Chapter 16 of The Crown of Life is here in full — 244 sentences across 49 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XVI
Chapter 16 of The Crown of Life is here in full — 244 sentences across 49 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Olga was the first to break silence. "You ought to take your boots to be mended," she said gently. "If it rains, you'll get wet feet, and you know what that means." "You're very kind to think of it; I will." "You can pay for them, I hope?"
Chapter 16 of The Crown of Life is here in full — 244 sentences across 49 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/48 · 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.
plural of “boot” — footwear that covers the whole foot and lower leg
From this reading “"You ought to take your boots to be mended," she said gently.”
terminate
From this reading “Olga was the first to break silence.”
in a gradual manner
From this reading “"You ought to take your boots to be mended," she said gently.”
past form of “mend” — restore by replacing a part or putting together what is torn or broken
From this reading “"You ought to take your boots to be mended," she said gently.”
used with “to” to say what is right or advisable
From this reading “"You ought to take your boots to be mended," she said gently.”
give money, usually in exchange for goods or services
From this reading “"You can pay for them, I hope?"”
plural of “rain” — water falling in drops from vapor condensed in the atmosphere
From this reading “"If it rains, you'll get wet feet, and you know what that means."”
covered or soaked with a liquid such as water
From this reading “"If it rains, you'll get wet feet, and you know what that means."”
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 to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "If it rains, you'll get wet feet, and you know what that means."
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading "You ought to take your boots to be mended," she said gently.
plural of “boot” — footwear that covers the whole foot and lower leg
From this reading "You ought to take your boots to be mended," she said gently.
terminate
From this reading Olga was the first to break silence.
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading "You can pay for them, I hope?"
plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading "If it rains, you'll get wet feet, and you know what that means."
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading Olga was the first to break silence.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading "You can pay for them, I hope?"
in a gradual manner
From this reading "You ought to take your boots to be mended," she said gently.
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading "If it rains, you'll get wet feet, and you know what that means."
a specific instance of feeling hopeful
From this reading "You can pay for them, I hope?"
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "You're very kind to think of it; I will."
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading "If it rains, you'll get wet feet, and you know what that means."
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "If it rains, you'll get wet feet, and you know what that means."
having or showing a tender and considerate and helpful nature; used especially of persons and their behavior
From this reading "You're very kind to think of it; I will."
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading "If it rains, you'll get wet feet, and you know what that means."
thing or person that acts to produce a particular effect or achieve an end
From this reading "If it rains, you'll get wet feet, and you know what that means."
past form of “mend” — restore by replacing a part or putting together what is torn or broken
From this reading "You ought to take your boots to be mended," she said gently.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "You're very kind to think of it; I will."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Olga was the first to break silence.
used with “to” to say what is right or advisable
From this reading "You ought to take your boots to be mended," she said gently.
give money, usually in exchange for goods or services
From this reading "You can pay for them, I hope?"
plural of “rain” — water falling in drops from vapor condensed in the atmosphere
From this reading "If it rains, you'll get wet feet, and you know what that means."
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "You ought to take your boots to be mended," she said gently.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "You ought to take your boots to be mended," she said gently.
Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.
From this reading Olga was the first to break silence.
carry out
From this reading "You ought to take your boots to be mended," she said gently.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "If it rains, you'll get wet feet, and you know what that means."
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Olga was the first to break silence.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading "You can pay for them, I hope?"
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading "You're very kind to think of it; I will."
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Olga was the first to break silence.
precisely as stated
From this reading "You're very kind to think of it; I will."
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Olga was the first to break silence.
covered or soaked with a liquid such as water
From this reading "If it rains, you'll get wet feet, and you know what that means."
used to ask for information about something
From this reading "If it rains, you'll get wet feet, and you know what that means."
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading "You're very kind to think of it; I will."
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "You ought to take your boots to be mended," she said gently.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "If it rains, you'll get wet feet, and you know what that means."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "You're very kind to think of it; I will."
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "You ought to take your boots to be mended," she said gently.
Chapter 16 of The Crown of Life by George Gissing holds 244 sentences, grouped into 49 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 16 holds 244 sentences of The Crown of Life, unabridged, divided into 49 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 16 of The Crown of Life by George Gissing exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 244 sentences, grouped into 49 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 49 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 49 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 16 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 Crown of Life by George Gissing on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 7937 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #4541 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #4541, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 1588 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Crown of Life section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 36 chapters of The Crown of Life 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 Crown of Life, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
