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Round the Sofa
Round the Sofa

Chapter XIII · Chapter 13

Chapter 13 of Round the Sofa is here in full — 205 sentences across 41 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/41 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
I had always understood that Miss Galindo had once been in much better circumstances, but I had never liked to ask any questions respecting her.
But about this time many things came out respecting her former life, which I will try and arrange: not however, in the order in which I heard them, but rather as they occurred.
Miss Galindo was the daughter of a clergyman in Westmoreland.
Her father was the younger brother of a baronet, his ancestor having been one of those of James the First’s creation.
This baronet-uncle of Miss Galindo was one of the queer, out-of-the-way people who were bred at that time, and in that northern district of England.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Round the Sofa

Chapter XIII · Chapter 13

Chapter 13 of Round the Sofa is here in full — 205 sentences across 41 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/41 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
I had always understood that Miss Galindo had once been in much better circumstances, but I had never liked to ask any questions respecting her.
Line 2
But about this time many things came out respecting her former life, which I will try and arrange: not however, in the order in which I heard them, but rather as they occurred.
/bʌt əˈbaʊt ðɪs taɪm ˈmeni θɪŋz keɪm aʊt riˈspektɪŋ hɜːr ˈfɔːrmər laɪf wɪtʃ aɪ wɪl traɪ ənd ərˈeɪndʒ nɑːt ˌhaʊˈevər ɪn ðə ˈɔːrdər ɪn wɪtʃ aɪ hɜːrd ðem bʌt ˈræðər æz ðeɪ əˈkɜːrd/
Line 3
Miss Galindo was the daughter of a clergyman in Westmoreland.
Line 4
Her father was the younger brother of a baronet, his ancestor having been one of those of James the First’s creation.
/hɜːr ˈfɑːðər wɑːz ðə ˈjʌŋɡər ˈbrʌðər ʌv ə ˈberənət hɪz ˈænsestər ˈhævɪŋ bɪn wʌn ʌv ðoʊz ʌv dʒeɪmz ðə fɜːrsts kriˈeɪʃən/
Line 5
This baronet-uncle of Miss Galindo was one of the queer, out-of-the-way people who were bred at that time, and in that northern district of England.

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.

ancestor noun US /ˈænsestər/

someone from whom you are descended (but usually more remote than a grandparent)

From this reading “Her father was the younger brother of a baronet, his ancestor having been one of those of James the First’s creation.”

arrange verb US /ərˈeɪndʒ/

put into a proper or systematic order

From this reading “But about this time many things came out respecting her former life, which I will try and arrange: not however, in the order in which I heard them, but rather as they occurred.”

baronet noun US /ˈberənət/

a member of the British order of honor; ranks below a baron but above a knight

From this reading “Her father was the younger brother of a baronet, his ancestor having been one of those of James the First’s creation.”

bred verb US /bred/

inflected form of “breed” — call forth

From this reading “This baronet-uncle of Miss Galindo was one of the queer, out-of-the-way people who were bred at that time, and in that northern district of England.”

clergyman noun US /ˈklɜːrdʒimən/

a member of the clergy and a spiritual leader of the Christian Church

From this reading “Miss Galindo was the daughter of a clergyman in Westmoreland.”

creation noun US /kriˈeɪʃən/

the human act of creating

From this reading “Her father was the younger brother of a baronet, his ancestor having been one of those of James the First’s creation.”

First's noun US /fɜːrsts/

possessive form of “first” — the first or highest in an ordering or series

respecting verb US /riˈspektɪŋ/

-ing form of “respect” — regard highly; think much of

From this reading “I had always understood that Miss Galindo had once been in much better circumstances, but I had never liked to ask any questions respecting her.”

