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The Claverings
The Claverings

Chapter III · Chapter 3

Chapter 3 of The Claverings is here in full — 564 sentences across 113 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/112 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
FLORENCE BURTON.
It was now Christmas time at Stratton, or rather Christmas time was near at hand; not the Christmas next after the autumn of Lord Ongar's marriage, but the following Christmas, and Harry Clavering had finished his studies in Mr. Burton's office.
He flattered himself that he had not been idle while he was there, and was now about to commence his more advanced stage of pupilage, under the great Mr. Beilby in London, with hopes which were still good, if they were not so magnificent as they once had been.
When he first saw Mr. Burton in his office, and beheld the dusty pigeon-holes with dusty papers, and caught the first glimpse of things as they really were in the workshop of that man of business, he had, to say the truth, been disgusted.
And Mrs. Burton's early dinner, and Florence Burton's "plain face" and plain ways, had disconcerted him.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Claverings

Chapter III · Chapter 3

Chapter 3 of The Claverings is here in full — 564 sentences across 113 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/112 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
FLORENCE BURTON.
/ˈflɔːrəns ˈbɜːrtən/
Line 2
It was now Christmas time at Stratton, or rather Christmas time was near at hand; not the Christmas next after the autumn of Lord Ongar's marriage, but the following Christmas, and Harry Clavering had finished his studies in Mr. Burton's office.
Line 3
He flattered himself that he had not been idle while he was there, and was now about to commence his more advanced stage of pupilage, under the great Mr. Beilby in London, with hopes which were still good, if they were not so magnificent as they once had been.
Line 4
When he first saw Mr. Burton in his office, and beheld the dusty pigeon-holes with dusty papers, and caught the first glimpse of things as they really were in the workshop of that man of business, he had, to say the truth, been disgusted.
Line 5
And Mrs. Burton's early dinner, and Florence Burton's "plain face" and plain ways, had disconcerted him.

Learner Dictionary

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.

burton noun US /ˈbɜːrtən/

English explorer who with John Speke was the first European to explore Lake Tanganyika (1821-1890)

From this reading “FLORENCE BURTON.”

Burton's noun US /ˈbɜːrtənz/

possessive form of “burton” — English explorer who with John Speke was the first European to explore Lake Tanganyika (1821-1890)

From this reading “It was now Christmas time at Stratton, or rather Christmas time was near at hand; not the Christmas next after the autumn of Lord Ongar's marriage, but the following Christmas, and Harry Clavering had finished his studies in Mr. Burton's office.”

commence verb US /kəˈmens/

take the first step or steps in carrying out an action

From this reading “He flattered himself that he had not been idle while he was there, and was now about to commence his more advanced stage of pupilage, under the great Mr. Beilby in London, with hopes which were still good, if they were not so magnificent as they once had been.”

disgusted adjective US /dɪsˈɡʌstəd/

having a strong distaste from surfeit

From this reading “When he first saw Mr. Burton in his office, and beheld the dusty pigeon-holes with dusty papers, and caught the first glimpse of things as they really were in the workshop of that man of business, he had, to say the truth, been disgusted.”

dusty adjective US /ˈdʌsti/

covered with a layer of dust

From this reading “When he first saw Mr. Burton in his office, and beheld the dusty pigeon-holes with dusty papers, and caught the first glimpse of things as they really were in the workshop of that man of business, he had, to say the truth, been disgusted.”

flattered verb US /ˈflætərd/

past form of “flatter” — praise somewhat dishonestly

From this reading “He flattered himself that he had not been idle while he was there, and was now about to commence his more advanced stage of pupilage, under the great Mr. Beilby in London, with hopes which were still good, if they were not so magnificent as they once had been.”

studies noun US /ˈstʌdiz/

plural of “study” — a detailed critical inspection

From this reading “It was now Christmas time at Stratton, or rather Christmas time was near at hand; not the Christmas next after the autumn of Lord Ongar's marriage, but the following Christmas, and Harry Clavering had finished his studies in Mr. Burton's office.”

workshop noun US /ˈwɜːrkʃɑːp/

small workplace where handcrafts or manufacturing are done

From this reading “When he first saw Mr. Burton in his office, and beheld the dusty pigeon-holes with dusty papers, and caught the first glimpse of things as they really were in the workshop of that man of business, he had, to say the truth, been disgusted.”

