in a sort of whisper, “That must not be any reason, indeed.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading There was one point which Anne, on returning to her family, would have been more thankful to ascertain even than Mr Elliot’s being in love with Elizabeth, which was, her father’s not being in love with Mrs Clay; and she was very far from easy about it, when she had been at home a few hours.

AnnenounUS /æn/

Queen of England and Scotland and Ireland; daughter if James II and the last of the Stuart monarchs; in 1707 she was the last English ruler to exercise the royal veto over parliament (1665-1714)

From this reading There was one point which Anne, on returning to her family, would have been more thankful to ascertain even than Mr Elliot’s being in love with Elizabeth, which was, her father’s not being in love with Mrs Clay; and she was very far from easy about it, when she had been at home a few hours.

anyadjectiveUS /ˈeni/

one or some or every or all without specification

From this reading She could imagine Mrs Clay to have said, that “now Miss Anne was come, she could not suppose herself at all wanted;” for Elizabeth was replying in a sort of whisper, “That must not be any reason, indeed.

ascertainverbUS /ˌæsərˈteɪn/

establish after a calculation, investigation, experiment, survey, or study

From this reading There was one point which Anne, on returning to her family, would have been more thankful to ascertain even than Mr Elliot’s being in love with Elizabeth, which was, her father’s not being in love with Mrs Clay; and she was very far from easy about it, when she had been at home a few hours.

assureverbUS /əˈʃʊr/

make certain of

From this reading I assure you I feel it none.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading There was one point which Anne, on returning to her family, would have been more thankful to ascertain even than Mr Elliot’s being in love with Elizabeth, which was, her father’s not being in love with Mrs Clay; and she was very far from easy about it, when she had been at home a few hours.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading She could imagine Mrs Clay to have said, that “now Miss Anne was come, she could not suppose herself at all wanted;” for Elizabeth was replying in a sort of whisper, “That must not be any reason, indeed.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading There was one point which Anne, on returning to her family, would have been more thankful to ascertain even than Mr Elliot’s being in love with Elizabeth, which was, her father’s not being in love with Mrs Clay; and she was very far from easy about it, when she had been at home a few hours.

beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/

the -ing form of “be”

From this reading There was one point which Anne, on returning to her family, would have been more thankful to ascertain even than Mr Elliot’s being in love with Elizabeth, which was, her father’s not being in love with Mrs Clay; and she was very far from easy about it, when she had been at home a few hours.

breakfastverbUS /ˈbrekfəst/

eat an early morning meal

From this reading On going down to breakfast the next morning, she found there had just been a decent pretence on the lady’s side of meaning to leave them.

ClaynounUS /kleɪ/

a very fine-grained soil that is plastic when moist but hard when fired

From this reading There was one point which Anne, on returning to her family, would have been more thankful to ascertain even than Mr Elliot’s being in love with Elizabeth, which was, her father’s not being in love with Mrs Clay; and she was very far from easy about it, when she had been at home a few hours.

comeverbUS /kʌm/

move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading She could imagine Mrs Clay to have said, that “now Miss Anne was come, she could not suppose herself at all wanted;” for Elizabeth was replying in a sort of whisper, “That must not be any reason, indeed.

comparedverbUS /kəmˈperd/

past form of “compare” — examine and note the similarities or differences of

From this reading She is nothing to me, compared with you;” and she was in full time to hear her father say, “My dear madam, this must not be.

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading She could imagine Mrs Clay to have said, that “now Miss Anne was come, she could not suppose herself at all wanted;” for Elizabeth was replying in a sort of whisper, “That must not be any reason, indeed.

dearadjectiveUS /dɪr/

dearly loved

From this reading She is nothing to me, compared with you;” and she was in full time to hear her father say, “My dear madam, this must not be.

decentadjectiveUS /ˈdiːsənt/

socially or conventionally correct; refined or virtuous

From this reading On going down to breakfast the next morning, she found there had just been a decent pretence on the lady’s side of meaning to leave them.

downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading On going down to breakfast the next morning, she found there had just been a decent pretence on the lady’s side of meaning to leave them.

easyadjectiveUS /ˈiːzi/

posing no difficulty; requiring little effort

From this reading There was one point which Anne, on returning to her family, would have been more thankful to ascertain even than Mr Elliot’s being in love with Elizabeth, which was, her father’s not being in love with Mrs Clay; and she was very far from easy about it, when she had been at home a few hours.

