The Corner House Girls on Palm Island

Chapter XX

Chapter 20 of The Corner House Girls on Palm Island is here in full — 131 sentences across 27 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Grace Brooks Hill • Curated US English Learning Edition

Cover illustration for The Corner House Girls on Palm Island

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THE FLAG ON THE TREE-TOP “But it is practical, Guardy!” cried Agnes, at breakfast.

“You know our Ruth is always practical.”

“Far be it from me to say that it is not practical—theoretically,” rejoined Mr. Howbridge, referring, as Agnes did, to the idea of building a raft.

“I guess whatever will float us off this island after the _Isobel_ is good enough to try,” said Neale O’Neil, just a little sullenly.

“We will do all that can be done with the idea, of course,” agreed Mr. Howbridge.

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Chapter XX Reading 1/26

The Corner House Girls on Palm Island Grace Brooks Hill

Chapter XX

Chapter 20 of The Corner House Girls on Palm Island is here in full — 131 sentences across 27 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

THE FLAG ON THE TREE-TOP “But it is practical, Guardy!” cried Agnes, at breakfast. “You know our Ruth is always practical.” “Far be it from me to say that it is not practical—theoretically,” rejoined Mr. Howbridge, referring, as Agnes did, to the idea of building a raft. “I guess whatever will float us off this island after the _Isobel_ is good enough to try,” said Neale O’Neil, just a little sullenly. “We will do all that can be done with the idea, of course,” agreed Mr. Howbridge.

The Corner House Girls on Palm Island

Chapter XX

Chapter 20 of The Corner House Girls on Palm Island is here in full — 131 sentences across 27 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/26 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

THE FLAG ON THE TREE-TOP “But it is practical, Guardy!” cried Agnes, at breakfast.

Line 2

“You know our Ruth is always practical.”

/juː noʊ ˈaʊər ruːθ ɪz ˈɔːlweɪz ˈpræktəkəl/

Line 3

“Far be it from me to say that it is not practical—theoretically,” rejoined Mr. Howbridge, referring, as Agnes did, to the idea of building a raft.

Line 4

“I guess whatever will float us off this island after the _Isobel_ is good enough to try,” said Neale O’Neil, just a little sullenly.

Line 5

“We will do all that can be done with the idea, of course,” agreed Mr. Howbridge.

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.

flag noun US /flæɡ/

emblem usually consisting of a rectangular piece of cloth of distinctive design

From this reading “THE FLAG ON THE TREE-TOP “But it is practical, Guardy!” cried Agnes, at breakfast.”

float verb US /floʊt/

be in motion due to some air or water current

From this reading ““I guess whatever will float us off this island after the _Isobel_ is good enough to try,” said Neale O’Neil, just a little sullenly.”

practical adjective US /ˈpræktəkəl/

concerned with actual use or practice

From this reading “THE FLAG ON THE TREE-TOP “But it is practical, Guardy!” cried Agnes, at breakfast.”

raft noun US /ræft/

a flat float (usually made of logs or planks) that can be used for transport or as a platform for swimmers

From this reading ““Far be it from me to say that it is not practical—theoretically,” rejoined Mr. Howbridge, referring, as Agnes did, to the idea of building a raft.”

referring verb US /rɪˈfɜːrɪŋ/

inflected form of “refer” — make reference to

From this reading ““Far be it from me to say that it is not practical—theoretically,” rejoined Mr. Howbridge, referring, as Agnes did, to the idea of building a raft.”

rejoined verb US /riˈdʒɔɪnd/

past form of “rejoin” — join again

From this reading ““Far be it from me to say that it is not practical—theoretically,” rejoined Mr. Howbridge, referring, as Agnes did, to the idea of building a raft.”

Ruth noun US /ruːθ/

United States professional baseball player famous for hitting home runs (1895-1948)

From this reading ““You know our Ruth is always practical.””

theoretically adverb US /ˌθiːərˈetɪkəli/

in theory; according to the assumed facts

From this reading ““Far be it from me to say that it is not practical—theoretically,” rejoined Mr. Howbridge, referring, as Agnes did, to the idea of building a raft.”

