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Susan
Susan

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of Susan is here in full — 416 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Susan
Context Illustration Reading 1/83 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
DIEPPE SAINTE VÉRONIQUE LA VILLA DE LA MER *BOOK I* *TRAXELBY* *BOOK I* _Wednesday, September_ 5, 1906.
What on earth is the matter with Susan?
Up to yesterday morning I have hardly had to find fault with her more than twice or thrice in four years.
Yet, since last night, she has richly deserved a dozen sharp scoldings at the very least.
After all, poor Grandmamma must have been right.
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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.

Susan

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of Susan is here in full — 416 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/83 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
DIEPPE SAINTE VÉRONIQUE LA VILLA DE LA MER *BOOK I* *TRAXELBY* *BOOK I* _Wednesday, September_ 5, 1906.
Line 2
What on earth is the matter with Susan?
Line 3
Up to yesterday morning I have hardly had to find fault with her more than twice or thrice in four years.
/ʌp tuː ˈjestərdeɪ ˈmɔːrnɪŋ aɪ hæv ˈhɑːrdli hæd tuː faɪnd fɔːlt wɪð hɜːr mɔːr ðæn twaɪs ɔːr θraɪs ɪn fɔːr jɪrz/
Line 4
Yet, since last night, she has richly deserved a dozen sharp scoldings at the very least.
Line 5
After all, poor Grandmamma must have been right.

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.

deserved adjective US /dɪˈzɜːrvd/

properly deserved

From this reading “Yet, since last night, she has richly deserved a dozen sharp scoldings at the very least.”

fault noun US /fɔːlt/

a wrong action attributable to bad judgment or ignorance or inattention

From this reading “Up to yesterday morning I have hardly had to find fault with her more than twice or thrice in four years.”

richly adverb US /ˈrɪtʃli/

to an ample degree or in an ample manner

From this reading “Yet, since last night, she has richly deserved a dozen sharp scoldings at the very least.”

September noun US /sepˈtembər/

the month following August and preceding October

thrice adverb US /θraɪs/

three times

From this reading “Up to yesterday morning I have hardly had to find fault with her more than twice or thrice in four years.”

villa noun US /ˈvɪlə/

Mexican revolutionary leader (1877-1923)

From this reading “DIEPPE SAINTE VÉRONIQUE LA VILLA DE LA MER *BOOK I* *TRAXELBY* *BOOK I* _Wednesday, September_ 5, 1906.”

Wednesday noun US /ˈwenzdi/

the fourth day of the week; the third working day

yesterday noun US /ˈjestərdeɪ/

the day immediately before today

From this reading “Up to yesterday morning I have hardly had to find fault with her more than twice or thrice in four years.”

Word partnerships in these lines

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.

richly deserved adverb + adjective

In this reading “Yet, since last night, she has richly deserved a dozen sharp scoldings at the very least.”

DE LA noun + noun

In this reading “DIEPPE SAINTE VÉRONIQUE LA VILLA DE LA MER *BOOK I* *TRAXELBY* *BOOK I* _Wednesday, September_ 5, 1906.”

four years noun + noun

In this reading “Up to yesterday morning I have hardly had to find fault with her more than twice or thrice in four years.”

last night adjective + noun

In this reading “Yet, since last night, she has richly deserved a dozen sharp scoldings at the very least.”

yesterday morning noun + noun

In this reading “Up to yesterday morning I have hardly had to find fault with her more than twice or thrice in four years.”

find fault verb + noun

harass with constant criticism

In this reading “Up to yesterday morning I have hardly had to find fault with her more than twice or thrice in four years.”

on earth preposition + noun

used with question words to convey surprise

In this reading “What on earth is the matter with Susan?”

All words in this reading · 62

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.

1906

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

From this reading DIEPPE SAINTE VÉRONIQUE LA VILLA DE LA MER *BOOK I* *TRAXELBY* *BOOK I* _Wednesday, September_ 5, 1906.

5

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

From this reading DIEPPE SAINTE VÉRONIQUE LA VILLA DE LA MER *BOOK I* *TRAXELBY* *BOOK I* _Wednesday, September_ 5, 1906.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading Yet, since last night, she has richly deserved a dozen sharp scoldings at the very least.

AfterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading After all, poor Grandmamma must have been right.

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 After all, poor Grandmamma must have been right.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Yet, since last night, she has richly deserved a dozen sharp scoldings at the very least.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading After all, poor Grandmamma must have been right.

