Chapter XVII of The Coil of Carne, “Gracie's Dilemma,” is here in full — 256 sentences across 52 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XVII
Chapter XVII of The Coil of Carne, “Gracie's Dilemma,” is here in full — 256 sentences across 52 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"One on 'em's up in his room, but I dunnot know which," grunted old Mrs. Lee, in answer to Eager's request for the boys, either or both, and he went up at once. A tap on Jim's door received no answer. Jack's opened to him at once. "Mr. Eager!" And there was a hungry look in the boy's eyes.
Chapter XVII of The Coil of Carne, “Gracie's Dilemma,” is here in full — 256 sentences across 52 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/51 · 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.
possessive form of “boy” — a youthful male person
From this reading “And there was a hungry look in the boy's eyes.”
having or showing keen interest or intense desire or impatient expectancy
From this reading “"One on 'em's up in his room, but I dunnot know which," grunted old Mrs. Lee, in answer to Eager's request for the boys, either or both, and he went up at once.”
past form of “grunt” — issue a grunting, low, animal-like noise
From this reading “"One on 'em's up in his room, but I dunnot know which," grunted old Mrs. Lee, in answer to Eager's request for the boys, either or both, and he went up at once.”
feeling hunger; feeling a need or desire to eat food
From this reading “And there was a hungry look in the boy's eyes.”
possessive form of “jack” — a small worthless amount
From this reading “Jack's opened to him at once.”
United States filmmaker whose works explore the richness of black culture in America (born in 1957)
From this reading “"One on 'em's up in his room, but I dunnot know which," grunted old Mrs. Lee, in answer to Eager's request for the boys, either or both, and he went up at once.”
express the need or desire for
From this reading “"One on 'em's up in his room, but I dunnot know which," grunted old Mrs. Lee, in answer to Eager's request for the boys, either or both, and he went up at once.”
cut a female screw thread with a tap
From this reading “A tap on Jim's door received no answer.”
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.
without delay or hesitation; with no time intervening
In this reading “"One on 'em's up in his room, but I dunnot know which," grunted old Mrs. Lee, in answer to Eager's request for the boys, either or both, and he went up at once.”
In this reading “A tap on Jim's door received no answer.”
move upward
In this reading “"One on 'em's up in his room, but I dunnot know which," grunted old Mrs. Lee, in answer to Eager's request for the boys, either or both, and he went up at once.”
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 A tap on Jim's door received no answer.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "One on 'em's up in his room, but I dunnot know which," grunted old Mrs. Lee, in answer to Eager's request for the boys, either or both, and he went up at once.
react verbally
From this reading "One on 'em's up in his room, but I dunnot know which," grunted old Mrs. Lee, in answer to Eager's request for the boys, either or both, and he went up at once.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading "One on 'em's up in his room, but I dunnot know which," grunted old Mrs. Lee, in answer to Eager's request for the boys, either or both, and he went up at once.
the two together, not just one
From this reading "One on 'em's up in his room, but I dunnot know which," grunted old Mrs. Lee, in answer to Eager's request for the boys, either or both, and he went up at once.
possessive form of “boy” — a youthful male person
From this reading And there was a hungry look in the boy's eyes.
plural of “boy” — a youthful male person
From this reading "One on 'em's up in his room, but I dunnot know which," grunted old Mrs. Lee, in answer to Eager's request for the boys, either or both, and he went up at once.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading "One on 'em's up in his room, but I dunnot know which," grunted old Mrs. Lee, in answer to Eager's request for the boys, either or both, and he went up at once.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading A tap on Jim's door received no answer.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "One on 'em's up in his room, but I dunnot know which," grunted old Mrs. Lee, in answer to Eager's request for the boys, either or both, and he went up at once.
having or showing keen interest or intense desire or impatient expectancy
From this reading "Mr. Eager!"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "One on 'em's up in his room, but I dunnot know which," grunted old Mrs. Lee, in answer to Eager's request for the boys, either or both, and he went up at once.
one or the other of two
From this reading "One on 'em's up in his room, but I dunnot know which," grunted old Mrs. Lee, in answer to Eager's request for the boys, either or both, and he went up at once.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "One on 'em's up in his room, but I dunnot know which," grunted old Mrs. Lee, in answer to Eager's request for the boys, either or both, and he went up at once.
opinion or judgment
From this reading And there was a hungry look in the boy's eyes.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading "One on 'em's up in his room, but I dunnot know which," grunted old Mrs. Lee, in answer to Eager's request for the boys, either or both, and he went up at once.
