Chapter 1 of Six Short Plays is here in full — 408 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of Six Short Plays is here in full — 408 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
LARRY. [In a whisper] In the sun! "A cup of wine and thou." [Suddenly] How can I, Keith? I must see how it goes with that poor devil.
Chapter 1 of Six Short Plays is here in full — 408 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/81 · 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.
a small open container usually used for drinking; usually has a handle
From this reading “"A cup of wine and thou."”
(Judeo-Christian and Islamic religions) chief spirit of evil and adversary of God; tempter of mankind; master of Hell
From this reading “I must see how it goes with that poor devil.”
plural of “go” — a time period for working (after which you will be relieved by someone else)
From this reading “I must see how it goes with that poor devil.”
happening unexpectedly
From this reading “[Suddenly] How can I, Keith?”
the star that is the source of light and heat for the planets in the solar system
From this reading “[In a whisper] In the sun!”
an old word for “you”, as the subject, speaking to one person
From this reading “"A cup of wine and thou."”
speaking softly without vibration of the vocal cords
From this reading “[In a whisper] In the sun!”
fermented juice (of grapes especially)
From this reading “"A cup of wine and thou."”
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 [In a whisper] In the sun!
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "A cup of wine and thou."
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading [Suddenly] How can I, Keith?
a small open container usually used for drinking; usually has a handle
From this reading "A cup of wine and thou."
(Judeo-Christian and Islamic religions) chief spirit of evil and adversary of God; tempter of mankind; master of Hell
From this reading I must see how it goes with that poor devil.
plural of “go” — a time period for working (after which you will be relieved by someone else)
From this reading I must see how it goes with that poor devil.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading [Suddenly] How can I, Keith?
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading [Suddenly] How can I, Keith?
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading [In a whisper] In the sun!
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading I must see how it goes with that poor devil.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading [Suddenly] How can I, Keith?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading LARRY.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading I must see how it goes with that poor devil.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "A cup of wine and thou."
deserving or inciting pity
From this reading I must see how it goes with that poor devil.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading I must see how it goes with that poor devil.
happening unexpectedly
From this reading [Suddenly] How can I, Keith?
the star that is the source of light and heat for the planets in the solar system
From this reading [In a whisper] In the sun!
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading I must see how it goes with that poor devil.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading [In a whisper] In the sun!
an old word for “you”, as the subject, speaking to one person
From this reading "A cup of wine and thou."
speaking softly without vibration of the vocal cords
From this reading [In a whisper] In the sun!
fermented juice (of grapes especially)
From this reading "A cup of wine and thou."
in the company of; together with
From this reading I must see how it goes with that poor devil.
Chapter 1 of Six Short Plays by John Galsworthy holds 408 sentences, grouped into 82 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 1 holds 408 sentences of Six Short Plays, unabridged, divided into 82 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of Six Short Plays by John Galsworthy exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 408 sentences, grouped into 82 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 82 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 82 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 1 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 Six Short Plays by John Galsworthy on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 2477 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #5060 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #5060, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 206 minutes of reading across 496 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Six Short Plays section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 6 chapters of Six Short Plays 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 Six Short Plays, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