All words in this reading · 75

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 Miss Galindo was the daughter of a clergyman in Westmoreland.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading But about this time many things came out respecting her former life, which I will try and arrange: not however, in the order in which I heard them, but rather as they occurred.

alwaysadverbUS /ˈɔːlweɪz/

at all times; all the time and on every occasion

From this reading I had always understood that Miss Galindo had once been in much better circumstances, but I had never liked to ask any questions respecting her.

ancestornounUS /ˈænsestər/

someone from whom you are descended (but usually more remote than a grandparent)

From this reading Her father was the younger brother of a baronet, his ancestor having been one of those of James the First’s creation.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading But about this time many things came out respecting her former life, which I will try and arrange: not however, in the order in which I heard them, but rather as they occurred.

anyadjectiveUS /ˈeni/

one or some or every or all without specification

From this reading I had always understood that Miss Galindo had once been in much better circumstances, but I had never liked to ask any questions respecting her.

arrangeverbUS /ərˈeɪndʒ/

put into a proper or systematic order

From this reading But about this time many things came out respecting her former life, which I will try and arrange: not however, in the order in which I heard them, but rather as they occurred.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading But about this time many things came out respecting her former life, which I will try and arrange: not however, in the order in which I heard them, but rather as they occurred.

askverbUS /æsk/

make a request or demand for something to somebody

From this reading I had always understood that Miss Galindo had once been in much better circumstances, but I had never liked to ask any questions respecting her.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading This baronet-uncle of Miss Galindo was one of the queer, out-of-the-way people who were bred at that time, and in that northern district of England.

baronetnounUS /ˈberənət/

a member of the British order of honor; ranks below a baron but above a knight

From this reading Her father was the younger brother of a baronet, his ancestor having been one of those of James the First’s creation.

baronet-uncle

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

From this reading This baronet-uncle of Miss Galindo was one of the queer, out-of-the-way people who were bred at that time, and in that northern district of England.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading I had always understood that Miss Galindo had once been in much better circumstances, but I had never liked to ask any questions respecting her.

betteradjectiveUS /ˈbetər/

(comparative of “good”) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another

From this reading I had always understood that Miss Galindo had once been in much better circumstances, but I had never liked to ask any questions respecting her.

bredverbUS /bred/

inflected form of “breed” — call forth

From this reading This baronet-uncle of Miss Galindo was one of the queer, out-of-the-way people who were bred at that time, and in that northern district of England.

brothernounUS /ˈbrʌðər/

a male with the same parents as someone else

From this reading Her father was the younger brother of a baronet, his ancestor having been one of those of James the First’s creation.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading I had always understood that Miss Galindo had once been in much better circumstances, but I had never liked to ask any questions respecting her.

cameverbUS /keɪm/

inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading But about this time many things came out respecting her former life, which I will try and arrange: not however, in the order in which I heard them, but rather as they occurred.

circumstancesnounUS /ˈsɜːrkəmstænsəz/

your overall circumstances or condition in life (including everything that happens to you)

From this reading I had always understood that Miss Galindo had once been in much better circumstances, but I had never liked to ask any questions respecting her.

clergymannounUS /ˈklɜːrdʒimən/

a member of the clergy and a spiritual leader of the Christian Church

From this reading Miss Galindo was the daughter of a clergyman in Westmoreland.

creationnounUS /kriˈeɪʃən/

the human act of creating

From this reading Her father was the younger brother of a baronet, his ancestor having been one of those of James the First’s creation.

daughternounUS /ˈdɔːtər/

a female human offspring

From this reading Miss Galindo was the daughter of a clergyman in Westmoreland.

districtnounUS /ˈdɪstrɪkt/

a region marked off for administrative or other purposes

From this reading This baronet-uncle of Miss Galindo was one of the queer, out-of-the-way people who were bred at that time, and in that northern district of England.

EnglandnounUS /ˈɪŋɡlənd/

a division of the United Kingdom

From this reading This baronet-uncle of Miss Galindo was one of the queer, out-of-the-way people who were bred at that time, and in that northern district of England.

fathernounUS /ˈfɑːðər/

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

From this reading Her father was the younger brother of a baronet, his ancestor having been one of those of James the First’s creation.

First'snounUS /fɜːrsts/

possessive form of “first” — the first or highest in an ordering or series

From this reading Her father was the younger brother of a baronet, his ancestor having been one of those of James the First’s creation.

formeradjectiveUS /ˈfɔːrmər/

referring to the first of two things or persons mentioned (or the earlier one or ones of several)

From this reading But about this time many things came out respecting her former life, which I will try and arrange: not however, in the order in which I heard them, but rather as they occurred.

