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The Courage of the Commonplace
The Courage of the Commonplace

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of The Courage of the Commonplace is here in full — 569 sentences across 114 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Courage of the Commonplace
Context Illustration Reading 12/113 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Her father and Brant were Bones men--why was the girl arguing against senior societies?
"So many, Mrs. Anderson.
Uncle Ted's friend, the President of Hardrington College, was in Yale in the '80's and made no senior society; Judge Marston of the Supreme Court dined with us the other night--he didn't make anything; Dr. Hamlin, who is certainly one of the great physicians of the country, wasn't taken.
I know a lot more.
And look at some who've made things.
0:00 / 0:00
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Courage of the Commonplace

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of The Courage of the Commonplace is here in full — 569 sentences across 114 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 12/113 · 5 reading units · Lines 56–60

Line 1
Her father and Brant were Bones men--why was the girl arguing against senior societies?
Line 2
"So many, Mrs. Anderson.
/soʊ ˈmeni ˈmɪsɪz ˈændərsən/
Line 3
Uncle Ted's friend, the President of Hardrington College, was in Yale in the '80's and made no senior society; Judge Marston of the Supreme Court dined with us the other night--he didn't make anything; Dr. Hamlin, who is certainly one of the great physicians of the country, wasn't taken.
Line 4
I know a lot more.
/aɪ noʊ ə lɑːt mɔːr/
Line 5
And look at some who've made things.

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.

Anderson noun US /ˈændərsən/

United States author whose works were frequently autobiographical (1876-1941)

From this reading “"So many, Mrs. Anderson.”

arguing noun US /ˈɑːrɡjuːɪŋ/

a contentious speech act; a dispute where there is strong disagreement

From this reading “Her father and Brant were Bones men--why was the girl arguing against senior societies?”

Brant noun US /brænt/

small dark geese that breed in the north and migrate southward

From this reading “Her father and Brant were Bones men--why was the girl arguing against senior societies?”

physicians noun US /fəˈzɪʃənz/

plural of “physician” — a licensed medical practitioner

From this reading “Uncle Ted's friend, the President of Hardrington College, was in Yale in the '80's and made no senior society; Judge Marston of the Supreme Court dined with us the other night--he didn't make anything; Dr. Hamlin, who is certainly one of the great physicians of the country, wasn't taken.”

senior adjective US /ˈsiːnjər/

older; higher in rank; longer in length of tenure or service

From this reading “Her father and Brant were Bones men--why was the girl arguing against senior societies?”

societies noun US /səˈsaɪətiz/

plural of “society” — an extended social group having a distinctive cultural and economic organization

From this reading “Her father and Brant were Bones men--why was the girl arguing against senior societies?”

Ted's noun US /tedz/

possessive form of “ted” — a tough youth of 1950's and 1960's wearing Edwardian style clothes

From this reading “Uncle Ted's friend, the President of Hardrington College, was in Yale in the '80's and made no senior society; Judge Marston of the Supreme Court dined with us the other night--he didn't make anything; Dr. Hamlin, who is certainly one of the great physicians of the country, wasn't taken.”

Yale noun US /jeɪl/

a university in Connecticut

From this reading “Uncle Ted's friend, the President of Hardrington College, was in Yale in the '80's and made no senior society; Judge Marston of the Supreme Court dined with us the other night--he didn't make anything; Dr. Hamlin, who is certainly one of the great physicians of the country, wasn't taken.”

All words in this reading · 67

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.

80

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

From this reading Uncle Ted's friend, the President of Hardrington College, was in Yale in the '80's and made no senior society; Judge Marston of the Supreme Court dined with us the other night--he didn't make anything; Dr. Hamlin, who is certainly one of the great physicians of the country, wasn't taken.

adeterminerUS /ə/

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

From this reading I know a lot more.

againstprepositionUS /əˈɡenst/

touching and pressing; in opposition to

From this reading Her father and Brant were Bones men--why was the girl arguing against senior societies?

