Chapter 8 of The Front Yard, and Other Italian Stories is here in full — 425 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter VIII
Chapter 8 of The Front Yard, and Other Italian Stories is here in full — 425 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
She looked at him questioningly. He did not reply; his eyes were upon one of the sketches. "It would be dreadful for me if you were right!" she added, with slow conviction. "I thought you believed that I was always right," he said, smiling, as he placed the sketches on the table. But she remained very serious.
Chapter 8 of The Front Yard, and Other Italian Stories is here in full — 425 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/85 · 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.
past form of “believe” — accept as true; take to be true
From this reading “"I thought you believed that I was always right," he said, smiling, as he placed the sketches on the table.”
an unshakable belief in something without need for proof or evidence
From this reading “"It would be dreadful for me if you were right!" she added, with slow conviction.”
causing fear or dread or terror
From this reading “"It would be dreadful for me if you were right!" she added, with slow conviction.”
a statement (either spoken or written) that is made to reply to a question or request or criticism or accusation
From this reading “He did not reply; his eyes were upon one of the sketches.”
concerned with work or important matters rather than play or trivialities
From this reading “But she remained very serious.”
plural of “sketch” — preliminary drawing for later elaboration
From this reading “He did not reply; his eyes were upon one of the sketches.”
not moving quickly; taking a comparatively long time
From this reading “"It would be dreadful for me if you were right!" she added, with slow conviction.”
a facial expression characterized by turning up the corners of the mouth; usually shows pleasure or amusement
From this reading “"I thought you believed that I was always right," he said, smiling, as he placed the sketches on the table.”
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.
take into consideration for exemplifying purposes
In this reading “She looked at him questioningly.”
able to be negotiated or arranged by compromise
In this reading “"I thought you believed that I was always right," he said, smiling, as he placed the sketches on the table.”
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.
past form of “add” — make an addition (to); join or combine or unite with others; increase the quality, quantity, size or scope of
From this reading "It would be dreadful for me if you were right!" she added, with slow conviction.
at all times; all the time and on every occasion
From this reading "I thought you believed that I was always right," he said, smiling, as he placed the sketches on the table.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading "I thought you believed that I was always right," he said, smiling, as he placed the sketches on the table.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading She looked at him questioningly.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading "It would be dreadful for me if you were right!" she added, with slow conviction.
past form of “believe” — accept as true; take to be true
From this reading "I thought you believed that I was always right," he said, smiling, as he placed the sketches on the table.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But she remained very serious.
an unshakable belief in something without need for proof or evidence
From this reading "It would be dreadful for me if you were right!" she added, with slow conviction.
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading He did not reply; his eyes were upon one of the sketches.
causing fear or dread or terror
From this reading "It would be dreadful for me if you were right!" she added, with slow conviction.
opinion or judgment
From this reading He did not reply; his eyes were upon one of the sketches.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading "It would be dreadful for me if you were right!" she added, with slow conviction.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He did not reply; his eyes were upon one of the sketches.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading She looked at him questioningly.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading He did not reply; his eyes were upon one of the sketches.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I thought you believed that I was always right," he said, smiling, as he placed the sketches on the table.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading "It would be dreadful for me if you were right!" she added, with slow conviction.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "It would be dreadful for me if you were right!" she added, with slow conviction.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading She looked at him questioningly.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "It would be dreadful for me if you were right!" she added, with slow conviction.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading He did not reply; his eyes were upon one of the sketches.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading He did not reply; his eyes were upon one of the sketches.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading "I thought you believed that I was always right," he said, smiling, as he placed the sketches on the table.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading He did not reply; his eyes were upon one of the sketches.
situated in a particular spot or position
From this reading "I thought you believed that I was always right," he said, smiling, as he placed the sketches on the table.
in a curious and questioning manner
From this reading She looked at him questioningly.
past form of “remain” — stay the same; remain in a certain state
From this reading But she remained very serious.
a statement (either spoken or written) that is made to reply to a question or request or criticism or accusation
From this reading He did not reply; his eyes were upon one of the sketches.
precisely, exactly
From this reading "It would be dreadful for me if you were right!" she added, with slow conviction.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "I thought you believed that I was always right," he said, smiling, as he placed the sketches on the table.
concerned with work or important matters rather than play or trivialities
From this reading But she remained very serious.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She looked at him questioningly.
plural of “sketch” — preliminary drawing for later elaboration
From this reading He did not reply; his eyes were upon one of the sketches.
not moving quickly; taking a comparatively long time
From this reading "It would be dreadful for me if you were right!" she added, with slow conviction.
a facial expression characterized by turning up the corners of the mouth; usually shows pleasure or amusement
From this reading "I thought you believed that I was always right," he said, smiling, as he placed the sketches on the table.
a set of data arranged in rows and columns
From this reading "I thought you believed that I was always right," he said, smiling, as he placed the sketches on the table.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "I thought you believed that I was always right," he said, smiling, as he placed the sketches on the table.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading He did not reply; his eyes were upon one of the sketches.
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading "I thought you believed that I was always right," he said, smiling, as he placed the sketches on the table.
a formal word for “on”
From this reading He did not reply; his eyes were upon one of the sketches.
precisely as stated
From this reading But she remained very serious.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "I thought you believed that I was always right," he said, smiling, as he placed the sketches on the table.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading He did not reply; his eyes were upon one of the sketches.
in the company of; together with
From this reading "It would be dreadful for me if you were right!" she added, with slow conviction.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading "It would be dreadful for me if you were right!" she added, with slow conviction.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "It would be dreadful for me if you were right!" she added, with slow conviction.
Chapter 8 of The Front Yard, and Other Italian Stories by Constance Fenimore Woolson holds 425 sentences, grouped into 85 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 8 holds 425 sentences of The Front Yard, and Other Italian Stories, unabridged, divided into 85 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 8 of The Front Yard, and Other Italian Stories by Constance Fenimore Woolson exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 425 sentences, grouped into 85 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 85 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 85 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 8 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 Front Yard, and Other Italian Stories by Constance Fenimore Woolson on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4932 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #38517 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #38517, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 411 minutes of reading across 987 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Front Yard, and Other Italian Stories section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 12 chapters of The Front Yard, and Other Italian Stories 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 Front Yard, and Other Italian Stories, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
