Chapter 7 of The Boys and I: A Child's Story for Children is here in full — 208 sentences across 42 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
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Chapter VII
Chapter 7 of The Boys and I: A Child's Story for Children is here in full — 208 sentences across 42 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
WE TRY TO BE GOOD. "Our sister is quite in her glory, When telling us nice little tales." As ill-luck would have it, this day also was wet and dreary. I don't know that Mrs. Partridge or Sarah regretted it, for if it had been fine one of the servants would have had to take us out for a walk. But we were very sorry.
Chapter 7 of The Boys and I: A Child's Story for Children is here in full — 208 sentences across 42 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/41 · 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.
lacking in liveliness or charm or surprise
From this reading “As ill-luck would have it, this day also was wet and dreary.”
a state of high honor
From this reading “"Our sister is quite in her glory, When telling us nice little tales."”
flesh of either quail or grouse
From this reading “I don't know that Mrs. Partridge or Sarah regretted it, for if it had been fine one of the servants would have had to take us out for a walk.”
inflected form of “regret” — feel remorse for; feel sorry for; be contrite about
From this reading “I don't know that Mrs. Partridge or Sarah regretted it, for if it had been fine one of the servants would have had to take us out for a walk.”
(Old Testament) the wife of Abraham and mother of Isaac
From this reading “I don't know that Mrs. Partridge or Sarah regretted it, for if it had been fine one of the servants would have had to take us out for a walk.”
plural of “servant” — a person working in the service of another (especially in the household)
From this reading “I don't know that Mrs. Partridge or Sarah regretted it, for if it had been fine one of the servants would have had to take us out for a walk.”
plural of “tale” — a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program
From this reading “"Our sister is quite in her glory, When telling us nice little tales."”
covered or soaked with a liquid such as water
From this reading “As ill-luck would have it, this day also was wet and dreary.”
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.
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 I don't know that Mrs. Partridge or Sarah regretted it, for if it had been fine one of the servants would have had to take us out for a walk.
in addition
From this reading As ill-luck would have it, this day also was wet and dreary.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading As ill-luck would have it, this day also was wet and dreary.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading As ill-luck would have it, this day also was wet and dreary.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading WE TRY TO BE GOOD.
the past participle of “be”
From this reading I don't know that Mrs. Partridge or Sarah regretted it, for if it had been fine one of the servants would have had to take us out for a walk.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But we were very sorry.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading As ill-luck would have it, this day also was wet and dreary.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I don't know that Mrs. Partridge or Sarah regretted it, for if it had been fine one of the servants would have had to take us out for a walk.
lacking in liveliness or charm or surprise
From this reading As ill-luck would have it, this day also was wet and dreary.
being satisfactory or in satisfactory condition
From this reading I don't know that Mrs. Partridge or Sarah regretted it, for if it had been fine one of the servants would have had to take us out for a walk.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading I don't know that Mrs. Partridge or Sarah regretted it, for if it had been fine one of the servants would have had to take us out for a walk.
a state of high honor
From this reading "Our sister is quite in her glory, When telling us nice little tales."
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading WE TRY TO BE GOOD.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading I don't know that Mrs. Partridge or Sarah regretted it, for if it had been fine one of the servants would have had to take us out for a walk.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading As ill-luck would have it, this day also was wet and dreary.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading "Our sister is quite in her glory, When telling us nice little tales."
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I don't know that Mrs. Partridge or Sarah regretted it, for if it had been fine one of the servants would have had to take us out for a walk.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading I don't know that Mrs. Partridge or Sarah regretted it, for if it had been fine one of the servants would have had to take us out for a walk.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As ill-luck would have it, this day also was wet and dreary.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "Our sister is quite in her glory, When telling us nice little tales."
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "Our sister is quite in her glory, When telling us nice little tales."
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading As ill-luck would have it, this day also was wet and dreary.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading I don't know that Mrs. Partridge or Sarah regretted it, for if it had been fine one of the servants would have had to take us out for a walk.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading "Our sister is quite in her glory, When telling us nice little tales."