past form of “grunt” — issue a grunting, low, animal-like noise
From this reading "One on 'em's up in his room, but I dunnot know which," grunted old Mrs. Lee, in answer to Eager's request for the boys, either or both, and he went up at once.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "One on 'em's up in his room, but I dunnot know which," grunted old Mrs. Lee, in answer to Eager's request for the boys, either or both, and he went up at once.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Jack's opened to him at once.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading "One on 'em's up in his room, but I dunnot know which," grunted old Mrs. Lee, in answer to Eager's request for the boys, either or both, and he went up at once.
feeling hunger; feeling a need or desire to eat food
From this reading And there was a hungry look in the boy's eyes.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "One on 'em's up in his room, but I dunnot know which," grunted old Mrs. Lee, in answer to Eager's request for the boys, either or both, and he went up at once.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "One on 'em's up in his room, but I dunnot know which," grunted old Mrs. Lee, in answer to Eager's request for the boys, either or both, and he went up at once.
possessive form of “jack” — a small worthless amount
From this reading Jack's opened to him at once.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A tap on Jim's door received no answer.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading "One on 'em's up in his room, but I dunnot know which," grunted old Mrs. Lee, in answer to Eager's request for the boys, either or both, and he went up at once.
United States filmmaker whose works explore the richness of black culture in America (born in 1957)
From this reading "One on 'em's up in his room, but I dunnot know which," grunted old Mrs. Lee, in answer to Eager's request for the boys, either or both, and he went up at once.
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading And there was a hungry look in the boy's eyes.
a form of address for a man
From this reading "Mr. Eager!"
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading "One on 'em's up in his room, but I dunnot know which," grunted old Mrs. Lee, in answer to Eager's request for the boys, either or both, and he went up at once.
not any; not one
From this reading A tap on Jim's door received no answer.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading "One on 'em's up in his room, but I dunnot know which," grunted old Mrs. Lee, in answer to Eager's request for the boys, either or both, and he went up at once.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading "One on 'em's up in his room, but I dunnot know which," grunted old Mrs. Lee, in answer to Eager's request for the boys, either or both, and he went up at once.
on one occasion
From this reading "One on 'em's up in his room, but I dunnot know which," grunted old Mrs. Lee, in answer to Eager's request for the boys, either or both, and he went up at once.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading "One on 'em's up in his room, but I dunnot know which," grunted old Mrs. Lee, in answer to Eager's request for the boys, either or both, and he went up at once.
used of mouth or eyes
From this reading Jack's opened to him at once.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading "One on 'em's up in his room, but I dunnot know which," grunted old Mrs. Lee, in answer to Eager's request for the boys, either or both, and he went up at once.
conforming to the established language usage of educated native speakers
From this reading A tap on Jim's door received no answer.
express the need or desire for
From this reading "One on 'em's up in his room, but I dunnot know which," grunted old Mrs. Lee, in answer to Eager's request for the boys, either or both, and he went up at once.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading "One on 'em's up in his room, but I dunnot know which," grunted old Mrs. Lee, in answer to Eager's request for the boys, either or both, and he went up at once.
cut a female screw thread with a tap
From this reading A tap on Jim's door received no answer.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "One on 'em's up in his room, but I dunnot know which," grunted old Mrs. Lee, in answer to Eager's request for the boys, either or both, and he went up at once.
in or at that place or location
From this reading And there was a hungry look in the boy's eyes.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "One on 'em's up in his room, but I dunnot know which," grunted old Mrs. Lee, in answer to Eager's request for the boys, either or both, and he went up at once.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading "One on 'em's up in his room, but I dunnot know which," grunted old Mrs. Lee, in answer to Eager's request for the boys, either or both, and he went up at once.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading And there was a hungry look in the boy's eyes.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading "One on 'em's up in his room, but I dunnot know which," grunted old Mrs. Lee, in answer to Eager's request for the boys, either or both, and he went up at once.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading "One on 'em's up in his room, but I dunnot know which," grunted old Mrs. Lee, in answer to Eager's request for the boys, either or both, and he went up at once.
Chapter 17 of The Coil of Carne by John Oxenham holds 256 sentences, grouped into 52 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 17 holds 256 sentences of The Coil of Carne, unabridged, divided into 52 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 17 of The Coil of Carne by John Oxenham exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 256 sentences, grouped into 52 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 52 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 52 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 17 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 Coil of Carne by John Oxenham on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 8368 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #53819 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #53819, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 1674 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Coil of Carne section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 40 chapters of The Coil of Carne 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 Coil of Carne, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
