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Somehow Good
Somehow Good

Chapter XXVII · Chapter 27

Chapter 27 of Somehow Good is here in full — 200 sentences across 40 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Somehow Good
Context Illustration Reading 1/40 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
HOW SALLY DIVED OFF THE BOAT, AND SHOCKED THE BEACH.
OF THE SENSITIVE DELICACY OF THE OCTOPUS.
AND OF DR.
EVERETT GAYLER'S OPINIONS Fenwick had been granted, or had appropriated, another week's holiday, and the wine-trade was to lose some of his valuable services during that time.
Not all, because in these days you can do so much by telegraph.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Somehow Good

Chapter XXVII · Chapter 27

Chapter 27 of Somehow Good is here in full — 200 sentences across 40 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/40 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
HOW SALLY DIVED OFF THE BOAT, AND SHOCKED THE BEACH.
Line 2
OF THE SENSITIVE DELICACY OF THE OCTOPUS.
/ʌv ðə ˈsensətɪv ˈdeləkəsi ʌv ðə ˈɑːktəpʊs/
Line 3
AND OF DR.
Line 4
EVERETT GAYLER'S OPINIONS Fenwick had been granted, or had appropriated, another week's holiday, and the wine-trade was to lose some of his valuable services during that time.
Line 5
Not all, because in these days you can do so much by telegraph.
/nɑːt ɔːl bɪˈkɔːz ɪn ðiːz deɪz juː kæn duː soʊ mʌtʃ baɪ ˈteləɡræf/

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.

appropriated verb US /əˈproʊprieɪtɪd/

past form of “appropriate” — give or assign a resource to a particular person or cause

From this reading “EVERETT GAYLER'S OPINIONS Fenwick had been granted, or had appropriated, another week's holiday, and the wine-trade was to lose some of his valuable services during that time.”

delicacy noun US /ˈdeləkəsi/

the quality of being beautiful and delicate in appearance

From this reading “OF THE SENSITIVE DELICACY OF THE OCTOPUS.”

dived verb US /daɪvd/

past form of “dive” — drop steeply

From this reading “HOW SALLY DIVED OFF THE BOAT, AND SHOCKED THE BEACH.”

holiday noun US /ˈhɑːlədeɪ/

leisure time away from work devoted to rest or pleasure

From this reading “EVERETT GAYLER'S OPINIONS Fenwick had been granted, or had appropriated, another week's holiday, and the wine-trade was to lose some of his valuable services during that time.”

octopus noun US /ˈɑːktəpʊs/

tentacles of octopus prepared as food

From this reading “OF THE SENSITIVE DELICACY OF THE OCTOPUS.”

shocked adjective US /ʃɑːkt/

struck with fear, dread, or consternation

From this reading “HOW SALLY DIVED OFF THE BOAT, AND SHOCKED THE BEACH.”

telegraph noun US /ˈteləɡræf/

apparatus used to communicate at a distance over a wire (usually in Morse code)

From this reading “Not all, because in these days you can do so much by telegraph.”

week's noun US /wiːks/

possessive form of “week” — any period of seven consecutive days

From this reading “EVERETT GAYLER'S OPINIONS Fenwick had been granted, or had appropriated, another week's holiday, and the wine-trade was to lose some of his valuable services during that time.”

All words in this reading · 50

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.

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading Not all, because in these days you can do so much by telegraph.

ANDconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading HOW SALLY DIVED OFF THE BOAT, AND SHOCKED THE BEACH.

anotherdeterminerUS /əˈnʌðər/

one more of the same kind, or a different one

From this reading EVERETT GAYLER'S OPINIONS Fenwick had been granted, or had appropriated, another week's holiday, and the wine-trade was to lose some of his valuable services during that time.

appropriatedverbUS /əˈproʊprieɪtɪd/

past form of “appropriate” — give or assign a resource to a particular person or cause

From this reading EVERETT GAYLER'S OPINIONS Fenwick had been granted, or had appropriated, another week's holiday, and the wine-trade was to lose some of his valuable services during that time.