BOOKnounUS /bʊk/

a written work or composition that has been published (printed on pages bound together)

From this reading DIEPPE SAINTE VÉRONIQUE LA VILLA DE LA MER *BOOK I* *TRAXELBY* *BOOK I* _Wednesday, September_ 5, 1906.

DEnounUS /diː/

a Mid-Atlantic state; one of the original 13 colonies

From this reading DIEPPE SAINTE VÉRONIQUE LA VILLA DE LA MER *BOOK I* *TRAXELBY* *BOOK I* _Wednesday, September_ 5, 1906.

deservedadjectiveUS /dɪˈzɜːrvd/

properly deserved

From this reading Yet, since last night, she has richly deserved a dozen sharp scoldings at the very least.

DIEPPE

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

From this reading DIEPPE SAINTE VÉRONIQUE LA VILLA DE LA MER *BOOK I* *TRAXELBY* *BOOK I* _Wednesday, September_ 5, 1906.

dozennounUS /ˈdʌzən/

the cardinal number that is the sum of eleven and one

From this reading Yet, since last night, she has richly deserved a dozen sharp scoldings at the very least.

earthnounUS /ɜːrθ/

the 3rd planet from the sun; the planet we live on

From this reading What on earth is the matter with Susan?

faultnounUS /fɔːlt/

a wrong action attributable to bad judgment or ignorance or inattention

From this reading Up to yesterday morning I have hardly had to find fault with her more than twice or thrice in four years.

findverbUS /faɪnd/

come upon, as if by accident; meet with

From this reading Up to yesterday morning I have hardly had to find fault with her more than twice or thrice in four years.

fournounUS /fɔːr/

the cardinal number that is the sum of three and one

From this reading Up to yesterday morning I have hardly had to find fault with her more than twice or thrice in four years.

Grandmamma

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

From this reading After all, poor Grandmamma must have been right.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading Up to yesterday morning I have hardly had to find fault with her more than twice or thrice in four years.

hardlyadverbUS /ˈhɑːrdli/

only a very short time before

From this reading Up to yesterday morning I have hardly had to find fault with her more than twice or thrice in four years.

hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/

the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading Yet, since last night, she has richly deserved a dozen sharp scoldings at the very least.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading Up to yesterday morning I have hardly had to find fault with her more than twice or thrice in four years.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading Up to yesterday morning I have hardly had to find fault with her more than twice or thrice in four years.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading DIEPPE SAINTE VÉRONIQUE LA VILLA DE LA MER *BOOK I* *TRAXELBY* *BOOK I* _Wednesday, September_ 5, 1906.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Up to yesterday morning I have hardly had to find fault with her more than twice or thrice in four years.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading What on earth is the matter with Susan?

LAnounUS /lɑː/

a white soft metallic element that tarnishes readily; occurs in rare earth minerals and is usually classified as a rare earth

From this reading DIEPPE SAINTE VÉRONIQUE LA VILLA DE LA MER *BOOK I* *TRAXELBY* *BOOK I* _Wednesday, September_ 5, 1906.

lastadjectiveUS /læst/

immediately past

From this reading Yet, since last night, she has richly deserved a dozen sharp scoldings at the very least.

leastadjectiveUS /liːst/

the superlative of “little” that can be used with mass nouns and is usually preceded by “the”; a quantifier meaning smallest in amount or extent or degree

From this reading Yet, since last night, she has richly deserved a dozen sharp scoldings at the very least.

matternounUS /ˈmætər/

a vaguely specified concern

From this reading What on earth is the matter with Susan?

MER

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

From this reading DIEPPE SAINTE VÉRONIQUE LA VILLA DE LA MER *BOOK I* *TRAXELBY* *BOOK I* _Wednesday, September_ 5, 1906.

moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/

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

From this reading Up to yesterday morning I have hardly had to find fault with her more than twice or thrice in four years.

morningnounUS /ˈmɔːrnɪŋ/

the time period between dawn and noon

From this reading Up to yesterday morning I have hardly had to find fault with her more than twice or thrice in four years.

mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading After all, poor Grandmamma must have been right.

nightnounUS /naɪt/

the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside

From this reading Yet, since last night, she has richly deserved a dozen sharp scoldings at the very least.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading What on earth is the matter with Susan?

