Chapter 1 of Spellbinders is here in full — 436 sentences across 88 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
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Chapter I
Chapter 1 of Spellbinders is here in full — 436 sentences across 88 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
BY MARGARET CULKIN BANNING AUTHOR OF “HALF LOAVES,” “THIS MARRYING,” ETC. Gage Flandon put his wife’s fur cloak around her and stood back, watching her as she took a final glance into the long mirror in the hall. “I’m quite excited,” she said. “Margaret always excites me and I do want you to meet her. She really must come to stay with us, Gage.”
Chapter 1 of Spellbinders is here in full — 436 sentences across 88 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/87 · 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.
an official prohibition or edict against something
From this reading “BY MARGARET CULKIN BANNING AUTHOR OF “HALF LOAVES,” “THIS MARRYING,” ETC.”
anything that covers or conceals
From this reading “Gage Flandon put his wife’s fur cloak around her and stood back, watching her as she took a final glance into the long mirror in the hall.”
third-person singular of “excite” — arouse or elicit a feeling
From this reading ““Margaret always excites me and I do want you to meet her.”
street names for marijuana
From this reading “Gage Flandon put his wife’s fur cloak around her and stood back, watching her as she took a final glance into the long mirror in the hall.”
plural of “loaf” — a shaped mass of baked bread that is usually sliced before eating
From this reading “BY MARGARET CULKIN BANNING AUTHOR OF “HALF LOAVES,” “THIS MARRYING,” ETC.”
-ing form of “marry” — take in marriage
From this reading “BY MARGARET CULKIN BANNING AUTHOR OF “HALF LOAVES,” “THIS MARRYING,” ETC.”
polished surface that forms images by reflecting light
From this reading “Gage Flandon put his wife’s fur cloak around her and stood back, watching her as she took a final glance into the long mirror in the hall.”
possessive form of “wife” — a married woman; a man's partner in marriage
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.
In this reading “Gage Flandon put his wife’s fur cloak around her and stood back, watching her as she took a final glance into the long mirror in the hall.”
In this reading ““I’m quite excited,” she said.”
In this reading “She really must come to stay with us, Gage.””
In this reading “Gage Flandon put his wife’s fur cloak around her and stood back, watching her as she took a final glance into the long mirror in the hall.”
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 Gage Flandon put his wife’s fur cloak around her and stood back, watching her as she took a final glance into the long mirror in the hall.
at all times; all the time and on every occasion
From this reading “Margaret always excites me and I do want you to meet her.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Gage Flandon put his wife’s fur cloak around her and stood back, watching her as she took a final glance into the long mirror in the hall.
surrounding, or on every side of, something
From this reading Gage Flandon put his wife’s fur cloak around her and stood back, watching her as she took a final glance into the long mirror in the hall.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Gage Flandon put his wife’s fur cloak around her and stood back, watching her as she took a final glance into the long mirror in the hall.
writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)
From this reading BY MARGARET CULKIN BANNING AUTHOR OF “HALF LOAVES,” “THIS MARRYING,” ETC.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading Gage Flandon put his wife’s fur cloak around her and stood back, watching her as she took a final glance into the long mirror in the hall.
an official prohibition or edict against something
From this reading BY MARGARET CULKIN BANNING AUTHOR OF “HALF LOAVES,” “THIS MARRYING,” ETC.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading BY MARGARET CULKIN BANNING AUTHOR OF “HALF LOAVES,” “THIS MARRYING,” ETC.
anything that covers or conceals
From this reading Gage Flandon put his wife’s fur cloak around her and stood back, watching her as she took a final glance into the long mirror in the hall.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading She really must come to stay with us, Gage.”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading BY MARGARET CULKIN BANNING AUTHOR OF “HALF LOAVES,” “THIS MARRYING,” ETC.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading “Margaret always excites me and I do want you to meet her.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading BY MARGARET CULKIN BANNING AUTHOR OF “HALF LOAVES,” “THIS MARRYING,” ETC.
