Chapter 28 of The Betrayal of John Fordham is here in full — 374 sentences across 75 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XXVIII
Chapter 28 of The Betrayal of John Fordham is here in full — 374 sentences across 75 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
JACK SKINNER MAKES A STATEMENT. Look 'ere. It ain't a plant, is it? I'm a bad lot, I know, about as bad as they make 'em, but when it comes to committin' a murder, it ain't in me to do it. If I 'ad the 'eart to kill a man, I ain't got the pluck--Wot's that yer say?
Chapter 28 of The Betrayal of John Fordham is here in full — 374 sentences across 75 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/74 · 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.
an old word for “before”
From this reading “Look 'ere.”
cause to die; put to death, usually intentionally or knowingly
From this reading “If I 'ad the 'eart to kill a man, I ain't got the pluck--Wot's that yer say?”
(often followed by “of”) a large number or amount or extent
From this reading “I'm a bad lot, I know, about as bad as they make 'em, but when it comes to committin' a murder, it ain't in me to do it.”
kill intentionally and with premeditation
From this reading “I'm a bad lot, I know, about as bad as they make 'em, but when it comes to committin' a murder, it ain't in me to do it.”
put or set (seeds, seedlings, or plants) into the ground
From this reading “It ain't a plant, is it?”
pull or pull out sharply
From this reading “If I 'ad the 'eart to kill a man, I ain't got the pluck--Wot's that yer say?”
United States actor (1858-1942)
From this reading “JACK SKINNER MAKES A STATEMENT.”
a message that is stated or declared; a communication (oral or written) setting forth particulars or facts etc
From this reading “JACK SKINNER MAKES A STATEMENT.”
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 “I'm a bad lot, I know, about as bad as they make 'em, but when it comes to committin' a murder, it ain't in me to do it.”
In this reading “If I 'ad the 'eart to kill a man, I ain't got the pluck--Wot's that yer say?”
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 JACK SKINNER MAKES A STATEMENT.
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading I'm a bad lot, I know, about as bad as they make 'em, but when it comes to committin' a murder, it ain't in me to do it.
a public promotion of some product or service
From this reading If I 'ad the 'eart to kill a man, I ain't got the pluck--Wot's that yer say?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It ain't a plant, is it?
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading I'm a bad lot, I know, about as bad as they make 'em, but when it comes to committin' a murder, it ain't in me to do it.
having undesirable or negative qualities
From this reading I'm a bad lot, I know, about as bad as they make 'em, but when it comes to committin' a murder, it ain't in me to do it.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading I'm a bad lot, I know, about as bad as they make 'em, but when it comes to committin' a murder, it ain't in me to do it.
plural of “come” — the thick white fluid containing spermatozoa that is ejaculated by the male genital tract
From this reading I'm a bad lot, I know, about as bad as they make 'em, but when it comes to committin' a murder, it ain't in me to do it.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I'm a bad lot, I know, about as bad as they make 'em, but when it comes to committin' a murder, it ain't in me to do it.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading I'm a bad lot, I know, about as bad as they make 'em, but when it comes to committin' a murder, it ain't in me to do it.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading If I 'ad the 'eart to kill a man, I ain't got the pluck--Wot's that yer say?
a quad with a square body
From this reading I'm a bad lot, I know, about as bad as they make 'em, but when it comes to committin' a murder, it ain't in me to do it.
an old word for “before”
From this reading Look 'ere.
inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading If I 'ad the 'eart to kill a man, I ain't got the pluck--Wot's that yer say?
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I'm a bad lot, I know, about as bad as they make 'em, but when it comes to committin' a murder, it ain't in me to do it.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I'm a bad lot, I know, about as bad as they make 'em, but when it comes to committin' a murder, it ain't in me to do it.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading If I 'ad the 'eart to kill a man, I ain't got the pluck--Wot's that yer say?
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading I'm a bad lot, I know, about as bad as they make 'em, but when it comes to committin' a murder, it ain't in me to do it.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It ain't a plant, is it?
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It ain't a plant, is it?
a small worthless amount
From this reading JACK SKINNER MAKES A STATEMENT.
cause to die; put to death, usually intentionally or knowingly
From this reading If I 'ad the 'eart to kill a man, I ain't got the pluck--Wot's that yer say?
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading I'm a bad lot, I know, about as bad as they make 'em, but when it comes to committin' a murder, it ain't in me to do it.
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading Look 'ere.
(often followed by “of”) a large number or amount or extent
From this reading I'm a bad lot, I know, about as bad as they make 'em, but when it comes to committin' a murder, it ain't in me to do it.
engage in
From this reading I'm a bad lot, I know, about as bad as they make 'em, but when it comes to committin' a murder, it ain't in me to do it.
plural of “make” — a recognizable kind
From this reading JACK SKINNER MAKES A STATEMENT.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading If I 'ad the 'eart to kill a man, I ain't got the pluck--Wot's that yer say?
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading I'm a bad lot, I know, about as bad as they make 'em, but when it comes to committin' a murder, it ain't in me to do it.
kill intentionally and with premeditation
From this reading I'm a bad lot, I know, about as bad as they make 'em, but when it comes to committin' a murder, it ain't in me to do it.
put or set (seeds, seedlings, or plants) into the ground
From this reading It ain't a plant, is it?
pull or pull out sharply
From this reading If I 'ad the 'eart to kill a man, I ain't got the pluck--Wot's that yer say?
express in words
From this reading If I 'ad the 'eart to kill a man, I ain't got the pluck--Wot's that yer say?
United States actor (1858-1942)
From this reading JACK SKINNER MAKES A STATEMENT.
a message that is stated or declared; a communication (oral or written) setting forth particulars or facts etc
From this reading JACK SKINNER MAKES A STATEMENT.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading If I 'ad the 'eart to kill a man, I ain't got the pluck--Wot's that yer say?
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading If I 'ad the 'eart to kill a man, I ain't got the pluck--Wot's that yer say?
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading I'm a bad lot, I know, about as bad as they make 'em, but when it comes to committin' a murder, it ain't in me to do it.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading I'm a bad lot, I know, about as bad as they make 'em, but when it comes to committin' a murder, it ain't in me to do it.
at the time that
From this reading I'm a bad lot, I know, about as bad as they make 'em, but when it comes to committin' a murder, it ain't in me to do it.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading If I 'ad the 'eart to kill a man, I ain't got the pluck--Wot's that yer say?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading If I 'ad the 'eart to kill a man, I ain't got the pluck--Wot's that yer say?
Chapter 28 of The Betrayal of John Fordham by B. L. (Benjamin Leopold) Farjeon holds 374 sentences, grouped into 75 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 28 holds 374 sentences of The Betrayal of John Fordham, unabridged, divided into 75 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 28 of The Betrayal of John Fordham by B. L. (Benjamin Leopold) Farjeon exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 374 sentences, grouped into 75 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 75 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 75 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 28 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 Betrayal of John Fordham by B. L. (Benjamin Leopold) Farjeon on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 6645 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #45525 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #45525, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 553 minutes of reading across 1329 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Betrayal of John Fordham section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 33 chapters of The Betrayal of John Fordham 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 Betrayal of John Fordham, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