ElizabethnounUS /ɪˈlɪzəbəθ/

daughter of George VI who became the Queen of England and Northern Ireland in 1952 on the death of her father (1926-)

From this reading There was one point which Anne, on returning to her family, would have been more thankful to ascertain even than Mr Elliot’s being in love with Elizabeth, which was, her father’s not being in love with Mrs Clay; and she was very far from easy about it, when she had been at home a few hours.

Elliot's

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

From this reading There was one point which Anne, on returning to her family, would have been more thankful to ascertain even than Mr Elliot’s being in love with Elizabeth, which was, her father’s not being in love with Mrs Clay; and she was very far from easy about it, when she had been at home a few hours.

evenadjectiveUS /ˈiːvɪn/

divisible by two

From this reading There was one point which Anne, on returning to her family, would have been more thankful to ascertain even than Mr Elliot’s being in love with Elizabeth, which was, her father’s not being in love with Mrs Clay; and she was very far from easy about it, when she had been at home a few hours.

familynounUS /ˈfæməli/

a social unit living together

From this reading There was one point which Anne, on returning to her family, would have been more thankful to ascertain even than Mr Elliot’s being in love with Elizabeth, which was, her father’s not being in love with Mrs Clay; and she was very far from easy about it, when she had been at home a few hours.

faradverbUS /fɑːr/

to a considerable degree; very much

From this reading There was one point which Anne, on returning to her family, would have been more thankful to ascertain even than Mr Elliot’s being in love with Elizabeth, which was, her father’s not being in love with Mrs Clay; and she was very far from easy about it, when she had been at home a few hours.

fathernounUS /ˈfɑːðər/

a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)

From this reading She is nothing to me, compared with you;” and she was in full time to hear her father say, “My dear madam, this must not be.

father'snounUS /ˈfɑːðərz/

possessive form of “father” — a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)

From this reading There was one point which Anne, on returning to her family, would have been more thankful to ascertain even than Mr Elliot’s being in love with Elizabeth, which was, her father’s not being in love with Mrs Clay; and she was very far from easy about it, when she had been at home a few hours.

feelverbUS /fiːl/

undergo an emotional sensation or be in a particular state of mind

From this reading I assure you I feel it none.

fewadjectiveUS /fjuː/

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number

From this reading There was one point which Anne, on returning to her family, would have been more thankful to ascertain even than Mr Elliot’s being in love with Elizabeth, which was, her father’s not being in love with Mrs Clay; and she was very far from easy about it, when she had been at home a few hours.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading She could imagine Mrs Clay to have said, that “now Miss Anne was come, she could not suppose herself at all wanted;” for Elizabeth was replying in a sort of whisper, “That must not be any reason, indeed.

foundverbUS /faʊnd/

set up or found

From this reading On going down to breakfast the next morning, she found there had just been a decent pretence on the lady’s side of meaning to leave them.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading There was one point which Anne, on returning to her family, would have been more thankful to ascertain even than Mr Elliot’s being in love with Elizabeth, which was, her father’s not being in love with Mrs Clay; and she was very far from easy about it, when she had been at home a few hours.

fulladjectiveUS /fʊl/

containing as much or as many as is possible or normal

From this reading She is nothing to me, compared with you;” and she was in full time to hear her father say, “My dear madam, this must not be.

goingnounUS /ˈɡoʊɪŋ/

the act of departing

From this reading On going down to breakfast the next morning, she found there had just been a decent pretence on the lady’s side of meaning to leave them.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading There was one point which Anne, on returning to her family, would have been more thankful to ascertain even than Mr Elliot’s being in love with Elizabeth, which was, her father’s not being in love with Mrs Clay; and she was very far from easy about it, when she had been at home a few hours.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading There was one point which Anne, on returning to her family, would have been more thankful to ascertain even than Mr Elliot’s being in love with Elizabeth, which was, her father’s not being in love with Mrs Clay; and she was very far from easy about it, when she had been at home a few hours.

hearverbUS /hiːr/

perceive (sound) via the auditory sense

From this reading She is nothing to me, compared with you;” and she was in full time to hear her father say, “My dear madam, this must not be.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading There was one point which Anne, on returning to her family, would have been more thankful to ascertain even than Mr Elliot’s being in love with Elizabeth, which was, her father’s not being in love with Mrs Clay; and she was very far from easy about it, when she had been at home a few hours.

herselfpronounUS /hərˈself/

used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object

From this reading She could imagine Mrs Clay to have said, that “now Miss Anne was come, she could not suppose herself at all wanted;” for Elizabeth was replying in a sort of whisper, “That must not be any reason, indeed.

