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Round the Sofa
Round the Sofa

Chapter XVIII · Chapter 18

Chapter 18 of Round the Sofa is here in full — 92 sentences across 19 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/18 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Susan and Michael were to be married in April.
He had already gone to take possession of his new farm, three or four miles away from Yew Nookbut that is neighbouring, according to the acceptation of the word in that thinly-populated district,—when William Dixon fell ill.
He came home one evening, complaining of head-ache and pains in his limbs, but seemed to loathe the posset which Susan prepared for him; the treacle-posset which was the homely country remedy against an incipient cold.
He took to his bed with a sensation of exceeding weariness, and an odd, unusual looking-back to the days of his youth, when he was a lad living with his parents, in this very house.
The next morning he had forgotten all his life since then, and did not know his own children; crying, like a newly-weaned baby, for his mother to come and soothe away his terrible pain.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Round the Sofa

Chapter XVIII · Chapter 18

Chapter 18 of Round the Sofa is here in full — 92 sentences across 19 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/18 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Susan and Michael were to be married in April.
Line 2
He had already gone to take possession of his new farm, three or four miles away from Yew Nookbut that is neighbouring, according to the acceptation of the word in that thinly-populated district,—when William Dixon fell ill.
Line 3
He came home one evening, complaining of head-ache and pains in his limbs, but seemed to loathe the posset which Susan prepared for him; the treacle-posset which was the homely country remedy against an incipient cold.
Line 4
He took to his bed with a sensation of exceeding weariness, and an odd, unusual looking-back to the days of his youth, when he was a lad living with his parents, in this very house.
Line 5
The next morning he had forgotten all his life since then, and did not know his own children; crying, like a newly-weaned baby, for his mother to come and soothe away his terrible pain.

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.

complaining adjective US /kəmˈpleɪnɪŋ/

expressing pain or dissatisfaction of resentment

From this reading “He came home one evening, complaining of head-ache and pains in his limbs, but seemed to loathe the posset which Susan prepared for him; the treacle-posset which was the homely country remedy against an incipient cold.”

exceeding adjective US /ɪkˈsiːdɪŋ/

far beyond what is usual in magnitude or degree

From this reading “He took to his bed with a sensation of exceeding weariness, and an odd, unusual looking-back to the days of his youth, when he was a lad living with his parents, in this very house.”

homely adjective US /ˈhoʊmli/

lacking in physical beauty or proportion

From this reading “He came home one evening, complaining of head-ache and pains in his limbs, but seemed to loathe the posset which Susan prepared for him; the treacle-posset which was the homely country remedy against an incipient cold.”

incipient adjective US /ˌɪnˈsɪpiənt/

only partly in existence; imperfectly formed

From this reading “He came home one evening, complaining of head-ache and pains in his limbs, but seemed to loathe the posset which Susan prepared for him; the treacle-posset which was the homely country remedy against an incipient cold.”

loathe verb US /loʊð/

find repugnant

From this reading “He came home one evening, complaining of head-ache and pains in his limbs, but seemed to loathe the posset which Susan prepared for him; the treacle-posset which was the homely country remedy against an incipient cold.”

Nook noun US /nʊk/

a sheltered and secluded place

From this reading “He had already gone to take possession of his new farm, three or four miles away from Yew Nook—but that is neighbouring, according to the acceptation of the word in that thinly-populated district,—when William Dixon fell ill.”

soothe verb US /suːð/

give moral or emotional strength to

From this reading “The next morning he had forgotten all his life since then, and did not know his own children; crying, like a newly-weaned baby, for his mother to come and soothe away his terrible pain.”

Yew noun US /juː/

wood of a yew; especially the durable fine-grained light brown or red wood of the English yew valued for cabinetwork and archery bows

From this reading “He had already gone to take possession of his new farm, three or four miles away from Yew Nook—but that is neighbouring, according to the acceptation of the word in that thinly-populated district,—when William Dixon fell ill.”

All words in this reading · 105

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 He took to his bed with a sensation of exceeding weariness, and an odd, unusual looking-back to the days of his youth, when he was a lad living with his parents, in this very house.

acceptation

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

From this reading He had already gone to take possession of his new farm, three or four miles away from Yew Nook—but that is neighbouring, according to the acceptation of the word in that thinly-populated district,—when William Dixon fell ill.

accordingadjectiveUS /əˈkɔːrdɪŋ/

(followed by “to”) in agreement with or accordant with

From this reading He had already gone to take possession of his new farm, three or four miles away from Yew Nook—but that is neighbouring, according to the acceptation of the word in that thinly-populated district,—when William Dixon fell ill.

againstprepositionUS /əˈɡenst/

touching and pressing; in opposition to

From this reading He came home one evening, complaining of head-ache and pains in his limbs, but seemed to loathe the posset which Susan prepared for him; the treacle-posset which was the homely country remedy against an incipient cold.

