Chapter 5 of The Alien is here in full — 414 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter V
Chapter 5 of The Alien is here in full — 414 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"It was Phyfe and Dreyer," he said to Illia. "I'm glad you didn't succeed in destroying Demarzule." She hesitated an instant, then nodded with understanding. "I didn't know what you were doing, but I supposed there was some reason. I didn't suspect their evil plot."
Chapter 5 of The Alien is here in full — 414 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/82 · 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.
-ing form of “destroy” — do away with, cause the destruction or undoing of
From this reading “"I'm glad you didn't succeed in destroying Demarzule."”
past form of “hesitate” — pause or hold back in uncertainty or unwillingness
From this reading “She hesitated an instant, then nodded with understanding.”
inflected form of “nod” — express or signify by nodding
From this reading “She hesitated an instant, then nodded with understanding.”
a secret scheme to do something (especially something underhand or illegal)
From this reading “I didn't suspect their evil plot."”
attain success or reach a desired goal
From this reading “"I'm glad you didn't succeed in destroying Demarzule."”
required or under orders
From this reading “"I didn't know what you were doing, but I supposed there was some reason.”
imagine to be the case or true or probable
From this reading “I didn't suspect their evil plot."”
the cognitive condition of someone who understands
From this reading “She hesitated an instant, then nodded with understanding.”
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 “She hesitated an instant, then nodded with understanding.”
In this reading “"I'm glad you didn't succeed in destroying Demarzule."”
In this reading “"I didn't know what you were doing, but I supposed there was some reason.”
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 form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading She hesitated an instant, then nodded with understanding.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "It was Phyfe and Dreyer," he said to Illia.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading "I didn't know what you were doing, but I supposed there was some reason.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I'm glad you didn't succeed in destroying Demarzule."
-ing form of “destroy” — do away with, cause the destruction or undoing of
From this reading "I'm glad you didn't succeed in destroying Demarzule."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I'm glad you didn't succeed in destroying Demarzule."
-ing form of “do” — engage in
From this reading "I didn't know what you were doing, but I supposed there was some reason.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "It was Phyfe and Dreyer," he said to Illia.
morally objectionable behavior
From this reading I didn't suspect their evil plot."
showing or causing joy and pleasure; especially made happy
From this reading "I'm glad you didn't succeed in destroying Demarzule."
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "It was Phyfe and Dreyer," he said to Illia.
past form of “hesitate” — pause or hold back in uncertainty or unwillingness
From this reading She hesitated an instant, then nodded with understanding.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I didn't know what you were doing, but I supposed there was some reason.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I'm glad you didn't succeed in destroying Demarzule."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "It was Phyfe and Dreyer," he said to Illia.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "I'm glad you didn't succeed in destroying Demarzule."
a very short time (as the time it takes the eye to blink or the heart to beat)
From this reading She hesitated an instant, then nodded with understanding.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "It was Phyfe and Dreyer," he said to Illia.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading "I didn't know what you were doing, but I supposed there was some reason.
inflected form of “nod” — express or signify by nodding
From this reading She hesitated an instant, then nodded with understanding.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "It was Phyfe and Dreyer," he said to Illia.
a secret scheme to do something (especially something underhand or illegal)
From this reading I didn't suspect their evil plot."
a rational motive for a belief or action
From this reading "I didn't know what you were doing, but I supposed there was some reason.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "It was Phyfe and Dreyer," he said to Illia.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She hesitated an instant, then nodded with understanding.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading "I didn't know what you were doing, but I supposed there was some reason.
attain success or reach a desired goal
From this reading "I'm glad you didn't succeed in destroying Demarzule."
required or under orders
From this reading "I didn't know what you were doing, but I supposed there was some reason.
imagine to be the case or true or probable
From this reading I didn't suspect their evil plot."
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading I didn't suspect their evil plot."
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading She hesitated an instant, then nodded with understanding.
in or at that place or location
From this reading "I didn't know what you were doing, but I supposed there was some reason.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "It was Phyfe and Dreyer," he said to Illia.
the cognitive condition of someone who understands
From this reading She hesitated an instant, then nodded with understanding.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "It was Phyfe and Dreyer," he said to Illia.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading "I didn't know what you were doing, but I supposed there was some reason.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading "I didn't know what you were doing, but I supposed there was some reason.
in the company of; together with
From this reading She hesitated an instant, then nodded with understanding.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "I'm glad you didn't succeed in destroying Demarzule."
Chapter 5 of The Alien by Raymond F. Jones holds 414 sentences, grouped into 83 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 5 holds 414 sentences of The Alien, unabridged, divided into 83 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 5 of The Alien by Raymond F. Jones exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 414 sentences, grouped into 83 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 83 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 83 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 5 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 The Alien by Raymond F. Jones on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4135 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #50783 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #50783, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 344 minutes of reading across 827 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Alien section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 10 chapters of The Alien 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 The Alien, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
