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The Forsyte saga - Complete
The Forsyte saga - Complete

Chapter XXXVIII · Chapter 38

Chapter 38 of The Forsyte saga - Complete is here in full — 337 sentences across 68 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Forsyte saga - Complete
Context Illustration Reading 1/67 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Soames walked out of the garden door, crossed the lawn, stood on the path above the river, turned round and walked back to the garden door, without having realised that he had moved.
The sound of wheels crunching the drive convinced him that time had passed, and the doctor gone.
What, exactly, had he said?
This is the position, Mr. Forsyte.
I can make pretty certain of her life if I operate, but the baby will be born dead.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Forsyte saga - Complete

Chapter XXXVIII · Chapter 38

Chapter 38 of The Forsyte saga - Complete is here in full — 337 sentences across 68 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/67 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Soames walked out of the garden door, crossed the lawn, stood on the path above the river, turned round and walked back to the garden door, without having realised that he had moved.
Line 2
The sound of wheels crunching the drive convinced him that time had passed, and the doctor gone.
/ðə saʊnd ʌv wiːlz ˈkrʌntʃɪŋ ðə draɪv kənˈvɪnst hɪm ðæt taɪm hæd pæst ənd ðə ˈdɑːktər ɡɔːn/
Line 3
What, exactly, had he said?
/wʌt ɪɡˈzæktli hæd hiː sed/
Line 4
This is the position, Mr. Forsyte.
Line 5
I can make pretty certain of her life if I operate, but the baby will be born dead.
/aɪ kæn meɪk ˈprɪti ˈsɜːrtən ʌv hɜːr laɪf ɪf aɪ ˈɑːpəreɪt bʌt ðə ˈbeɪbi wɪl biː bɔːrn ded/

Learner Dictionary

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.

baby noun US /ˈbeɪbi/

a very young child (birth to 1 year) who has not yet begun to walk or talk

From this reading “I can make pretty certain of her life if I operate, but the baby will be born dead.”

convinced adjective US /kənˈvɪnst/

persuaded of; very sure

From this reading “The sound of wheels crunching the drive convinced him that time had passed, and the doctor gone.”

crossed adjective US /krɔːst/

placed crosswise

From this reading “Soames walked out of the garden door, crossed the lawn, stood on the path above the river, turned round and walked back to the garden door, without having realised that he had moved.”

crunching verb US /ˈkrʌntʃɪŋ/

-ing form of “crunch” — make a crushing noise

From this reading “The sound of wheels crunching the drive convinced him that time had passed, and the doctor gone.”

lawn noun US /lɔːn/

a field of cultivated and mowed grass

From this reading “Soames walked out of the garden door, crossed the lawn, stood on the path above the river, turned round and walked back to the garden door, without having realised that he had moved.”

operate verb US /ˈɑːpəreɪt/

direct or control; projects, businesses, etc.

From this reading “I can make pretty certain of her life if I operate, but the baby will be born dead.”

realised adjective US /ˈriːəlaɪzd/

successfully completed or brought to an end

From this reading “Soames walked out of the garden door, crossed the lawn, stood on the path above the river, turned round and walked back to the garden door, without having realised that he had moved.”

wheels noun US /wiːlz/

plural of “wheel” — a simple machine consisting of a circular frame with spokes (or a solid disc) that can rotate on a shaft or axle (as in vehicles or other machines)

From this reading “The sound of wheels crunching the drive convinced him that time had passed, and the doctor gone.”

All words in this reading · 59

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.

aboveprepositionUS /əˈbʌv/

higher than, or over, something

From this reading Soames walked out of the garden door, crossed the lawn, stood on the path above the river, turned round and walked back to the garden door, without having realised that he had moved.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading Soames walked out of the garden door, crossed the lawn, stood on the path above the river, turned round and walked back to the garden door, without having realised that he had moved.

babynounUS /ˈbeɪbi/

a very young child (birth to 1 year) who has not yet begun to walk or talk

From this reading I can make pretty certain of her life if I operate, but the baby will be born dead.

backadverbUS /bæk/

in or to or toward a former location

From this reading Soames walked out of the garden door, crossed the lawn, stood on the path above the river, turned round and walked back to the garden door, without having realised that he had moved.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading I can make pretty certain of her life if I operate, but the baby will be born dead.

bornadjectiveUS /bɔːrn/

brought into existence

From this reading I can make pretty certain of her life if I operate, but the baby will be born dead.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading I can make pretty certain of her life if I operate, but the baby will be born dead.