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Her father and Brant were Bones men--why was the girl arguing against senior societies?

AndersonnounUS /ˈændərsən/

United States author whose works were frequently autobiographical (1876-1941)

From this reading "So many, Mrs. Anderson.

anythingpronounUS /ˈeniθɪŋ/

any thing at all

From this reading Uncle Ted's friend, the President of Hardrington College, was in Yale in the '80's and made no senior society; Judge Marston of the Supreme Court dined with us the other night--he didn't make anything; Dr. Hamlin, who is certainly one of the great physicians of the country, wasn't taken.

arguingnounUS /ˈɑːrɡjuːɪŋ/

a contentious speech act; a dispute where there is strong disagreement

From this reading Her father and Brant were Bones men--why was the girl arguing against senior societies?

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading And look at some who've made things.

BonesnounUS /boʊnz/

(used in the plural) a percussion instrument consisting of a pair of hollow pieces of wood or bone (usually held between the thumb and fingers) that are made to click together (as by Spanish dancers) in rhythm with the dance

From this reading Her father and Brant were Bones men--why was the girl arguing against senior societies?

BrantnounUS /brænt/

small dark geese that breed in the north and migrate southward

From this reading Her father and Brant were Bones men--why was the girl arguing against senior societies?

certainlyadverbUS /ˈsɜːrtənli/

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

From this reading Uncle Ted's friend, the President of Hardrington College, was in Yale in the '80's and made no senior society; Judge Marston of the Supreme Court dined with us the other night--he didn't make anything; Dr. Hamlin, who is certainly one of the great physicians of the country, wasn't taken.

CollegenounUS /ˈkɑːlɪdʒ/

the body of faculty and students of a college

From this reading Uncle Ted's friend, the President of Hardrington College, was in Yale in the '80's and made no senior society; Judge Marston of the Supreme Court dined with us the other night--he didn't make anything; Dr. Hamlin, who is certainly one of the great physicians of the country, wasn't taken.

countrynounUS /ˈkʌntri/

a politically organized body of people under a single government

From this reading Uncle Ted's friend, the President of Hardrington College, was in Yale in the '80's and made no senior society; Judge Marston of the Supreme Court dined with us the other night--he didn't make anything; Dr. Hamlin, who is certainly one of the great physicians of the country, wasn't taken.

CourtnounUS /kɔːrt/

an assembly (including one or more judges) to conduct judicial business

From this reading Uncle Ted's friend, the President of Hardrington College, was in Yale in the '80's and made no senior society; Judge Marston of the Supreme Court dined with us the other night--he didn't make anything; Dr. Hamlin, who is certainly one of the great physicians of the country, wasn't taken.

didn't

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

From this reading Uncle Ted's friend, the President of Hardrington College, was in Yale in the '80's and made no senior society; Judge Marston of the Supreme Court dined with us the other night--he didn't make anything; Dr. Hamlin, who is certainly one of the great physicians of the country, wasn't taken.

dinedverbUS /daɪnd/

past form of “dine” — have supper; eat dinner

From this reading Uncle Ted's friend, the President of Hardrington College, was in Yale in the '80's and made no senior society; Judge Marston of the Supreme Court dined with us the other night--he didn't make anything; Dr. Hamlin, who is certainly one of the great physicians of the country, wasn't taken.

