Chapter 4 of Stand is here in full — 129 sentences across 26 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IV
Chapter 4 of Stand is here in full — 129 sentences across 26 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
THE GANG TAKES A HAND For days after that visit, Jimmy Bobb stuck in Lee's mind. The cripple boy had so little. If only there were something one could do to give him a little pleasure! Then a plan came to Lee. He just believed he'd--well, what he believed was so vague that he couldn't put it into words, but it started him off on a very busy time.
Chapter 4 of Stand is here in full — 129 sentences across 26 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/25 · 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.
deprive of strength or efficiency; make useless or worthless
From this reading “The cripple boy had so little.”
an association of criminals
From this reading “THE GANG TAKES A HAND For days after that visit, Jimmy Bobb stuck in Lee's mind.”
to move or force, especially in an effort to get something open
From this reading “THE GANG TAKES A HAND For days after that visit, Jimmy Bobb stuck in Lee's mind.”
United States filmmaker whose works explore the richness of black culture in America (born in 1957)
From this reading “THE GANG TAKES A HAND For days after that visit, Jimmy Bobb stuck in Lee's mind.”
possessive form of “lee” — United States filmmaker whose works explore the richness of black culture in America (born in 1957)
From this reading “THE GANG TAKES A HAND For days after that visit, Jimmy Bobb stuck in Lee's mind.”
caught or fixed
From this reading “THE GANG TAKES A HAND For days after that visit, Jimmy Bobb stuck in Lee's mind.”
plural of “take” — the income or profit arising from such transactions as the sale of land or other property
From this reading “THE GANG TAKES A HAND For days after that visit, Jimmy Bobb stuck in Lee's mind.”
not clearly expressed or understood
From this reading “He just believed he'd--well, what he believed was so vague that he couldn't put it into words, but it started him off on a very busy time.”
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.
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 THE GANG TAKES A HAND For days after that visit, Jimmy Bobb stuck in Lee's mind.
later than; following
From this reading THE GANG TAKES A HAND For days after that visit, Jimmy Bobb stuck in Lee's mind.
past form of “believe” — accept as true; take to be true
From this reading He just believed he'd--well, what he believed was so vague that he couldn't put it into words, but it started him off on a very busy time.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE GANG TAKES A HAND For days after that visit, Jimmy Bobb stuck in Lee's mind.
a youthful male person
From this reading The cripple boy had so little.
actively or fully engaged or occupied
From this reading He just believed he'd--well, what he believed was so vague that he couldn't put it into words, but it started him off on a very busy time.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading He just believed he'd--well, what he believed was so vague that he couldn't put it into words, but it started him off on a very busy time.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading Then a plan came to Lee.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading If only there were something one could do to give him a little pleasure!
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He just believed he'd--well, what he believed was so vague that he couldn't put it into words, but it started him off on a very busy time.
deprive of strength or efficiency; make useless or worthless
From this reading The cripple boy had so little.
the time during which someone's life continues
From this reading THE GANG TAKES A HAND For days after that visit, Jimmy Bobb stuck in Lee's mind.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading If only there were something one could do to give him a little pleasure!
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading THE GANG TAKES A HAND For days after that visit, Jimmy Bobb stuck in Lee's mind.
an association of criminals
From this reading THE GANG TAKES A HAND For days after that visit, Jimmy Bobb stuck in Lee's mind.
cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading If only there were something one could do to give him a little pleasure!
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The cripple boy had so little.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading THE GANG TAKES A HAND For days after that visit, Jimmy Bobb stuck in Lee's mind.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He just believed he'd--well, what he believed was so vague that he couldn't put it into words, but it started him off on a very busy time.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He just believed he'd--well, what he believed was so vague that he couldn't put it into words, but it started him off on a very busy time.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading If only there were something one could do to give him a little pleasure!
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading If only there were something one could do to give him a little pleasure!
