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Somehow Good
Somehow Good

Chapter XVIII · Chapter 18

Chapter 18 of Somehow Good is here in full — 402 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/80 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
OF JULIUS BRADSHAW'S INNER SOUL.
AND OF THE HABERDASHER'S BATTLE AT LADBROKE GROVE ROAD.
ON CARPET STRETCHING, AND VACCINATION FROM THE CALF.
AN AFTER-DINNER INTERVIEW, AND GOOD RESOLUTIONS.
EVASIVE TRAPPISTS You can remember, if you are male and middle-aged, or worse, some little incident in your own early life more or less like that effervescence of unreal passion which made us first acquainted with Mr. Julius Bradshaw and his violin.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Somehow Good

Chapter XVIII · Chapter 18

Chapter 18 of Somehow Good is here in full — 402 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/80 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
OF JULIUS BRADSHAW'S INNER SOUL.
Line 2
AND OF THE HABERDASHER'S BATTLE AT LADBROKE GROVE ROAD.
Line 3
ON CARPET STRETCHING, AND VACCINATION FROM THE CALF.
/ɑːn ˈkɑːrpət ˈstretʃɪŋ ənd væksəˈneɪʃən frʌm ðə kæf/
Line 4
AN AFTER-DINNER INTERVIEW, AND GOOD RESOLUTIONS.
Line 5
EVASIVE TRAPPISTS You can remember, if you are male and middle-aged, or worse, some little incident in your own early life more or less like that effervescence of unreal passion which made us first acquainted with Mr. Julius Bradshaw and his violin.

Learner Dictionary

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.

calf noun US /kæf/

young of domestic cattle

From this reading “ON CARPET STRETCHING, AND VACCINATION FROM THE CALF.”

evasive adjective US /ɪˈveɪzɪv/

deliberately vague or ambiguous

From this reading “EVASIVE TRAPPISTS You can remember, if you are male and middle-aged, or worse, some little incident in your own early life more or less like that effervescence of unreal passion which made us first acquainted with Mr. Julius Bradshaw and his violin.”

middle-aged adjective US /ˈmɪdəleɪɡd/

being roughly between 45 and 65 years old

From this reading “EVASIVE TRAPPISTS You can remember, if you are male and middle-aged, or worse, some little incident in your own early life more or less like that effervescence of unreal passion which made us first acquainted with Mr. Julius Bradshaw and his violin.”

resolutions noun US /ˌrezəˈluːʃənz/

plural of “resolution” — a formal expression by a meeting; agreed to by a vote

From this reading “AN AFTER-DINNER INTERVIEW, AND GOOD RESOLUTIONS.”

stretching noun US /ˈstretʃɪŋ/

act of expanding by lengthening or widening

From this reading “ON CARPET STRETCHING, AND VACCINATION FROM THE CALF.”

unreal adjective US /ənˈriːl/

lacking in reality or substance or genuineness; not corresponding to acknowledged facts or criteria

From this reading “EVASIVE TRAPPISTS You can remember, if you are male and middle-aged, or worse, some little incident in your own early life more or less like that effervescence of unreal passion which made us first acquainted with Mr. Julius Bradshaw and his violin.”

vaccination noun US /væksəˈneɪʃən/

taking a vaccine as a precaution against contracting a disease

From this reading “ON CARPET STRETCHING, AND VACCINATION FROM THE CALF.”

violin noun US /vaɪəˈlɪn/

bowed stringed instrument that is the highest member of the violin family; this instrument has four strings and a hollow body and an unfretted fingerboard and is played with a bow

From this reading “EVASIVE TRAPPISTS You can remember, if you are male and middle-aged, or worse, some little incident in your own early life more or less like that effervescence of unreal passion which made us first acquainted with Mr. Julius Bradshaw and his violin.”

All words in this reading · 60

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.

acquaintedadjectiveUS /əˈkweɪntɪd/

having fair knowledge of

From this reading EVASIVE TRAPPISTS You can remember, if you are male and middle-aged, or worse, some little incident in your own early life more or less like that effervescence of unreal passion which made us first acquainted with Mr. Julius Bradshaw and his violin.

AFTER-DINNER

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading AN AFTER-DINNER INTERVIEW, AND GOOD RESOLUTIONS.

ANdeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading AN AFTER-DINNER INTERVIEW, AND GOOD RESOLUTIONS.

ANDconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading AND OF THE HABERDASHER'S BATTLE AT LADBROKE GROVE ROAD.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading EVASIVE TRAPPISTS You can remember, if you are male and middle-aged, or worse, some little incident in your own early life more or less like that effervescence of unreal passion which made us first acquainted with Mr. Julius Bradshaw and his violin.

ATprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading AND OF THE HABERDASHER'S BATTLE AT LADBROKE GROVE ROAD.

BATTLEnounUS /ˈbætəl/

a hostile meeting of opposing military forces in the course of a war

From this reading AND OF THE HABERDASHER'S BATTLE AT LADBROKE GROVE ROAD.

Bradshaw

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading EVASIVE TRAPPISTS You can remember, if you are male and middle-aged, or worse, some little incident in your own early life more or less like that effervescence of unreal passion which made us first acquainted with Mr. Julius Bradshaw and his violin.

BRADSHAW'S

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading OF JULIUS BRADSHAW'S INNER SOUL.

CALFnounUS /kæf/

young of domestic cattle

From this reading ON CARPET STRETCHING, AND VACCINATION FROM THE CALF.

canmodal verbUS /kæn/

to be able to, or to be allowed to

From this reading EVASIVE TRAPPISTS You can remember, if you are male and middle-aged, or worse, some little incident in your own early life more or less like that effervescence of unreal passion which made us first acquainted with Mr. Julius Bradshaw and his violin.

CARPETnounUS /ˈkɑːrpət/

floor covering consisting of a piece of thick heavy fabric (usually with nap or pile)

From this reading ON CARPET STRETCHING, AND VACCINATION FROM THE CALF.

earlyadjectiveUS /ˈɜːrli/

at or near the beginning of a period of time or course of events or before the usual or expected time

From this reading EVASIVE TRAPPISTS You can remember, if you are male and middle-aged, or worse, some little incident in your own early life more or less like that effervescence of unreal passion which made us first acquainted with Mr. Julius Bradshaw and his violin.

effervescencenoun

the process of bubbling as gas escapes

From this reading EVASIVE TRAPPISTS You can remember, if you are male and middle-aged, or worse, some little incident in your own early life more or less like that effervescence of unreal passion which made us first acquainted with Mr. Julius Bradshaw and his violin.

EVASIVEadjectiveUS /ɪˈveɪzɪv/

deliberately vague or ambiguous

From this reading EVASIVE TRAPPISTS You can remember, if you are male and middle-aged, or worse, some little incident in your own early life more or less like that effervescence of unreal passion which made us first acquainted with Mr. Julius Bradshaw and his violin.

firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading EVASIVE TRAPPISTS You can remember, if you are male and middle-aged, or worse, some little incident in your own early life more or less like that effervescence of unreal passion which made us first acquainted with Mr. Julius Bradshaw and his violin.

FROMprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading ON CARPET STRETCHING, AND VACCINATION FROM THE CALF.

GOODadjectiveUS /ɡʊd/

having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified

From this reading AN AFTER-DINNER INTERVIEW, AND GOOD RESOLUTIONS.

GROVEnounUS /ɡroʊv/

a small growth of trees without underbrush

From this reading AND OF THE HABERDASHER'S BATTLE AT LADBROKE GROVE ROAD.

HABERDASHER'S

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading AND OF THE HABERDASHER'S BATTLE AT LADBROKE GROVE ROAD.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading EVASIVE TRAPPISTS You can remember, if you are male and middle-aged, or worse, some little incident in your own early life more or less like that effervescence of unreal passion which made us first acquainted with Mr. Julius Bradshaw and his violin.

ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading EVASIVE TRAPPISTS You can remember, if you are male and middle-aged, or worse, some little incident in your own early life more or less like that effervescence of unreal passion which made us first acquainted with Mr. Julius Bradshaw and his violin.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading EVASIVE TRAPPISTS You can remember, if you are male and middle-aged, or worse, some little incident in your own early life more or less like that effervescence of unreal passion which made us first acquainted with Mr. Julius Bradshaw and his violin.

incidentnounUS /ˈɪnsədənt/

a single distinct event

From this reading EVASIVE TRAPPISTS You can remember, if you are male and middle-aged, or worse, some little incident in your own early life more or less like that effervescence of unreal passion which made us first acquainted with Mr. Julius Bradshaw and his violin.

INNERadjectiveUS /ˈɪnər/

located inward

From this reading OF JULIUS BRADSHAW'S INNER SOUL.

INTERVIEWverbUS /ˈɪntərvjuː/

conduct an interview in television, newspaper, and radio reporting

From this reading AN AFTER-DINNER INTERVIEW, AND GOOD RESOLUTIONS.