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 The next morning he had forgotten all his life since then, and did not know his own children; crying, like a newly-weaned baby, for his mother to come and soothe away his terrible pain.

alreadyadverbUS /ɔːlˈredi/

prior to a specified or implied time

From this reading He had already gone to take possession of his new farm, three or four miles away from Yew Nook—but that is neighbouring, according to the acceptation of the word in that thinly-populated district,—when William Dixon fell ill.

andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading He came home one evening, complaining of head-ache and pains in his limbs, but seemed to loathe the posset which Susan prepared for him; the treacle-posset which was the homely country remedy against an incipient cold.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Susan and Michael were to be married in April.

AprilnounUS /ˈeɪprəl/

the month following March and preceding May

From this reading Susan and Michael were to be married in April.

awayadverbUS /əˈweɪ/

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading He had already gone to take possession of his new farm, three or four miles away from Yew Nook—but that is neighbouring, according to the acceptation of the word in that thinly-populated district,—when William Dixon fell ill.

babynounUS /ˈbeɪbi/

a very young child (birth to 1 year) who has not yet begun to walk or talk

From this reading The next morning he had forgotten all his life since then, and did not know his own children; crying, like a newly-weaned baby, for his mother to come and soothe away his terrible pain.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading Susan and Michael were to be married in April.

bednounUS /bed/

a piece of furniture that provides a place to sleep

From this reading He took to his bed with a sensation of exceeding weariness, and an odd, unusual looking-back to the days of his youth, when he was a lad living with his parents, in this very house.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading He had already gone to take possession of his new farm, three or four miles away from Yew Nook—but that is neighbouring, according to the acceptation of the word in that thinly-populated district,—when William Dixon fell ill.

cameverbUS /keɪm/

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

From this reading He came home one evening, complaining of head-ache and pains in his limbs, but seemed to loathe the posset which Susan prepared for him; the treacle-posset which was the homely country remedy against an incipient cold.

childrennounUS /ˈtʃɪldrən/

plural of “child” — a young person of either sex

From this reading The next morning he had forgotten all his life since then, and did not know his own children; crying, like a newly-weaned baby, for his mother to come and soothe away his terrible pain.

coldadjectiveUS /koʊld/

having a low or inadequate temperature or feeling a sensation of coldness or having been made cold by e.g. ice or refrigeration

From this reading He came home one evening, complaining of head-ache and pains in his limbs, but seemed to loathe the posset which Susan prepared for him; the treacle-posset which was the homely country remedy against an incipient cold.

comeverbUS /kʌm/

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

From this reading The next morning he had forgotten all his life since then, and did not know his own children; crying, like a newly-weaned baby, for his mother to come and soothe away his terrible pain.

complainingadjectiveUS /kəmˈpleɪnɪŋ/

expressing pain or dissatisfaction of resentment

From this reading He came home one evening, complaining of head-ache and pains in his limbs, but seemed to loathe the posset which Susan prepared for him; the treacle-posset which was the homely country remedy against an incipient cold.

countrynounUS /ˈkʌntri/

a politically organized body of people under a single government

From this reading He came home one evening, complaining of head-ache and pains in his limbs, but seemed to loathe the posset which Susan prepared for him; the treacle-posset which was the homely country remedy against an incipient cold.

cryingadjectiveUS /ˈkraɪɪŋ/

demanding attention

From this reading The next morning he had forgotten all his life since then, and did not know his own children; crying, like a newly-weaned baby, for his mother to come and soothe away his terrible pain.

daysnounUS /deɪz/

the time during which someone's life continues

From this reading He took to his bed with a sensation of exceeding weariness, and an odd, unusual looking-back to the days of his youth, when he was a lad living with his parents, in this very house.

didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading The next morning he had forgotten all his life since then, and did not know his own children; crying, like a newly-weaned baby, for his mother to come and soothe away his terrible pain.

districtnounUS /ˈdɪstrɪkt/

a region marked off for administrative or other purposes

From this reading He had already gone to take possession of his new farm, three or four miles away from Yew Nook—but that is neighbouring, according to the acceptation of the word in that thinly-populated district,—when William Dixon fell ill.

