Chapter 7 of Some Diversions of a Man of Letters is here in full — 406 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter VII
Chapter 7 of Some Diversions of a Man of Letters is here in full — 406 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"How true that is! When I come down here, I think that with so much time on my hands I shall be able to get through a pile of work. Not a bit of it! I find it difficult even to write a note. To me it is an imperative necessity to have the sympathetic counsel of a friend."
Chapter 7 of Some Diversions of a Man of Letters is here in full — 406 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 piece or quantity of something
From this reading “Not a bit of it!”
a lawyer who pleads cases in court
From this reading “To me it is an imperative necessity to have the sympathetic counsel of a friend."”
not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure
From this reading “I find it difficult even to write a note.”
requiring attention or action
From this reading “To me it is an imperative necessity to have the sympathetic counsel of a friend."”
the condition of being essential or indispensable
From this reading “To me it is an imperative necessity to have the sympathetic counsel of a friend."”
a brief written record
From this reading “I find it difficult even to write a note.”
a collection of objects laid on top of each other
From this reading “When I come down here, I think that with so much time on my hands I shall be able to get through a pile of work.”
of or relating to the sympathetic nervous system
From this reading “To me it is an imperative necessity to have the sympathetic counsel of a friend."”
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 When I come down here, I think that with so much time on my hands I shall be able to get through a pile of work.
(usually followed by “to”) having the necessary means or skill or know-how or authority to do something
From this reading When I come down here, I think that with so much time on my hands I shall be able to get through a pile of work.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading To me it is an imperative necessity to have the sympathetic counsel of a friend."
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading When I come down here, I think that with so much time on my hands I shall be able to get through a pile of work.
a small piece or quantity of something
From this reading Not a bit of it!
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading When I come down here, I think that with so much time on my hands I shall be able to get through a pile of work.
a lawyer who pleads cases in court
From this reading To me it is an imperative necessity to have the sympathetic counsel of a friend."
not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure
From this reading I find it difficult even to write a note.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading When I come down here, I think that with so much time on my hands I shall be able to get through a pile of work.
divisible by two
From this reading I find it difficult even to write a note.
come upon, as if by accident; meet with
From this reading I find it difficult even to write a note.
a person you know well and regard with affection and trust
From this reading To me it is an imperative necessity to have the sympathetic counsel of a friend."
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading When I come down here, I think that with so much time on my hands I shall be able to get through a pile of work.
(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child
From this reading When I come down here, I think that with so much time on my hands I shall be able to get through a pile of work.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading To me it is an imperative necessity to have the sympathetic counsel of a friend."
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading When I come down here, I think that with so much time on my hands I shall be able to get through a pile of work.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "How true that is!
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading When I come down here, I think that with so much time on my hands I shall be able to get through a pile of work.
requiring attention or action
From this reading To me it is an imperative necessity to have the sympathetic counsel of a friend."
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "How true that is!
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Not a bit of it!
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading To me it is an imperative necessity to have the sympathetic counsel of a friend."
to a great degree or extent
From this reading When I come down here, I think that with so much time on my hands I shall be able to get through a pile of work.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading When I come down here, I think that with so much time on my hands I shall be able to get through a pile of work.
the condition of being essential or indispensable
From this reading To me it is an imperative necessity to have the sympathetic counsel of a friend."
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Not a bit of it!
a brief written record
From this reading I find it difficult even to write a note.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading When I come down here, I think that with so much time on my hands I shall be able to get through a pile of work.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading When I come down here, I think that with so much time on my hands I shall be able to get through a pile of work.
a collection of objects laid on top of each other
From this reading When I come down here, I think that with so much time on my hands I shall be able to get through a pile of work.
used with I and we for the future, or to offer and suggest
From this reading When I come down here, I think that with so much time on my hands I shall be able to get through a pile of work.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading When I come down here, I think that with so much time on my hands I shall be able to get through a pile of work.
of or relating to the sympathetic nervous system
From this reading To me it is an imperative necessity to have the sympathetic counsel of a friend."
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "How true that is!
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading To me it is an imperative necessity to have the sympathetic counsel of a friend."
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading When I come down here, I think that with so much time on my hands I shall be able to get through a pile of work.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading When I come down here, I think that with so much time on my hands I shall be able to get through a pile of work.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading When I come down here, I think that with so much time on my hands I shall be able to get through a pile of work.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading When I come down here, I think that with so much time on my hands I shall be able to get through a pile of work.
consistent with fact or reality; not false
From this reading "How true that is!
at the time that
From this reading When I come down here, I think that with so much time on my hands I shall be able to get through a pile of work.
in the company of; together with
From this reading When I come down here, I think that with so much time on my hands I shall be able to get through a pile of work.
exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading When I come down here, I think that with so much time on my hands I shall be able to get through a pile of work.
produce a literary work
From this reading I find it difficult even to write a note.
Chapter 7 of Some Diversions of a Man of Letters by Edmund Gosse holds 406 sentences, grouped into 82 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 7 holds 406 sentences of Some Diversions of a Man of Letters, unabridged, divided into 82 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 7 of Some Diversions of a Man of Letters by Edmund Gosse exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 406 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 7 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 Some Diversions of a Man of Letters by Edmund Gosse on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3588 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #18649 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #18649, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 299 minutes of reading across 718 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Some Diversions of a Man of Letters section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 9 chapters of Some Diversions of a Man of Letters 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 Some Diversions of a Man of Letters, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