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading THE GANG TAKES A HAND For days after that visit, Jimmy Bobb stuck in Lee's mind.
moving to the inside of something
From this reading He just believed he'd--well, what he believed was so vague that he couldn't put it into words, but it started him off on a very busy time.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading He just believed he'd--well, what he believed was so vague that he couldn't put it into words, but it started him off on a very busy time.
to move or force, especially in an effort to get something open
From this reading THE GANG TAKES A HAND For days after that visit, Jimmy Bobb stuck in Lee's mind.
and nothing more
From this reading He just believed he'd--well, what he believed was so vague that he couldn't put it into words, but it started him off on a very busy time.
United States filmmaker whose works explore the richness of black culture in America (born in 1957)
From this reading Then a plan came to Lee.
possessive form of “lee” — United States filmmaker whose works explore the richness of black culture in America (born in 1957)
From this reading THE GANG TAKES A HAND For days after that visit, Jimmy Bobb stuck in Lee's mind.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading The cripple boy had so little.
The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.
From this reading THE GANG TAKES A HAND For days after that visit, Jimmy Bobb stuck in Lee's mind.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading He just believed he'd--well, what he believed was so vague that he couldn't put it into words, but it started him off on a very busy time.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading He just believed he'd--well, what he believed was so vague that he couldn't put it into words, but it started him off on a very busy time.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading If only there were something one could do to give him a little pleasure!
and nothing more
From this reading If only there were something one could do to give him a little pleasure!
have the will and intention to carry out some action
From this reading Then a plan came to Lee.
a fundamental feeling that is hard to define but that people desire to experience
From this reading If only there were something one could do to give him a little pleasure!
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading He just believed he'd--well, what he believed was so vague that he couldn't put it into words, but it started him off on a very busy time.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading The cripple boy had so little.
a thing, without saying which
From this reading If only there were something one could do to give him a little pleasure!
past form of “start” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading He just believed he'd--well, what he believed was so vague that he couldn't put it into words, but it started him off on a very busy time.
caught or fixed
From this reading THE GANG TAKES A HAND For days after that visit, Jimmy Bobb stuck in Lee's mind.
plural of “take” — the income or profit arising from such transactions as the sale of land or other property
From this reading THE GANG TAKES A HAND For days after that visit, Jimmy Bobb stuck in Lee's mind.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading THE GANG TAKES A HAND For days after that visit, Jimmy Bobb stuck in Lee's mind.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE GANG TAKES A HAND For days after that visit, Jimmy Bobb stuck in Lee's mind.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then a plan came to Lee.
in or at that place or location
From this reading If only there were something one could do to give him a little pleasure!
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading He just believed he'd--well, what he believed was so vague that he couldn't put it into words, but it started him off on a very busy time.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading If only there were something one could do to give him a little pleasure!
not clearly expressed or understood
From this reading He just believed he'd--well, what he believed was so vague that he couldn't put it into words, but it started him off on a very busy time.
precisely as stated
From this reading He just believed he'd--well, what he believed was so vague that he couldn't put it into words, but it started him off on a very busy time.
go to see a place, as for entertainment
From this reading THE GANG TAKES A HAND For days after that visit, Jimmy Bobb stuck in Lee's mind.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading He just believed he'd--well, what he believed was so vague that he couldn't put it into words, but it started him off on a very busy time.
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading He just believed he'd--well, what he believed was so vague that he couldn't put it into words, but it started him off on a very busy time.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading If only there were something one could do to give him a little pleasure!
used to ask for information about something
From this reading He just believed he'd--well, what he believed was so vague that he couldn't put it into words, but it started him off on a very busy time.
the words that are spoken
From this reading He just believed he'd--well, what he believed was so vague that he couldn't put it into words, but it started him off on a very busy time.
Chapter 4 of Stand by Hugh McAlister holds 129 sentences, grouped into 26 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 4 holds 129 sentences of Stand, unabridged, divided into 26 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 4 of Stand by Hugh McAlister exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 129 sentences, grouped into 26 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 26 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 26 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 4 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 Stand by Hugh McAlister on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 2742 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #45490 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #45490, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 228 minutes of reading across 549 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Stand section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 25 chapters of Stand 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 Stand, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
