Chapter 28 of Shirley is here in full — 657 sentences across 132 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XXVIII
Chapter 28 of Shirley is here in full — 657 sentences across 132 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
PHŒBE. Shirley probably got on pleasantly with Sir Philip that evening, for the next morning she came down in one of her best moods. "Who will take a walk with me?" she asked, after breakfast. "Isabella and Gertrude, will you?" So rare was such an invitation from Miss Keeldar to her female cousins that they hesitated before they accepted it.
Chapter 28 of Shirley is here in full — 657 sentences across 132 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/131 · 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.
plural of “cousin” — the child of your aunt or uncle
From this reading “So rare was such an invitation from Miss Keeldar to her female cousins that they hesitated before they accepted it.”
being the sex (of plant or animal) that produces fertilizable gametes (ova) from which offspring develop
From this reading “So rare was such an invitation from Miss Keeldar to her female cousins that they hesitated before they accepted it.”
past form of “hesitate” — pause or hold back in uncertainty or unwillingness
From this reading “So rare was such an invitation from Miss Keeldar to her female cousins that they hesitated before they accepted it.”
a request (spoken or written) to participate or be present or take part in something
From this reading “So rare was such an invitation from Miss Keeldar to her female cousins that they hesitated before they accepted it.”
the queen of Castile whose marriage to Ferdinand of Aragon in 1469 marked the beginning of the modern state of Spain; they instituted the Spanish Inquisition in 1478 and sponsored the voyages of Christopher Columbus in 1492 (1451-1504)
From this reading “"Isabella and Gertrude, will you?"”
plural of “mood” — a characteristic (habitual or relatively temporary) state of feeling
From this reading “Shirley probably got on pleasantly with Sir Philip that evening, for the next morning she came down in one of her best moods.”
in a cheerful manner
From this reading “Shirley probably got on pleasantly with Sir Philip that evening, for the next morning she came down in one of her best moods.”
not widely known; especially valued for its uncommonness
From this reading “So rare was such an invitation from Miss Keeldar to her female cousins that they hesitated before they accepted it.”
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 “Shirley probably got on pleasantly with Sir Philip that evening, for the next morning she came down in one of her best moods.”
move downward and lower, but not necessarily all the way
In this reading “Shirley probably got on pleasantly with Sir Philip that evening, for the next morning she came down in one of her best moods.”
In this reading “So rare was such an invitation from Miss Keeldar to her female cousins that they hesitated before they accepted it.”
In this reading “"Who will take a walk with me?" she asked, after breakfast.”
have smooth relations
In this reading “Shirley probably got on pleasantly with Sir Philip that evening, for the next morning she came down in one of her best moods.”
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 "Who will take a walk with me?" she asked, after breakfast.
generally approved or compelling recognition
From this reading So rare was such an invitation from Miss Keeldar to her female cousins that they hesitated before they accepted it.
later than; following
From this reading "Who will take a walk with me?" she asked, after breakfast.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading So rare was such an invitation from Miss Keeldar to her female cousins that they hesitated before they accepted it.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "Isabella and Gertrude, will you?"
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading "Who will take a walk with me?" she asked, after breakfast.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading So rare was such an invitation from Miss Keeldar to her female cousins that they hesitated before they accepted it.
the supreme effort one can make
From this reading Shirley probably got on pleasantly with Sir Philip that evening, for the next morning she came down in one of her best moods.
eat an early morning meal
From this reading "Who will take a walk with me?" she asked, after breakfast.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading Shirley probably got on pleasantly with Sir Philip that evening, for the next morning she came down in one of her best moods.
plural of “cousin” — the child of your aunt or uncle
From this reading So rare was such an invitation from Miss Keeldar to her female cousins that they hesitated before they accepted it.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading Shirley probably got on pleasantly with Sir Philip that evening, for the next morning she came down in one of her best moods.
the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)
From this reading Shirley probably got on pleasantly with Sir Philip that evening, for the next morning she came down in one of her best moods.
being the sex (of plant or animal) that produces fertilizable gametes (ova) from which offspring develop
From this reading So rare was such an invitation from Miss Keeldar to her female cousins that they hesitated before they accepted it.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Shirley probably got on pleasantly with Sir Philip that evening, for the next morning she came down in one of her best moods.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading So rare was such an invitation from Miss Keeldar to her female cousins that they hesitated before they accepted it.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Isabella and Gertrude, will you?"
inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading Shirley probably got on pleasantly with Sir Philip that evening, for the next morning she came down in one of her best moods.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Shirley probably got on pleasantly with Sir Philip that evening, for the next morning she came down in one of her best moods.
