Chapter 3 of Sketches of Gotham is here in full — 423 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter III
Chapter 3 of Sketches of Gotham is here in full — 423 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
That was the reason when he went away on that trip that he was a trifle shy financially, and so far to the bad that he had to borrow to get back in good shape. From the Grand Central station he took a cab to the flat. It seemed as though he couldn’t get there quick enough. He went up the stairs two at a time. He came to the door.
Chapter 3 of Sketches of Gotham is here in full — 423 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/84 · 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.
get temporarily
From this reading “That was the reason when he went away on that trip that he was a trifle shy financially, and so far to the bad that he had to borrow to get back in good shape.”
a compartment at the front of a motor vehicle or locomotive where driver sits
From this reading “From the Grand Central station he took a cab to the flat.”
serving as an essential component
From this reading “From the Grand Central station he took a cab to the flat.”
from a financial point of view
From this reading “That was the reason when he went away on that trip that he was a trifle shy financially, and so far to the bad that he had to borrow to get back in good shape.”
having a surface without slope, tilt in which no part is higher or lower than another
From this reading “From the Grand Central station he took a cab to the flat.”
start suddenly, as from fright
From this reading “That was the reason when he went away on that trip that he was a trifle shy financially, and so far to the bad that he had to borrow to get back in good shape.”
a cold pudding made of layers of sponge cake spread with fruit or jelly; may be decorated with nuts, cream, or chocolate
From this reading “That was the reason when he went away on that trip that he was a trifle shy financially, and so far to the bad that he had to borrow to get back in good shape.”
a journey for some purpose (usually including the return)
From this reading “That was the reason when he went away on that trip that he was a trifle shy financially, and so far to the bad that he had to borrow to get back in good shape.”
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.
move away from a place into another direction
In this reading “That was the reason when he went away on that trip that he was a trifle shy financially, and so far to the bad that he had to borrow to get back in good shape.”
In this reading “It seemed as though he couldn’t get there quick enough.”
In this reading “From the Grand Central station he took a cab to the flat.”
recover something or somebody that appeared to be lost
In this reading “That was the reason when he went away on that trip that he was a trifle shy financially, and so far to the bad that he had to borrow to get back in good shape.”
move upward
In this reading “He went up the stairs two at a time.”
simultaneously
In this reading “He went up the stairs two at a time.”
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 That was the reason when he went away on that trip that he was a trifle shy financially, and so far to the bad that he had to borrow to get back in good shape.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading That was the reason when he went away on that trip that he was a trifle shy financially, and so far to the bad that he had to borrow to get back in good shape.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading It seemed as though he couldn’t get there quick enough.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading He went up the stairs two at a time.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading That was the reason when he went away on that trip that he was a trifle shy financially, and so far to the bad that he had to borrow to get back in good shape.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading That was the reason when he went away on that trip that he was a trifle shy financially, and so far to the bad that he had to borrow to get back in good shape.
having undesirable or negative qualities
From this reading That was the reason when he went away on that trip that he was a trifle shy financially, and so far to the bad that he had to borrow to get back in good shape.
get temporarily
From this reading That was the reason when he went away on that trip that he was a trifle shy financially, and so far to the bad that he had to borrow to get back in good shape.
a compartment at the front of a motor vehicle or locomotive where driver sits
From this reading From the Grand Central station he took a cab to the flat.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading He came to the door.
serving as an essential component
From this reading From the Grand Central station he took a cab to the flat.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It seemed as though he couldn’t get there quick enough.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading He came to the door.
an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose
From this reading It seemed as though he couldn’t get there quick enough.
to a considerable degree; very much
From this reading That was the reason when he went away on that trip that he was a trifle shy financially, and so far to the bad that he had to borrow to get back in good shape.
from a financial point of view
From this reading That was the reason when he went away on that trip that he was a trifle shy financially, and so far to the bad that he had to borrow to get back in good shape.
having a surface without slope, tilt in which no part is higher or lower than another
From this reading From the Grand Central station he took a cab to the flat.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading From the Grand Central station he took a cab to the flat.