JULIUS

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading OF JULIUS BRADSHAW'S INNER SOUL.

LADBROKE

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading AND OF THE HABERDASHER'S BATTLE AT LADBROKE GROVE ROAD.

lessadverbUS /les/

used to form the comparative of some adjectives and adverbs

From this reading EVASIVE TRAPPISTS You can remember, if you are male and middle-aged, or worse, some little incident in your own early life more or less like that effervescence of unreal passion which made us first acquainted with Mr. Julius Bradshaw and his violin.

lifenounUS /laɪf/

a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading EVASIVE TRAPPISTS You can remember, if you are male and middle-aged, or worse, some little incident in your own early life more or less like that effervescence of unreal passion which made us first acquainted with Mr. Julius Bradshaw and his violin.

likeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading EVASIVE TRAPPISTS You can remember, if you are male and middle-aged, or worse, some little incident in your own early life more or less like that effervescence of unreal passion which made us first acquainted with Mr. Julius Bradshaw and his violin.

littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading EVASIVE TRAPPISTS You can remember, if you are male and middle-aged, or worse, some little incident in your own early life more or less like that effervescence of unreal passion which made us first acquainted with Mr. Julius Bradshaw and his violin.

madeadjectiveUS /meɪd/

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading EVASIVE TRAPPISTS You can remember, if you are male and middle-aged, or worse, some little incident in your own early life more or less like that effervescence of unreal passion which made us first acquainted with Mr. Julius Bradshaw and his violin.

malenounUS /meɪl/

an animal that produces gametes (spermatozoa) that can fertilize female gametes

From this reading EVASIVE TRAPPISTS You can remember, if you are male and middle-aged, or worse, some little incident in your own early life more or less like that effervescence of unreal passion which made us first acquainted with Mr. Julius Bradshaw and his violin.

middle-agedadjectiveUS /ˈmɪdəleɪɡd/

being roughly between 45 and 65 years old

From this reading EVASIVE TRAPPISTS You can remember, if you are male and middle-aged, or worse, some little incident in your own early life more or less like that effervescence of unreal passion which made us first acquainted with Mr. Julius Bradshaw and his violin.

moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading EVASIVE TRAPPISTS You can remember, if you are male and middle-aged, or worse, some little incident in your own early life more or less like that effervescence of unreal passion which made us first acquainted with Mr. Julius Bradshaw and his violin.

MrnounUS /ˈmɪstər/

a form of address for a man

From this reading EVASIVE TRAPPISTS You can remember, if you are male and middle-aged, or worse, some little incident in your own early life more or less like that effervescence of unreal passion which made us first acquainted with Mr. Julius Bradshaw and his violin.

OFprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading OF JULIUS BRADSHAW'S INNER SOUL.

ONprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading ON CARPET STRETCHING, AND VACCINATION FROM THE CALF.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading EVASIVE TRAPPISTS You can remember, if you are male and middle-aged, or worse, some little incident in your own early life more or less like that effervescence of unreal passion which made us first acquainted with Mr. Julius Bradshaw and his violin.

ownverbUS /oʊn/

have ownership or possession of

From this reading EVASIVE TRAPPISTS You can remember, if you are male and middle-aged, or worse, some little incident in your own early life more or less like that effervescence of unreal passion which made us first acquainted with Mr. Julius Bradshaw and his violin.

passionnounUS /ˈpæʃən/

a strong feeling or emotion

From this reading EVASIVE TRAPPISTS You can remember, if you are male and middle-aged, or worse, some little incident in your own early life more or less like that effervescence of unreal passion which made us first acquainted with Mr. Julius Bradshaw and his violin.

rememberverbUS /rɪˈmɛm.bər/

To recall to mind.

From this reading EVASIVE TRAPPISTS You can remember, if you are male and middle-aged, or worse, some little incident in your own early life more or less like that effervescence of unreal passion which made us first acquainted with Mr. Julius Bradshaw and his violin.

RESOLUTIONSnounUS /ˌrezəˈluːʃənz/

plural of “resolution” — a formal expression by a meeting; agreed to by a vote

From this reading AN AFTER-DINNER INTERVIEW, AND GOOD RESOLUTIONS.

ROADnounUS /roʊd/

an open way (generally public) for travel or transportation

From this reading AND OF THE HABERDASHER'S BATTLE AT LADBROKE GROVE ROAD.

someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading EVASIVE TRAPPISTS You can remember, if you are male and middle-aged, or worse, some little incident in your own early life more or less like that effervescence of unreal passion which made us first acquainted with Mr. Julius Bradshaw and his violin.

