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The Forsyte saga, Volume 2
The Forsyte saga, Volume 2

Chapter XIX · Chapter 19

Chapter 19 of The Forsyte saga, Volume 2 is here in full — 170 sentences across 34 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/34 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
The possessive instinct, which, so determinedly balked, was animating two members of the Forsyte family towards riddance of what they could no longer possess, was hardening daily in the British body politic.
Nicholas, originally so doubtful concerning a war which must affect property, had been heard to say that these Boers were a pig-headed lot; they were causing a lot of expense, and the sooner they had their lesson the better.
_He_ would send out Wolseley!
Seeing always a little further than other peoplewhence the most considerable fortune of all the Forsyteshe had perceived already that Buller was not the man—“a bull of a chap, who just went butting, and if they didn’t look out Ladysmith would fall.”
This was early in December, so that when Black Week came, he was enabled to say to everybody: I told you so.”
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Forsyte saga, Volume 2

Chapter XIX · Chapter 19

Chapter 19 of The Forsyte saga, Volume 2 is here in full — 170 sentences across 34 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/34 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
The possessive instinct, which, so determinedly balked, was animating two members of the Forsyte family towards riddance of what they could no longer possess, was hardening daily in the British body politic.
Line 2
Nicholas, originally so doubtful concerning a war which must affect property, had been heard to say that these Boers were a pig-headed lot; they were causing a lot of expense, and the sooner they had their lesson the better.
Line 3
_He_ would send out Wolseley!
Line 4
Seeing always a little further than other peoplewhence the most considerable fortune of all the Forsyteshe had perceived already that Buller was not the man—“a bull of a chap, who just went butting, and if they didn’t look out Ladysmith would fall.”
Line 5
This was early in December, so that when Black Week came, he was enabled to say to everybody: “I told you so.”
/ðɪs wɑːz ˈɜːrli ɪn dɪˈsembər soʊ ðæt wen blæk wiːk keɪm hiː wɑːz eˈneɪbəld tuː seɪ tuː ˈevribɑːdi aɪ toʊld juː soʊ/

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.

animating adjective US /ˌænəˈmeɪtɪŋɡ/

giving spirit and vivacity

From this reading “The possessive instinct, which, so determinedly balked, was animating two members of the Forsyte family towards riddance of what they could no longer possess, was hardening daily in the British body politic.”

balked verb US /bɔːkt/

past form of “balk” — refuse to comply

From this reading “The possessive instinct, which, so determinedly balked, was animating two members of the Forsyte family towards riddance of what they could no longer possess, was hardening daily in the British body politic.”

butting verb US /ˈbʌtɪŋ/

-ing form of “butt” — lie adjacent to another or share a boundary

From this reading “Seeing always a little further than other people—whence the most considerable fortune of all the Forsytes—he had perceived already that Buller was not the man—“a bull of a chap, who just went butting, and if they didn’t look out Ladysmith would fall.””

determinedly adverb US /dəˈtɜːrmənədli/

with determination; in a determined manner

From this reading “The possessive instinct, which, so determinedly balked, was animating two members of the Forsyte family towards riddance of what they could no longer possess, was hardening daily in the British body politic.”

hardening noun US /ˈhɑːrdənɪŋ/

abnormal hardening or thickening of tissue

From this reading “The possessive instinct, which, so determinedly balked, was animating two members of the Forsyte family towards riddance of what they could no longer possess, was hardening daily in the British body politic.”

politic adjective US /ˈpɑːlətɪk/

marked by artful prudence, expedience, and shrewdness

From this reading “The possessive instinct, which, so determinedly balked, was animating two members of the Forsyte family towards riddance of what they could no longer possess, was hardening daily in the British body politic.”

possessive adjective US /pəˈzesɪv/

serving to express or indicate possession

From this reading “The possessive instinct, which, so determinedly balked, was animating two members of the Forsyte family towards riddance of what they could no longer possess, was hardening daily in the British body politic.”

riddance noun US /ˈrɪdəns/

the act of removing or getting rid of something

From this reading “The possessive instinct, which, so determinedly balked, was animating two members of the Forsyte family towards riddance of what they could no longer possess, was hardening daily in the British body politic.”