past form of “hesitate” — pause or hold back in uncertainty or unwillingness
From this reading So rare was such an invitation from Miss Keeldar to her female cousins that they hesitated before they accepted it.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Shirley probably got on pleasantly with Sir Philip that evening, for the next morning she came down in one of her best moods.
a request (spoken or written) to participate or be present or take part in something
From this reading So rare was such an invitation from Miss Keeldar to her female cousins that they hesitated before they accepted it.
the queen of Castile whose marriage to Ferdinand of Aragon in 1469 marked the beginning of the modern state of Spain; they instituted the Spanish Inquisition in 1478 and sponsored the voyages of Christopher Columbus in 1492 (1451-1504)
From this reading "Isabella and Gertrude, will you?"
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading So rare was such an invitation from Miss Keeldar to her female cousins that they hesitated before they accepted it.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading So rare was such an invitation from Miss Keeldar to her female cousins that they hesitated before they accepted it.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "Who will take a walk with me?" she asked, after breakfast.
fail to perceive or to catch with the senses or the mind
From this reading So rare was such an invitation from Miss Keeldar to her female cousins that they hesitated before they accepted it.
plural of “mood” — a characteristic (habitual or relatively temporary) state of feeling
From this reading Shirley probably got on pleasantly with Sir Philip that evening, for the next morning she came down in one of her best moods.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading Shirley probably got on pleasantly with Sir Philip that evening, for the next morning she came down in one of her best moods.
immediately following in time or order
From this reading Shirley probably got on pleasantly with Sir Philip that evening, for the next morning she came down in one of her best moods.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Shirley probably got on pleasantly with Sir Philip that evening, for the next morning she came down in one of her best moods.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Shirley probably got on pleasantly with Sir Philip that evening, for the next morning she came down in one of her best moods.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Shirley probably got on pleasantly with Sir Philip that evening, for the next morning she came down in one of her best moods.
Englishman and husband of Elizabeth II (born 1921)
From this reading Shirley probably got on pleasantly with Sir Philip that evening, for the next morning she came down in one of her best moods.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading PHŒBE.
in a cheerful manner
From this reading Shirley probably got on pleasantly with Sir Philip that evening, for the next morning she came down in one of her best moods.
with considerable certainty; without much doubt
From this reading Shirley probably got on pleasantly with Sir Philip that evening, for the next morning she came down in one of her best moods.
not widely known; especially valued for its uncommonness
From this reading So rare was such an invitation from Miss Keeldar to her female cousins that they hesitated before they accepted it.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Shirley probably got on pleasantly with Sir Philip that evening, for the next morning she came down in one of her best moods.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Shirley probably got on pleasantly with Sir Philip that evening, for the next morning she came down in one of her best moods.
term of address for a man
From this reading Shirley probably got on pleasantly with Sir Philip that evening, for the next morning she came down in one of her best moods.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading So rare was such an invitation from Miss Keeldar to her female cousins that they hesitated before they accepted it.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading So rare was such an invitation from Miss Keeldar to her female cousins that they hesitated before they accepted it.
carry out
From this reading "Who will take a walk with me?" she asked, after breakfast.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Shirley probably got on pleasantly with Sir Philip that evening, for the next morning she came down in one of her best moods.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Shirley probably got on pleasantly with Sir Philip that evening, for the next morning she came down in one of her best moods.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading So rare was such an invitation from Miss Keeldar to her female cousins that they hesitated before they accepted it.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading So rare was such an invitation from Miss Keeldar to her female cousins that they hesitated before they accepted it.
the act of traveling by foot
From this reading "Who will take a walk with me?" she asked, after breakfast.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading So rare was such an invitation from Miss Keeldar to her female cousins that they hesitated before they accepted it.
which person or people
From this reading "Who will take a walk with me?" she asked, after breakfast.
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading "Who will take a walk with me?" she asked, after breakfast.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Shirley probably got on pleasantly with Sir Philip that evening, for the next morning she came down in one of her best moods.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Isabella and Gertrude, will you?"
Chapter 28 of Shirley by Charlotte Brontë holds 657 sentences, grouped into 132 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 28 holds 657 sentences of Shirley, unabridged, divided into 132 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 28 of Shirley by Charlotte Brontë exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 657 sentences, grouped into 132 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 132 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 132 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 28 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 Shirley by Charlotte Brontë on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 14226 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #30486 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #30486, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 2846 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Shirley section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 37 chapters of Shirley 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 Shirley, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