Dixon

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

From this reading He had already gone to take possession of his new farm, three or four miles away from Yew Nook—but that is neighbouring, according to the acceptation of the word in that thinly-populated district,—when William Dixon fell ill.

eveningnounUS /ˈiːvnɪŋ/

the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)

From this reading He came home one evening, complaining of head-ache and pains in his limbs, but seemed to loathe the posset which Susan prepared for him; the treacle-posset which was the homely country remedy against an incipient cold.

exceedingadjectiveUS /ɪkˈsiːdɪŋ/

far beyond what is usual in magnitude or degree

From this reading He took to his bed with a sensation of exceeding weariness, and an odd, unusual looking-back to the days of his youth, when he was a lad living with his parents, in this very house.

farmverbUS /fɑːrm/

be a farmer; work as a farmer

From this reading He had already gone to take possession of his new farm, three or four miles away from Yew Nook—but that is neighbouring, according to the acceptation of the word in that thinly-populated district,—when William Dixon fell ill.

fellverbUS /fel/

cause to fall by or as if by delivering a blow

From this reading He had already gone to take possession of his new farm, three or four miles away from Yew Nook—but that is neighbouring, according to the acceptation of the word in that thinly-populated district,—when William Dixon fell ill.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading He came home one evening, complaining of head-ache and pains in his limbs, but seemed to loathe the posset which Susan prepared for him; the treacle-posset which was the homely country remedy against an incipient cold.

forgottenadjectiveUS /fərˈɡɑːt.n̩/

Not remembered; lapsed from memory.

From this reading The next morning he had forgotten all his life since then, and did not know his own children; crying, like a newly-weaned baby, for his mother to come and soothe away his terrible pain.

fournounUS /fɔːr/

the cardinal number that is the sum of three and one

From this reading He had already gone to take possession of his new farm, three or four miles away from Yew Nook—but that is neighbouring, according to the acceptation of the word in that thinly-populated district,—when William Dixon fell ill.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading He had already gone to take possession of his new farm, three or four miles away from Yew Nook—but that is neighbouring, according to the acceptation of the word in that thinly-populated district,—when William Dixon fell ill.

goneadjectiveUS /ɡɔːn/

destroyed or killed

From this reading He had already gone to take possession of his new farm, three or four miles away from Yew Nook—but that is neighbouring, according to the acceptation of the word in that thinly-populated district,—when William Dixon fell ill.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading He had already gone to take possession of his new farm, three or four miles away from Yew Nook—but that is neighbouring, according to the acceptation of the word in that thinly-populated district,—when William Dixon fell ill.

HepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading He had already gone to take possession of his new farm, three or four miles away from Yew Nook—but that is neighbouring, according to the acceptation of the word in that thinly-populated district,—when William Dixon fell ill.

head-ache

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

From this reading He came home one evening, complaining of head-ache and pains in his limbs, but seemed to loathe the posset which Susan prepared for him; the treacle-posset which was the homely country remedy against an incipient cold.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading He came home one evening, complaining of head-ache and pains in his limbs, but seemed to loathe the posset which Susan prepared for him; the treacle-posset which was the homely country remedy against an incipient cold.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading He had already gone to take possession of his new farm, three or four miles away from Yew Nook—but that is neighbouring, according to the acceptation of the word in that thinly-populated district,—when William Dixon fell ill.

homenounUS /hoʊm/

where you live at a particular time

From this reading He came home one evening, complaining of head-ache and pains in his limbs, but seemed to loathe the posset which Susan prepared for him; the treacle-posset which was the homely country remedy against an incipient cold.

homelyadjectiveUS /ˈhoʊmli/

lacking in physical beauty or proportion

From this reading He came home one evening, complaining of head-ache and pains in his limbs, but seemed to loathe the posset which Susan prepared for him; the treacle-posset which was the homely country remedy against an incipient cold.

housenounUS /haʊs/

a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families

From this reading He took to his bed with a sensation of exceeding weariness, and an odd, unusual looking-back to the days of his youth, when he was a lad living with his parents, in this very house.

illadjectiveUS /ɪl/

affected by an impairment of normal physical or mental function

From this reading He had already gone to take possession of his new farm, three or four miles away from Yew Nook—but that is neighbouring, according to the acceptation of the word in that thinly-populated district,—when William Dixon fell ill.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Susan and Michael were to be married in April.

incipientadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈsɪpiənt/

only partly in existence; imperfectly formed

From this reading He came home one evening, complaining of head-ache and pains in his limbs, but seemed to loathe the posset which Susan prepared for him; the treacle-posset which was the homely country remedy against an incipient cold.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading He had already gone to take possession of his new farm, three or four miles away from Yew Nook—but that is neighbouring, according to the acceptation of the word in that thinly-populated district,—when William Dixon fell ill.

knowverbUS /noʊ/

be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading The next morning he had forgotten all his life since then, and did not know his own children; crying, like a newly-weaned baby, for his mother to come and soothe away his terrible pain.

ladnounUS /læd/

a boy or man

From this reading He took to his bed with a sensation of exceeding weariness, and an odd, unusual looking-back to the days of his youth, when he was a lad living with his parents, in this very house.

lifenounUS /laɪf/

a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading The next morning he had forgotten all his life since then, and did not know his own children; crying, like a newly-weaned baby, for his mother to come and soothe away his terrible pain.

likeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading The next morning he had forgotten all his life since then, and did not know his own children; crying, like a newly-weaned baby, for his mother to come and soothe away his terrible pain.

limbsnounUS /lɪmz/

plural of “limb” — one of the jointed appendages of an animal used for locomotion or grasping: arm; leg; wing; flipper

From this reading He came home one evening, complaining of head-ache and pains in his limbs, but seemed to loathe the posset which Susan prepared for him; the treacle-posset which was the homely country remedy against an incipient cold.

livingnounUS /ˈlɪvɪŋ/

the experience of being alive; the course of human events and activities

From this reading He took to his bed with a sensation of exceeding weariness, and an odd, unusual looking-back to the days of his youth, when he was a lad living with his parents, in this very house.

loatheverbUS /loʊð/

find repugnant

From this reading He came home one evening, complaining of head-ache and pains in his limbs, but seemed to loathe the posset which Susan prepared for him; the treacle-posset which was the homely country remedy against an incipient cold.

looking-back

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

From this reading He took to his bed with a sensation of exceeding weariness, and an odd, unusual looking-back to the days of his youth, when he was a lad living with his parents, in this very house.

marriedadjectiveUS /ˈmerid/

joined in matrimony

From this reading Susan and Michael were to be married in April.

MichaelnounUS /ˈmaɪkəl/

(Old Testament) the guardian archangel of the Jews

From this reading Susan and Michael were to be married in April.

milesnounUS /maɪlz/

plural of “mile” — a unit of length equal to 1,760 yards or 5,280 feet; exactly 1609.344 meters

From this reading He had already gone to take possession of his new farm, three or four miles away from Yew Nook—but that is neighbouring, according to the acceptation of the word in that thinly-populated district,—when William Dixon fell ill.

morningnounUS /ˈmɔːrnɪŋ/

the time period between dawn and noon

From this reading The next morning he had forgotten all his life since then, and did not know his own children; crying, like a newly-weaned baby, for his mother to come and soothe away his terrible pain.

mothernounUS /ˈmʌðər/

a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)

From this reading The next morning he had forgotten all his life since then, and did not know his own children; crying, like a newly-weaned baby, for his mother to come and soothe away his terrible pain.

neighbouringverbUS /ˈneɪbərɪŋ/

-ing form of “neighbour” — live or be located as a neighbor

From this reading He had already gone to take possession of his new farm, three or four miles away from Yew Nook—but that is neighbouring, according to the acceptation of the word in that thinly-populated district,—when William Dixon fell ill.

newadjectiveUS /nuː/

not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered

From this reading He had already gone to take possession of his new farm, three or four miles away from Yew Nook—but that is neighbouring, according to the acceptation of the word in that thinly-populated district,—when William Dixon fell ill.

newly-weaned

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

From this reading The next morning he had forgotten all his life since then, and did not know his own children; crying, like a newly-weaned baby, for his mother to come and soothe away his terrible pain.

nextadjectiveUS /nekst/

immediately following in time or order

From this reading The next morning he had forgotten all his life since then, and did not know his own children; crying, like a newly-weaned baby, for his mother to come and soothe away his terrible pain.