All words in this reading · 101

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.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading Nicholas, originally so doubtful concerning a war which must affect property, had been heard to say that these Boers were a pig-headed lot; they were causing a lot of expense, and the sooner they had their lesson the better.

affectverbUS /əˈfekt/

have an effect upon

From this reading Nicholas, originally so doubtful concerning a war which must affect property, had been heard to say that these Boers were a pig-headed lot; they were causing a lot of expense, and the sooner they had their lesson the better.

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(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 Seeing always a little further than other people—whence the most considerable fortune of all the Forsytes—he had perceived already that Buller was not the man—“a bull of a chap, who just went butting, and if they didn’t look out Ladysmith would fall.”

alreadyadverbUS /ɔːlˈredi/

prior to a specified or implied time

From this reading Seeing always a little further than other people—whence the most considerable fortune of all the Forsytes—he had perceived already that Buller was not the man—“a bull of a chap, who just went butting, and if they didn’t look out Ladysmith would fall.”

alwaysadverbUS /ˈɔːlweɪz/

at all times; all the time and on every occasion

From this reading Seeing always a little further than other people—whence the most considerable fortune of all the Forsytes—he had perceived already that Buller was not the man—“a bull of a chap, who just went butting, and if they didn’t look out Ladysmith would fall.”

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Nicholas, originally so doubtful concerning a war which must affect property, had been heard to say that these Boers were a pig-headed lot; they were causing a lot of expense, and the sooner they had their lesson the better.

animatingadjectiveUS /ˌænəˈmeɪtɪŋɡ/

giving spirit and vivacity

From this reading The possessive instinct, which, so determinedly balked, was animating two members of the Forsyte family towards riddance of what they could no longer possess, was hardening daily in the British body politic.

balkedverbUS /bɔːkt/

past form of “balk” — refuse to comply

From this reading The possessive instinct, which, so determinedly balked, was animating two members of the Forsyte family towards riddance of what they could no longer possess, was hardening daily in the British body politic.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading Nicholas, originally so doubtful concerning a war which must affect property, had been heard to say that these Boers were a pig-headed lot; they were causing a lot of expense, and the sooner they had their lesson the better.

betteradjectiveUS /ˈbetər/

(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 Nicholas, originally so doubtful concerning a war which must affect property, had been heard to say that these Boers were a pig-headed lot; they were causing a lot of expense, and the sooner they had their lesson the better.

BlackadjectiveUS /blæk/

being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light

From this reading This was early in December, so that when Black Week came, he was enabled to say to everybody: “I told you so.”

bodynounUS /ˈbɑːdi/

the entire physical structure of an organism (an animal, plant, or human being)

From this reading The possessive instinct, which, so determinedly balked, was animating two members of the Forsyte family towards riddance of what they could no longer possess, was hardening daily in the British body politic.

BoersnounUS /bɔːrz/

plural of “boer” — a white native of Cape Province who is a descendant of Dutch settlers and who speaks Afrikaans

From this reading Nicholas, originally so doubtful concerning a war which must affect property, had been heard to say that these Boers were a pig-headed lot; they were causing a lot of expense, and the sooner they had their lesson the better.

BritishnounUS /ˈbrɪtɪʃ/

the people of Great Britain

From this reading The possessive instinct, which, so determinedly balked, was animating two members of the Forsyte family towards riddance of what they could no longer possess, was hardening daily in the British body politic.

bullnounUS /bʊl/

uncastrated adult male of domestic cattle

From this reading Seeing always a little further than other people—whence the most considerable fortune of all the Forsytes—he had perceived already that Buller was not the man—“a bull of a chap, who just went butting, and if they didn’t look out Ladysmith would fall.”