SOULnounUS /soʊl/

the immaterial part of a person; the actuating cause of an individual life

From this reading OF JULIUS BRADSHAW'S INNER SOUL.

STRETCHINGnounUS /ˈstretʃɪŋ/

act of expanding by lengthening or widening

From this reading ON CARPET STRETCHING, AND VACCINATION FROM THE CALF.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading EVASIVE TRAPPISTS You can remember, if you are male and middle-aged, or worse, some little incident in your own early life more or less like that effervescence of unreal passion which made us first acquainted with Mr. Julius Bradshaw and his violin.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading AND OF THE HABERDASHER'S BATTLE AT LADBROKE GROVE ROAD.

TRAPPISTS

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading EVASIVE TRAPPISTS You can remember, if you are male and middle-aged, or worse, some little incident in your own early life more or less like that effervescence of unreal passion which made us first acquainted with Mr. Julius Bradshaw and his violin.

unrealadjectiveUS /ənˈriːl/

lacking in reality or substance or genuineness; not corresponding to acknowledged facts or criteria

From this reading EVASIVE TRAPPISTS You can remember, if you are male and middle-aged, or worse, some little incident in your own early life more or less like that effervescence of unreal passion which made us first acquainted with Mr. Julius Bradshaw and his violin.

uspronounUS /ʌs/

the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading EVASIVE TRAPPISTS You can remember, if you are male and middle-aged, or worse, some little incident in your own early life more or less like that effervescence of unreal passion which made us first acquainted with Mr. Julius Bradshaw and his violin.

VACCINATIONnounUS /væksəˈneɪʃən/

taking a vaccine as a precaution against contracting a disease

From this reading ON CARPET STRETCHING, AND VACCINATION FROM THE CALF.

violinnounUS /vaɪəˈlɪn/

bowed stringed instrument that is the highest member of the violin family; this instrument has four strings and a hollow body and an unfretted fingerboard and is played with a bow

From this reading EVASIVE TRAPPISTS You can remember, if you are male and middle-aged, or worse, some little incident in your own early life more or less like that effervescence of unreal passion which made us first acquainted with Mr. Julius Bradshaw and his violin.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading EVASIVE TRAPPISTS You can remember, if you are male and middle-aged, or worse, some little incident in your own early life more or less like that effervescence of unreal passion which made us first acquainted with Mr. Julius Bradshaw and his violin.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading EVASIVE TRAPPISTS You can remember, if you are male and middle-aged, or worse, some little incident in your own early life more or less like that effervescence of unreal passion which made us first acquainted with Mr. Julius Bradshaw and his violin.

worseadjectiveUS /wɜːrs/

(comparative of “bad”) inferior to another in quality or condition or desirability

From this reading EVASIVE TRAPPISTS You can remember, if you are male and middle-aged, or worse, some little incident in your own early life more or less like that effervescence of unreal passion which made us first acquainted with Mr. Julius Bradshaw and his violin.

YoupronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading EVASIVE TRAPPISTS You can remember, if you are male and middle-aged, or worse, some little incident in your own early life more or less like that effervescence of unreal passion which made us first acquainted with Mr. Julius Bradshaw and his violin.

yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading EVASIVE TRAPPISTS You can remember, if you are male and middle-aged, or worse, some little incident in your own early life more or less like that effervescence of unreal passion which made us first acquainted with Mr. Julius Bradshaw and his violin.

Chapter 18 of Somehow Good by William De Morgan holds 402 sentences, grouped into 81 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.

What does chapter 18 of Somehow Good contain?

Chapter 18 holds 402 sentences of Somehow Good, unabridged, divided into 81 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 18 of Somehow Good by William De Morgan exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 402 sentences, grouped into 81 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.

How do I study chapter 18 of Somehow Good?

Work through the 81 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 81 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.

Can chapter 18 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 18 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.

Questions about reading Somehow Good

Common questions about reading Somehow Good by William De Morgan on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Somehow Good?

Yes. All 13473 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #28345 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Somehow Good is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #28345, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Somehow Good take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 2695 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Somehow Good section by section

How to work through Somehow Good section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 40 chapters of Somehow Good to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in Somehow Good

Words and structures a reader meets early in Somehow Good, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Exceptionally
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Somehow Good; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Well-built
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Somehow Good; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Serge
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Somehow Good; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Walked
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Somehow Good; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.