All words in this reading · 91

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.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading He flattered himself that he had not been idle while he was there, and was now about to commence his more advanced stage of pupilage, under the great Mr. Beilby in London, with hopes which were still good, if they were not so magnificent as they once had been.

advancedadjectiveUS /ədˈvænst/

farther along in physical or mental development

From this reading He flattered himself that he had not been idle while he was there, and was now about to commence his more advanced stage of pupilage, under the great Mr. Beilby in London, with hopes which were still good, if they were not so magnificent as they once had been.

afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading It was now Christmas time at Stratton, or rather Christmas time was near at hand; not the Christmas next after the autumn of Lord Ongar's marriage, but the following Christmas, and Harry Clavering had finished his studies in Mr. Burton's office.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading It was now Christmas time at Stratton, or rather Christmas time was near at hand; not the Christmas next after the autumn of Lord Ongar's marriage, but the following Christmas, and Harry Clavering had finished his studies in Mr. Burton's office.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading He flattered himself that he had not been idle while he was there, and was now about to commence his more advanced stage of pupilage, under the great Mr. Beilby in London, with hopes which were still good, if they were not so magnificent as they once had been.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading It was now Christmas time at Stratton, or rather Christmas time was near at hand; not the Christmas next after the autumn of Lord Ongar's marriage, but the following Christmas, and Harry Clavering had finished his studies in Mr. Burton's office.

autumnnounUS /ˈɔːtəm/

the season when the leaves fall from the trees

From this reading It was now Christmas time at Stratton, or rather Christmas time was near at hand; not the Christmas next after the autumn of Lord Ongar's marriage, but the following Christmas, and Harry Clavering had finished his studies in Mr. Burton's office.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading He flattered himself that he had not been idle while he was there, and was now about to commence his more advanced stage of pupilage, under the great Mr. Beilby in London, with hopes which were still good, if they were not so magnificent as they once had been.

beheldverbUS /biˈheld/

inflected form of “behold” — see with attention

From this reading When he first saw Mr. Burton in his office, and beheld the dusty pigeon-holes with dusty papers, and caught the first glimpse of things as they really were in the workshop of that man of business, he had, to say the truth, been disgusted.

Beilby

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading He flattered himself that he had not been idle while he was there, and was now about to commence his more advanced stage of pupilage, under the great Mr. Beilby in London, with hopes which were still good, if they were not so magnificent as they once had been.

BURTONnounUS /ˈbɜːrtən/

English explorer who with John Speke was the first European to explore Lake Tanganyika (1821-1890)

From this reading FLORENCE BURTON.

Burton'snounUS /ˈbɜːrtənz/

possessive form of “burton” — English explorer who with John Speke was the first European to explore Lake Tanganyika (1821-1890)

From this reading It was now Christmas time at Stratton, or rather Christmas time was near at hand; not the Christmas next after the autumn of Lord Ongar's marriage, but the following Christmas, and Harry Clavering had finished his studies in Mr. Burton's office.

businessnounUS /ˈbɪznəs/

a commercial or industrial enterprise and the people who constitute it

From this reading When he first saw Mr. Burton in his office, and beheld the dusty pigeon-holes with dusty papers, and caught the first glimpse of things as they really were in the workshop of that man of business, he had, to say the truth, been disgusted.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading It was now Christmas time at Stratton, or rather Christmas time was near at hand; not the Christmas next after the autumn of Lord Ongar's marriage, but the following Christmas, and Harry Clavering had finished his studies in Mr. Burton's office.

caughtverbUS /kɑːt/

inflected form of “catch” — discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state

From this reading When he first saw Mr. Burton in his office, and beheld the dusty pigeon-holes with dusty papers, and caught the first glimpse of things as they really were in the workshop of that man of business, he had, to say the truth, been disgusted.