Galindo

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

From this reading I had always understood that Miss Galindo had once been in much better circumstances, but I had never liked to ask any questions respecting her.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading I had always understood that Miss Galindo had once been in much better circumstances, but I had never liked to ask any questions respecting her.

havingauxiliary verbUS /ˈhævɪŋ/

the -ing form of “have”

From this reading Her father was the younger brother of a baronet, his ancestor having been one of those of James the First’s creation.

heardadjectiveUS /hɜːrd/

detected or perceived by the sense of hearing

From this reading But about this time many things came out respecting her former life, which I will try and arrange: not however, in the order in which I heard them, but rather as they occurred.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading I had always understood that Miss Galindo had once been in much better circumstances, but I had never liked to ask any questions respecting her.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading Her father was the younger brother of a baronet, his ancestor having been one of those of James the First’s creation.

howeveradverbUS /ˌhaʊˈevər/

used to add a contrasting statement

From this reading But about this time many things came out respecting her former life, which I will try and arrange: not however, in the order in which I heard them, but rather as they occurred.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading I had always understood that Miss Galindo had once been in much better circumstances, but I had never liked to ask any questions respecting her.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading I had always understood that Miss Galindo had once been in much better circumstances, but I had never liked to ask any questions respecting her.

JamesnounUS /dʒeɪmz/

a Stuart king of Scotland who married a daughter of Henry VII; when England and France went to war in 1513 he invaded England and died in defeat at Flodden (1473-1513)

From this reading Her father was the younger brother of a baronet, his ancestor having been one of those of James the First’s creation.

lifenounUS /laɪf/

a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading But about this time many things came out respecting her former life, which I will try and arrange: not however, in the order in which I heard them, but rather as they occurred.

likedadjectiveUS /laɪkt/

found pleasant or attractive; often used as a combining form

From this reading I had always understood that Miss Galindo had once been in much better circumstances, but I had never liked to ask any questions respecting her.

manyadjectiveUS /ˈmeni/

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number

From this reading But about this time many things came out respecting her former life, which I will try and arrange: not however, in the order in which I heard them, but rather as they occurred.

MissverbUS /mɪs/

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

From this reading I had always understood that Miss Galindo had once been in much better circumstances, but I had never liked to ask any questions respecting her.

muchadverbUS /mʌtʃ/

to a great degree or extent

From this reading I had always understood that Miss Galindo had once been in much better circumstances, but I had never liked to ask any questions respecting her.

neveradverbUS /ˈnevər/

not ever; at no time in the past or future

From this reading I had always understood that Miss Galindo had once been in much better circumstances, but I had never liked to ask any questions respecting her.

northernadjectiveUS /ˈnɔːrðərn/

in or characteristic of a region of the United States north of (approximately) the Mason-Dixon line

From this reading This baronet-uncle of Miss Galindo was one of the queer, out-of-the-way people who were bred at that time, and in that northern district of England.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading But about this time many things came out respecting her former life, which I will try and arrange: not however, in the order in which I heard them, but rather as they occurred.

occurredverbUS /əˈkɜːrd/

inflected form of “occur” — come to pass

From this reading But about this time many things came out respecting her former life, which I will try and arrange: not however, in the order in which I heard them, but rather as they occurred.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Miss Galindo was the daughter of a clergyman in Westmoreland.

onceadverbUS /wʌns/

on one occasion

From this reading I had always understood that Miss Galindo had once been in much better circumstances, but I had never liked to ask any questions respecting her.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading Her father was the younger brother of a baronet, his ancestor having been one of those of James the First’s creation.

ordernounUS /ˈɔːrdər/

(often plural) a command given by a superior (e.g., a military or law enforcement officer) that must be obeyed

From this reading But about this time many things came out respecting her former life, which I will try and arrange: not however, in the order in which I heard them, but rather as they occurred.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading But about this time many things came out respecting her former life, which I will try and arrange: not however, in the order in which I heard them, but rather as they occurred.

out-of-the-way

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

From this reading This baronet-uncle of Miss Galindo was one of the queer, out-of-the-way people who were bred at that time, and in that northern district of England.

peoplenounUS /ˈpiːpəl/

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

From this reading This baronet-uncle of Miss Galindo was one of the queer, out-of-the-way people who were bred at that time, and in that northern district of England.