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.

good enough adjective + noun

adequately good for the circumstances

In this reading ““I guess whatever will float us off this island after the _Isobel_ is good enough to try,” said Neale O’Neil, just a little sullenly.”

of course preposition + noun

as might be expected

In this reading ““We will do all that can be done with the idea, of course,” agreed Mr. Howbridge.”

All words in this reading · 66

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 “Far be it from me to say that it is not practical—theoretically,” rejoined Mr. Howbridge, referring, as Agnes did, to the idea of building a raft.

afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading “I guess whatever will float us off this island after the _Isobel_ is good enough to try,” said Neale O’Neil, just a little sullenly.

Agnes

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

From this reading THE FLAG ON THE TREE-TOP “But it is practical, Guardy!” cried Agnes, at breakfast.

agreedadjectiveUS /əˈɡriːd/

united by being of the same opinion

From this reading “We will do all that can be done with the idea, of course,” agreed Mr. Howbridge.

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading “We will do all that can be done with the idea, of course,” agreed Mr. Howbridge.

alwaysadverbUS /ˈɔːlweɪz/

at all times; all the time and on every occasion

From this reading “You know our Ruth is always practical.”

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading “Far be it from me to say that it is not practical—theoretically,” rejoined Mr. Howbridge, referring, as Agnes did, to the idea of building a raft.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading THE FLAG ON THE TREE-TOP “But it is practical, Guardy!” cried Agnes, at breakfast.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading “Far be it from me to say that it is not practical—theoretically,” rejoined Mr. Howbridge, referring, as Agnes did, to the idea of building a raft.

breakfastverbUS /ˈbrekfəst/

eat an early morning meal

From this reading THE FLAG ON THE TREE-TOP “But it is practical, Guardy!” cried Agnes, at breakfast.

buildingnounUS /ˈbɪldɪŋ/

a structure that has a roof and walls and stands more or less permanently in one place

From this reading “Far be it from me to say that it is not practical—theoretically,” rejoined Mr. Howbridge, referring, as Agnes did, to the idea of building a raft.

ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading THE FLAG ON THE TREE-TOP “But it is practical, Guardy!” cried Agnes, at breakfast.

canmodal verbUS /kæn/

to be able to, or to be allowed to

From this reading “We will do all that can be done with the idea, of course,” agreed Mr. Howbridge.

coursenounUS /kɔːrs/

education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings

From this reading “We will do all that can be done with the idea, of course,” agreed Mr. Howbridge.

criedverbUS /kraɪd/

inflected form of “cry” — utter a sudden loud cry

From this reading THE FLAG ON THE TREE-TOP “But it is practical, Guardy!” cried Agnes, at breakfast.

didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading “Far be it from me to say that it is not practical—theoretically,” rejoined Mr. Howbridge, referring, as Agnes did, to the idea of building a raft.

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading “We will do all that can be done with the idea, of course,” agreed Mr. Howbridge.

doneadjectiveUS /dʌn/

having finished or arrived at completion

From this reading “We will do all that can be done with the idea, of course,” agreed Mr. Howbridge.

enoughnounUS /ɪˈnʌf/

an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose

From this reading “I guess whatever will float us off this island after the _Isobel_ is good enough to try,” said Neale O’Neil, just a little sullenly.

FaradverbUS /fɑːr/

to a considerable degree; very much

From this reading “Far be it from me to say that it is not practical—theoretically,” rejoined Mr. Howbridge, referring, as Agnes did, to the idea of building a raft.

