Chapter 2 of The Big Drum: A Comedy in Four Acts is here in full — 437 sentences across 88 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of The Big Drum: A Comedy in Four Acts is here in full — 437 sentences across 88 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
OTTOLINE. [_Drearily._] Paris! Is Paris so full of cheerful memories for me, do you suppose, that I should cling to it! PHILIP. [_Soothingly._] Oh, come----!
Chapter 2 of The Big Drum: A Comedy in Four Acts is here in full — 437 sentences across 88 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/87 · 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.
being full of or promoting cheer; having or showing good spirits
From this reading “Is Paris so full of cheerful memories for me, do you suppose, that I should cling to it!”
come or be in close contact with; stick or hold together and resist separation
From this reading “Is Paris so full of cheerful memories for me, do you suppose, that I should cling to it!”
containing as much or as many as is possible or normal
From this reading “Is Paris so full of cheerful memories for me, do you suppose, that I should cling to it!”
Recollections of past events.
From this reading “Is Paris so full of cheerful memories for me, do you suppose, that I should cling to it!”
the capital and largest city of France; and international center of culture and commerce
From this reading “[_Drearily._] Paris!”
Englishman and husband of Elizabeth II (born 1921)
From this reading “PHILIP.”
in a soothing manner
express a supposition
From this reading “Is Paris so full of cheerful memories for me, do you suppose, that I should cling to it!”
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.
being full of or promoting cheer; having or showing good spirits
From this reading Is Paris so full of cheerful memories for me, do you suppose, that I should cling to it!
come or be in close contact with; stick or hold together and resist separation
From this reading Is Paris so full of cheerful memories for me, do you suppose, that I should cling to it!
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading [_Soothingly._] Oh, come----!
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading Is Paris so full of cheerful memories for me, do you suppose, that I should cling to it!
in a cheerless manner
From this reading [_Drearily._] Paris!
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Is Paris so full of cheerful memories for me, do you suppose, that I should cling to it!
containing as much or as many as is possible or normal
From this reading Is Paris so full of cheerful memories for me, do you suppose, that I should cling to it!
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading Is Paris so full of cheerful memories for me, do you suppose, that I should cling to it!
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Is Paris so full of cheerful memories for me, do you suppose, that I should cling to it!
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Is Paris so full of cheerful memories for me, do you suppose, that I should cling to it!
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Is Paris so full of cheerful memories for me, do you suppose, that I should cling to it!
Recollections of past events.
From this reading Is Paris so full of cheerful memories for me, do you suppose, that I should cling to it!
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Is Paris so full of cheerful memories for me, do you suppose, that I should cling to it!
a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region
From this reading [_Soothingly._] Oh, come----!
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading OTTOLINE.
the capital and largest city of France; and international center of culture and commerce
From this reading [_Drearily._] Paris!
Englishman and husband of Elizabeth II (born 1921)
From this reading PHILIP.
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading Is Paris so full of cheerful memories for me, do you suppose, that I should cling to it!
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading Is Paris so full of cheerful memories for me, do you suppose, that I should cling to it!
in a soothing manner
From this reading [_Soothingly._] Oh, come----!
express a supposition
From this reading Is Paris so full of cheerful memories for me, do you suppose, that I should cling to it!
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Is Paris so full of cheerful memories for me, do you suppose, that I should cling to it!
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Is Paris so full of cheerful memories for me, do you suppose, that I should cling to it!
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading Is Paris so full of cheerful memories for me, do you suppose, that I should cling to it!
Chapter 2 of The Big Drum: A Comedy in Four Acts by Arthur Wing Pinero holds 437 sentences, grouped into 88 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 2 holds 437 sentences of The Big Drum: A Comedy in Four Acts, unabridged, divided into 88 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of The Big Drum: A Comedy in Four Acts by Arthur Wing Pinero exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 437 sentences, grouped into 88 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 88 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 88 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 2 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 Big Drum: A Comedy in Four Acts by Arthur Wing Pinero on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3925 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #25984 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #25984, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 327 minutes of reading across 785 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Big Drum: A Comedy in Four Acts section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 9 chapters of The Big Drum: A Comedy in Four Acts 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 Big Drum: A Comedy in Four Acts, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