ChristmasnounUS /ˈkrɪsməs/

period extending from Dec. 24 to Jan. 6

From this reading It was now Christmas time at Stratton, or rather Christmas time was near at hand; not the Christmas next after the autumn of Lord Ongar's marriage, but the following Christmas, and Harry Clavering had finished his studies in Mr. Burton's office.

Clavering

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading It was now Christmas time at Stratton, or rather Christmas time was near at hand; not the Christmas next after the autumn of Lord Ongar's marriage, but the following Christmas, and Harry Clavering had finished his studies in Mr. Burton's office.

commenceverbUS /kəˈmens/

take the first step or steps in carrying out an action

From this reading He flattered himself that he had not been idle while he was there, and was now about to commence his more advanced stage of pupilage, under the great Mr. Beilby in London, with hopes which were still good, if they were not so magnificent as they once had been.

dinnernounUS /ˈdɪnər/

the main meal of the day served in the evening or at midday

From this reading And Mrs. Burton's early dinner, and Florence Burton's "plain face" and plain ways, had disconcerted him.

disconcertedadjective

having self-possession upset; thrown into confusion

From this reading And Mrs. Burton's early dinner, and Florence Burton's "plain face" and plain ways, had disconcerted him.

disgustedadjectiveUS /dɪsˈɡʌstəd/

having a strong distaste from surfeit

From this reading When he first saw Mr. Burton in his office, and beheld the dusty pigeon-holes with dusty papers, and caught the first glimpse of things as they really were in the workshop of that man of business, he had, to say the truth, been disgusted.

dustyadjectiveUS /ˈdʌsti/

covered with a layer of dust

From this reading When he first saw Mr. Burton in his office, and beheld the dusty pigeon-holes with dusty papers, and caught the first glimpse of things as they really were in the workshop of that man of business, he had, to say the truth, been disgusted.

earlyadjectiveUS /ˈɜːrli/

at or near the beginning of a period of time or course of events or before the usual or expected time

From this reading And Mrs. Burton's early dinner, and Florence Burton's "plain face" and plain ways, had disconcerted him.

facenounUS /feɪs/

the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear

From this reading And Mrs. Burton's early dinner, and Florence Burton's "plain face" and plain ways, had disconcerted him.

finishedadjectiveUS /ˈfɪnɪʃt/

(of materials or goods) brought to the desired final state

From this reading It was now Christmas time at Stratton, or rather Christmas time was near at hand; not the Christmas next after the autumn of Lord Ongar's marriage, but the following Christmas, and Harry Clavering had finished his studies in Mr. Burton's office.

firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading When he first saw Mr. Burton in his office, and beheld the dusty pigeon-holes with dusty papers, and caught the first glimpse of things as they really were in the workshop of that man of business, he had, to say the truth, been disgusted.

flatteredverbUS /ˈflætərd/

past form of “flatter” — praise somewhat dishonestly

From this reading He flattered himself that he had not been idle while he was there, and was now about to commence his more advanced stage of pupilage, under the great Mr. Beilby in London, with hopes which were still good, if they were not so magnificent as they once had been.

FLORENCEnounUS /ˈflɔːrəns/

a city in central Italy on the Arno; provincial capital of Tuscany; center of the Italian Renaissance from 14th to 16th centuries

From this reading FLORENCE BURTON.

followingadjectiveUS /ˈfɑːloʊɪŋ/

about to be mentioned or specified

From this reading It was now Christmas time at Stratton, or rather Christmas time was near at hand; not the Christmas next after the autumn of Lord Ongar's marriage, but the following Christmas, and Harry Clavering had finished his studies in Mr. Burton's office.

glimpsenounUS /ɡlɪmps/

a quick look

From this reading When he first saw Mr. Burton in his office, and beheld the dusty pigeon-holes with dusty papers, and caught the first glimpse of things as they really were in the workshop of that man of business, he had, to say the truth, been disgusted.