FLAGnounUS /flæɡ/

emblem usually consisting of a rectangular piece of cloth of distinctive design

From this reading THE FLAG ON THE TREE-TOP “But it is practical, Guardy!” cried Agnes, at breakfast.

floatverbUS /floʊt/

be in motion due to some air or water current

From this reading “I guess whatever will float us off this island after the _Isobel_ is good enough to try,” said Neale O’Neil, just a little sullenly.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading “Far be it from me to say that it is not practical—theoretically,” rejoined Mr. Howbridge, referring, as Agnes did, to the idea of building a raft.

goodadjectiveUS /ɡʊd/

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

From this reading “I guess whatever will float us off this island after the _Isobel_ is good enough to try,” said Neale O’Neil, just a little sullenly.

Guardy

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

From this reading THE FLAG ON THE TREE-TOP “But it is practical, Guardy!” cried Agnes, at breakfast.

guessverbUS /ɡes/

expect, believe, or suppose

From this reading “I guess whatever will float us off this island after the _Isobel_ is good enough to try,” said Neale O’Neil, just a little sullenly.

Howbridge

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

From this reading “Far be it from me to say that it is not practical—theoretically,” rejoined Mr. Howbridge, referring, as Agnes did, to the idea of building a raft.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading “I guess whatever will float us off this island after the _Isobel_ is good enough to try,” said Neale O’Neil, just a little sullenly.

ideanounUS /aɪˈdiːə/

the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about

From this reading “Far be it from me to say that it is not practical—theoretically,” rejoined Mr. Howbridge, referring, as Agnes did, to the idea of building a raft.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading THE FLAG ON THE TREE-TOP “But it is practical, Guardy!” cried Agnes, at breakfast.

islandnounUS /ˈaɪlənd/

a land mass (smaller than a continent) that is surrounded by water

From this reading “I guess whatever will float us off this island after the _Isobel_ is good enough to try,” said Neale O’Neil, just a little sullenly.

Isobel

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

From this reading “I guess whatever will float us off this island after the _Isobel_ is good enough to try,” said Neale O’Neil, just a little sullenly.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading THE FLAG ON THE TREE-TOP “But it is practical, Guardy!” cried Agnes, at breakfast.

justadverbUS /dʒʌst/

and nothing more

From this reading “I guess whatever will float us off this island after the _Isobel_ is good enough to try,” said Neale O’Neil, just a little sullenly.

knowverbUS /noʊ/

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

From this reading “You know our Ruth is always practical.”

littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading “I guess whatever will float us off this island after the _Isobel_ is good enough to try,” said Neale O’Neil, just a little sullenly.

mepronounUS /miː/

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

From this reading “Far be it from me to say that it is not practical—theoretically,” rejoined Mr. Howbridge, referring, as Agnes did, to the idea of building a raft.

MrnounUS /ˈmɪstər/

a form of address for a man

From this reading “Far be it from me to say that it is not practical—theoretically,” rejoined Mr. Howbridge, referring, as Agnes did, to the idea of building a raft.

Neale

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

From this reading “I guess whatever will float us off this island after the _Isobel_ is good enough to try,” said Neale O’Neil, just a little sullenly.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading “Far be it from me to say that it is not practical—theoretically,” rejoined Mr. Howbridge, referring, as Agnes did, to the idea of building a raft.

O'Neil

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

From this reading “I guess whatever will float us off this island after the _Isobel_ is good enough to try,” said Neale O’Neil, just a little sullenly.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading “Far be it from me to say that it is not practical—theoretically,” rejoined Mr. Howbridge, referring, as Agnes did, to the idea of building a raft.

offadverbUS /ɔːf/

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading “I guess whatever will float us off this island after the _Isobel_ is good enough to try,” said Neale O’Neil, just a little sullenly.

ONprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading THE FLAG ON THE TREE-TOP “But it is practical, Guardy!” cried Agnes, at breakfast.

ourdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/

belonging to the speaker and others

From this reading “You know our Ruth is always practical.”

practicaladjectiveUS /ˈpræktəkəl/

concerned with actual use or practice

From this reading THE FLAG ON THE TREE-TOP “But it is practical, Guardy!” cried Agnes, at breakfast.

raftnounUS /ræft/

a flat float (usually made of logs or planks) that can be used for transport or as a platform for swimmers

From this reading “Far be it from me to say that it is not practical—theoretically,” rejoined Mr. Howbridge, referring, as Agnes did, to the idea of building a raft.

referringverbUS /rɪˈfɜːrɪŋ/

inflected form of “refer” — make reference to

From this reading “Far be it from me to say that it is not practical—theoretically,” rejoined Mr. Howbridge, referring, as Agnes did, to the idea of building a raft.

rejoinedverbUS /riˈdʒɔɪnd/

past form of “rejoin” — join again

From this reading “Far be it from me to say that it is not practical—theoretically,” rejoined Mr. Howbridge, referring, as Agnes did, to the idea of building a raft.

RuthnounUS /ruːθ/

United States professional baseball player famous for hitting home runs (1895-1948)

From this reading “You know our Ruth is always practical.”

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading “I guess whatever will float us off this island after the _Isobel_ is good enough to try,” said Neale O’Neil, just a little sullenly.

sayverbUS /seɪ/

express in words

From this reading “Far be it from me to say that it is not practical—theoretically,” rejoined Mr. Howbridge, referring, as Agnes did, to the idea of building a raft.

sullenlyadverb

in a sullen manner

From this reading “I guess whatever will float us off this island after the _Isobel_ is good enough to try,” said Neale O’Neil, just a little sullenly.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading “Far be it from me to say that it is not practical—theoretically,” rejoined Mr. Howbridge, referring, as Agnes did, to the idea of building a raft.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading THE FLAG ON THE TREE-TOP “But it is practical, Guardy!” cried Agnes, at breakfast.

theoreticallyadverbUS /ˌθiːərˈetɪkəli/

in theory; according to the assumed facts

From this reading “Far be it from me to say that it is not practical—theoretically,” rejoined Mr. Howbridge, referring, as Agnes did, to the idea of building a raft.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading “I guess whatever will float us off this island after the _Isobel_ is good enough to try,” said Neale O’Neil, just a little sullenly.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading “Far be it from me to say that it is not practical—theoretically,” rejoined Mr. Howbridge, referring, as Agnes did, to the idea of building a raft.

TREE-TOP

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

From this reading THE FLAG ON THE TREE-TOP “But it is practical, Guardy!” cried Agnes, at breakfast.

tryverbUS /traɪ/

make an effort or attempt

From this reading “I guess whatever will float us off this island after the _Isobel_ is good enough to try,” said Neale O’Neil, just a little sullenly.

uspronounUS /ʌs/

the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading “I guess whatever will float us off this island after the _Isobel_ is good enough to try,” said Neale O’Neil, just a little sullenly.

WepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading “We will do all that can be done with the idea, of course,” agreed Mr. Howbridge.

whateverdeterminerUS /ˌwʌˈtevər/

any or all of a kind, it does not matter which

From this reading “I guess whatever will float us off this island after the _Isobel_ is good enough to try,” said Neale O’Neil, just a little sullenly.

willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading “I guess whatever will float us off this island after the _Isobel_ is good enough to try,” said Neale O’Neil, just a little sullenly.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading “We will do all that can be done with the idea, of course,” agreed Mr. Howbridge.

YoupronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading “You know our Ruth is always practical.”

Chapter 20 of The Corner House Girls on Palm Island by Grace Brooks Hill holds 131 sentences, grouped into 27 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 20 of The Corner House Girls on Palm Island contain?

Chapter 20 holds 131 sentences of The Corner House Girls on Palm Island, unabridged, divided into 27 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 20 of The Corner House Girls on Palm Island by Grace Brooks Hill exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 131 sentences, grouped into 27 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 20 of The Corner House Girls on Palm Island?

Work through the 27 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 27 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 20 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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Project Gutenberg eBook #36259, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

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About 309 minutes of reading across 743 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in The Corner House Girls on Palm Island

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Corner House Girls on Palm Island, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

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Chapter XX

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