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adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading It was something to find in the apathy of prostration a brief respite; it was something to close her eyes and lie quite still.
aching
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From this reading Three hours earlier, her head aching, her heart full, uncertain what to do or what would follow, she had fled from the commotion below, and, locking herself in her bedroom, had lain down with her misery.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Henrietta lifted her tear-stained face from the pillow and awaited the answer.
answer
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From this reading Henrietta lifted her tear-stained face from the pillow and awaited the answer.
apathy
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From this reading It was something to find in the apathy of prostration a brief respite; it was something to close her eyes and lie quite still.
awaited
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From this reading Henrietta lifted her tear-stained face from the pillow and awaited the answer.
bedroom
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From this reading Three hours earlier, her head aching, her heart full, uncertain what to do or what would follow, she had fled from the commotion below, and, locking herself in her bedroom, had lain down with her misery.
belowprepositionUS /bɪˈloʊ/
at or to a lower level than something
From this reading Three hours earlier, her head aching, her heart full, uncertain what to do or what would follow, she had fled from the commotion below, and, locking herself in her bedroom, had lain down with her misery.
brief
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From this reading It was something to find in the apathy of prostration a brief respite; it was something to close her eyes and lie quite still.
close
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From this reading It was something to find in the apathy of prostration a brief respite; it was something to close her eyes and lie quite still.
commotion
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From this reading Three hours earlier, her head aching, her heart full, uncertain what to do or what would follow, she had fled from the commotion below, and, locking herself in her bedroom, had lain down with her misery.
curious
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From this reading For a while she might keep her door locked, might nurse her wretchedness, might evade rude looks and curious questions, might postpone decision.
decision
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From this reading For a while she might keep her door locked, might nurse her wretchedness, might evade rude looks and curious questions, might postpone decision.
doauxiliary verbUS /duː/
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading Three hours earlier, her head aching, her heart full, uncertain what to do or what would follow, she had fled from the commotion below, and, locking herself in her bedroom, had lain down with her misery.
door
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From this reading For a while she might keep her door locked, might nurse her wretchedness, might evade rude looks and curious questions, might postpone decision.
down
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From this reading Three hours earlier, her head aching, her heart full, uncertain what to do or what would follow, she had fled from the commotion below, and, locking herself in her bedroom, had lain down with her misery.
earlier
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From this reading Three hours earlier, her head aching, her heart full, uncertain what to do or what would follow, she had fled from the commotion below, and, locking herself in her bedroom, had lain down with her misery.
evade
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From this reading For a while she might keep her door locked, might nurse her wretchedness, might evade rude looks and curious questions, might postpone decision.
eyes
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From this reading It was something to find in the apathy of prostration a brief respite; it was something to close her eyes and lie quite still.
face
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From this reading Henrietta lifted her tear-stained face from the pillow and awaited the answer.
find
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From this reading It was something to find in the apathy of prostration a brief respite; it was something to close her eyes and lie quite still.
fled
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From this reading Three hours earlier, her head aching, her heart full, uncertain what to do or what would follow, she had fled from the commotion below, and, locking herself in her bedroom, had lain down with her misery.
follow
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From this reading Three hours earlier, her head aching, her heart full, uncertain what to do or what would follow, she had fled from the commotion below, and, locking herself in her bedroom, had lain down with her misery.
ForprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading For a while she might keep her door locked, might nurse her wretchedness, might evade rude looks and curious questions, might postpone decision.
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Henrietta lifted her tear-stained face from the pillow and awaited the answer.
full
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From this reading Three hours earlier, her head aching, her heart full, uncertain what to do or what would follow, she had fled from the commotion below, and, locking herself in her bedroom, had lain down with her misery.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Three hours earlier, her head aching, her heart full, uncertain what to do or what would follow, she had fled from the commotion below, and, locking herself in her bedroom, had lain down with her misery.
head
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From this reading Three hours earlier, her head aching, her heart full, uncertain what to do or what would follow, she had fled from the commotion below, and, locking herself in her bedroom, had lain down with her misery.
heart
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From this reading Three hours earlier, her head aching, her heart full, uncertain what to do or what would follow, she had fled from the commotion below, and, locking herself in her bedroom, had lain down with her misery.
Henrietta
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From this reading Henrietta lifted her tear-stained face from the pillow and awaited the answer.
herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Henrietta lifted her tear-stained face from the pillow and awaited the answer.
herselfpronounUS /hərˈself/
used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object
From this reading Three hours earlier, her head aching, her heart full, uncertain what to do or what would follow, she had fled from the commotion below, and, locking herself in her bedroom, had lain down with her misery.
hours
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From this reading Three hours earlier, her head aching, her heart full, uncertain what to do or what would follow, she had fled from the commotion below, and, locking herself in her bedroom, had lain down with her misery.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Three hours earlier, her head aching, her heart full, uncertain what to do or what would follow, she had fled from the commotion below, and, locking herself in her bedroom, had lain down with her misery.