Dr

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

From this reading Uncle Ted's friend, the President of Hardrington College, was in Yale in the '80's and made no senior society; Judge Marston of the Supreme Court dined with us the other night--he didn't make anything; Dr. Hamlin, who is certainly one of the great physicians of the country, wasn't taken.

fathernounUS /ˈfɑːðər/

a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)

From this reading Her father and Brant were Bones men--why was the girl arguing against senior societies?

friendnounUS /frend/

a person you know well and regard with affection and trust

From this reading Uncle Ted's friend, the President of Hardrington College, was in Yale in the '80's and made no senior society; Judge Marston of the Supreme Court dined with us the other night--he didn't make anything; Dr. Hamlin, who is certainly one of the great physicians of the country, wasn't taken.

girlnounUS /ɡɜːrl/

a young female

From this reading Her father and Brant were Bones men--why was the girl arguing against senior societies?

greatadjectiveUS /ɡreɪt/

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

From this reading Uncle Ted's friend, the President of Hardrington College, was in Yale in the '80's and made no senior society; Judge Marston of the Supreme Court dined with us the other night--he didn't make anything; Dr. Hamlin, who is certainly one of the great physicians of the country, wasn't taken.

Hamlin

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

From this reading Uncle Ted's friend, the President of Hardrington College, was in Yale in the '80's and made no senior society; Judge Marston of the Supreme Court dined with us the other night--he didn't make anything; Dr. Hamlin, who is certainly one of the great physicians of the country, wasn't taken.

Hardrington

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

From this reading Uncle Ted's friend, the President of Hardrington College, was in Yale in the '80's and made no senior society; Judge Marston of the Supreme Court dined with us the other night--he didn't make anything; Dr. Hamlin, who is certainly one of the great physicians of the country, wasn't taken.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading Uncle Ted's friend, the President of Hardrington College, was in Yale in the '80's and made no senior society; Judge Marston of the Supreme Court dined with us the other night--he didn't make anything; Dr. Hamlin, who is certainly one of the great physicians of the country, wasn't taken.

HerdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading Her father and Brant were Bones men--why was the girl arguing against senior societies?

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading I know a lot more.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Uncle Ted's friend, the President of Hardrington College, was in Yale in the '80's and made no senior society; Judge Marston of the Supreme Court dined with us the other night--he didn't make anything; Dr. Hamlin, who is certainly one of the great physicians of the country, wasn't taken.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading Uncle Ted's friend, the President of Hardrington College, was in Yale in the '80's and made no senior society; Judge Marston of the Supreme Court dined with us the other night--he didn't make anything; Dr. Hamlin, who is certainly one of the great physicians of the country, wasn't taken.

JudgeverbUS /dʒʌdʒ/

determine the result of (a competition)

From this reading Uncle Ted's friend, the President of Hardrington College, was in Yale in the '80's and made no senior society; Judge Marston of the Supreme Court dined with us the other night--he didn't make anything; Dr. Hamlin, who is certainly one of the great physicians of the country, wasn't taken.

knowverbUS /noʊ/

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

From this reading I know a lot more.

lookverbUS /lʊk/

perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading And look at some who've made things.

lotnounUS /lɑːt/

(often followed by “of”) a large number or amount or extent

From this reading I know a lot more.

madeadjectiveUS /meɪd/

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading Uncle Ted's friend, the President of Hardrington College, was in Yale in the '80's and made no senior society; Judge Marston of the Supreme Court dined with us the other night--he didn't make anything; Dr. Hamlin, who is certainly one of the great physicians of the country, wasn't taken.

makeverbUS /meɪk/

engage in

From this reading Uncle Ted's friend, the President of Hardrington College, was in Yale in the '80's and made no senior society; Judge Marston of the Supreme Court dined with us the other night--he didn't make anything; Dr. Hamlin, who is certainly one of the great physicians of the country, wasn't taken.

manyadjectiveUS /ˈmeni/

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number

From this reading "So many, Mrs. Anderson.

Marston

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

From this reading Uncle Ted's friend, the President of Hardrington College, was in Yale in the '80's and made no senior society; Judge Marston of the Supreme Court dined with us the other night--he didn't make anything; Dr. Hamlin, who is certainly one of the great physicians of the country, wasn't taken.

mennounUS /men/

the force of workers available

From this reading Her father and Brant were Bones men--why was the girl arguing against senior societies?

moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/

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

From this reading I know a lot more.