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading That was the reason when he went away on that trip that he was a trifle shy financially, and so far to the bad that he had to borrow to get back in good shape.
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading That was the reason when he went away on that trip that he was a trifle shy financially, and so far to the bad that he had to borrow to get back in good shape.
of behavior that is impressive and ambitious in scale or scope
From this reading From the Grand Central station he took a cab to the flat.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading That was the reason when he went away on that trip that he was a trifle shy financially, and so far to the bad that he had to borrow to get back in good shape.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading That was the reason when he went away on that trip that he was a trifle shy financially, and so far to the bad that he had to borrow to get back in good shape.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading That was the reason when he went away on that trip that he was a trifle shy financially, and so far to the bad that he had to borrow to get back in good shape.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It seemed as though he couldn’t get there quick enough.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading That was the reason when he went away on that trip that he was a trifle shy financially, and so far to the bad that he had to borrow to get back in good shape.
accomplished rapidly and without delay
From this reading It seemed as though he couldn’t get there quick enough.
a rational motive for a belief or action
From this reading That was the reason when he went away on that trip that he was a trifle shy financially, and so far to the bad that he had to borrow to get back in good shape.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading It seemed as though he couldn’t get there quick enough.
any spatial attributes (especially as defined by outline)
From this reading That was the reason when he went away on that trip that he was a trifle shy financially, and so far to the bad that he had to borrow to get back in good shape.
start suddenly, as from fright
From this reading That was the reason when he went away on that trip that he was a trifle shy financially, and so far to the bad that he had to borrow to get back in good shape.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading That was the reason when he went away on that trip that he was a trifle shy financially, and so far to the bad that he had to borrow to get back in good shape.
a flight of stairs or a flight of steps
From this reading He went up the stairs two at a time.
a facility equipped with special equipment and personnel for a particular purpose
From this reading From the Grand Central station he took a cab to the flat.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading That was the reason when he went away on that trip that he was a trifle shy financially, and so far to the bad that he had to borrow to get back in good shape.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading That was the reason when he went away on that trip that he was a trifle shy financially, and so far to the bad that he had to borrow to get back in good shape.
in or at that place or location
From this reading It seemed as though he couldn’t get there quick enough.
in spite of the fact that
From this reading It seemed as though he couldn’t get there quick enough.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading He went up the stairs two at a time.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading That was the reason when he went away on that trip that he was a trifle shy financially, and so far to the bad that he had to borrow to get back in good shape.
inflected form of “take” — carry out
From this reading From the Grand Central station he took a cab to the flat.
a cold pudding made of layers of sponge cake spread with fruit or jelly; may be decorated with nuts, cream, or chocolate
From this reading That was the reason when he went away on that trip that he was a trifle shy financially, and so far to the bad that he had to borrow to get back in good shape.
a journey for some purpose (usually including the return)
From this reading That was the reason when he went away on that trip that he was a trifle shy financially, and so far to the bad that he had to borrow to get back in good shape.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading He went up the stairs two at a time.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading He went up the stairs two at a time.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading That was the reason when he went away on that trip that he was a trifle shy financially, and so far to the bad that he had to borrow to get back in good shape.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading That was the reason when he went away on that trip that he was a trifle shy financially, and so far to the bad that he had to borrow to get back in good shape.
at the time that
From this reading That was the reason when he went away on that trip that he was a trifle shy financially, and so far to the bad that he had to borrow to get back in good shape.
Chapter 3 of Sketches of Gotham by Ike Swift holds 423 sentences, grouped into 85 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 3 holds 423 sentences of Sketches of Gotham, unabridged, divided into 85 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 3 of Sketches of Gotham by Ike Swift exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 423 sentences, grouped into 85 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 85 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 85 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 3 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 Sketches of Gotham by Ike Swift on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3355 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #61454 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #61454, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 279 minutes of reading across 671 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Sketches of Gotham section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 8 chapters of Sketches of Gotham 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 Sketches of Gotham, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
