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Plays : First Series
Plays : First Series

Chapter II · Chapter 2

Chapter 2 of Plays : First Series is here in full — 403 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/80 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
BARTHWICK.
[Staring gloomily at JACK.] This prosecution goes very much against the grain with me.
I have great sympathy with the poor.
In my position I 'm bound to recognise the distress there is amongst them.
The condition of the people leaves much to be desired.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Plays : First Series

Chapter II · Chapter 2

Chapter 2 of Plays : First Series is here in full — 403 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/80 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
BARTHWICK.
Line 2
[Staring gloomily at JACK.] This prosecution goes very much against the grain with me.
/ˈsterɪŋ ˈɡluːməli æt dʒæk ðɪs ˌprɑːsəˈkjuːʃən ɡoʊz ˈveri mʌtʃ əˈɡenst ðə ɡreɪn wɪð miː/
Line 3
I have great sympathy with the poor.
/aɪ hæv ɡreɪt ˈsɪmpəθi wɪð ðə puːr/
Line 4
In my position I 'm bound to recognise the distress there is amongst them.
/ɪn maɪ pəˈzɪʃən aɪ em baʊnd tuː ˈrekəɡnaɪz ðə dɪˈstres ðer ɪz əˈmʌŋst ðem/
Line 5
The condition of the people leaves much to be desired.
/ðə kənˈdɪʃən ʌv ðə ˈpiːpəl liːvz mʌtʃ tuː biː dɪˈzaɪərd/

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.

amongst preposition US /əˈmʌŋst/

surrounded by; in the company of

From this reading “In my position I 'm bound to recognise the distress there is amongst them.”

desired adjective US /dɪˈzaɪərd/

wanted intensely

From this reading “The condition of the people leaves much to be desired.”

distress noun US /dɪˈstres/

psychological suffering

From this reading “In my position I 'm bound to recognise the distress there is amongst them.”

gloomily adverb US /ˈɡluːməli/

with gloom

From this reading “[Staring gloomily at JACK.] This prosecution goes very much against the grain with me.”

grain noun US /ɡreɪn/

a relatively small granular particle of a substance

From this reading “[Staring gloomily at JACK.] This prosecution goes very much against the grain with me.”

prosecution noun US /ˌprɑːsəˈkjuːʃən/

the institution and conduct of legal proceedings against a defendant for criminal behavior

From this reading “[Staring gloomily at JACK.] This prosecution goes very much against the grain with me.”

recognise verb US /ˈrekəɡnaɪz/

show approval or appreciation of

From this reading “In my position I 'm bound to recognise the distress there is amongst them.”

Staring adjective US /ˈsterɪŋ/

(used of eyes) open and fixed as if in fear or wonder

From this reading “[Staring gloomily at JACK.] This prosecution goes very much against the grain with me.”

All words in this reading · 38

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.

againstprepositionUS /əˈɡenst/

touching and pressing; in opposition to

From this reading [Staring gloomily at JACK.] This prosecution goes very much against the grain with me.

amongstprepositionUS /əˈmʌŋst/

surrounded by; in the company of

From this reading In my position I 'm bound to recognise the distress there is amongst them.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading [Staring gloomily at JACK.] This prosecution goes very much against the grain with me.

BARTHWICK

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

From this reading BARTHWICK.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading The condition of the people leaves much to be desired.

boundadjectiveUS /baʊnd/

confined by bonds

From this reading In my position I 'm bound to recognise the distress there is amongst them.

conditionnounUS /kənˈdɪʃən/

a state at a particular time

From this reading The condition of the people leaves much to be desired.

desiredadjectiveUS /dɪˈzaɪərd/

wanted intensely

From this reading The condition of the people leaves much to be desired.

distressnounUS /dɪˈstres/

psychological suffering

From this reading In my position I 'm bound to recognise the distress there is amongst them.

gloomilyadverbUS /ˈɡluːməli/

with gloom

From this reading [Staring gloomily at JACK.] This prosecution goes very much against the grain with me.

goesnounUS /ɡoʊz/

plural of “go” — a time period for working (after which you will be relieved by someone else)

From this reading [Staring gloomily at JACK.] This prosecution goes very much against the grain with me.

grainnounUS /ɡreɪn/

a relatively small granular particle of a substance

From this reading [Staring gloomily at JACK.] This prosecution goes very much against the grain with me.

greatadjectiveUS /ɡreɪt/

relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind

From this reading I have great sympathy with the poor.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading I have great sympathy with the poor.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading I have great sympathy with the poor.

InprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading In my position I 'm bound to recognise the distress there is amongst them.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading In my position I 'm bound to recognise the distress there is amongst them.

JACKnounUS /dʒæk/

a small worthless amount

From this reading [Staring gloomily at JACK.] This prosecution goes very much against the grain with me.

leavesnounUS /liːvz/

plural of “leaf” — the main organ of photosynthesis and transpiration in higher plants

From this reading The condition of the people leaves much to be desired.

mnounUS /em/

the basic unit of length adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites (approximately 1.094 yards)

From this reading In my position I 'm bound to recognise the distress there is amongst them.

mepronounUS /miː/

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

From this reading [Staring gloomily at JACK.] This prosecution goes very much against the grain with me.

muchadverbUS /mʌtʃ/

to a great degree or extent

From this reading [Staring gloomily at JACK.] This prosecution goes very much against the grain with me.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading In my position I 'm bound to recognise the distress there is amongst them.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading The condition of the people leaves much to be desired.

peoplenounUS /ˈpiːpəl/

(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively

From this reading The condition of the people leaves much to be desired.

pooradjectiveUS /puːr/

deserving or inciting pity

From this reading I have great sympathy with the poor.

positionnounUS /pəˈzɪʃən/

the particular portion of space occupied by something

From this reading In my position I 'm bound to recognise the distress there is amongst them.

prosecutionnounUS /ˌprɑːsəˈkjuːʃən/

the institution and conduct of legal proceedings against a defendant for criminal behavior

From this reading [Staring gloomily at JACK.] This prosecution goes very much against the grain with me.

recogniseverbUS /ˈrekəɡnaɪz/

show approval or appreciation of

From this reading In my position I 'm bound to recognise the distress there is amongst them.

StaringadjectiveUS /ˈsterɪŋ/

(used of eyes) open and fixed as if in fear or wonder

From this reading [Staring gloomily at JACK.] This prosecution goes very much against the grain with me.

sympathynounUS /ˈsɪmpəθi/

an inclination to support or be loyal to or to agree with an opinion

From this reading I have great sympathy with the poor.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading [Staring gloomily at JACK.] This prosecution goes very much against the grain with me.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading In my position I 'm bound to recognise the distress there is amongst them.

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading In my position I 'm bound to recognise the distress there is amongst them.

ThisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading [Staring gloomily at JACK.] This prosecution goes very much against the grain with me.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading In my position I 'm bound to recognise the distress there is amongst them.

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading [Staring gloomily at JACK.] This prosecution goes very much against the grain with me.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading [Staring gloomily at JACK.] This prosecution goes very much against the grain with me.

Chapter 2 of Plays : First Series by John Galsworthy holds 403 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.

What does chapter 2 of Plays : First Series contain?

Chapter 2 holds 403 sentences of Plays : First Series, unabridged, divided into 81 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 2 of Plays : First Series by John Galsworthy exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 403 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.

How do I study chapter 2 of Plays : First Series?

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.

Can chapter 2 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 2 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 Plays : First Series

Common questions about reading Plays : First Series by John Galsworthy on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Plays : First Series?

Yes. All 6758 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #5055 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Plays : First Series is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #5055, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Plays : First Series take to read?

About 563 minutes of reading across 1352 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Plays : First Series section by section

How to work through Plays : First Series section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 17 chapters of Plays : First Series 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 Plays : First Series

Words and structures a reader meets early in Plays : First Series, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Jones
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Plays : First Series; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Course
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Plays : First Series; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
You're
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Plays : First Series; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Fingering
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Plays : First Series; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.