Chapter 4 of Tales of the Five Towns is here in full — 707 sentences across 142 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IV
Chapter 4 of Tales of the Five Towns is here in full — 707 sentences across 142 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
On the Thursday afternoon with which we began, Brunt's was deserted save for the housekeeper and Eva, who was writing letters in her room. 'I saw you from my window, coming up the street,' she said to Clive, 'and so I ran down to open the door. Will you come into father's room? He is in Manchester for the day, buying. 'I knew that,' said Timmis.
Chapter 4 of Tales of the Five Towns is here in full — 707 sentences across 142 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/141 · 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.
the act of buying
From this reading “He is in Manchester for the day, buying.”
British general and statesman whose victory at Plassey in 1757 strengthened British control of India (1725-1774)
From this reading “'I saw you from my window, coming up the street,' she said to Clive, 'and so I ran down to open the door.”
forsaken by owner or inhabitants
From this reading “On the Thursday afternoon with which we began, Brunt's was deserted save for the housekeeper and Eva, who was writing letters in her room.”
possessive form of “father” — a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)
From this reading “Will you come into father's room?”
a servant who is employed to perform domestic task in a household
From this reading “On the Thursday afternoon with which we began, Brunt's was deserted save for the housekeeper and Eva, who was writing letters in her room.”
largest city in New Hampshire; located in southeastern New Hampshire on the Merrimack river
From this reading “He is in Manchester for the day, buying.”
the fifth day of the week; the fourth working day
From this reading “On the Thursday afternoon with which we began, Brunt's was deserted save for the housekeeper and Eva, who was writing letters in her room.”
the act of creating written works
From this reading “On the Thursday afternoon with which we began, Brunt's was deserted save for the housekeeper and Eva, who was writing letters in her room.”
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 “On the Thursday afternoon with which we began, Brunt's was deserted save for the housekeeper and Eva, who was writing letters in her room.”
In this reading “'I saw you from my window, coming up the street,' she said to Clive, 'and so I ran down to open the door.”
trace
In this reading “'I saw you from my window, coming up the street,' she said to Clive, 'and so I ran down to open the door.”
obtain, especially accidentally
In this reading “Will you come into father's room?”
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.
the part of the day between noon and evening
From this reading On the Thursday afternoon with which we began, Brunt's was deserted save for the housekeeper and Eva, who was writing letters in her room.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading On the Thursday afternoon with which we began, Brunt's was deserted save for the housekeeper and Eva, who was writing letters in her room.
inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading On the Thursday afternoon with which we began, Brunt's was deserted save for the housekeeper and Eva, who was writing letters in her room.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading On the Thursday afternoon with which we began, Brunt's was deserted save for the housekeeper and Eva, who was writing letters in her room.
the act of buying
From this reading He is in Manchester for the day, buying.
British general and statesman whose victory at Plassey in 1757 strengthened British control of India (1725-1774)
From this reading 'I saw you from my window, coming up the street,' she said to Clive, 'and so I ran down to open the door.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading Will you come into father's room?
the act of drawing spatially closer to something
From this reading 'I saw you from my window, coming up the street,' she said to Clive, 'and so I ran down to open the door.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading He is in Manchester for the day, buying.
forsaken by owner or inhabitants
From this reading On the Thursday afternoon with which we began, Brunt's was deserted save for the housekeeper and Eva, who was writing letters in her room.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading 'I saw you from my window, coming up the street,' she said to Clive, 'and so I ran down to open the door.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading 'I saw you from my window, coming up the street,' she said to Clive, 'and so I ran down to open the door.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading On the Thursday afternoon with which we began, Brunt's was deserted save for the housekeeper and Eva, who was writing letters in her room.
possessive form of “father” — a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)
From this reading Will you come into father's room?
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading On the Thursday afternoon with which we began, Brunt's was deserted save for the housekeeper and Eva, who was writing letters in her room.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading 'I saw you from my window, coming up the street,' she said to Clive, 'and so I ran down to open the door.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He is in Manchester for the day, buying.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading On the Thursday afternoon with which we began, Brunt's was deserted save for the housekeeper and Eva, who was writing letters in her room.
a servant who is employed to perform domestic task in a household
From this reading On the Thursday afternoon with which we began, Brunt's was deserted save for the housekeeper and Eva, who was writing letters in her room.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading 'I saw you from my window, coming up the street,' she said to Clive, 'and so I ran down to open the door.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading On the Thursday afternoon with which we began, Brunt's was deserted save for the housekeeper and Eva, who was writing letters in her room.
moving to the inside of something
From this reading Will you come into father's room?
