Chapter 20 of Rachel Dyer is here in full — 153 sentences across 31 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XX
Chapter 20 of Rachel Dyer is here in full — 153 sentences across 31 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Already were they about to give judgment of death upon Rachel Dyer, when two or three of her accusers, who began to fear that she might escape, had another fit. Why are these poor women troubled? asked a judge. I do not know, was her unstudied reply. But according to your belief? I do not desire to say what my belief is.
Chapter 20 of Rachel Dyer is here in full — 153 sentences across 31 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/30 · 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.
(followed by “to”) in agreement with or accordant with
From this reading “But according to your belief?”
plural of “accuser” — someone who imputes guilt or blame
From this reading “Already were they about to give judgment of death upon Rachel Dyer, when two or three of her accusers, who began to fear that she might escape, had another fit.”
any cognitive content held as true
From this reading “But according to your belief?”
someone whose job is to dye cloth
From this reading “Already were they about to give judgment of death upon Rachel Dyer, when two or three of her accusers, who began to fear that she might escape, had another fit.”
be agreeable or acceptable to
From this reading “Already were they about to give judgment of death upon Rachel Dyer, when two or three of her accusers, who began to fear that she might escape, had another fit.”
an opinion formed by judging something
From this reading “Already were they about to give judgment of death upon Rachel Dyer, when two or three of her accusers, who began to fear that she might escape, had another fit.”
(Old Testament) the second wife of Jacob and mother of Joseph and Benjamin
From this reading “Already were they about to give judgment of death upon Rachel Dyer, when two or three of her accusers, who began to fear that she might escape, had another fit.”
characterized by or indicative of distress or affliction or danger or need
From this reading “Why are these poor women troubled? asked a judge.”
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 “Why are these poor women troubled? asked a judge.”
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.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Why are these poor women troubled? asked a judge.
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading Already were they about to give judgment of death upon Rachel Dyer, when two or three of her accusers, who began to fear that she might escape, had another fit.
(followed by “to”) in agreement with or accordant with
From this reading But according to your belief?
plural of “accuser” — someone who imputes guilt or blame
From this reading Already were they about to give judgment of death upon Rachel Dyer, when two or three of her accusers, who began to fear that she might escape, had another fit.
prior to a specified or implied time
From this reading Already were they about to give judgment of death upon Rachel Dyer, when two or three of her accusers, who began to fear that she might escape, had another fit.
one more of the same kind, or a different one
From this reading Already were they about to give judgment of death upon Rachel Dyer, when two or three of her accusers, who began to fear that she might escape, had another fit.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Why are these poor women troubled? asked a judge.
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading Why are these poor women troubled? asked a judge.
inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading Already were they about to give judgment of death upon Rachel Dyer, when two or three of her accusers, who began to fear that she might escape, had another fit.
any cognitive content held as true
From this reading But according to your belief?
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But according to your belief?
the event of dying or departure from life
From this reading Already were they about to give judgment of death upon Rachel Dyer, when two or three of her accusers, who began to fear that she might escape, had another fit.
the feeling that accompanies an unsatisfied state
From this reading I do not desire to say what my belief is.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading I do not know, was her unstudied reply.
someone whose job is to dye cloth
From this reading Already were they about to give judgment of death upon Rachel Dyer, when two or three of her accusers, who began to fear that she might escape, had another fit.
the act of escaping physically
From this reading Already were they about to give judgment of death upon Rachel Dyer, when two or three of her accusers, who began to fear that she might escape, had another fit.
be afraid or feel anxious or apprehensive about a possible or probable situation or event
From this reading Already were they about to give judgment of death upon Rachel Dyer, when two or three of her accusers, who began to fear that she might escape, had another fit.
be agreeable or acceptable to
From this reading Already were they about to give judgment of death upon Rachel Dyer, when two or three of her accusers, who began to fear that she might escape, had another fit.
cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading Already were they about to give judgment of death upon Rachel Dyer, when two or three of her accusers, who began to fear that she might escape, had another fit.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Already were they about to give judgment of death upon Rachel Dyer, when two or three of her accusers, who began to fear that she might escape, had another fit.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Already were they about to give judgment of death upon Rachel Dyer, when two or three of her accusers, who began to fear that she might escape, had another fit.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I do not know, was her unstudied reply.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading I do not desire to say what my belief is.
determine the result of (a competition)
From this reading Why are these poor women troubled? asked a judge.
an opinion formed by judging something
From this reading Already were they about to give judgment of death upon Rachel Dyer, when two or three of her accusers, who began to fear that she might escape, had another fit.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading I do not know, was her unstudied reply.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading Already were they about to give judgment of death upon Rachel Dyer, when two or three of her accusers, who began to fear that she might escape, had another fit.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading I do not desire to say what my belief is.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading I do not know, was her unstudied reply.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Already were they about to give judgment of death upon Rachel Dyer, when two or three of her accusers, who began to fear that she might escape, had another fit.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Already were they about to give judgment of death upon Rachel Dyer, when two or three of her accusers, who began to fear that she might escape, had another fit.
deserving or inciting pity
From this reading Why are these poor women troubled? asked a judge.
(Old Testament) the second wife of Jacob and mother of Joseph and Benjamin
From this reading Already were they about to give judgment of death upon Rachel Dyer, when two or three of her accusers, who began to fear that she might escape, had another fit.
a statement (either spoken or written) that is made to reply to a question or request or criticism or accusation
From this reading I do not know, was her unstudied reply.
express in words
From this reading I do not desire to say what my belief is.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Already were they about to give judgment of death upon Rachel Dyer, when two or three of her accusers, who began to fear that she might escape, had another fit.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Already were they about to give judgment of death upon Rachel Dyer, when two or three of her accusers, who began to fear that she might escape, had another fit.
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading Why are these poor women troubled? asked a judge.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Already were they about to give judgment of death upon Rachel Dyer, when two or three of her accusers, who began to fear that she might escape, had another fit.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading Already were they about to give judgment of death upon Rachel Dyer, when two or three of her accusers, who began to fear that she might escape, had another fit.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Already were they about to give judgment of death upon Rachel Dyer, when two or three of her accusers, who began to fear that she might escape, had another fit.
characterized by or indicative of distress or affliction or danger or need
From this reading Why are these poor women troubled? asked a judge.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading Already were they about to give judgment of death upon Rachel Dyer, when two or three of her accusers, who began to fear that she might escape, had another fit.
not by design or artifice; unforced and impromptu
From this reading I do not know, was her unstudied reply.
a formal word for “on”
From this reading Already were they about to give judgment of death upon Rachel Dyer, when two or three of her accusers, who began to fear that she might escape, had another fit.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading I do not know, was her unstudied reply.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Already were they about to give judgment of death upon Rachel Dyer, when two or three of her accusers, who began to fear that she might escape, had another fit.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading I do not desire to say what my belief is.
at the time that
From this reading Already were they about to give judgment of death upon Rachel Dyer, when two or three of her accusers, who began to fear that she might escape, had another fit.
which person or people
From this reading Already were they about to give judgment of death upon Rachel Dyer, when two or three of her accusers, who began to fear that she might escape, had another fit.
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading Why are these poor women troubled? asked a judge.
plural of “woman” — an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading Why are these poor women troubled? asked a judge.
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading But according to your belief?
Chapter 20 of Rachel Dyer by John Neal holds 153 sentences, grouped into 31 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 20 holds 153 sentences of Rachel Dyer, unabridged, divided into 31 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 20 of Rachel Dyer by John Neal exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 153 sentences, grouped into 31 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 31 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 31 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 20 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 Rachel Dyer by John Neal on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 2997 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #71766 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #71766, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 249 minutes of reading across 600 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Rachel Dyer section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 21 chapters of Rachel Dyer 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 Rachel Dyer, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
