Chapter 2 of The Day of Small Things is here in full — 443 sentences across 89 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of The Day of Small Things is here in full — 443 sentences across 89 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
“That may be true,” said Arbell, reflectively. Then, after a short silence, “What would you do in my place?” “Ah, my love, I should probably not do better in your place than you do, if as well.” “Oh, Mrs. Cheerlove!” “The question is not what I, or any other person might do, but what _should be done_.
Chapter 2 of The Day of Small Things is here in full — 443 sentences across 89 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/88 · 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.
(comparative of “good”) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another
From this reading ““Ah, my love, I should probably not do better in your place than you do, if as well.””
having finished or arrived at completion
a human being
From this reading ““The question is not what I, or any other person might do, but what _should be done_.”
with considerable certainty; without much doubt
From this reading ““Ah, my love, I should probably not do better in your place than you do, if as well.””
challenge the accuracy, probity, or propriety of
From this reading ““The question is not what I, or any other person might do, but what _should be done_.”
primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration
From this reading “Then, after a short silence, “What would you do in my place?””
Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.
From this reading “Then, after a short silence, “What would you do in my place?””
consistent with fact or reality; not false
From this reading ““That may be true,” said Arbell, reflectively.”
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.
In this reading “Then, after a short silence, “What would you do in my place?””
In this reading ““The question is not what I, or any other person might do, but what _should be done_.”
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 Then, after a short silence, “What would you do in my place?”
later than; following
From this reading Then, after a short silence, “What would you do in my place?”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Ah, my love, I should probably not do better in your place than you do, if as well.”
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading “The question is not what I, or any other person might do, but what _should be done_.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “That may be true,” said Arbell, reflectively.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading “Ah, my love, I should probably not do better in your place than you do, if as well.”
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading “That may be true,” said Arbell, reflectively.
(comparative of “good”) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another
From this reading “Ah, my love, I should probably not do better in your place than you do, if as well.”
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading “The question is not what I, or any other person might do, but what _should be done_.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Oh, Mrs. Cheerlove!”
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading Then, after a short silence, “What would you do in my place?”
having finished or arrived at completion
From this reading “The question is not what I, or any other person might do, but what _should be done_.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “Ah, my love, I should probably not do better in your place than you do, if as well.”
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading “Ah, my love, I should probably not do better in your place than you do, if as well.”
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Then, after a short silence, “What would you do in my place?”
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “The question is not what I, or any other person might do, but what _should be done_.
a strong positive emotion of regard and affection
From this reading “Ah, my love, I should probably not do better in your place than you do, if as well.”
used to say something is possible, or to give permission
From this reading “That may be true,” said Arbell, reflectively.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading “The question is not what I, or any other person might do, but what _should be done_.
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading “Oh, Mrs. Cheerlove!”
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading Then, after a short silence, “What would you do in my place?”
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading “Ah, my love, I should probably not do better in your place than you do, if as well.”
a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region
From this reading “Oh, Mrs. Cheerlove!”
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading “The question is not what I, or any other person might do, but what _should be done_.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading “The question is not what I, or any other person might do, but what _should be done_.
a human being
From this reading “The question is not what I, or any other person might do, but what _should be done_.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading Then, after a short silence, “What would you do in my place?”
with considerable certainty; without much doubt
From this reading “Ah, my love, I should probably not do better in your place than you do, if as well.”
challenge the accuracy, probity, or propriety of
From this reading “The question is not what I, or any other person might do, but what _should be done_.
in a reflective manner
From this reading “That may be true,” said Arbell, reflectively.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “That may be true,” said Arbell, reflectively.
primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration
From this reading Then, after a short silence, “What would you do in my place?”
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading “Ah, my love, I should probably not do better in your place than you do, if as well.”
Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.
From this reading Then, after a short silence, “What would you do in my place?”
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading “Ah, my love, I should probably not do better in your place than you do, if as well.”
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading “That may be true,” said Arbell, reflectively.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading “The question is not what I, or any other person might do, but what _should be done_.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then, after a short silence, “What would you do in my place?”
consistent with fact or reality; not false
From this reading “That may be true,” said Arbell, reflectively.
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading “Ah, my love, I should probably not do better in your place than you do, if as well.”
used to ask for information about something
From this reading Then, after a short silence, “What would you do in my place?”
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading Then, after a short silence, “What would you do in my place?”
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading Then, after a short silence, “What would you do in my place?”
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “Ah, my love, I should probably not do better in your place than you do, if as well.”
Chapter 2 of The Day of Small Things by Anne Manning holds 443 sentences, grouped into 89 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 2 holds 443 sentences of The Day of Small Things, unabridged, divided into 89 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of The Day of Small Things by Anne Manning exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 443 sentences, grouped into 89 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 89 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 89 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 2 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 Day of Small Things by Anne Manning on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 2172 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #62219 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #62219, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 181 minutes of reading across 435 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Day of Small Things section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 5 chapters of The Day of Small Things 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 Day of Small Things, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
