Chapter 9 of The Brentons is here in full — 415 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IX
Chapter 9 of The Brentons is here in full — 415 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"Thanks, Opdyke." Brenton shut his hand on the long, nervous fingers, shut it and left it there. "But would it be a mess?" "For the present, yes. Later, it's another question.
Chapter 9 of The Brentons is here in full — 415 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/83 · 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.
plural of “finger” — any of the terminal members of the hand (sometimes excepting the thumb)
From this reading “Brenton shut his hand on the long, nervous fingers, shut it and left it there.”
happening at a time subsequent to a reference time
From this reading “Later, it's another question.”
a state of confusion and disorderliness
From this reading “"But would it be a mess?"”
easily agitated
From this reading “Brenton shut his hand on the long, nervous fingers, shut it and left it there.”
give an exhibition of to an interested audience
From this reading “"For the present, yes.”
challenge the accuracy, probity, or propriety of
From this reading “Later, it's another question.”
move so that an opening or passage is obstructed; make shut
From this reading “Brenton shut his hand on the long, nervous fingers, shut it and left it there.”
an acknowledgment of appreciation
From this reading “"Thanks, Opdyke."”
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 "But would it be a mess?"
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Brenton shut his hand on the long, nervous fingers, shut it and left it there.
one more of the same kind, or a different one
From this reading Later, it's another question.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading "But would it be a mess?"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Brenton shut his hand on the long, nervous fingers, shut it and left it there.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading "But would it be a mess?"
plural of “finger” — any of the terminal members of the hand (sometimes excepting the thumb)
From this reading Brenton shut his hand on the long, nervous fingers, shut it and left it there.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading "For the present, yes.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading Brenton shut his hand on the long, nervous fingers, shut it and left it there.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Brenton shut his hand on the long, nervous fingers, shut it and left it there.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Brenton shut his hand on the long, nervous fingers, shut it and left it there.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Later, it's another question.
happening at a time subsequent to a reference time
From this reading Later, it's another question.
location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east
From this reading Brenton shut his hand on the long, nervous fingers, shut it and left it there.
primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified
From this reading Brenton shut his hand on the long, nervous fingers, shut it and left it there.
a state of confusion and disorderliness
From this reading "But would it be a mess?"
easily agitated
From this reading Brenton shut his hand on the long, nervous fingers, shut it and left it there.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Brenton shut his hand on the long, nervous fingers, shut it and left it there.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Thanks, Opdyke."
give an exhibition of to an interested audience
From this reading "For the present, yes.
challenge the accuracy, probity, or propriety of
From this reading Later, it's another question.
move so that an opening or passage is obstructed; make shut
From this reading Brenton shut his hand on the long, nervous fingers, shut it and left it there.
an acknowledgment of appreciation
From this reading "Thanks, Opdyke."
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Brenton shut his hand on the long, nervous fingers, shut it and left it there.
in or at that place or location
From this reading Brenton shut his hand on the long, nervous fingers, shut it and left it there.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading "But would it be a mess?"
an affirmative
From this reading "For the present, yes.
Chapter 9 of The Brentons by Anna Chapin Ray holds 415 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 9 holds 415 sentences of The Brentons, unabridged, divided into 83 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 9 of The Brentons by Anna Chapin Ray exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 415 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 9 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 Brentons by Anna Chapin Ray on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 6987 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #21763 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #21763, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 582 minutes of reading across 1398 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Brentons section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 17 chapters of The Brentons 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 Brentons, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