Buller

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

From this reading Seeing always a little further than other people—whence the most considerable fortune of all the Forsytes—he had perceived already that Buller was not the man—“a bull of a chap, who just went butting, and if they didn’t look out Ladysmith would fall.”

buttingverbUS /ˈbʌtɪŋ/

-ing form of “butt” — lie adjacent to another or share a boundary

From this reading Seeing always a little further than other people—whence the most considerable fortune of all the Forsytes—he had perceived already that Buller was not the man—“a bull of a chap, who just went butting, and if they didn’t look out Ladysmith would fall.”

cameverbUS /keɪm/

inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading This was early in December, so that when Black Week came, he was enabled to say to everybody: “I told you so.”

causingnounUS /ˈkɑːzɪŋ/

the act of causing something to happen

From this reading Nicholas, originally so doubtful concerning a war which must affect property, had been heard to say that these Boers were a pig-headed lot; they were causing a lot of expense, and the sooner they had their lesson the better.

chapnounUS /tʃæp/

a boy or man

From this reading Seeing always a little further than other people—whence the most considerable fortune of all the Forsytes—he had perceived already that Buller was not the man—“a bull of a chap, who just went butting, and if they didn’t look out Ladysmith would fall.”

concerningverbUS /kənˈsɜːrnɪŋ/

-ing form of “concern” — be relevant to

From this reading Nicholas, originally so doubtful concerning a war which must affect property, had been heard to say that these Boers were a pig-headed lot; they were causing a lot of expense, and the sooner they had their lesson the better.

considerableadjectiveUS /kənˈsɪdərəbəl/

large or relatively large in number or amount or extent or degree

From this reading Seeing always a little further than other people—whence the most considerable fortune of all the Forsytes—he had perceived already that Buller was not the man—“a bull of a chap, who just went butting, and if they didn’t look out Ladysmith would fall.”

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading The possessive instinct, which, so determinedly balked, was animating two members of the Forsyte family towards riddance of what they could no longer possess, was hardening daily in the British body politic.

dailyadverbUS /ˈdeɪli/

every day; without missing a day

From this reading The possessive instinct, which, so determinedly balked, was animating two members of the Forsyte family towards riddance of what they could no longer possess, was hardening daily in the British body politic.

DecembernounUS /dɪˈsembər/

the last (12th) month of the year

From this reading This was early in December, so that when Black Week came, he was enabled to say to everybody: “I told you so.”

determinedlyadverbUS /dəˈtɜːrmənədli/

with determination; in a determined manner

From this reading The possessive instinct, which, so determinedly balked, was animating two members of the Forsyte family towards riddance of what they could no longer possess, was hardening daily in the British body politic.

didn't

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

From this reading Seeing always a little further than other people—whence the most considerable fortune of all the Forsytes—he had perceived already that Buller was not the man—“a bull of a chap, who just went butting, and if they didn’t look out Ladysmith would fall.”

doubtfuladjectiveUS /ˈdaʊtfəl/

open to doubt or suspicion

From this reading Nicholas, originally so doubtful concerning a war which must affect property, had been heard to say that these Boers were a pig-headed lot; they were causing a lot of expense, and the sooner they had their lesson the better.

earlyadjectiveUS /ˈɜːrli/

at or near the beginning of a period of time or course of events or before the usual or expected time

From this reading This was early in December, so that when Black Week came, he was enabled to say to everybody: “I told you so.”

enabledverbUS /eˈneɪbəld/

past form of “enable” — render capable or able for some task

From this reading This was early in December, so that when Black Week came, he was enabled to say to everybody: “I told you so.”

everybodypronounUS /ˈevribɑːdi/

every person

From this reading This was early in December, so that when Black Week came, he was enabled to say to everybody: “I told you so.”

expensenounUS /ɪkˈspens/

amounts paid for goods and services that may be currently tax deductible (as opposed to capital expenditures)

From this reading Nicholas, originally so doubtful concerning a war which must affect property, had been heard to say that these Boers were a pig-headed lot; they were causing a lot of expense, and the sooner they had their lesson the better.

fallverbUS /fɔːl/

descend in free fall under the influence of gravity

From this reading Seeing always a little further than other people—whence the most considerable fortune of all the Forsytes—he had perceived already that Buller was not the man—“a bull of a chap, who just went butting, and if they didn’t look out Ladysmith would fall.”

familynounUS /ˈfæməli/

a social unit living together

From this reading The possessive instinct, which, so determinedly balked, was animating two members of the Forsyte family towards riddance of what they could no longer possess, was hardening daily in the British body politic.