MrsnounUS /ˈmɪsɪz/

a form of address for a married woman

From this reading "So many, Mrs. Anderson.

nightnounUS /naɪt/

the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside

From this reading Uncle Ted's friend, the President of Hardrington College, was in Yale in the '80's and made no senior society; Judge Marston of the Supreme Court dined with us the other night--he didn't make anything; Dr. Hamlin, who is certainly one of the great physicians of the country, wasn't taken.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading Uncle Ted's friend, the President of Hardrington College, was in Yale in the '80's and made no senior society; Judge Marston of the Supreme Court dined with us the other night--he didn't make anything; Dr. Hamlin, who is certainly one of the great physicians of the country, wasn't taken.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Uncle Ted's friend, the President of Hardrington College, was in Yale in the '80's and made no senior society; Judge Marston of the Supreme Court dined with us the other night--he didn't make anything; Dr. Hamlin, who is certainly one of the great physicians of the country, wasn't taken.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading Uncle Ted's friend, the President of Hardrington College, was in Yale in the '80's and made no senior society; Judge Marston of the Supreme Court dined with us the other night--he didn't make anything; Dr. Hamlin, who is certainly one of the great physicians of the country, wasn't taken.

otheradjectiveUS /ˈʌðər/

not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied

From this reading Uncle Ted's friend, the President of Hardrington College, was in Yale in the '80's and made no senior society; Judge Marston of the Supreme Court dined with us the other night--he didn't make anything; Dr. Hamlin, who is certainly one of the great physicians of the country, wasn't taken.

physiciansnounUS /fəˈzɪʃənz/

plural of “physician” — a licensed medical practitioner

From this reading Uncle Ted's friend, the President of Hardrington College, was in Yale in the '80's and made no senior society; Judge Marston of the Supreme Court dined with us the other night--he didn't make anything; Dr. Hamlin, who is certainly one of the great physicians of the country, wasn't taken.

PresidentnounUS /ˈprezədent/

an executive officer of a firm or corporation

From this reading Uncle Ted's friend, the President of Hardrington College, was in Yale in the '80's and made no senior society; Judge Marston of the Supreme Court dined with us the other night--he didn't make anything; Dr. Hamlin, who is certainly one of the great physicians of the country, wasn't taken.

snounUS /es/

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

From this reading Uncle Ted's friend, the President of Hardrington College, was in Yale in the '80's and made no senior society; Judge Marston of the Supreme Court dined with us the other night--he didn't make anything; Dr. Hamlin, who is certainly one of the great physicians of the country, wasn't taken.

senioradjectiveUS /ˈsiːnjər/

older; higher in rank; longer in length of tenure or service

From this reading Her father and Brant were Bones men--why was the girl arguing against senior societies?

SoconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading "So many, Mrs. Anderson.

societiesnounUS /səˈsaɪətiz/

plural of “society” — an extended social group having a distinctive cultural and economic organization

From this reading Her father and Brant were Bones men--why was the girl arguing against senior societies?

societynounUS /səˈsaɪəti/

an extended social group having a distinctive cultural and economic organization

From this reading Uncle Ted's friend, the President of Hardrington College, was in Yale in the '80's and made no senior society; Judge Marston of the Supreme Court dined with us the other night--he didn't make anything; Dr. Hamlin, who is certainly one of the great physicians of the country, wasn't taken.

someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

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

From this reading And look at some who've made things.

SupremeadjectiveUS /səˈpriːm/

final or last in your life or progress

From this reading Uncle Ted's friend, the President of Hardrington College, was in Yale in the '80's and made no senior society; Judge Marston of the Supreme Court dined with us the other night--he didn't make anything; Dr. Hamlin, who is certainly one of the great physicians of the country, wasn't taken.

takenadjectiveUS /ˈteɪkən/

understood in a certain way; made sense of

From this reading Uncle Ted's friend, the President of Hardrington College, was in Yale in the '80's and made no senior society; Judge Marston of the Supreme Court dined with us the other night--he didn't make anything; Dr. Hamlin, who is certainly one of the great physicians of the country, wasn't taken.

