Chapter 4 of The Brown Study is here in full — 425 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IV
Chapter 4 of The Brown Study is here in full — 425 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
His face, in his effort at repression, grew stern. His folded arms became tense in the muscles. "Don't make it harder for me than it is. I can't discuss it with you, because though I argued till I was dumb I could never make you see what I see. Accept my decision, Sue dear, and don't try my soul by pleading with me....
Chapter 4 of The Brown Study is here in full — 425 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/85 · 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.
past form of “argue” — present reasons and arguments
From this reading “I can't discuss it with you, because though I argued till I was dumb I could never make you see what I see.”
to consider or examine in speech or writing
From this reading “I can't discuss it with you, because though I argued till I was dumb I could never make you see what I see.”
comparative of “hard” — with effort or force or vigor
From this reading “"Don't make it harder for me than it is.”
plural of “muscle” — one of the contractile organs of the body
From this reading “His folded arms became tense in the muscles.”
(law) a statement in legal and logical form stating something on behalf of a party to a legal proceeding
From this reading “Accept my decision, Sue dear, and don't try my soul by pleading with me....”
a state of forcible subjugation
From this reading “His face, in his effort at repression, grew stern.”
institute legal proceedings against; file a suit against
From this reading “Accept my decision, Sue dear, and don't try my soul by pleading with me....”
a grammatical category of verbs used to express distinctions of time
From this reading “His folded arms became tense in the muscles.”
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.
consider or hold as true
From this reading Accept my decision, Sue dear, and don't try my soul by pleading with me....
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Accept my decision, Sue dear, and don't try my soul by pleading with me....
past form of “argue” — present reasons and arguments
From this reading I can't discuss it with you, because though I argued till I was dumb I could never make you see what I see.
weapons considered collectively
From this reading His folded arms became tense in the muscles.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading His face, in his effort at repression, grew stern.
inflected form of “become” — enter or assume a certain state or condition
From this reading His folded arms became tense in the muscles.
for the reason that
From this reading I can't discuss it with you, because though I argued till I was dumb I could never make you see what I see.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Accept my decision, Sue dear, and don't try my soul by pleading with me....
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I can't discuss it with you, because though I argued till I was dumb I could never make you see what I see.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading I can't discuss it with you, because though I argued till I was dumb I could never make you see what I see.
dearly loved
From this reading Accept my decision, Sue dear, and don't try my soul by pleading with me....
the act of making up your mind about something
From this reading Accept my decision, Sue dear, and don't try my soul by pleading with me....
to consider or examine in speech or writing
From this reading I can't discuss it with you, because though I argued till I was dumb I could never make you see what I see.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Don't make it harder for me than it is.
slow to learn or understand; lacking intellectual acuity
From this reading I can't discuss it with you, because though I argued till I was dumb I could never make you see what I see.
earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something
From this reading His face, in his effort at repression, grew stern.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading His face, in his effort at repression, grew stern.
past form of “fold” — bend or lay so that one part covers the other
From this reading His folded arms became tense in the muscles.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading "Don't make it harder for me than it is.
inflected form of “grow” — pass into a condition gradually, take on a specific property or attribute; become
From this reading His face, in his effort at repression, grew stern.
comparative of “hard” — with effort or force or vigor
From this reading "Don't make it harder for me than it is.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading His face, in his effort at repression, grew stern.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I can't discuss it with you, because though I argued till I was dumb I could never make you see what I see.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading His face, in his effort at repression, grew stern.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "Don't make it harder for me than it is.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "Don't make it harder for me than it is.
engage in
From this reading "Don't make it harder for me than it is.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "Don't make it harder for me than it is.
plural of “muscle” — one of the contractile organs of the body
From this reading His folded arms became tense in the muscles.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading Accept my decision, Sue dear, and don't try my soul by pleading with me....
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading I can't discuss it with you, because though I argued till I was dumb I could never make you see what I see.
(law) a statement in legal and logical form stating something on behalf of a party to a legal proceeding
From this reading Accept my decision, Sue dear, and don't try my soul by pleading with me....
a state of forcible subjugation
From this reading His face, in his effort at repression, grew stern.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading I can't discuss it with you, because though I argued till I was dumb I could never make you see what I see.
the immaterial part of a person; the actuating cause of an individual life
From this reading Accept my decision, Sue dear, and don't try my soul by pleading with me....
of a stern or strict bearing or demeanor; forbidding in aspect
From this reading His face, in his effort at repression, grew stern.
institute legal proceedings against; file a suit against
From this reading Accept my decision, Sue dear, and don't try my soul by pleading with me....
a grammatical category of verbs used to express distinctions of time
From this reading His folded arms became tense in the muscles.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading "Don't make it harder for me than it is.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading His folded arms became tense in the muscles.
in spite of the fact that
From this reading I can't discuss it with you, because though I argued till I was dumb I could never make you see what I see.
up to a particular time
From this reading I can't discuss it with you, because though I argued till I was dumb I could never make you see what I see.
make an effort or attempt
From this reading Accept my decision, Sue dear, and don't try my soul by pleading with me....
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading I can't discuss it with you, because though I argued till I was dumb I could never make you see what I see.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading I can't discuss it with you, because though I argued till I was dumb I could never make you see what I see.
in the company of; together with
From this reading I can't discuss it with you, because though I argued till I was dumb I could never make you see what I see.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading I can't discuss it with you, because though I argued till I was dumb I could never make you see what I see.
Chapter 4 of The Brown Study by Grace S. (Grace Smith) Richmond holds 425 sentences, grouped into 85 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 4 holds 425 sentences of The Brown Study, unabridged, divided into 85 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 4 of The Brown Study by Grace S. (Grace Smith) Richmond exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 425 sentences, grouped into 85 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 85 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 85 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 4 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 Brown Study by Grace S. (Grace Smith) Richmond on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 2933 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #11912 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #11912, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 244 minutes of reading across 587 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Brown Study section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 7 chapters of The Brown Study 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 Brown Study, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