goodadjectiveUS /ɡʊd/

having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified

From this reading He flattered himself that he had not been idle while he was there, and was now about to commence his more advanced stage of pupilage, under the great Mr. Beilby in London, with hopes which were still good, if they were not so magnificent as they once had been.

greatadjectiveUS /ɡreɪt/

relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind

From this reading He flattered himself that he had not been idle while he was there, and was now about to commence his more advanced stage of pupilage, under the great Mr. Beilby in London, with hopes which were still good, if they were not so magnificent as they once had been.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading It was now Christmas time at Stratton, or rather Christmas time was near at hand; not the Christmas next after the autumn of Lord Ongar's marriage, but the following Christmas, and Harry Clavering had finished his studies in Mr. Burton's office.

handnounUS /hænd/

the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb

From this reading It was now Christmas time at Stratton, or rather Christmas time was near at hand; not the Christmas next after the autumn of Lord Ongar's marriage, but the following Christmas, and Harry Clavering had finished his studies in Mr. Burton's office.

HarryverbUS /ˈheri/

annoy continually or chronically

From this reading It was now Christmas time at Stratton, or rather Christmas time was near at hand; not the Christmas next after the autumn of Lord Ongar's marriage, but the following Christmas, and Harry Clavering had finished his studies in Mr. Burton's office.

HepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading He flattered himself that he had not been idle while he was there, and was now about to commence his more advanced stage of pupilage, under the great Mr. Beilby in London, with hopes which were still good, if they were not so magnificent as they once had been.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading And Mrs. Burton's early dinner, and Florence Burton's "plain face" and plain ways, had disconcerted him.

himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/

used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object

From this reading He flattered himself that he had not been idle while he was there, and was now about to commence his more advanced stage of pupilage, under the great Mr. Beilby in London, with hopes which were still good, if they were not so magnificent as they once had been.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading It was now Christmas time at Stratton, or rather Christmas time was near at hand; not the Christmas next after the autumn of Lord Ongar's marriage, but the following Christmas, and Harry Clavering had finished his studies in Mr. Burton's office.

hopesnounUS /hoʊps/

plural of “hope” — a specific instance of feeling hopeful

From this reading He flattered himself that he had not been idle while he was there, and was now about to commence his more advanced stage of pupilage, under the great Mr. Beilby in London, with hopes which were still good, if they were not so magnificent as they once had been.

idleadjectiveUS /ˈaɪdəl/

not in action or at work

From this reading He flattered himself that he had not been idle while he was there, and was now about to commence his more advanced stage of pupilage, under the great Mr. Beilby in London, with hopes which were still good, if they were not so magnificent as they once had been.

ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading He flattered himself that he had not been idle while he was there, and was now about to commence his more advanced stage of pupilage, under the great Mr. Beilby in London, with hopes which were still good, if they were not so magnificent as they once had been.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading It was now Christmas time at Stratton, or rather Christmas time was near at hand; not the Christmas next after the autumn of Lord Ongar's marriage, but the following Christmas, and Harry Clavering had finished his studies in Mr. Burton's office.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It was now Christmas time at Stratton, or rather Christmas time was near at hand; not the Christmas next after the autumn of Lord Ongar's marriage, but the following Christmas, and Harry Clavering had finished his studies in Mr. Burton's office.

LondonnounUS /ˈlʌndən/

the capital and largest city of England; located on the Thames in southeastern England; financial and industrial and cultural center

From this reading He flattered himself that he had not been idle while he was there, and was now about to commence his more advanced stage of pupilage, under the great Mr. Beilby in London, with hopes which were still good, if they were not so magnificent as they once had been.