NooknounUS /nʊk/

a sheltered and secluded place

From this reading He had already gone to take possession of his new farm, three or four miles away from Yew Nook—but that is neighbouring, according to the acceptation of the word in that thinly-populated district,—when William Dixon fell ill.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading The next morning he had forgotten all his life since then, and did not know his own children; crying, like a newly-weaned baby, for his mother to come and soothe away his terrible pain.

oddadjectiveUS /ɑːd/

not divisible by two

From this reading He took to his bed with a sensation of exceeding weariness, and an odd, unusual looking-back to the days of his youth, when he was a lad living with his parents, in this very house.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading He had already gone to take possession of his new farm, three or four miles away from Yew Nook—but that is neighbouring, according to the acceptation of the word in that thinly-populated district,—when William Dixon fell ill.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading He came home one evening, complaining of head-ache and pains in his limbs, but seemed to loathe the posset which Susan prepared for him; the treacle-posset which was the homely country remedy against an incipient cold.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading He had already gone to take possession of his new farm, three or four miles away from Yew Nook—but that is neighbouring, according to the acceptation of the word in that thinly-populated district,—when William Dixon fell ill.

ownverbUS /oʊn/

have ownership or possession of

From this reading The next morning he had forgotten all his life since then, and did not know his own children; crying, like a newly-weaned baby, for his mother to come and soothe away his terrible pain.

painnounUS /peɪn/

a symptom of some physical hurt or disorder

From this reading The next morning he had forgotten all his life since then, and did not know his own children; crying, like a newly-weaned baby, for his mother to come and soothe away his terrible pain.

painsnounUS /peɪnz/

an effortful attempt to attain a goal

From this reading He came home one evening, complaining of head-ache and pains in his limbs, but seemed to loathe the posset which Susan prepared for him; the treacle-posset which was the homely country remedy against an incipient cold.

parentsnounUS /ˈperənts/

plural of “parent” — a father or mother; one who begets or one who gives birth to or nurtures and raises a child; a relative who plays the role of guardian

From this reading He took to his bed with a sensation of exceeding weariness, and an odd, unusual looking-back to the days of his youth, when he was a lad living with his parents, in this very house.

possessionnounUS /pəˈzeʃən/

the act of having and controlling property

From this reading He had already gone to take possession of his new farm, three or four miles away from Yew Nook—but that is neighbouring, according to the acceptation of the word in that thinly-populated district,—when William Dixon fell ill.

posset

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

From this reading He came home one evening, complaining of head-ache and pains in his limbs, but seemed to loathe the posset which Susan prepared for him; the treacle-posset which was the homely country remedy against an incipient cold.

preparedadjectiveUS /priˈperd/

made ready or fit or suitable beforehand

From this reading He came home one evening, complaining of head-ache and pains in his limbs, but seemed to loathe the posset which Susan prepared for him; the treacle-posset which was the homely country remedy against an incipient cold.

remedynounUS /ˈremədi/

act of correcting an error or a fault or an evil

From this reading He came home one evening, complaining of head-ache and pains in his limbs, but seemed to loathe the posset which Susan prepared for him; the treacle-posset which was the homely country remedy against an incipient cold.

seemedverbUS /siːmd/

past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading He came home one evening, complaining of head-ache and pains in his limbs, but seemed to loathe the posset which Susan prepared for him; the treacle-posset which was the homely country remedy against an incipient cold.

sensationnounUS /senˈseɪʃən/

an unelaborated elementary awareness of stimulation

From this reading He took to his bed with a sensation of exceeding weariness, and an odd, unusual looking-back to the days of his youth, when he was a lad living with his parents, in this very house.

sinceprepositionUS /sɪns/

from a time in the past until now

From this reading The next morning he had forgotten all his life since then, and did not know his own children; crying, like a newly-weaned baby, for his mother to come and soothe away his terrible pain.

sootheverbUS /suːð/

give moral or emotional strength to

From this reading The next morning he had forgotten all his life since then, and did not know his own children; crying, like a newly-weaned baby, for his mother to come and soothe away his terrible pain.