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading Up to yesterday morning I have hardly had to find fault with her more than twice or thrice in four years.

pooradjectiveUS /puːr/

deserving or inciting pity

From this reading After all, poor Grandmamma must have been right.

richlyadverbUS /ˈrɪtʃli/

to an ample degree or in an ample manner

From this reading Yet, since last night, she has richly deserved a dozen sharp scoldings at the very least.

rightadverbUS /raɪt/

precisely, exactly

From this reading After all, poor Grandmamma must have been right.

SAINTE

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

From this reading DIEPPE SAINTE VÉRONIQUE LA VILLA DE LA MER *BOOK I* *TRAXELBY* *BOOK I* _Wednesday, September_ 5, 1906.

scoldings

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

From this reading Yet, since last night, she has richly deserved a dozen sharp scoldings at the very least.

SeptembernounUS /sepˈtembər/

the month following August and preceding October

From this reading DIEPPE SAINTE VÉRONIQUE LA VILLA DE LA MER *BOOK I* *TRAXELBY* *BOOK I* _Wednesday, September_ 5, 1906.

sharpadjectiveUS /ʃɑːrp/

(of something seen or heard) clearly defined

From this reading Yet, since last night, she has richly deserved a dozen sharp scoldings at the very least.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Yet, since last night, she has richly deserved a dozen sharp scoldings at the very least.

sinceprepositionUS /sɪns/

from a time in the past until now

From this reading Yet, since last night, she has richly deserved a dozen sharp scoldings at the very least.

Susan

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

From this reading What on earth is the matter with Susan?

thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading Up to yesterday morning I have hardly had to find fault with her more than twice or thrice in four years.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading What on earth is the matter with Susan?

thriceadverbUS /θraɪs/

three times

From this reading Up to yesterday morning I have hardly had to find fault with her more than twice or thrice in four years.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Up to yesterday morning I have hardly had to find fault with her more than twice or thrice in four years.

TRAXELBY

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

From this reading DIEPPE SAINTE VÉRONIQUE LA VILLA DE LA MER *BOOK I* *TRAXELBY* *BOOK I* _Wednesday, September_ 5, 1906.

twiceadverbUS /twaɪs/

two times

From this reading Up to yesterday morning I have hardly had to find fault with her more than twice or thrice in four years.

UpadjectiveUS /ʌp/

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading Up to yesterday morning I have hardly had to find fault with her more than twice or thrice in four years.

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading Yet, since last night, she has richly deserved a dozen sharp scoldings at the very least.

VILLAnounUS /ˈvɪlə/

Mexican revolutionary leader (1877-1923)

From this reading DIEPPE SAINTE VÉRONIQUE LA VILLA DE LA MER *BOOK I* *TRAXELBY* *BOOK I* _Wednesday, September_ 5, 1906.

VÉRONIQUE

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

From this reading DIEPPE SAINTE VÉRONIQUE LA VILLA DE LA MER *BOOK I* *TRAXELBY* *BOOK I* _Wednesday, September_ 5, 1906.

WednesdaynounUS /ˈwenzdi/

the fourth day of the week; the third working day

From this reading DIEPPE SAINTE VÉRONIQUE LA VILLA DE LA MER *BOOK I* *TRAXELBY* *BOOK I* _Wednesday, September_ 5, 1906.

WhatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading What on earth is the matter with Susan?

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading What on earth is the matter with Susan?

yearsnounUS /jɪrz/

a late time of life

From this reading Up to yesterday morning I have hardly had to find fault with her more than twice or thrice in four years.

yesterdaynounUS /ˈjestərdeɪ/

the day immediately before today

From this reading Up to yesterday morning I have hardly had to find fault with her more than twice or thrice in four years.

YetconjunctionUS /jet/

but in spite of that

From this reading Yet, since last night, she has richly deserved a dozen sharp scoldings at the very least.

Chapter 1 of Susan by Ernest Oldmeadow holds 416 sentences, grouped into 84 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 1 of Susan contain?

Chapter 1 holds 416 sentences of Susan, unabridged, divided into 84 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of Susan by Ernest Oldmeadow exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 416 sentences, grouped into 84 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 1 of Susan?

Work through the 84 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 84 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 1 be read aloud to me?

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.

Questions about reading Susan

Common questions about reading Susan by Ernest Oldmeadow on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Susan?

Yes. All 4583 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #48418 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Susan is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #48418, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Susan take to read?

About 381 minutes of reading across 917 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Susan section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 11 chapters of Susan 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 Susan

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

Dieppe
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Susan; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Sainte
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Susan; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Ronique
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Susan; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Villa
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Susan; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.