canmodal verbUS /kæn/

to be able to, or to be allowed to

From this reading I can make pretty certain of her life if I operate, but the baby will be born dead.

certainadjectiveUS /ˈsɜːrtən/

definite but not specified or identified

From this reading I can make pretty certain of her life if I operate, but the baby will be born dead.

convincedadjectiveUS /kənˈvɪnst/

persuaded of; very sure

From this reading The sound of wheels crunching the drive convinced him that time had passed, and the doctor gone.

crossedadjectiveUS /krɔːst/

placed crosswise

From this reading Soames walked out of the garden door, crossed the lawn, stood on the path above the river, turned round and walked back to the garden door, without having realised that he had moved.

crunchingverbUS /ˈkrʌntʃɪŋ/

-ing form of “crunch” — make a crushing noise

From this reading The sound of wheels crunching the drive convinced him that time had passed, and the doctor gone.

deadadjectiveUS /ded/

no longer having or seeming to have or expecting to have life

From this reading I can make pretty certain of her life if I operate, but the baby will be born dead.

doctornounUS /ˈdɑːktər/

a licensed medical practitioner

From this reading The sound of wheels crunching the drive convinced him that time had passed, and the doctor gone.

doornounUS /dɔːr/

a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle

From this reading Soames walked out of the garden door, crossed the lawn, stood on the path above the river, turned round and walked back to the garden door, without having realised that he had moved.

driveverbUS /draɪv/

operate or control a vehicle

From this reading The sound of wheels crunching the drive convinced him that time had passed, and the doctor gone.

exactlyadverbUS /ɪɡˈzæktli/

indicating exactness or preciseness

From this reading What, exactly, had he said?

Forsyte

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading “This is the position, Mr. Forsyte.

gardennounUS /ˈɡɑːrdən/

a plot of ground where plants are cultivated

From this reading Soames walked out of the garden door, crossed the lawn, stood on the path above the river, turned round and walked back to the garden door, without having realised that he had moved.

goneadjectiveUS /ɡɔːn/

destroyed or killed

From this reading The sound of wheels crunching the drive convinced him that time had passed, and the doctor gone.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading Soames walked out of the garden door, crossed the lawn, stood on the path above the river, turned round and walked back to the garden door, without having realised that he had moved.

havingauxiliary verbUS /ˈhævɪŋ/

the -ing form of “have”

From this reading Soames walked out of the garden door, crossed the lawn, stood on the path above the river, turned round and walked back to the garden door, without having realised that he had moved.

hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Soames walked out of the garden door, crossed the lawn, stood on the path above the river, turned round and walked back to the garden door, without having realised that he had moved.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading I can make pretty certain of her life if I operate, but the baby will be born dead.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading The sound of wheels crunching the drive convinced him that time had passed, and the doctor gone.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading I can make pretty certain of her life if I operate, but the baby will be born dead.

ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading I can make pretty certain of her life if I operate, but the baby will be born dead.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading “This is the position, Mr. Forsyte.

lawnnounUS /lɔːn/

a field of cultivated and mowed grass

From this reading Soames walked out of the garden door, crossed the lawn, stood on the path above the river, turned round and walked back to the garden door, without having realised that he had moved.

lifenounUS /laɪf/

a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading I can make pretty certain of her life if I operate, but the baby will be born dead.

makeverbUS /meɪk/

engage in

From this reading I can make pretty certain of her life if I operate, but the baby will be born dead.

movedadjectiveUS /muːvd/

being excited or provoked to the expression of an emotion

From this reading Soames walked out of the garden door, crossed the lawn, stood on the path above the river, turned round and walked back to the garden door, without having realised that he had moved.

MrnounUS /ˈmɪstər/

a form of address for a man

From this reading “This is the position, Mr. Forsyte.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Soames walked out of the garden door, crossed the lawn, stood on the path above the river, turned round and walked back to the garden door, without having realised that he had moved.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Soames walked out of the garden door, crossed the lawn, stood on the path above the river, turned round and walked back to the garden door, without having realised that he had moved.

operateverbUS /ˈɑːpəreɪt/

direct or control; projects, businesses, etc.