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading He is in Manchester for the day, buying.
inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading 'I knew that,' said Timmis.
the literary culture
From this reading On the Thursday afternoon with which we began, Brunt's was deserted save for the housekeeper and Eva, who was writing letters in her room.
largest city in New Hampshire; located in southeastern New Hampshire on the Merrimack river
From this reading He is in Manchester for the day, buying.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading 'I saw you from my window, coming up the street,' she said to Clive, 'and so I ran down to open the door.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading On the Thursday afternoon with which we began, Brunt's was deserted save for the housekeeper and Eva, who was writing letters in her room.
To move from a closed position.
From this reading 'I saw you from my window, coming up the street,' she said to Clive, 'and so I ran down to open the door.
inflected form of “run” — move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time
From this reading 'I saw you from my window, coming up the street,' she said to Clive, 'and so I ran down to open the door.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading On the Thursday afternoon with which we began, Brunt's was deserted save for the housekeeper and Eva, who was writing letters in her room.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading 'I saw you from my window, coming up the street,' she said to Clive, 'and so I ran down to open the door.
except for; apart from
From this reading On the Thursday afternoon with which we began, Brunt's was deserted save for the housekeeper and Eva, who was writing letters in her room.
cut with a saw
From this reading 'I saw you from my window, coming up the street,' she said to Clive, 'and so I ran down to open the door.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading 'I saw you from my window, coming up the street,' she said to Clive, 'and so I ran down to open the door.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading 'I saw you from my window, coming up the street,' she said to Clive, 'and so I ran down to open the door.
a thoroughfare (usually including sidewalks) that is lined with buildings
From this reading 'I saw you from my window, coming up the street,' she said to Clive, 'and so I ran down to open the door.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading 'I knew that,' said Timmis.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading On the Thursday afternoon with which we began, Brunt's was deserted save for the housekeeper and Eva, who was writing letters in her room.
the fifth day of the week; the fourth working day
From this reading On the Thursday afternoon with which we began, Brunt's was deserted save for the housekeeper and Eva, who was writing letters in her room.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading 'I knew that,' said Timmis.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading 'I saw you from my window, coming up the street,' she said to Clive, 'and so I ran down to open the door.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading 'I saw you from my window, coming up the street,' she said to Clive, 'and so I ran down to open the door.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading On the Thursday afternoon with which we began, Brunt's was deserted save for the housekeeper and Eva, who was writing letters in her room.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading On the Thursday afternoon with which we began, Brunt's was deserted save for the housekeeper and Eva, who was writing letters in her room.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading On the Thursday afternoon with which we began, Brunt's was deserted save for the housekeeper and Eva, who was writing letters in her room.
which person or people
From this reading On the Thursday afternoon with which we began, Brunt's was deserted save for the housekeeper and Eva, who was writing letters in her room.
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading Will you come into father's room?
a framework of wood or metal that contains a glass windowpane and is built into a wall or roof to admit light or air
From this reading 'I saw you from my window, coming up the street,' she said to Clive, 'and so I ran down to open the door.
in the company of; together with
From this reading On the Thursday afternoon with which we began, Brunt's was deserted save for the housekeeper and Eva, who was writing letters in her room.
the act of creating written works
From this reading On the Thursday afternoon with which we began, Brunt's was deserted save for the housekeeper and Eva, who was writing letters in her room.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading 'I saw you from my window, coming up the street,' she said to Clive, 'and so I ran down to open the door.
Chapter 4 of Tales of the Five Towns by Arnold Bennett holds 707 sentences, grouped into 142 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 707 sentences of Tales of the Five Towns, unabridged, divided into 142 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 4 of Tales of the Five Towns by Arnold Bennett exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 707 sentences, grouped into 142 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 142 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 142 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 Tales of the Five Towns by Arnold Bennett 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 Tales of the Five Towns section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 0 chapters of Tales of the Five Towns 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 Tales of the Five Towns, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