Susan

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

From this reading Susan and Michael were to be married in April.

takeverbUS /teɪk/

carry out

From this reading He had already gone to take possession of his new farm, three or four miles away from Yew Nook—but that is neighbouring, according to the acceptation of the word in that thinly-populated district,—when William Dixon fell ill.

terribleadjectiveUS /ˈterəbəl/

causing fear or dread or terror

From this reading The next morning he had forgotten all his life since then, and did not know his own children; crying, like a newly-weaned baby, for his mother to come and soothe away his terrible pain.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading He had already gone to take possession of his new farm, three or four miles away from Yew Nook—but that is neighbouring, according to the acceptation of the word in that thinly-populated district,—when William Dixon fell ill.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading He had already gone to take possession of his new farm, three or four miles away from Yew Nook—but that is neighbouring, according to the acceptation of the word in that thinly-populated district,—when William Dixon fell ill.

thenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading The next morning he had forgotten all his life since then, and did not know his own children; crying, like a newly-weaned baby, for his mother to come and soothe away his terrible pain.

thinly-populated

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

From this reading He had already gone to take possession of his new farm, three or four miles away from Yew Nook—but that is neighbouring, according to the acceptation of the word in that thinly-populated district,—when William Dixon fell ill.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading He took to his bed with a sensation of exceeding weariness, and an odd, unusual looking-back to the days of his youth, when he was a lad living with his parents, in this very house.

threenounUS /θriː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one

From this reading He had already gone to take possession of his new farm, three or four miles away from Yew Nook—but that is neighbouring, according to the acceptation of the word in that thinly-populated district,—when William Dixon fell ill.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Susan and Michael were to be married in April.

tookverbUS /tʊk/

inflected form of “take” — carry out

From this reading He took to his bed with a sensation of exceeding weariness, and an odd, unusual looking-back to the days of his youth, when he was a lad living with his parents, in this very house.

treacle-posset

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

From this reading He came home one evening, complaining of head-ache and pains in his limbs, but seemed to loathe the posset which Susan prepared for him; the treacle-posset which was the homely country remedy against an incipient cold.

unusualadjectiveUS /əˈnjuːʒuːəl/

not usual or common or ordinary

From this reading He took to his bed with a sensation of exceeding weariness, and an odd, unusual looking-back to the days of his youth, when he was a lad living with his parents, in this very house.

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading He took to his bed with a sensation of exceeding weariness, and an odd, unusual looking-back to the days of his youth, when he was a lad living with his parents, in this very house.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading He came home one evening, complaining of head-ache and pains in his limbs, but seemed to loathe the posset which Susan prepared for him; the treacle-posset which was the homely country remedy against an incipient cold.

wearinessnounUS /ˈwɪrinəs/

temporary loss of strength and energy resulting from hard physical or mental work

From this reading He took to his bed with a sensation of exceeding weariness, and an odd, unusual looking-back to the days of his youth, when he was a lad living with his parents, in this very house.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading Susan and Michael were to be married in April.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading He had already gone to take possession of his new farm, three or four miles away from Yew Nook—but that is neighbouring, according to the acceptation of the word in that thinly-populated district,—when William Dixon fell ill.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading He came home one evening, complaining of head-ache and pains in his limbs, but seemed to loathe the posset which Susan prepared for him; the treacle-posset which was the homely country remedy against an incipient cold.

William

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

From this reading He had already gone to take possession of his new farm, three or four miles away from Yew Nook—but that is neighbouring, according to the acceptation of the word in that thinly-populated district,—when William Dixon fell ill.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading He took to his bed with a sensation of exceeding weariness, and an odd, unusual looking-back to the days of his youth, when he was a lad living with his parents, in this very house.

wordnounUS /wɜːrd/

a unit of language that native speakers can identify

From this reading He had already gone to take possession of his new farm, three or four miles away from Yew Nook—but that is neighbouring, according to the acceptation of the word in that thinly-populated district,—when William Dixon fell ill.

YewnounUS /juː/

wood of a yew; especially the durable fine-grained light brown or red wood of the English yew valued for cabinetwork and archery bows

From this reading He had already gone to take possession of his new farm, three or four miles away from Yew Nook—but that is neighbouring, according to the acceptation of the word in that thinly-populated district,—when William Dixon fell ill.

youthnounUS /juːθ/

a young person (especially a young man or boy)

From this reading He took to his bed with a sensation of exceeding weariness, and an odd, unusual looking-back to the days of his youth, when he was a lad living with his parents, in this very house.

Chapter 18 of Round the Sofa by Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell holds 92 sentences, grouped into 19 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 18 of Round the Sofa contain?

Chapter 18 holds 92 sentences of Round the Sofa, unabridged, divided into 19 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 18 of Round the Sofa by Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 92 sentences, grouped into 19 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 18 of Round the Sofa?

Work through the 19 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 19 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 18 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 18 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.