The confessions of a well-meaning woman

Chapter V

Chapter 5 of The confessions of a well-meaning woman is here in full — 436 sentences across 88 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Stephen McKenna • Curated US English Learning Edition

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Certainly there is no one to equal Connie for that.

You have seen men in the street, unloading bricks from a cart and tossing them, three or four at a time, from one to another?

Should Connie ever sustain a reverse, she will always have a second string to her bow...

Major Blanstock _tossed_ this Mrs. Sawyer to Connie, Connie _tossed_ her to me...

I was expected, I presume, to _toss_ her on to some one else, but I happen to have been brought up in a different school; before I undertake the responsibility of introducing a complete stranger, I like to know _something_ about her.

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A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Chapter V Reading 1/87

The confessions of a well-meaning woman Stephen McKenna

Chapter V

Chapter 5 of The confessions of a well-meaning woman is here in full — 436 sentences across 88 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Certainly there is no one to equal Connie for that. You have seen men in the street, unloading bricks from a cart and tossing them, three or four at a time, from one to another? Should Connie ever sustain a reverse, she will always have a second string to her bow... Major Blanstock _tossed_ this Mrs. Sawyer to Connie, Connie _tossed_ her to me... I was expected, I presume, to _toss_ her on to some one else, but I happen to have been brought up in a different school; before I undertake the responsibility of introducing a complete stranger, I like to know _something_ about her.

The confessions of a well-meaning woman

Chapter V

Chapter 5 of The confessions of a well-meaning woman is here in full — 436 sentences across 88 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/87 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

Certainly there is no one to equal Connie for that.

Line 2

You have seen men in the street, unloading bricks from a cart and tossing them, three or four at a time, from one to another?

/juː hæv siːn men ɪn ðə striːt ənˈloʊdɪŋ brɪks frʌm ə kɑːrt ənd ˈtɔːsɪŋ ðem θriː ɔːr fɔːr æt ə taɪm frʌm wʌn tuː əˈnʌðər/

Line 3

Should Connie ever sustain a reverse, she will always have a second string to her bow...

Line 4

Major Blanstock _tossed_ this Mrs. Sawyer to Connie, Connie _tossed_ her to me...

Line 5

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.

bricks noun US /brɪks/

plural of “brick” — rectangular block of clay baked by the sun or in a kiln; used as a building or paving material

From this reading “You have seen men in the street, unloading bricks from a cart and tossing them, three or four at a time, from one to another?”

introducing verb US /ˌɪntrəˈduːsɪŋ/

-ing form of “introduce” — cause to come to know personally

From this reading “I was expected, I presume, to _toss_ her on to some one else, but I happen to have been brought up in a different school; before I undertake the responsibility of introducing a complete stranger, I like to know _something_ about her.”

reverse verb US /rɪˈvɜːrs/

change to the contrary

From this reading “Should Connie ever sustain a reverse, she will always have a second string to her bow...”

Sawyer noun US /ˈsɔːjər/

one who is employed to saw wood

From this reading “Major Blanstock _tossed_ this Mrs. Sawyer to Connie, Connie _tossed_ her to me...”

sustain verb US /səˈsteɪn/

lengthen or extend in duration or space

From this reading “Should Connie ever sustain a reverse, she will always have a second string to her bow...”

toss verb US /tɔːs/

throw or toss with a light motion

tossing verb US /ˈtɔːsɪŋ/

-ing form of “toss” — throw or toss with a light motion

From this reading “You have seen men in the street, unloading bricks from a cart and tossing them, three or four at a time, from one to another?”

unloading noun US /ənˈloʊdɪŋ/

the labor of taking a load of something off of or out of a vehicle or ship or container etc.

From this reading “You have seen men in the street, unloading bricks from a cart and tossing them, three or four at a time, from one to another?”

Word partnerships in these lines

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.

complete stranger verb + noun

In this reading “I was expected, I presume, to _toss_ her on to some one else, but I happen to have been brought up in a different school; before I undertake the responsibility of introducing a complete stranger, I like to know _something_ about her.”

brought up verb + adjective counted as “bring up”

summon into action or bring into existence, often as if by magic

in the street preposition + article + noun counted as “in … street”

In this reading “You have seen men in the street, unloading bricks from a cart and tossing them, three or four at a time, from one to another?”

at a time preposition + article + noun counted as “at … time”

simultaneously

In this reading “You have seen men in the street, unloading bricks from a cart and tossing them, three or four at a time, from one to another?”