Forsyte

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

From this reading The possessive instinct, which, so determinedly balked, was animating two members of the Forsyte family towards riddance of what they could no longer possess, was hardening daily in the British body politic.

Forsytes

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

From this reading Seeing always a little further than other people—whence the most considerable fortune of all the Forsytes—he had perceived already that Buller was not the man—“a bull of a chap, who just went butting, and if they didn’t look out Ladysmith would fall.”

fortunenounUS /ˈfɔːrtʃən/

an unknown and unpredictable phenomenon that causes an event to result one way rather than another

From this reading Seeing always a little further than other people—whence the most considerable fortune of all the Forsytes—he had perceived already that Buller was not the man—“a bull of a chap, who just went butting, and if they didn’t look out Ladysmith would fall.”

furtheradverbUS /ˈfɜːrðər/

to or at a greater extent or degree or a more advanced stage (“further” is used more often than “farther” in this abstract sense)

From this reading Seeing always a little further than other people—whence the most considerable fortune of all the Forsytes—he had perceived already that Buller was not the man—“a bull of a chap, who just went butting, and if they didn’t look out Ladysmith would fall.”

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading Nicholas, originally so doubtful concerning a war which must affect property, had been heard to say that these Boers were a pig-headed lot; they were causing a lot of expense, and the sooner they had their lesson the better.

hardeningnounUS /ˈhɑːrdənɪŋ/

abnormal hardening or thickening of tissue

From this reading The possessive instinct, which, so determinedly balked, was animating two members of the Forsyte family towards riddance of what they could no longer possess, was hardening daily in the British body politic.

HepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading _He_ would send out Wolseley!

heardadjectiveUS /hɜːrd/

detected or perceived by the sense of hearing

From this reading Nicholas, originally so doubtful concerning a war which must affect property, had been heard to say that these Boers were a pig-headed lot; they were causing a lot of expense, and the sooner they had their lesson the better.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading This was early in December, so that when Black Week came, he was enabled to say to everybody: “I told you so.”

ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading Seeing always a little further than other people—whence the most considerable fortune of all the Forsytes—he had perceived already that Buller was not the man—“a bull of a chap, who just went butting, and if they didn’t look out Ladysmith would fall.”

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading The possessive instinct, which, so determinedly balked, was animating two members of the Forsyte family towards riddance of what they could no longer possess, was hardening daily in the British body politic.

instinctnounUS /ˈɪnstɪŋkt/

inborn pattern of behavior often responsive to specific stimuli

From this reading The possessive instinct, which, so determinedly balked, was animating two members of the Forsyte family towards riddance of what they could no longer possess, was hardening daily in the British body politic.

justadverbUS /dʒʌst/

and nothing more

From this reading Seeing always a little further than other people—whence the most considerable fortune of all the Forsytes—he had perceived already that Buller was not the man—“a bull of a chap, who just went butting, and if they didn’t look out Ladysmith would fall.”