From this reading I can make pretty certain of her life if I operate, but the baby will be born dead.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading Soames walked out of the garden door, crossed the lawn, stood on the path above the river, turned round and walked back to the garden door, without having realised that he had moved.

passedverbUS /pæst/

past form of “pass” — go across or through

From this reading The sound of wheels crunching the drive convinced him that time had passed, and the doctor gone.

pathnounUS /pæθ/

a course of conduct

From this reading Soames walked out of the garden door, crossed the lawn, stood on the path above the river, turned round and walked back to the garden door, without having realised that he had moved.

positionnounUS /pəˈzɪʃən/

the particular portion of space occupied by something

From this reading “This is the position, Mr. Forsyte.

prettyadjectiveUS /ˈprɪti/

pleasing by delicacy or grace; not imposing

From this reading I can make pretty certain of her life if I operate, but the baby will be born dead.

realisedadjectiveUS /ˈriːəlaɪzd/

successfully completed or brought to an end

From this reading Soames walked out of the garden door, crossed the lawn, stood on the path above the river, turned round and walked back to the garden door, without having realised that he had moved.

rivernounUS /ˈrɪvər/

a large natural stream of water (larger than a creek)

From this reading Soames walked out of the garden door, crossed the lawn, stood on the path above the river, turned round and walked back to the garden door, without having realised that he had moved.

roundnounUS /raʊnd/

a charge of ammunition for a single shot

From this reading Soames walked out of the garden door, crossed the lawn, stood on the path above the river, turned round and walked back to the garden door, without having realised that he had moved.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading What, exactly, had he said?

Soames

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Soames walked out of the garden door, crossed the lawn, stood on the path above the river, turned round and walked back to the garden door, without having realised that he had moved.

soundnounUS /saʊnd/

the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause

From this reading The sound of wheels crunching the drive convinced him that time had passed, and the doctor gone.

stoodverbUS /stʊd/

Maintained an upright posture.

From this reading Soames walked out of the garden door, crossed the lawn, stood on the path above the river, turned round and walked back to the garden door, without having realised that he had moved.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Soames walked out of the garden door, crossed the lawn, stood on the path above the river, turned round and walked back to the garden door, without having realised that he had moved.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading Soames walked out of the garden door, crossed the lawn, stood on the path above the river, turned round and walked back to the garden door, without having realised that he had moved.

ThisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading “This is the position, Mr. Forsyte.

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading The sound of wheels crunching the drive convinced him that time had passed, and the doctor gone.

toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading Soames walked out of the garden door, crossed the lawn, stood on the path above the river, turned round and walked back to the garden door, without having realised that he had moved.

turnedadjectiveUS /tɜːrnd/

moved around an axis or center

From this reading Soames walked out of the garden door, crossed the lawn, stood on the path above the river, turned round and walked back to the garden door, without having realised that he had moved.

walkedverbUS /wɔːkt/

past form of “walk” — use one's feet to advance; advance by steps

From this reading Soames walked out of the garden door, crossed the lawn, stood on the path above the river, turned round and walked back to the garden door, without having realised that he had moved.

WhatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading What, exactly, had he said?

wheelsnounUS /wiːlz/

plural of “wheel” — a simple machine consisting of a circular frame with spokes (or a solid disc) that can rotate on a shaft or axle (as in vehicles or other machines)

From this reading The sound of wheels crunching the drive convinced him that time had passed, and the doctor gone.

willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading I can make pretty certain of her life if I operate, but the baby will be born dead.

withoutprepositionUS /wɪˈθaʊt/

not having, not using, or not accompanied by

From this reading Soames walked out of the garden door, crossed the lawn, stood on the path above the river, turned round and walked back to the garden door, without having realised that he had moved.

Chapter 38 of The Forsyte saga - Complete by John Galsworthy holds 337 sentences, grouped into 68 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.

What does chapter 38 of The Forsyte saga - Complete contain?

Chapter 38 holds 337 sentences of The Forsyte saga - Complete, unabridged, divided into 68 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 38 of The Forsyte saga - Complete by John Galsworthy exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 337 sentences, grouped into 68 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.

How do I study chapter 38 of The Forsyte saga - Complete?

Work through the 68 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 68 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.

Can chapter 38 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 38 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.

Questions about reading The Forsyte saga - Complete

Common questions about reading The Forsyte saga - Complete by John Galsworthy on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Forsyte saga - Complete?

Yes. All 21295 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #4397 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Forsyte saga - Complete is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #4397, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Forsyte saga - Complete take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 4259 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Forsyte saga - Complete section by section

How to work through The Forsyte saga - Complete section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 40 chapters of The Forsyte saga - Complete to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in The Forsyte saga - Complete

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Forsyte saga - Complete, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Those
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Forsyte saga - Complete; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Privileged
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Forsyte saga - Complete; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Present
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Forsyte saga - Complete; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Family
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Forsyte saga - Complete; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.