used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The Minister made inquiries regarding the scientist, who lived in a little suburb of Paris, and found that there was nothing against him on the books of the police.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading Inquiry showed that all he had said about his own private fortune was true.
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading The Minister made inquiries regarding the scientist, who lived in a little suburb of Paris, and found that there was nothing against him on the books of the police.
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading Inquiry showed that all he had said about his own private fortune was true.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading The Minister therefore wrote to the inventor, and named an hour at which he would receive him in his private office.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading It was, as I have said, before the time of the Paris explosions, and ministers were not so suspicious then as they are now.
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading It was, as I have said, before the time of the Paris explosions, and ministers were not so suspicious then as they are now.
past form of “arrive” — reach a destination; arrive by movement or progress
From this reading The hour and the man arrived together.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading It was, as I have said, before the time of the Paris explosions, and ministers were not so suspicious then as they are now.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading The Minister therefore wrote to the inventor, and named an hour at which he would receive him in his private office.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading It was, as I have said, before the time of the Paris explosions, and ministers were not so suspicious then as they are now.
Bound written or printed works.
From this reading The Minister made inquiries regarding the scientist, who lived in a little suburb of Paris, and found that there was nothing against him on the books of the police.
explosionsnounUS /ɪkˈsploʊʒənz/
plural of “explosion” — a violent release of energy caused by a chemical or nuclear reaction
From this reading It was, as I have said, before the time of the Paris explosions, and ministers were not so suspicious then as they are now.
an unknown and unpredictable phenomenon that causes an event to result one way rather than another
From this reading Inquiry showed that all he had said about his own private fortune was true.
set up or found
From this reading The Minister made inquiries regarding the scientist, who lived in a little suburb of Paris, and found that there was nothing against him on the books of the police.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Inquiry showed that all he had said about his own private fortune was true.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading It was, as I have said, before the time of the Paris explosions, and ministers were not so suspicious then as they are now.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Inquiry showed that all he had said about his own private fortune was true.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading The Minister made inquiries regarding the scientist, who lived in a little suburb of Paris, and found that there was nothing against him on the books of the police.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Inquiry showed that all he had said about his own private fortune was true.
a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day
From this reading The Minister therefore wrote to the inventor, and named an hour at which he would receive him in his private office.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading It was, as I have said, before the time of the Paris explosions, and ministers were not so suspicious then as they are now.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The Minister made inquiries regarding the scientist, who lived in a little suburb of Paris, and found that there was nothing against him on the books of the police.
inquiriesnounUS /ˌɪnˈkwaɪəriz/
plural of “inquiry” — a search for knowledge
From this reading The Minister made inquiries regarding the scientist, who lived in a little suburb of Paris, and found that there was nothing against him on the books of the police.
a search for knowledge
From this reading Inquiry showed that all he had said about his own private fortune was true.
inventornounUS /ˌɪnˈventər/
someone who is the first to think of or make something
From this reading The Minister therefore wrote to the inventor, and named an hour at which he would receive him in his private office.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was, as I have said, before the time of the Paris explosions, and ministers were not so suspicious then as they are now.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading The Minister made inquiries regarding the scientist, who lived in a little suburb of Paris, and found that there was nothing against him on the books of the police.
past form of “live” — be an inhabitant of or reside in
From this reading The Minister made inquiries regarding the scientist, who lived in a little suburb of Paris, and found that there was nothing against him on the books of the police.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading The Minister made inquiries regarding the scientist, who lived in a little suburb of Paris, and found that there was nothing against him on the books of the police.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading The hour and the man arrived together.
a person authorized to conduct religious worship
From this reading The Minister made inquiries regarding the scientist, who lived in a little suburb of Paris, and found that there was nothing against him on the books of the police.
ministersnounUS /ˈmɪnəstərz/
plural of “minister” — a person authorized to conduct religious worship
From this reading It was, as I have said, before the time of the Paris explosions, and ministers were not so suspicious then as they are now.