All words in this reading · 75

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.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading You have seen men in the street, unloading bricks from a cart and tossing them, three or four at a time, from one to another?

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading I was expected, I presume, to _toss_ her on to some one else, but I happen to have been brought up in a different school; before I undertake the responsibility of introducing a complete stranger, I like to know _something_ about her.

alwaysadverbUS /ˈɔːlweɪz/

at all times; all the time and on every occasion

From this reading Should Connie ever sustain a reverse, she will always have a second string to her bow...

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading You have seen men in the street, unloading bricks from a cart and tossing them, three or four at a time, from one to another?

anotherdeterminerUS /əˈnʌðər/

one more of the same kind, or a different one

From this reading You have seen men in the street, unloading bricks from a cart and tossing them, three or four at a time, from one to another?

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading You have seen men in the street, unloading bricks from a cart and tossing them, three or four at a time, from one to another?

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

Blanstock

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

From this reading Major Blanstock _tossed_ this Mrs. Sawyer to Connie, Connie _tossed_ her to me...

bownounUS /baʊ/

a knot with two loops and loose ends; used to tie shoelaces

From this reading Should Connie ever sustain a reverse, she will always have a second string to her bow...

bricksnounUS /brɪks/

plural of “brick” — rectangular block of clay baked by the sun or in a kiln; used as a building or paving material

From this reading You have seen men in the street, unloading bricks from a cart and tossing them, three or four at a time, from one to another?

broughtverbUS /brɔːt/

inflected form of “bring” — take something or somebody with oneself somewhere

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

cartnounUS /kɑːrt/

a heavy open wagon usually having two wheels and drawn by an animal

From this reading You have seen men in the street, unloading bricks from a cart and tossing them, three or four at a time, from one to another?

CertainlyadverbUS /ˈsɜːrtənli/

definitely or positively (“sure” is sometimes used informally for “surely”)

From this reading Certainly there is no one to equal Connie for that.

completeverbUS /kəmˈpliːt/

come or bring to a finish or an end

Connie

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

From this reading Certainly there is no one to equal Connie for that.

differentadjectiveUS /ˈdɪfərənt/

unlike in nature or quality or form or degree

else

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

equalverbUS /ˈiːkwəl/

be identical or equivalent to

From this reading Certainly there is no one to equal Connie for that.

everadverbUS /ˈevər/

at any time

From this reading Should Connie ever sustain a reverse, she will always have a second string to her bow...

expectedadjectiveUS /ɪkˈspektəd/

considered likely or probable to happen or arrive

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading Certainly there is no one to equal Connie for that.

fournounUS /fɔːr/

the cardinal number that is the sum of three and one

From this reading You have seen men in the street, unloading bricks from a cart and tossing them, three or four at a time, from one to another?

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading You have seen men in the street, unloading bricks from a cart and tossing them, three or four at a time, from one to another?

happenverbUS /ˈhæpən/

come to pass

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading You have seen men in the street, unloading bricks from a cart and tossing them, three or four at a time, from one to another?

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading Should Connie ever sustain a reverse, she will always have a second string to her bow...

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading You have seen men in the street, unloading bricks from a cart and tossing them, three or four at a time, from one to another?

introducingverbUS /ˌɪntrəˈduːsɪŋ/

-ing form of “introduce” — cause to come to know personally

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading Certainly there is no one to equal Connie for that.

knowverbUS /noʊ/

be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

likeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

MajoradjectiveUS /ˈmeɪdʒər/

of greater importance or stature or rank

From this reading Major Blanstock _tossed_ this Mrs. Sawyer to Connie, Connie _tossed_ her to me...

mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading Major Blanstock _tossed_ this Mrs. Sawyer to Connie, Connie _tossed_ her to me...

mennounUS /men/

the force of workers available

From this reading You have seen men in the street, unloading bricks from a cart and tossing them, three or four at a time, from one to another?

MrsnounUS /ˈmɪsɪz/

a form of address for a married woman

From this reading Major Blanstock _tossed_ this Mrs. Sawyer to Connie, Connie _tossed_ her to me...