LordnounUS /lɔːrd/

terms referring to the Judeo-Christian God

From this reading It was now Christmas time at Stratton, or rather Christmas time was near at hand; not the Christmas next after the autumn of Lord Ongar's marriage, but the following Christmas, and Harry Clavering had finished his studies in Mr. Burton's office.

magnificentadjectiveUS /mæɡˈnɪfəsənt/

characterized by grandeur

From this reading He flattered himself that he had not been idle while he was there, and was now about to commence his more advanced stage of pupilage, under the great Mr. Beilby in London, with hopes which were still good, if they were not so magnificent as they once had been.

mannounUS /mæn/

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading When he first saw Mr. Burton in his office, and beheld the dusty pigeon-holes with dusty papers, and caught the first glimpse of things as they really were in the workshop of that man of business, he had, to say the truth, been disgusted.

marriagenounUS /ˈmerɪdʒ/

the state of being a married couple voluntarily joined for life (or until divorce)

From this reading It was now Christmas time at Stratton, or rather Christmas time was near at hand; not the Christmas next after the autumn of Lord Ongar's marriage, but the following Christmas, and Harry Clavering had finished his studies in Mr. Burton's office.

moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading He flattered himself that he had not been idle while he was there, and was now about to commence his more advanced stage of pupilage, under the great Mr. Beilby in London, with hopes which were still good, if they were not so magnificent as they once had been.

MrnounUS /ˈmɪstər/

a form of address for a man

From this reading It was now Christmas time at Stratton, or rather Christmas time was near at hand; not the Christmas next after the autumn of Lord Ongar's marriage, but the following Christmas, and Harry Clavering had finished his studies in Mr. Burton's office.

MrsnounUS /ˈmɪsɪz/

a form of address for a married woman

From this reading And Mrs. Burton's early dinner, and Florence Burton's "plain face" and plain ways, had disconcerted him.

nearadverbUS /nɪr/

near in time or place or relationship

From this reading It was now Christmas time at Stratton, or rather Christmas time was near at hand; not the Christmas next after the autumn of Lord Ongar's marriage, but the following Christmas, and Harry Clavering had finished his studies in Mr. Burton's office.

nextadjectiveUS /nekst/

immediately following in time or order

From this reading It was now Christmas time at Stratton, or rather Christmas time was near at hand; not the Christmas next after the autumn of Lord Ongar's marriage, but the following Christmas, and Harry Clavering had finished his studies in Mr. Burton's office.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading It was now Christmas time at Stratton, or rather Christmas time was near at hand; not the Christmas next after the autumn of Lord Ongar's marriage, but the following Christmas, and Harry Clavering had finished his studies in Mr. Burton's office.

nowadverbUS /naʊ/

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading It was now Christmas time at Stratton, or rather Christmas time was near at hand; not the Christmas next after the autumn of Lord Ongar's marriage, but the following Christmas, and Harry Clavering had finished his studies in Mr. Burton's office.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading It was now Christmas time at Stratton, or rather Christmas time was near at hand; not the Christmas next after the autumn of Lord Ongar's marriage, but the following Christmas, and Harry Clavering had finished his studies in Mr. Burton's office.

officenounUS /ˈɔːfɪs/

place of business where professional or clerical duties are performed

From this reading It was now Christmas time at Stratton, or rather Christmas time was near at hand; not the Christmas next after the autumn of Lord Ongar's marriage, but the following Christmas, and Harry Clavering had finished his studies in Mr. Burton's office.

onceadverbUS /wʌns/

on one occasion

From this reading He flattered himself that he had not been idle while he was there, and was now about to commence his more advanced stage of pupilage, under the great Mr. Beilby in London, with hopes which were still good, if they were not so magnificent as they once had been.