BEACHnounUS /biːtʃ/

an area of sand sloping down to the water of a sea or lake

From this reading HOW SALLY DIVED OFF THE BOAT, AND SHOCKED THE BEACH.

becauseconjunctionUS /bɪˈkɔːz/

for the reason that

From this reading Not all, because in these days you can do so much by telegraph.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading EVERETT GAYLER'S OPINIONS Fenwick had been granted, or had appropriated, another week's holiday, and the wine-trade was to lose some of his valuable services during that time.

BOATnounUS /boʊt/

a small vessel for travel on water

From this reading HOW SALLY DIVED OFF THE BOAT, AND SHOCKED THE BEACH.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading Not all, because in these days you can do so much by telegraph.

canmodal verbUS /kæn/

to be able to, or to be allowed to

From this reading Not all, because in these days you can do so much by telegraph.

daysnounUS /deɪz/

the time during which someone's life continues

From this reading Not all, because in these days you can do so much by telegraph.

DELICACYnounUS /ˈdeləkəsi/

the quality of being beautiful and delicate in appearance

From this reading OF THE SENSITIVE DELICACY OF THE OCTOPUS.

DIVEDverbUS /daɪvd/

past form of “dive” — drop steeply

From this reading HOW SALLY DIVED OFF THE BOAT, AND SHOCKED THE BEACH.

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading Not all, because in these days you can do so much by telegraph.

DR

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

From this reading AND OF DR.

duringprepositionUS /ˈdʊrɪŋ/

all through a period, or at some point within it

From this reading EVERETT GAYLER'S OPINIONS Fenwick had been granted, or had appropriated, another week's holiday, and the wine-trade was to lose some of his valuable services during that time.

EVERETT

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

From this reading EVERETT GAYLER'S OPINIONS Fenwick had been granted, or had appropriated, another week's holiday, and the wine-trade was to lose some of his valuable services during that time.

Fenwick

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

From this reading EVERETT GAYLER'S OPINIONS Fenwick had been granted, or had appropriated, another week's holiday, and the wine-trade was to lose some of his valuable services during that time.

GAYLER'S

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

From this reading EVERETT GAYLER'S OPINIONS Fenwick had been granted, or had appropriated, another week's holiday, and the wine-trade was to lose some of his valuable services during that time.

grantedadjectiveUS /ˈɡræntəd/

acknowledged as a supposition

From this reading EVERETT GAYLER'S OPINIONS Fenwick had been granted, or had appropriated, another week's holiday, and the wine-trade was to lose some of his valuable services during that time.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading EVERETT GAYLER'S OPINIONS Fenwick had been granted, or had appropriated, another week's holiday, and the wine-trade was to lose some of his valuable services during that time.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading EVERETT GAYLER'S OPINIONS Fenwick had been granted, or had appropriated, another week's holiday, and the wine-trade was to lose some of his valuable services during that time.

holidaynounUS /ˈhɑːlədeɪ/

leisure time away from work devoted to rest or pleasure

From this reading EVERETT GAYLER'S OPINIONS Fenwick had been granted, or had appropriated, another week's holiday, and the wine-trade was to lose some of his valuable services during that time.

HOW

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

From this reading HOW SALLY DIVED OFF THE BOAT, AND SHOCKED THE BEACH.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Not all, because in these days you can do so much by telegraph.

loseverbUS /luːz/

fail to keep or to maintain; cease to have, either physically or in an abstract sense

From this reading EVERETT GAYLER'S OPINIONS Fenwick had been granted, or had appropriated, another week's holiday, and the wine-trade was to lose some of his valuable services during that time.

muchadverbUS /mʌtʃ/

to a great degree or extent

From this reading Not all, because in these days you can do so much by telegraph.

NotadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Not all, because in these days you can do so much by telegraph.

OCTOPUSnounUS /ˈɑːktəpʊs/

tentacles of octopus prepared as food

From this reading OF THE SENSITIVE DELICACY OF THE OCTOPUS.

OFprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading OF THE SENSITIVE DELICACY OF THE OCTOPUS.

OFFadverbUS /ɔːf/

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading HOW SALLY DIVED OFF THE BOAT, AND SHOCKED THE BEACH.

OPINIONSnounUS /əˈpɪnjənz/

plural of “opinion” — a personal belief or judgment that is not founded on proof or certainty

From this reading EVERETT GAYLER'S OPINIONS Fenwick had been granted, or had appropriated, another week's holiday, and the wine-trade was to lose some of his valuable services during that time.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading EVERETT GAYLER'S OPINIONS Fenwick had been granted, or had appropriated, another week's holiday, and the wine-trade was to lose some of his valuable services during that time.

SALLYnounUS /ˈsæli/

witty remark

From this reading HOW SALLY DIVED OFF THE BOAT, AND SHOCKED THE BEACH.

SENSITIVEadjectiveUS /ˈsensətɪv/

responsive to physical stimuli

From this reading OF THE SENSITIVE DELICACY OF THE OCTOPUS.

servicesnounUS /ˈsɜːrvəsəz/

performance of duties or provision of space and equipment helpful to others

From this reading EVERETT GAYLER'S OPINIONS Fenwick had been granted, or had appropriated, another week's holiday, and the wine-trade was to lose some of his valuable services during that time.

SHOCKEDadjectiveUS /ʃɑːkt/

struck with fear, dread, or consternation

From this reading HOW SALLY DIVED OFF THE BOAT, AND SHOCKED THE BEACH.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading Not all, because in these days you can do so much by telegraph.

someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

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

From this reading EVERETT GAYLER'S OPINIONS Fenwick had been granted, or had appropriated, another week's holiday, and the wine-trade was to lose some of his valuable services during that time.

telegraphnounUS /ˈteləɡræf/

apparatus used to communicate at a distance over a wire (usually in Morse code)

From this reading Not all, because in these days you can do so much by telegraph.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading EVERETT GAYLER'S OPINIONS Fenwick had been granted, or had appropriated, another week's holiday, and the wine-trade was to lose some of his valuable services during that time.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading HOW SALLY DIVED OFF THE BOAT, AND SHOCKED THE BEACH.

thesedeterminerUS /ðiːz/

the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned

From this reading Not all, because in these days you can do so much by telegraph.

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading EVERETT GAYLER'S OPINIONS Fenwick had been granted, or had appropriated, another week's holiday, and the wine-trade was to lose some of his valuable services during that time.

toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading EVERETT GAYLER'S OPINIONS Fenwick had been granted, or had appropriated, another week's holiday, and the wine-trade was to lose some of his valuable services during that time.

valuableadjectiveUS /ˈvæljəbəl/

having great material or monetary value especially for use or exchange

From this reading EVERETT GAYLER'S OPINIONS Fenwick had been granted, or had appropriated, another week's holiday, and the wine-trade was to lose some of his valuable services during that time.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading EVERETT GAYLER'S OPINIONS Fenwick had been granted, or had appropriated, another week's holiday, and the wine-trade was to lose some of his valuable services during that time.

week'snounUS /wiːks/

possessive form of “week” — any period of seven consecutive days

From this reading EVERETT GAYLER'S OPINIONS Fenwick had been granted, or had appropriated, another week's holiday, and the wine-trade was to lose some of his valuable services during that time.

wine-trade

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

From this reading EVERETT GAYLER'S OPINIONS Fenwick had been granted, or had appropriated, another week's holiday, and the wine-trade was to lose some of his valuable services during that time.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading Not all, because in these days you can do so much by telegraph.

Chapter 27 of Somehow Good by William De Morgan holds 200 sentences, grouped into 40 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 27 of Somehow Good contain?

Chapter 27 holds 200 sentences of Somehow Good, unabridged, divided into 40 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 27 of Somehow Good by William De Morgan exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 200 sentences, grouped into 40 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 27 of Somehow Good?

Work through the 40 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 40 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 27 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 27 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.