used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading We stood still where we were, and in a whisper the captain admonished us to be quiet.
admonishedverbUS /ədˈmɑːnɪʃt/
past form of “admonish” — advise or counsel in terms of someone's behavior
From this reading We stood still where we were, and in a whisper the captain admonished us to be quiet.
anew
From this reading There was a brief silence, and then the rapping began again.
fear resulting from the awareness of danger
From this reading The alarm took us by surprise, for we had expected to get the start on our enemies by at least half an hour.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading The alarm took us by surprise, for we had expected to get the start on our enemies by at least half an hour.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading We stood still where we were, and in a whisper the captain admonished us to be quiet.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading The alarm took us by surprise, for we had expected to get the start on our enemies by at least half an hour.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading We stood still where we were, and in a whisper the captain admonished us to be quiet.
inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading There was a brief silence, and then the rapping began again.
of short duration or distance
From this reading There was a brief silence, and then the rapping began again.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading The alarm took us by surprise, for we had expected to get the start on our enemies by at least half an hour.
an officer holding a rank below a major but above a lieutenant
From this reading We stood still where we were, and in a whisper the captain admonished us to be quiet.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading That the officers of the law were at the door none of us doubted.
doubtedverbUS /ˈdaʊtɪd/
past form of “doubt” — consider unlikely or have doubts about
From this reading That the officers of the law were at the door none of us doubted.
plural of “enemy” — an opposing military force
From this reading The alarm took us by surprise, for we had expected to get the start on our enemies by at least half an hour.
considered likely or probable to happen or arrive
From this reading The alarm took us by surprise, for we had expected to get the start on our enemies by at least half an hour.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading The alarm took us by surprise, for we had expected to get the start on our enemies by at least half an hour.
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading The alarm took us by surprise, for we had expected to get the start on our enemies by at least half an hour.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The alarm took us by surprise, for we had expected to get the start on our enemies by at least half an hour.
consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity
From this reading The alarm took us by surprise, for we had expected to get the start on our enemies by at least half an hour.
a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day
From this reading The alarm took us by surprise, for we had expected to get the start on our enemies by at least half an hour.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading We stood still where we were, and in a whisper the captain admonished us to be quiet.
the collection of rules imposed by authority
From this reading That the officers of the law were at the door none of us doubted.
the superlative of “little” that can be used with mass nouns and is usually preceded by “the”; a quantifier meaning smallest in amount or extent or degree
From this reading The alarm took us by surprise, for we had expected to get the start on our enemies by at least half an hour.
not one, and not any
From this reading That the officers of the law were at the door none of us doubted.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE SKIPPER OF THE SPEEDWELL.
plural of “officer” — any person in the armed services who holds a position of authority or command
From this reading That the officers of the law were at the door none of us doubted.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The alarm took us by surprise, for we had expected to get the start on our enemies by at least half an hour.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading The alarm took us by surprise, for we had expected to get the start on our enemies by at least half an hour.
quietadjectiveUS /ˈkwaɪət/
characterized by an absence or near absence of agitation or activity
From this reading We stood still where we were, and in a whisper the captain admonished us to be quiet.
rappingverbUS /ˈræpɪŋ/
inflected form of “rap” — strike sharply
From this reading There was a brief silence, and then the rapping began again.
Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.
From this reading There was a brief silence, and then the rapping began again.
SKIPPERnounUS /ˈskɪpər/
a student who fails to attend classes
From this reading THE SKIPPER OF THE SPEEDWELL.
SPEEDWELLnoun
any plant of the genus Veronica
From this reading THE SKIPPER OF THE SPEEDWELL.
take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading The alarm took us by surprise, for we had expected to get the start on our enemies by at least half an hour.
not in physical motion
From this reading We stood still where we were, and in a whisper the captain admonished us to be quiet.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading We stood still where we were, and in a whisper the captain admonished us to be quiet.
the astonishment you feel when something totally unexpected happens to you
From this reading The alarm took us by surprise, for we had expected to get the start on our enemies by at least half an hour.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading That the officers of the law were at the door none of us doubted.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE SKIPPER OF THE SPEEDWELL.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading There was a brief silence, and then the rapping began again.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There was a brief silence, and then the rapping began again.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The alarm took us by surprise, for we had expected to get the start on our enemies by at least half an hour.
inflected form of “take” — carry out
From this reading The alarm took us by surprise, for we had expected to get the start on our enemies by at least half an hour.
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading The alarm took us by surprise, for we had expected to get the start on our enemies by at least half an hour.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading There was a brief silence, and then the rapping began again.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading The alarm took us by surprise, for we had expected to get the start on our enemies by at least half an hour.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading That the officers of the law were at the door none of us doubted.
in or at the place that
From this reading We stood still where we were, and in a whisper the captain admonished us to be quiet.
speaking softly without vibration of the vocal cords
From this reading We stood still where we were, and in a whisper the captain admonished us to be quiet.