Ongar's

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading It was now Christmas time at Stratton, or rather Christmas time was near at hand; not the Christmas next after the autumn of Lord Ongar's marriage, but the following Christmas, and Harry Clavering had finished his studies in Mr. Burton's office.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading It was now Christmas time at Stratton, or rather Christmas time was near at hand; not the Christmas next after the autumn of Lord Ongar's marriage, but the following Christmas, and Harry Clavering had finished his studies in Mr. Burton's office.

papersnounUS /ˈpeɪpərz/

writing that provides information (especially information of an official nature)

From this reading When he first saw Mr. Burton in his office, and beheld the dusty pigeon-holes with dusty papers, and caught the first glimpse of things as they really were in the workshop of that man of business, he had, to say the truth, been disgusted.

pigeon-holes

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading When he first saw Mr. Burton in his office, and beheld the dusty pigeon-holes with dusty papers, and caught the first glimpse of things as they really were in the workshop of that man of business, he had, to say the truth, been disgusted.

plainadjectiveUS /pleɪn/

clearly revealed to the mind or the senses or judgment

From this reading And Mrs. Burton's early dinner, and Florence Burton's "plain face" and plain ways, had disconcerted him.

pupilage

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading He flattered himself that he had not been idle while he was there, and was now about to commence his more advanced stage of pupilage, under the great Mr. Beilby in London, with hopes which were still good, if they were not so magnificent as they once had been.

ratheradverbUS /ˈræðər/

on the contrary

From this reading It was now Christmas time at Stratton, or rather Christmas time was near at hand; not the Christmas next after the autumn of Lord Ongar's marriage, but the following Christmas, and Harry Clavering had finished his studies in Mr. Burton's office.

reallyadverbUS /ˈrɪli/

in accordance with truth or fact or reality

From this reading When he first saw Mr. Burton in his office, and beheld the dusty pigeon-holes with dusty papers, and caught the first glimpse of things as they really were in the workshop of that man of business, he had, to say the truth, been disgusted.

sawverbUS /sɔː/

cut with a saw

From this reading When he first saw Mr. Burton in his office, and beheld the dusty pigeon-holes with dusty papers, and caught the first glimpse of things as they really were in the workshop of that man of business, he had, to say the truth, been disgusted.

sayverbUS /seɪ/

express in words

From this reading When he first saw Mr. Burton in his office, and beheld the dusty pigeon-holes with dusty papers, and caught the first glimpse of things as they really were in the workshop of that man of business, he had, to say the truth, been disgusted.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading He flattered himself that he had not been idle while he was there, and was now about to commence his more advanced stage of pupilage, under the great Mr. Beilby in London, with hopes which were still good, if they were not so magnificent as they once had been.

stagenounUS /steɪdʒ/

any distinct time period in a sequence of events

From this reading He flattered himself that he had not been idle while he was there, and was now about to commence his more advanced stage of pupilage, under the great Mr. Beilby in London, with hopes which were still good, if they were not so magnificent as they once had been.

stilladjectiveUS /stɪl/

not in physical motion

From this reading He flattered himself that he had not been idle while he was there, and was now about to commence his more advanced stage of pupilage, under the great Mr. Beilby in London, with hopes which were still good, if they were not so magnificent as they once had been.

Stratton

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading It was now Christmas time at Stratton, or rather Christmas time was near at hand; not the Christmas next after the autumn of Lord Ongar's marriage, but the following Christmas, and Harry Clavering had finished his studies in Mr. Burton's office.

studiesnounUS /ˈstʌdiz/

plural of “study” — a detailed critical inspection

From this reading It was now Christmas time at Stratton, or rather Christmas time was near at hand; not the Christmas next after the autumn of Lord Ongar's marriage, but the following Christmas, and Harry Clavering had finished his studies in Mr. Burton's office.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading He flattered himself that he had not been idle while he was there, and was now about to commence his more advanced stage of pupilage, under the great Mr. Beilby in London, with hopes which were still good, if they were not so magnificent as they once had been.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading It was now Christmas time at Stratton, or rather Christmas time was near at hand; not the Christmas next after the autumn of Lord Ongar's marriage, but the following Christmas, and Harry Clavering had finished his studies in Mr. Burton's office.

