Chapter 10 of Short Stories and Essays is here in full — 129 sentences across 26 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter X
Chapter 10 of Short Stories and Essays is here in full — 129 sentences across 26 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"It is best in a wof, too. I am always saying that." "Wof?" "Well, work of fiction. It's another new word, like lunch or ad."
Chapter 10 of Short Stories and Essays is here in full — 129 sentences across 26 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/25 · 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.
at all times; all the time and on every occasion
From this reading “I am always saying that."”
the supreme effort one can make
From this reading “"It is best in a wof, too.”
a literary work based on the imagination and not necessarily on fact
From this reading “"Well, work of fiction.”
take the midday meal
From this reading “It's another new word, like lunch or ad."”
not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered
From this reading “It's another new word, like lunch or ad."”
a word or phrase that particular people use in particular situations
From this reading “I am always saying that."”
a unit of language that native speakers can identify
From this reading “It's another new word, like lunch or ad."”
exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading “"Well, work of fiction.”
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 "It is best in a wof, too.
a public promotion of some product or service
From this reading It's another new word, like lunch or ad."
at all times; all the time and on every occasion
From this reading I am always saying that."
the form of “be” used with “I”
From this reading I am always saying that."
one more of the same kind, or a different one
From this reading It's another new word, like lunch or ad."
the supreme effort one can make
From this reading "It is best in a wof, too.
a literary work based on the imagination and not necessarily on fact
From this reading "Well, work of fiction.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I am always saying that."
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "It is best in a wof, too.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "It is best in a wof, too.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "It is best in a wof, too.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It's another new word, like lunch or ad."
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading It's another new word, like lunch or ad."
take the midday meal
From this reading It's another new word, like lunch or ad."
not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered
From this reading It's another new word, like lunch or ad."
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "Well, work of fiction.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading It's another new word, like lunch or ad."
a word or phrase that particular people use in particular situations
From this reading I am always saying that."
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading I am always saying that."
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading "It is best in a wof, too.
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading "Well, work of fiction.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "It is best in a wof, too.
a unit of language that native speakers can identify
From this reading It's another new word, like lunch or ad."
exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading "Well, work of fiction.
Chapter 10 of Short Stories and Essays by William Dean Howells holds 129 sentences, grouped into 26 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.
Chapter 10 holds 129 sentences of Short Stories and Essays, unabridged, divided into 26 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 10 of Short Stories and Essays by William Dean Howells exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 129 sentences, grouped into 26 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 26 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 26 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 10 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 Short Stories and Essays by William Dean Howells on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 1642 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #3379 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #3379, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 136 minutes of reading across 329 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Short Stories and Essays section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 13 chapters of Short Stories and Essays 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 Short Stories and Essays, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