Ladysmith

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

From this reading Seeing always a little further than other people—whence the most considerable fortune of all the Forsytes—he had perceived already that Buller was not the man—“a bull of a chap, who just went butting, and if they didn’t look out Ladysmith would fall.”

lessonnounUS /ˈlesən/

a unit of instruction

From this reading Nicholas, originally so doubtful concerning a war which must affect property, had been heard to say that these Boers were a pig-headed lot; they were causing a lot of expense, and the sooner they had their lesson the better.

littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading Seeing always a little further than other people—whence the most considerable fortune of all the Forsytes—he had perceived already that Buller was not the man—“a bull of a chap, who just went butting, and if they didn’t look out Ladysmith would fall.”

longeradverbUS /ˈlɔːŋɡər/

for more time

From this reading The possessive instinct, which, so determinedly balked, was animating two members of the Forsyte family towards riddance of what they could no longer possess, was hardening daily in the British body politic.

lookverbUS /lʊk/

perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading Seeing always a little further than other people—whence the most considerable fortune of all the Forsytes—he had perceived already that Buller was not the man—“a bull of a chap, who just went butting, and if they didn’t look out Ladysmith would fall.”

lotnounUS /lɑːt/

(often followed by “of”) a large number or amount or extent

From this reading Nicholas, originally so doubtful concerning a war which must affect property, had been heard to say that these Boers were a pig-headed lot; they were causing a lot of expense, and the sooner they had their lesson the better.

mannounUS /mæn/

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading Seeing always a little further than other people—whence the most considerable fortune of all the Forsytes—he had perceived already that Buller was not the man—“a bull of a chap, who just went butting, and if they didn’t look out Ladysmith would fall.”

membersnounUS /ˈmembərz/

plural of “member” — one of the persons who compose a social group (especially individuals who have joined and participate in a group organization)

From this reading The possessive instinct, which, so determinedly balked, was animating two members of the Forsyte family towards riddance of what they could no longer possess, was hardening daily in the British body politic.

mostadverbUS /moʊst/

used to form the superlative

From this reading Seeing always a little further than other people—whence the most considerable fortune of all the Forsytes—he had perceived already that Buller was not the man—“a bull of a chap, who just went butting, and if they didn’t look out Ladysmith would fall.”

mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading Nicholas, originally so doubtful concerning a war which must affect property, had been heard to say that these Boers were a pig-headed lot; they were causing a lot of expense, and the sooner they had their lesson the better.

NicholasnounUS /ˈnɪkələs/

a bishop in Asia Minor who is associated with Santa Claus (4th century)

From this reading Nicholas, originally so doubtful concerning a war which must affect property, had been heard to say that these Boers were a pig-headed lot; they were causing a lot of expense, and the sooner they had their lesson the better.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading The possessive instinct, which, so determinedly balked, was animating two members of the Forsyte family towards riddance of what they could no longer possess, was hardening daily in the British body politic.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Seeing always a little further than other people—whence the most considerable fortune of all the Forsytes—he had perceived already that Buller was not the man—“a bull of a chap, who just went butting, and if they didn’t look out Ladysmith would fall.”

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading The possessive instinct, which, so determinedly balked, was animating two members of the Forsyte family towards riddance of what they could no longer possess, was hardening daily in the British body politic.

originallyadverbUS /ərˈɪdʒənəli/

in an original manner

From this reading Nicholas, originally so doubtful concerning a war which must affect property, had been heard to say that these Boers were a pig-headed lot; they were causing a lot of expense, and the sooner they had their lesson the better.

otheradjectiveUS /ˈʌðər/

not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied

From this reading Seeing always a little further than other people—whence the most considerable fortune of all the Forsytes—he had perceived already that Buller was not the man—“a bull of a chap, who just went butting, and if they didn’t look out Ladysmith would fall.”