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading I don't know that Mrs. Partridge or Sarah regretted it, for if it had been fine one of the servants would have had to take us out for a walk.
pleasant or pleasing or agreeable in nature or appearance
From this reading "Our sister is quite in her glory, When telling us nice little tales."
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading I don't know that Mrs. Partridge or Sarah regretted it, for if it had been fine one of the servants would have had to take us out for a walk.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading I don't know that Mrs. Partridge or Sarah regretted it, for if it had been fine one of the servants would have had to take us out for a walk.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading I don't know that Mrs. Partridge or Sarah regretted it, for if it had been fine one of the servants would have had to take us out for a walk.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading "Our sister is quite in her glory, When telling us nice little tales."
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading I don't know that Mrs. Partridge or Sarah regretted it, for if it had been fine one of the servants would have had to take us out for a walk.
flesh of either quail or grouse
From this reading I don't know that Mrs. Partridge or Sarah regretted it, for if it had been fine one of the servants would have had to take us out for a walk.
to a degree (not used with a negative)
From this reading "Our sister is quite in her glory, When telling us nice little tales."
inflected form of “regret” — feel remorse for; feel sorry for; be contrite about
From this reading I don't know that Mrs. Partridge or Sarah regretted it, for if it had been fine one of the servants would have had to take us out for a walk.
(Old Testament) the wife of Abraham and mother of Isaac
From this reading I don't know that Mrs. Partridge or Sarah regretted it, for if it had been fine one of the servants would have had to take us out for a walk.
plural of “servant” — a person working in the service of another (especially in the household)
From this reading I don't know that Mrs. Partridge or Sarah regretted it, for if it had been fine one of the servants would have had to take us out for a walk.
a female person who has the same parents as another person
From this reading "Our sister is quite in her glory, When telling us nice little tales."
feeling or expressing regret or sorrow or a sense of loss over something done or undone
From this reading But we were very sorry.
carry out
From this reading I don't know that Mrs. Partridge or Sarah regretted it, for if it had been fine one of the servants would have had to take us out for a walk.
plural of “tale” — a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program
From this reading "Our sister is quite in her glory, When telling us nice little tales."
disclosing unintentionally something concealed
From this reading "Our sister is quite in her glory, When telling us nice little tales."
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading I don't know that Mrs. Partridge or Sarah regretted it, for if it had been fine one of the servants would have had to take us out for a walk.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading I don't know that Mrs. Partridge or Sarah regretted it, for if it had been fine one of the servants would have had to take us out for a walk.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading As ill-luck would have it, this day also was wet and dreary.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading WE TRY TO BE GOOD.
make an effort or attempt
From this reading WE TRY TO BE GOOD.
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "Our sister is quite in her glory, When telling us nice little tales."
precisely as stated
From this reading But we were very sorry.
the act of traveling by foot
From this reading I don't know that Mrs. Partridge or Sarah regretted it, for if it had been fine one of the servants would have had to take us out for a walk.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading As ill-luck would have it, this day also was wet and dreary.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading WE TRY TO BE GOOD.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading But we were very sorry.
covered or soaked with a liquid such as water
From this reading As ill-luck would have it, this day also was wet and dreary.
at the time that
From this reading "Our sister is quite in her glory, When telling us nice little tales."
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading As ill-luck would have it, this day also was wet and dreary.
Chapter 7 of The Boys and I: A Child's Story for Children by Mrs. Molesworth holds 208 sentences, grouped into 42 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 7 holds 208 sentences of The Boys and I: A Child's Story for Children, unabridged, divided into 42 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 7 of The Boys and I: A Child's Story for Children by Mrs. Molesworth exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 208 sentences, grouped into 42 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 42 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 42 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 7 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 Boys and I: A Child's Story for Children by Mrs. Molesworth on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 2907 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #30845 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #30845, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 242 minutes of reading across 582 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Boys and I: A Child's Story for Children section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 13 chapters of The Boys and I: A Child's Story for Children 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 Boys and I: A Child's Story for Children, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