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading He flattered himself that he had not been idle while he was there, and was now about to commence his more advanced stage of pupilage, under the great Mr. Beilby in London, with hopes which were still good, if they were not so magnificent as they once had been.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading He flattered himself that he had not been idle while he was there, and was now about to commence his more advanced stage of pupilage, under the great Mr. Beilby in London, with hopes which were still good, if they were not so magnificent as they once had been.

thingsnounUS /θɪŋz/

any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)

From this reading When he first saw Mr. Burton in his office, and beheld the dusty pigeon-holes with dusty papers, and caught the first glimpse of things as they really were in the workshop of that man of business, he had, to say the truth, been disgusted.

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading It was now Christmas time at Stratton, or rather Christmas time was near at hand; not the Christmas next after the autumn of Lord Ongar's marriage, but the following Christmas, and Harry Clavering had finished his studies in Mr. Burton's office.

toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading He flattered himself that he had not been idle while he was there, and was now about to commence his more advanced stage of pupilage, under the great Mr. Beilby in London, with hopes which were still good, if they were not so magnificent as they once had been.

truthnounUS /truːθ/

a fact that has been verified

From this reading When he first saw Mr. Burton in his office, and beheld the dusty pigeon-holes with dusty papers, and caught the first glimpse of things as they really were in the workshop of that man of business, he had, to say the truth, been disgusted.

underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/

below or beneath something; less than

From this reading He flattered himself that he had not been idle while he was there, and was now about to commence his more advanced stage of pupilage, under the great Mr. Beilby in London, with hopes which were still good, if they were not so magnificent as they once had been.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading It was now Christmas time at Stratton, or rather Christmas time was near at hand; not the Christmas next after the autumn of Lord Ongar's marriage, but the following Christmas, and Harry Clavering had finished his studies in Mr. Burton's office.

waysnounUS /weɪz/

structure consisting of a sloping way down to the water from the place where ships are built or repaired

From this reading And Mrs. Burton's early dinner, and Florence Burton's "plain face" and plain ways, had disconcerted him.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading He flattered himself that he had not been idle while he was there, and was now about to commence his more advanced stage of pupilage, under the great Mr. Beilby in London, with hopes which were still good, if they were not so magnificent as they once had been.

WhenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading When he first saw Mr. Burton in his office, and beheld the dusty pigeon-holes with dusty papers, and caught the first glimpse of things as they really were in the workshop of that man of business, he had, to say the truth, been disgusted.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading He flattered himself that he had not been idle while he was there, and was now about to commence his more advanced stage of pupilage, under the great Mr. Beilby in London, with hopes which were still good, if they were not so magnificent as they once had been.

whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/

during the time that

From this reading He flattered himself that he had not been idle while he was there, and was now about to commence his more advanced stage of pupilage, under the great Mr. Beilby in London, with hopes which were still good, if they were not so magnificent as they once had been.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading He flattered himself that he had not been idle while he was there, and was now about to commence his more advanced stage of pupilage, under the great Mr. Beilby in London, with hopes which were still good, if they were not so magnificent as they once had been.

workshopnounUS /ˈwɜːrkʃɑːp/

small workplace where handcrafts or manufacturing are done

From this reading When he first saw Mr. Burton in his office, and beheld the dusty pigeon-holes with dusty papers, and caught the first glimpse of things as they really were in the workshop of that man of business, he had, to say the truth, been disgusted.

Chapter 3 of The Claverings by Anthony Trollope holds 564 sentences, grouped into 113 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.

What does chapter 3 of The Claverings contain?

Chapter 3 holds 564 sentences of The Claverings, unabridged, divided into 113 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 3 of The Claverings by Anthony Trollope exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 564 sentences, grouped into 113 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.

How do I study chapter 3 of The Claverings?

Work through the 113 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 113 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.

Can chapter 3 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 3 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.

Questions about reading The Claverings

Common questions about reading The Claverings by Anthony Trollope on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Claverings?

Yes. All 12324 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #15766 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Claverings is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #15766, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Claverings take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 2465 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Claverings section by section

How to work through The Claverings section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 40 chapters of The Claverings to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in The Claverings

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Claverings, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Harry
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Claverings; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Clavering
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Claverings; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Chooses
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Claverings; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Profession
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Claverings; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.