Chapter 8 of Rebecca's Promise is here in full — 180 sentences across 36 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter VIII
Chapter 8 of Rebecca's Promise is here in full — 180 sentences across 36 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"To-night!" Rebecca Mary swung around to look at her. It was almost midnight, time to go nowhere but to bed, but Granny was not dressed for bed. What on earth did she mean? "I promised Mrs. Swenson I'd come and see Otillie's things," Granny spoke almost fretfully.
Chapter 8 of Rebecca's Promise is here in full — 180 sentences across 36 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/36 · 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.
dressed or clothed especially in fine attire; often used in combination
From this reading “It was almost midnight, time to go nowhere but to bed, but Granny was not dressed for bed.”
the mother of your father or mother
From this reading “It was almost midnight, time to go nowhere but to bed, but Granny was not dressed for bed.”
the mother of Jesus; Christians refer to her as the Virgin Mary; she is especially honored by Roman Catholics
From this reading “Rebecca Mary swung around to look at her.”
12 o'clock at night; the middle of the night
From this reading “It was almost midnight, time to go nowhere but to bed, but Granny was not dressed for bed.”
an insignificant place
From this reading “It was almost midnight, time to go nowhere but to bed, but Granny was not dressed for bed.”
past form of “promise” — make a promise or commitment
From this reading “"I promised Mrs. Swenson I'd come and see Otillie's things," Granny spoke almost fretfully.”
(Old Testament) wife of Isaac and mother of Jacob and Esau
From this reading “Rebecca Mary swung around to look at her.”
inflected form of “swing” — move in a curve or arc, usually with the intent of hitting
From this reading “Rebecca Mary swung around to look at her.”
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.
turn abruptly and face the other way, either physically or metaphorically
In this reading “Rebecca Mary swung around to look at her.”
take into consideration for exemplifying purposes
In this reading “Rebecca Mary swung around to look at her.”
used with question words to convey surprise
In this reading “What on earth did she mean?”
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.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading It was almost midnight, time to go nowhere but to bed, but Granny was not dressed for bed.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "I promised Mrs. Swenson I'd come and see Otillie's things," Granny spoke almost fretfully.
surrounding, or on every side of, something
From this reading Rebecca Mary swung around to look at her.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Rebecca Mary swung around to look at her.
a piece of furniture that provides a place to sleep
From this reading It was almost midnight, time to go nowhere but to bed, but Granny was not dressed for bed.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading It was almost midnight, time to go nowhere but to bed, but Granny was not dressed for bed.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading "I promised Mrs. Swenson I'd come and see Otillie's things," Granny spoke almost fretfully.
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading What on earth did she mean?
dressed or clothed especially in fine attire; often used in combination
From this reading It was almost midnight, time to go nowhere but to bed, but Granny was not dressed for bed.
the 3rd planet from the sun; the planet we live on
From this reading What on earth did she mean?
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading It was almost midnight, time to go nowhere but to bed, but Granny was not dressed for bed.
in a fretful manner
From this reading "I promised Mrs. Swenson I'd come and see Otillie's things," Granny spoke almost fretfully.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading It was almost midnight, time to go nowhere but to bed, but Granny was not dressed for bed.
the mother of your father or mother
From this reading It was almost midnight, time to go nowhere but to bed, but Granny was not dressed for bed.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Rebecca Mary swung around to look at her.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I promised Mrs. Swenson I'd come and see Otillie's things," Granny spoke almost fretfully.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I promised Mrs. Swenson I'd come and see Otillie's things," Granny spoke almost fretfully.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was almost midnight, time to go nowhere but to bed, but Granny was not dressed for bed.
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading Rebecca Mary swung around to look at her.
the mother of Jesus; Christians refer to her as the Virgin Mary; she is especially honored by Roman Catholics
From this reading Rebecca Mary swung around to look at her.
mean or intend to express or convey
From this reading What on earth did she mean?
12 o'clock at night; the middle of the night
From this reading It was almost midnight, time to go nowhere but to bed, but Granny was not dressed for bed.
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading "I promised Mrs. Swenson I'd come and see Otillie's things," Granny spoke almost fretfully.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading It was almost midnight, time to go nowhere but to bed, but Granny was not dressed for bed.
an insignificant place
From this reading It was almost midnight, time to go nowhere but to bed, but Granny was not dressed for bed.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading What on earth did she mean?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I promised Mrs. Swenson I'd come and see Otillie's things," Granny spoke almost fretfully.
past form of “promise” — make a promise or commitment
From this reading "I promised Mrs. Swenson I'd come and see Otillie's things," Granny spoke almost fretfully.
(Old Testament) wife of Isaac and mother of Jacob and Esau
From this reading Rebecca Mary swung around to look at her.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading "I promised Mrs. Swenson I'd come and see Otillie's things," Granny spoke almost fretfully.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading What on earth did she mean?
support consisting of a radial member of a wheel joining the hub to the rim
From this reading "I promised Mrs. Swenson I'd come and see Otillie's things," Granny spoke almost fretfully.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I promised Mrs. Swenson I'd come and see Otillie's things," Granny spoke almost fretfully.
inflected form of “swing” — move in a curve or arc, usually with the intent of hitting
From this reading Rebecca Mary swung around to look at her.
any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)
From this reading "I promised Mrs. Swenson I'd come and see Otillie's things," Granny spoke almost fretfully.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading It was almost midnight, time to go nowhere but to bed, but Granny was not dressed for bed.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Rebecca Mary swung around to look at her.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "To-night!"
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was almost midnight, time to go nowhere but to bed, but Granny was not dressed for bed.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading What on earth did she mean?
Chapter 8 of Rebecca's Promise by Frances R. (Frances Roberta) Sterrett holds 180 sentences, grouped into 36 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 8 holds 180 sentences of Rebecca's Promise, unabridged, divided into 36 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 8 of Rebecca's Promise by Frances R. (Frances Roberta) Sterrett exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 180 sentences, grouped into 36 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 36 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 36 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 8 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 Rebecca's Promise by Frances R. (Frances Roberta) Sterrett on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4780 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #40024 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #40024, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 398 minutes of reading across 956 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Rebecca's Promise section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 24 chapters of Rebecca's Promise 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 Rebecca's Promise, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