Ted'snounUS /tedz/

possessive form of “ted” — a tough youth of 1950's and 1960's wearing Edwardian style clothes

From this reading Uncle Ted's friend, the President of Hardrington College, was in Yale in the '80's and made no senior society; Judge Marston of the Supreme Court dined with us the other night--he didn't make anything; Dr. Hamlin, who is certainly one of the great physicians of the country, wasn't taken.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Her father and Brant were Bones men--why was the girl arguing against senior societies?

thingsnounUS /θɪŋz/

any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)

From this reading And look at some who've made things.

UnclenounUS /ˈʌŋkəl/

the brother of your father or mother; the husband of your aunt

From this reading Uncle Ted's friend, the President of Hardrington College, was in Yale in the '80's and made no senior society; Judge Marston of the Supreme Court dined with us the other night--he didn't make anything; Dr. Hamlin, who is certainly one of the great physicians of the country, wasn't taken.

uspronounUS /ʌs/

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

From this reading Uncle Ted's friend, the President of Hardrington College, was in Yale in the '80's and made no senior society; Judge Marston of the Supreme Court dined with us the other night--he didn't make anything; Dr. Hamlin, who is certainly one of the great physicians of the country, wasn't taken.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Her father and Brant were Bones men--why was the girl arguing against senior societies?

wasn't

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

From this reading Uncle Ted's friend, the President of Hardrington College, was in Yale in the '80's and made no senior society; Judge Marston of the Supreme Court dined with us the other night--he didn't make anything; Dr. Hamlin, who is certainly one of the great physicians of the country, wasn't taken.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading Her father and Brant were Bones men--why was the girl arguing against senior societies?

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading Uncle Ted's friend, the President of Hardrington College, was in Yale in the '80's and made no senior society; Judge Marston of the Supreme Court dined with us the other night--he didn't make anything; Dr. Hamlin, who is certainly one of the great physicians of the country, wasn't taken.

who've

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

From this reading And look at some who've made things.

whynounUS /waɪ/

the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”

From this reading Her father and Brant were Bones men--why was the girl arguing against senior societies?

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Uncle Ted's friend, the President of Hardrington College, was in Yale in the '80's and made no senior society; Judge Marston of the Supreme Court dined with us the other night--he didn't make anything; Dr. Hamlin, who is certainly one of the great physicians of the country, wasn't taken.

YalenounUS /jeɪl/

a university in Connecticut

From this reading Uncle Ted's friend, the President of Hardrington College, was in Yale in the '80's and made no senior society; Judge Marston of the Supreme Court dined with us the other night--he didn't make anything; Dr. Hamlin, who is certainly one of the great physicians of the country, wasn't taken.

Chapter 1 of The Courage of the Commonplace by Mary Raymond Shipman Andrews holds 569 sentences, grouped into 114 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 1 of The Courage of the Commonplace contain?

Chapter 1 holds 569 sentences of The Courage of the Commonplace, unabridged, divided into 114 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of The Courage of the Commonplace by Mary Raymond Shipman Andrews exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 569 sentences, grouped into 114 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 1 of The Courage of the Commonplace?

Work through the 114 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 114 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 1 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 1 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 Courage of the Commonplace

Common questions about reading The Courage of the Commonplace by Mary Raymond Shipman Andrews on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Courage of the Commonplace?

Yes. All 569 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #5825 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Courage of the Commonplace is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #5825, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Courage of the Commonplace take to read?

About 47 minutes of reading across 114 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in The Courage of the Commonplace

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Courage of the Commonplace, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Chaperon
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Courage of the Commonplace; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Deposited
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Courage of the Commonplace; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Early
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Courage of the Commonplace; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Desirable
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Courage of the Commonplace; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.