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading Certainly there is no one to equal Connie for that.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading Certainly there is no one to equal Connie for that.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading You have seen men in the street, unloading bricks from a cart and tossing them, three or four at a time, from one to another?

presumeverbUS /prɪˈzuːm/

take to be the case or to be true; accept without verification or proof

responsibilitynounUS /riˌspɑːnsəˈbɪləti/

the social force that binds you to the courses of action demanded by that force

reverseverbUS /rɪˈvɜːrs/

change to the contrary

From this reading Should Connie ever sustain a reverse, she will always have a second string to her bow...

SawyernounUS /ˈsɔːjər/

one who is employed to saw wood

From this reading Major Blanstock _tossed_ this Mrs. Sawyer to Connie, Connie _tossed_ her to me...

schoolnounUS /skuːl/

an educational institution

secondnounUS /ˈsekənd/

1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites

From this reading Should Connie ever sustain a reverse, she will always have a second string to her bow...

seenverbUS /siːn/

inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading You have seen men in the street, unloading bricks from a cart and tossing them, three or four at a time, from one to another?

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Should Connie ever sustain a reverse, she will always have a second string to her bow...

Shouldmodal verbUS /ʃʊd/

used to say what is right, expected, or advisable

From this reading Should Connie ever sustain a reverse, she will always have a second string to her bow...

someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

somethingpronounUS /ˈsʌmθɪŋ/

a thing, without saying which

strangernounUS /ˈstreɪndʒər/

anyone who does not belong in the environment in which they are found

streetnounUS /striːt/

a thoroughfare (usually including sidewalks) that is lined with buildings

From this reading You have seen men in the street, unloading bricks from a cart and tossing them, three or four at a time, from one to another?

stringnounUS /strɪŋ/

a lightweight cord

From this reading Should Connie ever sustain a reverse, she will always have a second string to her bow...

sustainverbUS /səˈsteɪn/

lengthen or extend in duration or space

From this reading Should Connie ever sustain a reverse, she will always have a second string to her bow...

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Certainly there is no one to equal Connie for that.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading You have seen men in the street, unloading bricks from a cart and tossing them, three or four at a time, from one to another?

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading You have seen men in the street, unloading bricks from a cart and tossing them, three or four at a time, from one to another?

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading Certainly there is no one to equal Connie for that.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading Major Blanstock _tossed_ this Mrs. Sawyer to Connie, Connie _tossed_ her to me...

threenounUS /θriː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one

From this reading You have seen men in the street, unloading bricks from a cart and tossing them, three or four at a time, from one to another?

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading You have seen men in the street, unloading bricks from a cart and tossing them, three or four at a time, from one to another?

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Certainly there is no one to equal Connie for that.

tossverbUS /tɔːs/

throw or toss with a light motion

tossedverbUS /tɔːst/

past form of “toss” — throw or toss with a light motion

From this reading Major Blanstock _tossed_ this Mrs. Sawyer to Connie, Connie _tossed_ her to me...

tossingverbUS /ˈtɔːsɪŋ/

-ing form of “toss” — throw or toss with a light motion

From this reading You have seen men in the street, unloading bricks from a cart and tossing them, three or four at a time, from one to another?

undertakeverbUS /ˈʌndərteɪk/

enter upon an activity or enterprise

unloadingnounUS /ənˈloʊdɪŋ/

the labor of taking a load of something off of or out of a vehicle or ship or container etc.

From this reading You have seen men in the street, unloading bricks from a cart and tossing them, three or four at a time, from one to another?

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading Should Connie ever sustain a reverse, she will always have a second string to her bow...

YoupronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading You have seen men in the street, unloading bricks from a cart and tossing them, three or four at a time, from one to another?

Chapter 5 of The confessions of a well-meaning woman by Stephen McKenna holds 436 sentences, grouped into 88 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 5 of The confessions of a well-meaning woman contain?

Chapter 5 holds 436 sentences of The confessions of a well-meaning woman, unabridged, divided into 88 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 5 of The confessions of a well-meaning woman by Stephen McKenna exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 436 sentences, grouped into 88 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 5 of The confessions of a well-meaning woman?

Work through the 88 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 88 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.

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Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 5 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.

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Chapter V

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