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.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
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.
So"--the iron face broke for a second into a whimsical grin--"so I offered you a motor. And you wouldn't take it. I knew, though you didn't explain, that you feared it would interfere with your studies. I was right?" Johnny nodded.
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 39/113 · 5 reading units · Lines 191–195
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.
past form of “fear” — be afraid or feel anxious or apprehensive about a possible or probable situation or event
From this reading “I knew, though you didn't explain, that you feared it would interfere with your studies.”
a facial expression characterized by turning up the corners of the mouth; usually shows pleasure or amusement
From this reading “So"--the iron face broke for a second into a whimsical grin--"so I offered you a motor.”
come between so as to be hindrance or obstacle
From this reading “I knew, though you didn't explain, that you feared it would interfere with your studies.”
“Johnny” was applied as a nickname for Confederate soldiers by the Federal soldiers in the American Civil War; “greyback” derived from their grey Confederate uniforms
From this reading “Johnny nodded.”
machine that converts other forms of energy into mechanical energy and so imparts motion
From this reading “So"--the iron face broke for a second into a whimsical grin--"so I offered you a motor.”
inflected form of “nod” — express or signify by nodding
From this reading “Johnny nodded.”
plural of “study” — a detailed critical inspection
From this reading “I knew, though you didn't explain, that you feared it would interfere with your studies.”
determined by chance or impulse or whim rather than by necessity or reason
From this reading “So"--the iron face broke for a second into a whimsical grin--"so I offered you a motor.”
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 So"--the iron face broke for a second into a whimsical grin--"so I offered you a motor.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading And you wouldn't take it.
lacking funds
From this reading So"--the iron face broke for a second into a whimsical grin--"so I offered you a motor.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I knew, though you didn't explain, that you feared it would interfere with your studies.
make plain and comprehensible
From this reading I knew, though you didn't explain, that you feared it would interfere with your studies.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading So"--the iron face broke for a second into a whimsical grin--"so I offered you a motor.
past form of “fear” — be afraid or feel anxious or apprehensive about a possible or probable situation or event
From this reading I knew, though you didn't explain, that you feared it would interfere with your studies.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading So"--the iron face broke for a second into a whimsical grin--"so I offered you a motor.
a facial expression characterized by turning up the corners of the mouth; usually shows pleasure or amusement
From this reading So"--the iron face broke for a second into a whimsical grin--"so I offered you a motor.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading So"--the iron face broke for a second into a whimsical grin--"so I offered you a motor.
come between so as to be hindrance or obstacle
From this reading I knew, though you didn't explain, that you feared it would interfere with your studies.
moving to the inside of something
From this reading So"--the iron face broke for a second into a whimsical grin--"so I offered you a motor.
a heavy ductile magnetic metallic element; is silver-white in pure form but readily rusts; used in construction and tools and armament; plays a role in the transport of oxygen by the blood
From this reading So"--the iron face broke for a second into a whimsical grin--"so I offered you a motor.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading And you wouldn't take it.
“Johnny” was applied as a nickname for Confederate soldiers by the Federal soldiers in the American Civil War; “greyback” derived from their grey Confederate uniforms
From this reading Johnny nodded.
inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading I knew, though you didn't explain, that you feared it would interfere with your studies.
machine that converts other forms of energy into mechanical energy and so imparts motion
From this reading So"--the iron face broke for a second into a whimsical grin--"so I offered you a motor.
inflected form of “nod” — express or signify by nodding
From this reading Johnny nodded.
past form of “offer” — make available or accessible, provide or furnish
From this reading So"--the iron face broke for a second into a whimsical grin--"so I offered you a motor.
precisely, exactly
From this reading I was right?"
1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites
From this reading So"--the iron face broke for a second into a whimsical grin--"so I offered you a motor.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading So"--the iron face broke for a second into a whimsical grin--"so I offered you a motor.
plural of “study” — a detailed critical inspection
From this reading I knew, though you didn't explain, that you feared it would interfere with your studies.
carry out
From this reading And you wouldn't take it.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading I knew, though you didn't explain, that you feared it would interfere with your studies.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading So"--the iron face broke for a second into a whimsical grin--"so I offered you a motor.
in spite of the fact that
From this reading I knew, though you didn't explain, that you feared it would interfere with your studies.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading I was right?"
determined by chance or impulse or whim rather than by necessity or reason
From this reading So"--the iron face broke for a second into a whimsical grin--"so I offered you a motor.
in the company of; together with
From this reading I knew, though you didn't explain, that you feared it would interfere with your studies.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading I knew, though you didn't explain, that you feared it would interfere with your studies.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And you wouldn't take it.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading So"--the iron face broke for a second into a whimsical grin--"so I offered you a motor.
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading I knew, though you didn't explain, that you feared it would interfere with your studies.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Common questions about reading The Courage of the Commonplace by Mary Raymond Shipman Andrews on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 569 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #5825 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #5825, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 47 minutes of reading across 114 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Courage of the Commonplace section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 1 chapters of The Courage of the Commonplace 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 Courage of the Commonplace, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