queeradjectiveUS /kwɪr/

beyond or deviating from the usual or expected

From this reading This baronet-uncle of Miss Galindo was one of the queer, out-of-the-way people who were bred at that time, and in that northern district of England.

questionsnounUS /ˈkwestʃənz/

plural of “question” — an instance of questioning

From this reading I had always understood that Miss Galindo had once been in much better circumstances, but I had never liked to ask any questions respecting her.

ratheradverbUS /ˈræðər/

on the contrary

From this reading But about this time many things came out respecting her former life, which I will try and arrange: not however, in the order in which I heard them, but rather as they occurred.

respectingverbUS /riˈspektɪŋ/

-ing form of “respect” — regard highly; think much of

From this reading I had always understood that Miss Galindo had once been in much better circumstances, but I had never liked to ask any questions respecting her.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading I had always understood that Miss Galindo had once been in much better circumstances, but I had never liked to ask any questions respecting her.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading But about this time many things came out respecting her former life, which I will try and arrange: not however, in the order in which I heard them, but rather as they occurred.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading But about this time many things came out respecting her former life, which I will try and arrange: not however, in the order in which I heard them, but rather as they occurred.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading But about this time many things came out respecting her former life, which I will try and arrange: not however, in the order in which I heard them, but rather as they occurred.

thingsnounUS /θɪŋz/

any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)

From this reading But about this time many things came out respecting her former life, which I will try and arrange: not however, in the order in which I heard them, but rather as they occurred.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading But about this time many things came out respecting her former life, which I will try and arrange: not however, in the order in which I heard them, but rather as they occurred.

thosedeterminerUS /ðoʊz/

the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known

From this reading Her father was the younger brother of a baronet, his ancestor having been one of those of James the First’s creation.

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading But about this time many things came out respecting her former life, which I will try and arrange: not however, in the order in which I heard them, but rather as they occurred.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading I had always understood that Miss Galindo had once been in much better circumstances, but I had never liked to ask any questions respecting her.

tryverbUS /traɪ/

make an effort or attempt

From this reading But about this time many things came out respecting her former life, which I will try and arrange: not however, in the order in which I heard them, but rather as they occurred.

understoodadjectiveUS /ˌʌndərˈstʊd/

fully apprehended as to purport or meaning or explanation

From this reading I had always understood that Miss Galindo had once been in much better circumstances, but I had never liked to ask any questions respecting her.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Miss Galindo was the daughter of a clergyman in Westmoreland.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading This baronet-uncle of Miss Galindo was one of the queer, out-of-the-way people who were bred at that time, and in that northern district of England.

Westmoreland

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

From this reading Miss Galindo was the daughter of a clergyman in Westmoreland.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading But about this time many things came out respecting her former life, which I will try and arrange: not however, in the order in which I heard them, but rather as they occurred.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading This baronet-uncle of Miss Galindo was one of the queer, out-of-the-way people who were bred at that time, and in that northern district of England.

willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading But about this time many things came out respecting her former life, which I will try and arrange: not however, in the order in which I heard them, but rather as they occurred.

youngeradjectiveUS /ˈjʌŋɡər/

used of the younger of two persons of the same name especially used to distinguish a son from his father

From this reading Her father was the younger brother of a baronet, his ancestor having been one of those of James the First’s creation.

Chapter 13 of Round the Sofa by Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell holds 205 sentences, grouped into 41 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 13 of Round the Sofa contain?

Chapter 13 holds 205 sentences of Round the Sofa, unabridged, divided into 41 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 13 of Round the Sofa by Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 205 sentences, grouped into 41 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 13 of Round the Sofa?

Work through the 41 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 41 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 13 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 13 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 Round the Sofa

Common questions about reading Round the Sofa by Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Round the Sofa?

Yes. All 5853 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #2533 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Round the Sofa is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #2533, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Round the Sofa take to read?

About 487 minutes of reading across 1171 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Round the Sofa section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 24 chapters of Round the Sofa 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 Round the Sofa

Words and structures a reader meets early in Round the Sofa, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Woman
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Round the Sofa; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Things
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Round the Sofa; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Different
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Round the Sofa; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Youth
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Round the Sofa; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.