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading _He_ would send out Wolseley!

peoplenounUS /ˈpiːpəl/

(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively

From this reading Seeing always a little further than other people—whence the most considerable fortune of all the Forsytes—he had perceived already that Buller was not the man—“a bull of a chap, who just went butting, and if they didn’t look out Ladysmith would fall.”

perceivedadjectiveUS /pərˈsiːvd/

detected by instinct or inference rather than by recognized perceptual cues

From this reading Seeing always a little further than other people—whence the most considerable fortune of all the Forsytes—he had perceived already that Buller was not the man—“a bull of a chap, who just went butting, and if they didn’t look out Ladysmith would fall.”

pig-headed

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

From this reading Nicholas, originally so doubtful concerning a war which must affect property, had been heard to say that these Boers were a pig-headed lot; they were causing a lot of expense, and the sooner they had their lesson the better.

politicadjectiveUS /ˈpɑːlətɪk/

marked by artful prudence, expedience, and shrewdness

From this reading The possessive instinct, which, so determinedly balked, was animating two members of the Forsyte family towards riddance of what they could no longer possess, was hardening daily in the British body politic.

possessverbUS /pəˈzes/

have as an attribute, knowledge, or skill

From this reading The possessive instinct, which, so determinedly balked, was animating two members of the Forsyte family towards riddance of what they could no longer possess, was hardening daily in the British body politic.

possessiveadjectiveUS /pəˈzesɪv/

serving to express or indicate possession

From this reading The possessive instinct, which, so determinedly balked, was animating two members of the Forsyte family towards riddance of what they could no longer possess, was hardening daily in the British body politic.

propertynounUS /ˈprɑːpərti/

something owned; any tangible or intangible possession that is owned by someone

From this reading Nicholas, originally so doubtful concerning a war which must affect property, had been heard to say that these Boers were a pig-headed lot; they were causing a lot of expense, and the sooner they had their lesson the better.

riddancenounUS /ˈrɪdəns/

the act of removing or getting rid of something

From this reading The possessive instinct, which, so determinedly balked, was animating two members of the Forsyte family towards riddance of what they could no longer possess, was hardening daily in the British body politic.

sayverbUS /seɪ/

express in words

From this reading Nicholas, originally so doubtful concerning a war which must affect property, had been heard to say that these Boers were a pig-headed lot; they were causing a lot of expense, and the sooner they had their lesson the better.

SeeingnounUS /ˈsiːɪŋ/

perception by means of the eyes

From this reading Seeing always a little further than other people—whence the most considerable fortune of all the Forsytes—he had perceived already that Buller was not the man—“a bull of a chap, who just went butting, and if they didn’t look out Ladysmith would fall.”

sendverbUS /send/

cause to go somewhere

From this reading _He_ would send out Wolseley!

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading The possessive instinct, which, so determinedly balked, was animating two members of the Forsyte family towards riddance of what they could no longer possess, was hardening daily in the British body politic.

sooneradverbUS /ˈsuːnər/

comparatives of “soon” or “early”

From this reading Nicholas, originally so doubtful concerning a war which must affect property, had been heard to say that these Boers were a pig-headed lot; they were causing a lot of expense, and the sooner they had their lesson the better.

thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading Seeing always a little further than other people—whence the most considerable fortune of all the Forsytes—he had perceived already that Buller was not the man—“a bull of a chap, who just went butting, and if they didn’t look out Ladysmith would fall.”

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Nicholas, originally so doubtful concerning a war which must affect property, had been heard to say that these Boers were a pig-headed lot; they were causing a lot of expense, and the sooner they had their lesson the better.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading The possessive instinct, which, so determinedly balked, was animating two members of the Forsyte family towards riddance of what they could no longer possess, was hardening daily in the British body politic.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading Nicholas, originally so doubtful concerning a war which must affect property, had been heard to say that these Boers were a pig-headed lot; they were causing a lot of expense, and the sooner they had their lesson the better.

thesedeterminerUS /ðiːz/

the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned

From this reading Nicholas, originally so doubtful concerning a war which must affect property, had been heard to say that these Boers were a pig-headed lot; they were causing a lot of expense, and the sooner they had their lesson the better.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading The possessive instinct, which, so determinedly balked, was animating two members of the Forsyte family towards riddance of what they could no longer possess, was hardening daily in the British body politic.

ThisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading This was early in December, so that when Black Week came, he was enabled to say to everybody: “I told you so.”