homenounUS /hoʊm/

where you live at a particular time

From this reading There was one point which Anne, on returning to her family, would have been more thankful to ascertain even than Mr Elliot’s being in love with Elizabeth, which was, her father’s not being in love with Mrs Clay; and she was very far from easy about it, when she had been at home a few hours.

hoursnounUS /ˈaʊərz/

a period of time assigned for work

From this reading There was one point which Anne, on returning to her family, would have been more thankful to ascertain even than Mr Elliot’s being in love with Elizabeth, which was, her father’s not being in love with Mrs Clay; and she was very far from easy about it, when she had been at home a few hours.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading I assure you I feel it none.

imagineverbUS /ˌɪˈmædʒən/

form a mental image of something that is not present or that is not the case

From this reading She could imagine Mrs Clay to have said, that “now Miss Anne was come, she could not suppose herself at all wanted;” for Elizabeth was replying in a sort of whisper, “That must not be any reason, indeed.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading There was one point which Anne, on returning to her family, would have been more thankful to ascertain even than Mr Elliot’s being in love with Elizabeth, which was, her father’s not being in love with Mrs Clay; and she was very far from easy about it, when she had been at home a few hours.

indeedadverbUS /ˌɪnˈdiːd/

in truth (often tends to intensify)

From this reading She could imagine Mrs Clay to have said, that “now Miss Anne was come, she could not suppose herself at all wanted;” for Elizabeth was replying in a sort of whisper, “That must not be any reason, indeed.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading She is nothing to me, compared with you;” and she was in full time to hear her father say, “My dear madam, this must not be.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading There was one point which Anne, on returning to her family, would have been more thankful to ascertain even than Mr Elliot’s being in love with Elizabeth, which was, her father’s not being in love with Mrs Clay; and she was very far from easy about it, when she had been at home a few hours.

justadverbUS /dʒʌst/

and nothing more

From this reading On going down to breakfast the next morning, she found there had just been a decent pretence on the lady’s side of meaning to leave them.

lady'snounUS /ˈleɪdiz/

possessive form of “lady” — a polite name for any woman

From this reading On going down to breakfast the next morning, she found there had just been a decent pretence on the lady’s side of meaning to leave them.

leaveverbUS /liːv/

go away from a place

From this reading On going down to breakfast the next morning, she found there had just been a decent pretence on the lady’s side of meaning to leave them.

lovenounUS /lʌv/

a strong positive emotion of regard and affection

From this reading There was one point which Anne, on returning to her family, would have been more thankful to ascertain even than Mr Elliot’s being in love with Elizabeth, which was, her father’s not being in love with Mrs Clay; and she was very far from easy about it, when she had been at home a few hours.

madamnounUS /ˈmædəm/

a woman of refinement

From this reading She is nothing to me, compared with you;” and she was in full time to hear her father say, “My dear madam, this must not be.

mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading She is nothing to me, compared with you;” and she was in full time to hear her father say, “My dear madam, this must not be.

meaningnounUS /ˈmiːnɪŋ/

the message that is intended or expressed or signified

From this reading On going down to breakfast the next morning, she found there had just been a decent pretence on the lady’s side of meaning to leave them.

MissverbUS /mɪs/

fail to perceive or to catch with the senses or the mind

From this reading She could imagine Mrs Clay to have said, that “now Miss Anne was come, she could not suppose herself at all wanted;” for Elizabeth was replying in a sort of whisper, “That must not be any reason, indeed.

moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading There was one point which Anne, on returning to her family, would have been more thankful to ascertain even than Mr Elliot’s being in love with Elizabeth, which was, her father’s not being in love with Mrs Clay; and she was very far from easy about it, when she had been at home a few hours.

morningnounUS /ˈmɔːrnɪŋ/

the time period between dawn and noon

From this reading On going down to breakfast the next morning, she found there had just been a decent pretence on the lady’s side of meaning to leave them.

MrnounUS /ˈmɪstər/

a form of address for a man

From this reading There was one point which Anne, on returning to her family, would have been more thankful to ascertain even than Mr Elliot’s being in love with Elizabeth, which was, her father’s not being in love with Mrs Clay; and she was very far from easy about it, when she had been at home a few hours.

MrsnounUS /ˈmɪsɪz/

a form of address for a married woman

From this reading There was one point which Anne, on returning to her family, would have been more thankful to ascertain even than Mr Elliot’s being in love with Elizabeth, which was, her father’s not being in love with Mrs Clay; and she was very far from easy about it, when she had been at home a few hours.

mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading She could imagine Mrs Clay to have said, that “now Miss Anne was come, she could not suppose herself at all wanted;” for Elizabeth was replying in a sort of whisper, “That must not be any reason, indeed.

MydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading She is nothing to me, compared with you;” and she was in full time to hear her father say, “My dear madam, this must not be.

nextadjectiveUS /nekst/

immediately following in time or order

From this reading On going down to breakfast the next morning, she found there had just been a decent pretence on the lady’s side of meaning to leave them.

nonepronounUS /nʌn/

not one, and not any

From this reading I assure you I feel it none.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading There was one point which Anne, on returning to her family, would have been more thankful to ascertain even than Mr Elliot’s being in love with Elizabeth, which was, her father’s not being in love with Mrs Clay; and she was very far from easy about it, when she had been at home a few hours.

nothingpronounUS /ˈnʌθɪŋ/

not one thing; not anything

From this reading She is nothing to me, compared with you;” and she was in full time to hear her father say, “My dear madam, this must not be.

nowadverbUS /naʊ/

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading She could imagine Mrs Clay to have said, that “now Miss Anne was come, she could not suppose herself at all wanted;” for Elizabeth was replying in a sort of whisper, “That must not be any reason, indeed.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading On going down to breakfast the next morning, she found there had just been a decent pretence on the lady’s side of meaning to leave them.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading There was one point which Anne, on returning to her family, would have been more thankful to ascertain even than Mr Elliot’s being in love with Elizabeth, which was, her father’s not being in love with Mrs Clay; and she was very far from easy about it, when she had been at home a few hours.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading There was one point which Anne, on returning to her family, would have been more thankful to ascertain even than Mr Elliot’s being in love with Elizabeth, which was, her father’s not being in love with Mrs Clay; and she was very far from easy about it, when she had been at home a few hours.

pointnounUS /pɔɪnt/

a geometric element that has position but no extension

From this reading There was one point which Anne, on returning to her family, would have been more thankful to ascertain even than Mr Elliot’s being in love with Elizabeth, which was, her father’s not being in love with Mrs Clay; and she was very far from easy about it, when she had been at home a few hours.

pretence

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

From this reading On going down to breakfast the next morning, she found there had just been a decent pretence on the lady’s side of meaning to leave them.

reasonnounUS /ˈriːzən/

a rational motive for a belief or action

From this reading She could imagine Mrs Clay to have said, that “now Miss Anne was come, she could not suppose herself at all wanted;” for Elizabeth was replying in a sort of whisper, “That must not be any reason, indeed.

replyingverbUS /rɪˈplaɪɪŋ/

-ing form of “reply” — react verbally

From this reading She could imagine Mrs Clay to have said, that “now Miss Anne was come, she could not suppose herself at all wanted;” for Elizabeth was replying in a sort of whisper, “That must not be any reason, indeed.

returningadjectiveUS /rɪˈtɜːrnɪŋ/

tending to return to an earlier state

From this reading There was one point which Anne, on returning to her family, would have been more thankful to ascertain even than Mr Elliot’s being in love with Elizabeth, which was, her father’s not being in love with Mrs Clay; and she was very far from easy about it, when she had been at home a few hours.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading She could imagine Mrs Clay to have said, that “now Miss Anne was come, she could not suppose herself at all wanted;” for Elizabeth was replying in a sort of whisper, “That must not be any reason, indeed.

sayverbUS /seɪ/

express in words

From this reading She is nothing to me, compared with you;” and she was in full time to hear her father say, “My dear madam, this must not be.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading There was one point which Anne, on returning to her family, would have been more thankful to ascertain even than Mr Elliot’s being in love with Elizabeth, which was, her father’s not being in love with Mrs Clay; and she was very far from easy about it, when she had been at home a few hours.

sidenounUS /saɪd/

a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location

From this reading On going down to breakfast the next morning, she found there had just been a decent pretence on the lady’s side of meaning to leave them.

sortnounUS /sɔːrt/

a category of things distinguished by some common characteristic or quality

From this reading She could imagine Mrs Clay to have said, that “now Miss Anne was come, she could not suppose herself at all wanted;” for Elizabeth was replying in a sort of whisper, “That must not be any reason, indeed.

supposeverbUS /səˈpoʊz/

express a supposition

From this reading She could imagine Mrs Clay to have said, that “now Miss Anne was come, she could not suppose herself at all wanted;” for Elizabeth was replying in a sort of whisper, “That must not be any reason, indeed.

thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading There was one point which Anne, on returning to her family, would have been more thankful to ascertain even than Mr Elliot’s being in love with Elizabeth, which was, her father’s not being in love with Mrs Clay; and she was very far from easy about it, when she had been at home a few hours.

thankfuladjectiveUS /ˈθæŋkfəl/

feeling or showing gratitude

From this reading There was one point which Anne, on returning to her family, would have been more thankful to ascertain even than Mr Elliot’s being in love with Elizabeth, which was, her father’s not being in love with Mrs Clay; and she was very far from easy about it, when she had been at home a few hours.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading She could imagine Mrs Clay to have said, that “now Miss Anne was come, she could not suppose herself at all wanted;” for Elizabeth was replying in a sort of whisper, “That must not be any reason, indeed.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading On going down to breakfast the next morning, she found there had just been a decent pretence on the lady’s side of meaning to leave them.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading On going down to breakfast the next morning, she found there had just been a decent pretence on the lady’s side of meaning to leave them.

ThereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading There was one point which Anne, on returning to her family, would have been more thankful to ascertain even than Mr Elliot’s being in love with Elizabeth, which was, her father’s not being in love with Mrs Clay; and she was very far from easy about it, when she had been at home a few hours.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading She is nothing to me, compared with you;” and she was in full time to hear her father say, “My dear madam, this must not be.

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading She is nothing to me, compared with you;” and she was in full time to hear her father say, “My dear madam, this must not be.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading There was one point which Anne, on returning to her family, would have been more thankful to ascertain even than Mr Elliot’s being in love with Elizabeth, which was, her father’s not being in love with Mrs Clay; and she was very far from easy about it, when she had been at home a few hours.

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading There was one point which Anne, on returning to her family, would have been more thankful to ascertain even than Mr Elliot’s being in love with Elizabeth, which was, her father’s not being in love with Mrs Clay; and she was very far from easy about it, when she had been at home a few hours.

wantedadjectiveUS /ˈwɔːntɪd/

desired or wished for or sought

From this reading She could imagine Mrs Clay to have said, that “now Miss Anne was come, she could not suppose herself at all wanted;” for Elizabeth was replying in a sort of whisper, “That must not be any reason, indeed.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading There was one point which Anne, on returning to her family, would have been more thankful to ascertain even than Mr Elliot’s being in love with Elizabeth, which was, her father’s not being in love with Mrs Clay; and she was very far from easy about it, when she had been at home a few hours.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading There was one point which Anne, on returning to her family, would have been more thankful to ascertain even than Mr Elliot’s being in love with Elizabeth, which was, her father’s not being in love with Mrs Clay; and she was very far from easy about it, when she had been at home a few hours.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading There was one point which Anne, on returning to her family, would have been more thankful to ascertain even than Mr Elliot’s being in love with Elizabeth, which was, her father’s not being in love with Mrs Clay; and she was very far from easy about it, when she had been at home a few hours.

whispernounUS /ˈwɪspər/

speaking softly without vibration of the vocal cords

From this reading She could imagine Mrs Clay to have said, that “now Miss Anne was come, she could not suppose herself at all wanted;” for Elizabeth was replying in a sort of whisper, “That must not be any reason, indeed.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading There was one point which Anne, on returning to her family, would have been more thankful to ascertain even than Mr Elliot’s being in love with Elizabeth, which was, her father’s not being in love with Mrs Clay; and she was very far from easy about it, when she had been at home a few hours.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

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

From this reading There was one point which Anne, on returning to her family, would have been more thankful to ascertain even than Mr Elliot’s being in love with Elizabeth, which was, her father’s not being in love with Mrs Clay; and she was very far from easy about it, when she had been at home a few hours.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading I assure you I feel it none.

Chapter 16 of Persuasion by Jane Austen holds 96 sentences, grouped into 20 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.

What does chapter 16 of Persuasion contain?

Chapter 16 holds 96 sentences of Persuasion, unabridged, divided into 20 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 16 of Persuasion by Jane Austen exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 96 sentences, grouped into 20 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 16 of Persuasion?

Work through the 20 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 20 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 16 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 16 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 Persuasion

Common questions about reading Persuasion by Jane Austen on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Persuasion?

Yes. All 3498 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #105 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Persuasion is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #105, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Persuasion take to read?

About 291 minutes of reading across 700 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Persuasion section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 24 chapters of Persuasion 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 Persuasion

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

Walter
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Persuasion; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Elliot
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Persuasion; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Kellynch
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Persuasion; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Somersetshire
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Persuasion; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.