(of persons) excessively affected by emotion
From this reading “I’m quite excited,” she said.
third-person singular of “excite” — arouse or elicit a feeling
From this reading “Margaret always excites me and I do want you to meet her.
occurring at or forming an end or termination
From this reading Gage Flandon put his wife’s fur cloak around her and stood back, watching her as she took a final glance into the long mirror in the hall.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Gage Flandon put his wife’s fur cloak around her and stood back, watching her as she took a final glance into the long mirror in the hall.
the dressed hairy coat of a mammal
From this reading Gage Flandon put his wife’s fur cloak around her and stood back, watching her as she took a final glance into the long mirror in the hall.
street names for marijuana
From this reading Gage Flandon put his wife’s fur cloak around her and stood back, watching her as she took a final glance into the long mirror in the hall.
throw a glance at; take a brief look at
From this reading Gage Flandon put his wife’s fur cloak around her and stood back, watching her as she took a final glance into the long mirror in the hall.
consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity
From this reading BY MARGARET CULKIN BANNING AUTHOR OF “HALF LOAVES,” “THIS MARRYING,” ETC.
an interior passage or corridor onto which rooms open
From this reading Gage Flandon put his wife’s fur cloak around her and stood back, watching her as she took a final glance into the long mirror in the hall.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Gage Flandon put his wife’s fur cloak around her and stood back, watching her as she took a final glance into the long mirror in the hall.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Gage Flandon put his wife’s fur cloak around her and stood back, watching her as she took a final glance into the long mirror in the hall.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “Margaret always excites me and I do want you to meet her.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “I’m quite excited,” she said.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Gage Flandon put his wife’s fur cloak around her and stood back, watching her as she took a final glance into the long mirror in the hall.
moving to the inside of something
From this reading Gage Flandon put his wife’s fur cloak around her and stood back, watching her as she took a final glance into the long mirror in the hall.
plural of “loaf” — a shaped mass of baked bread that is usually sliced before eating
From this reading BY MARGARET CULKIN BANNING AUTHOR OF “HALF LOAVES,” “THIS MARRYING,” ETC.
primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified
From this reading Gage Flandon put his wife’s fur cloak around her and stood back, watching her as she took a final glance into the long mirror in the hall.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading BY MARGARET CULKIN BANNING AUTHOR OF “HALF LOAVES,” “THIS MARRYING,” ETC.
-ing form of “marry” — take in marriage
From this reading BY MARGARET CULKIN BANNING AUTHOR OF “HALF LOAVES,” “THIS MARRYING,” ETC.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading “Margaret always excites me and I do want you to meet her.
come together
From this reading “Margaret always excites me and I do want you to meet her.
polished surface that forms images by reflecting light
From this reading Gage Flandon put his wife’s fur cloak around her and stood back, watching her as she took a final glance into the long mirror in the hall.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading She really must come to stay with us, Gage.”
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading BY MARGARET CULKIN BANNING AUTHOR OF “HALF LOAVES,” “THIS MARRYING,” ETC.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading Gage Flandon put his wife’s fur cloak around her and stood back, watching her as she took a final glance into the long mirror in the hall.
to a degree (not used with a negative)
From this reading “I’m quite excited,” she said.
in accordance with truth or fact or reality
From this reading She really must come to stay with us, Gage.”
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “I’m quite excited,” she said.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Gage Flandon put his wife’s fur cloak around her and stood back, watching her as she took a final glance into the long mirror in the hall.
stay the same; remain in a certain state
From this reading She really must come to stay with us, Gage.”
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading Gage Flandon put his wife’s fur cloak around her and stood back, watching her as she took a final glance into the long mirror in the hall.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Gage Flandon put his wife’s fur cloak around her and stood back, watching her as she took a final glance into the long mirror in the hall.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading BY MARGARET CULKIN BANNING AUTHOR OF “HALF LOAVES,” “THIS MARRYING,” ETC.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading “Margaret always excites me and I do want you to meet her.
inflected form of “take” — carry out
From this reading Gage Flandon put his wife’s fur cloak around her and stood back, watching her as she took a final glance into the long mirror in the hall.
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading She really must come to stay with us, Gage.”
feel or have a desire for; want strongly
From this reading “Margaret always excites me and I do want you to meet her.
the act of observing; taking a patient look
From this reading Gage Flandon put his wife’s fur cloak around her and stood back, watching her as she took a final glance into the long mirror in the hall.
possessive form of “wife” — a married woman; a man's partner in marriage
From this reading Gage Flandon put his wife’s fur cloak around her and stood back, watching her as she took a final glance into the long mirror in the hall.
in the company of; together with
From this reading She really must come to stay with us, Gage.”
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “Margaret always excites me and I do want you to meet her.
Chapter 1 of Spellbinders by Margaret Culkin Banning holds 436 sentences, grouped into 88 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 1 holds 436 sentences of Spellbinders, unabridged, divided into 88 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of Spellbinders by Margaret Culkin Banning exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 436 sentences, grouped into 88 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 88 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 88 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 Spellbinders by Margaret Culkin Banning on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 0 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #? are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #?, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 5 minutes of reading across 0 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Spellbinders section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 0 chapters of Spellbinders 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 Spellbinders, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