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Nicholas, originally so doubtful concerning a war which must affect property, had been heard to say that these Boers were a pig-headed lot; they were causing a lot of expense, and the sooner they had their lesson the better.

toldverbUS /toʊld/

inflected form of “tell” — express in words

From this reading This was early in December, so that when Black Week came, he was enabled to say to everybody: “I told you so.”

towardsprepositionUS /təˈwɔːrdz/

in the direction of

From this reading The possessive instinct, which, so determinedly balked, was animating two members of the Forsyte family towards riddance of what they could no longer possess, was hardening daily in the British body politic.

twonounUS /tuː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading The possessive instinct, which, so determinedly balked, was animating two members of the Forsyte family towards riddance of what they could no longer possess, was hardening daily in the British body politic.

warnounUS /wɔːr/

the waging of armed conflict against an enemy

From this reading Nicholas, originally so doubtful concerning a war which must affect property, had been heard to say that these Boers were a pig-headed lot; they were causing a lot of expense, and the sooner they had their lesson the better.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading The possessive instinct, which, so determinedly balked, was animating two members of the Forsyte family towards riddance of what they could no longer possess, was hardening daily in the British body politic.

WeeknounUS /wiːk/

any period of seven consecutive days

From this reading This was early in December, so that when Black Week came, he was enabled to say to everybody: “I told you so.”

wentverbUS /went/

inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading Seeing always a little further than other people—whence the most considerable fortune of all the Forsytes—he had perceived already that Buller was not the man—“a bull of a chap, who just went butting, and if they didn’t look out Ladysmith would fall.”

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading Nicholas, originally so doubtful concerning a war which must affect property, had been heard to say that these Boers were a pig-headed lot; they were causing a lot of expense, and the sooner they had their lesson the better.

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading The possessive instinct, which, so determinedly balked, was animating two members of the Forsyte family towards riddance of what they could no longer possess, was hardening daily in the British body politic.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading This was early in December, so that when Black Week came, he was enabled to say to everybody: “I told you so.”

whenceadverbUS /wens/

an old word meaning “from where”

From this reading Seeing always a little further than other people—whence the most considerable fortune of all the Forsytes—he had perceived already that Buller was not the man—“a bull of a chap, who just went butting, and if they didn’t look out Ladysmith would fall.”

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading The possessive instinct, which, so determinedly balked, was animating two members of the Forsyte family towards riddance of what they could no longer possess, was hardening daily in the British body politic.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading Seeing always a little further than other people—whence the most considerable fortune of all the Forsytes—he had perceived already that Buller was not the man—“a bull of a chap, who just went butting, and if they didn’t look out Ladysmith would fall.”

Wolseley

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

From this reading _He_ would send out Wolseley!

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading _He_ would send out Wolseley!

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading This was early in December, so that when Black Week came, he was enabled to say to everybody: “I told you so.”

Chapter 19 of The Forsyte saga, Volume 2 by John Galsworthy holds 170 sentences, grouped into 34 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 19 of The Forsyte saga, Volume 2 contain?

Chapter 19 holds 170 sentences of The Forsyte saga, Volume 2, unabridged, divided into 34 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 19 of The Forsyte saga, Volume 2 by John Galsworthy exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 170 sentences, grouped into 34 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 19 of The Forsyte saga, Volume 2?

Work through the 34 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 34 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 19 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 19 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, Volume 2

Common questions about reading The Forsyte saga, Volume 2 by John Galsworthy on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Forsyte saga, Volume 2?

Yes. All 8090 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #2594 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Forsyte saga, Volume 2 is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #2594, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Forsyte saga, Volume 2 take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 1618 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Forsyte saga, Volume 2 section by section

How to work through The Forsyte saga, Volume 2 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, Volume 2 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, Volume 2

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Forsyte saga, Volume 2, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Summer
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Forsyte saga, Volume 2; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Lease
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Forsyte saga, Volume 2; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Short
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Forsyte saga, Volume 2; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Shakespeare
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Forsyte saga, Volume 2; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.