past form of “name” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading The Minister therefore wrote to the inventor, and named an hour at which he would receive him in his private office.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading It was, as I have said, before the time of the Paris explosions, and ministers were not so suspicious then as they are now.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading The Minister made inquiries regarding the scientist, who lived in a little suburb of Paris, and found that there was nothing against him on the books of the police.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading It was, as I have said, before the time of the Paris explosions, and ministers were not so suspicious then as they are now.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading It was, as I have said, before the time of the Paris explosions, and ministers were not so suspicious then as they are now.
place of business where professional or clerical duties are performed
From this reading The Minister therefore wrote to the inventor, and named an hour at which he would receive him in his private office.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The Minister made inquiries regarding the scientist, who lived in a little suburb of Paris, and found that there was nothing against him on the books of the police.
have ownership or possession of
From this reading Inquiry showed that all he had said about his own private fortune was true.
the capital and largest city of France; and international center of culture and commerce
From this reading It was, as I have said, before the time of the Paris explosions, and ministers were not so suspicious then as they are now.
the force of policemen and officers
From this reading The Minister made inquiries regarding the scientist, who lived in a little suburb of Paris, and found that there was nothing against him on the books of the police.
confined to particular persons or groups or providing privacy
From this reading Inquiry showed that all he had said about his own private fortune was true.
get something; come into possession of
From this reading The Minister therefore wrote to the inventor, and named an hour at which he would receive him in his private office.
regardingverbUS /rɪˈɡɑːrdɪŋ/
-ing form of “regard” — deem to be
From this reading The Minister made inquiries regarding the scientist, who lived in a little suburb of Paris, and found that there was nothing against him on the books of the police.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading It was, as I have said, before the time of the Paris explosions, and ministers were not so suspicious then as they are now.
scientistnounUS /ˈsaɪəntɪst/
a person with advanced knowledge of one or more sciences
From this reading The Minister made inquiries regarding the scientist, who lived in a little suburb of Paris, and found that there was nothing against him on the books of the police.
past form of “show” — give an exhibition of to an interested audience
From this reading Inquiry showed that all he had said about his own private fortune was true.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading It was, as I have said, before the time of the Paris explosions, and ministers were not so suspicious then as they are now.
suburbnounUS /ˈsʌbərb/
a residential district located on the outskirts of a city
From this reading The Minister made inquiries regarding the scientist, who lived in a little suburb of Paris, and found that there was nothing against him on the books of the police.
suspiciousadjectiveUS /səˈspɪʃəs/
openly distrustful and unwilling to confide
From this reading It was, as I have said, before the time of the Paris explosions, and ministers were not so suspicious then as they are now.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The Minister made inquiries regarding the scientist, who lived in a little suburb of Paris, and found that there was nothing against him on the books of the police.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading It was, as I have said, before the time of the Paris explosions, and ministers were not so suspicious then as they are now.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading It was, as I have said, before the time of the Paris explosions, and ministers were not so suspicious then as they are now.
in or at that place or location
From this reading The Minister made inquiries regarding the scientist, who lived in a little suburb of Paris, and found that there was nothing against him on the books of the police.
for that reason; as a result
From this reading The Minister therefore wrote to the inventor, and named an hour at which he would receive him in his private office.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading It was, as I have said, before the time of the Paris explosions, and ministers were not so suspicious then as they are now.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading It was, as I have said, before the time of the Paris explosions, and ministers were not so suspicious then as they are now.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The Minister therefore wrote to the inventor, and named an hour at which he would receive him in his private office.
in contact with each other or in proximity
From this reading The hour and the man arrived together.
consistent with fact or reality; not false
From this reading Inquiry showed that all he had said about his own private fortune was true.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was, as I have said, before the time of the Paris explosions, and ministers were not so suspicious then as they are now.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading It was, as I have said, before the time of the Paris explosions, and ministers were not so suspicious then as they are now.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading The Minister therefore wrote to the inventor, and named an hour at which he would receive him in his private office.
which person or people
From this reading The Minister made inquiries regarding the scientist, who lived in a little suburb of Paris, and found that there was nothing against him on the books of the police.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading The Minister therefore wrote to the inventor, and named an hour at which he would receive him in his private office.
inflected form of “write” — produce a literary work
From this reading The Minister therefore wrote to the inventor, and named an hour at which he would receive him in his private office.