INQUIRY
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From this reading THE INQUIRY “Who is there?”
isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading THE INQUIRY “Who is there?”
ItpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was something to find in the apathy of prostration a brief respite; it was something to close her eyes and lie quite still.
keep
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From this reading For a while she might keep her door locked, might nurse her wretchedness, might evade rude looks and curious questions, might postpone decision.
lain
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From this reading Three hours earlier, her head aching, her heart full, uncertain what to do or what would follow, she had fled from the commotion below, and, locking herself in her bedroom, had lain down with her misery.
lie
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From this reading It was something to find in the apathy of prostration a brief respite; it was something to close her eyes and lie quite still.
lifted
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From this reading Henrietta lifted her tear-stained face from the pillow and awaited the answer.
locked
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From this reading For a while she might keep her door locked, might nurse her wretchedness, might evade rude looks and curious questions, might postpone decision.
locking
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From this reading Three hours earlier, her head aching, her heart full, uncertain what to do or what would follow, she had fled from the commotion below, and, locking herself in her bedroom, had lain down with her misery.
looks
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading For a while she might keep her door locked, might nurse her wretchedness, might evade rude looks and curious questions, might postpone decision.
mightmodal verbUS /maɪt/
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading For a while she might keep her door locked, might nurse her wretchedness, might evade rude looks and curious questions, might postpone decision.
misery
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From this reading Three hours earlier, her head aching, her heart full, uncertain what to do or what would follow, she had fled from the commotion below, and, locking herself in her bedroom, had lain down with her misery.
nurse
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From this reading For a while she might keep her door locked, might nurse her wretchedness, might evade rude looks and curious questions, might postpone decision.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading It was something to find in the apathy of prostration a brief respite; it was something to close her eyes and lie quite still.
orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Three hours earlier, her head aching, her heart full, uncertain what to do or what would follow, she had fled from the commotion below, and, locking herself in her bedroom, had lain down with her misery.
pillow
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From this reading Henrietta lifted her tear-stained face from the pillow and awaited the answer.
postpone
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From this reading For a while she might keep her door locked, might nurse her wretchedness, might evade rude looks and curious questions, might postpone decision.
prostration
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was something to find in the apathy of prostration a brief respite; it was something to close her eyes and lie quite still.
questions
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading For a while she might keep her door locked, might nurse her wretchedness, might evade rude looks and curious questions, might postpone decision.
quitenounUS /quite/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading It was something to find in the apathy of prostration a brief respite; it was something to close her eyes and lie quite still.
respite
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From this reading It was something to find in the apathy of prostration a brief respite; it was something to close her eyes and lie quite still.
rude
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From this reading For a while she might keep her door locked, might nurse her wretchedness, might evade rude looks and curious questions, might postpone decision.
shepronounUS /ʃiː/
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Three hours earlier, her head aching, her heart full, uncertain what to do or what would follow, she had fled from the commotion below, and, locking herself in her bedroom, had lain down with her misery.
somethingpronounUS /ˈsʌmθɪŋ/
a thing, without saying which
From this reading It was something to find in the apathy of prostration a brief respite; it was something to close her eyes and lie quite still.
stillnounUS /still/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading It was something to find in the apathy of prostration a brief respite; it was something to close her eyes and lie quite still.
tear-stained
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Henrietta lifted her tear-stained face from the pillow and awaited the answer.
THEdeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE INQUIRY “Who is there?”
there
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From this reading THE INQUIRY “Who is there?”
Three
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From this reading Three hours earlier, her head aching, her heart full, uncertain what to do or what would follow, she had fled from the commotion below, and, locking herself in her bedroom, had lain down with her misery.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Three hours earlier, her head aching, her heart full, uncertain what to do or what would follow, she had fled from the commotion below, and, locking herself in her bedroom, had lain down with her misery.
uncertain
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Three hours earlier, her head aching, her heart full, uncertain what to do or what would follow, she had fled from the commotion below, and, locking herself in her bedroom, had lain down with her misery.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was something to find in the apathy of prostration a brief respite; it was something to close her eyes and lie quite still.
whatpronounUS /wʌt/
used to ask for information about something
From this reading Three hours earlier, her head aching, her heart full, uncertain what to do or what would follow, she had fled from the commotion below, and, locking herself in her bedroom, had lain down with her misery.
whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading For a while she might keep her door locked, might nurse her wretchedness, might evade rude looks and curious questions, might postpone decision.
WhopronounUS /huː/
which person or people
From this reading THE INQUIRY “Who is there?”
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading Three hours earlier, her head aching, her heart full, uncertain what to do or what would follow, she had fled from the commotion below, and, locking herself in her bedroom, had lain down with her misery.
wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading Three hours earlier, her head aching, her heart full, uncertain what to do or what would follow, she had fled from the commotion below, and, locking herself in her bedroom, had lain down with her misery.
wretchedness
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading For a while she might keep her door locked, might nurse her wretchedness, might evade rude looks and curious questions, might postpone decision.
