Chapter 2 of The Gentle Persuasion is here in full — 543 sentences across 109 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
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Chapter II
Chapter 2 of The Gentle Persuasion is here in full — 543 sentences across 109 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
“Come in, lads,” I called out, “and take a seat. There’s lots of room.” In they came, most of them with a sheepish or suspicious air. When anything of an amusing nature was being read or sung their interest quickened; they even applauded in a quiet way. When our programme was ended I asked Macnicol to say a few words.
Chapter 2 of The Gentle Persuasion is here in full — 543 sentences across 109 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/108 · 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.
providing enjoyment; pleasantly entertaining
From this reading “When anything of an amusing nature was being read or sung their interest quickened; they even applauded in a quiet way.”
past form of “applaud” — clap one's hands or shout after performances to indicate approval
From this reading “When anything of an amusing nature was being read or sung their interest quickened; they even applauded in a quiet way.”
a large number or amount
From this reading “There’s lots of room.””
an announcement of the events that will occur as part of a theatrical or sporting event
From this reading “When our programme was ended I asked Macnicol to say a few words.”
past form of “quicken” — move faster
From this reading “When anything of an amusing nature was being read or sung their interest quickened; they even applauded in a quiet way.”
like or suggestive of a sheep in docility or stupidity or meekness or timidity
From this reading “In they came, most of them with a sheepish or suspicious air.”
the imperial dynasty of China from 960 to 1279; noted for art and literature and philosophy
From this reading “When anything of an amusing nature was being read or sung their interest quickened; they even applauded in a quiet way.”
openly distrustful and unwilling to confide
From this reading “In they came, most of them with a sheepish or suspicious air.”
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 “When our programme was ended I asked Macnicol to say a few words.”
In this reading ““Come in, lads,” I called out, “and take a seat.”
utter aloud; often with surprise, horror, or joy
In this reading ““Come in, lads,” I called out, “and take a seat.”
In this reading “When anything of an amusing nature was being read or sung their interest quickened; they even applauded in a quiet way.”
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 “Come in, lads,” I called out, “and take a seat.
a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of
From this reading In they came, most of them with a sheepish or suspicious air.
providing enjoyment; pleasantly entertaining
From this reading When anything of an amusing nature was being read or sung their interest quickened; they even applauded in a quiet way.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading When anything of an amusing nature was being read or sung their interest quickened; they even applauded in a quiet way.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading “Come in, lads,” I called out, “and take a seat.
any thing at all
From this reading When anything of an amusing nature was being read or sung their interest quickened; they even applauded in a quiet way.
past form of “applaud” — clap one's hands or shout after performances to indicate approval
From this reading When anything of an amusing nature was being read or sung their interest quickened; they even applauded in a quiet way.
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading When our programme was ended I asked Macnicol to say a few words.
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading When anything of an amusing nature was being read or sung their interest quickened; they even applauded in a quiet way.
past form of “call” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading “Come in, lads,” I called out, “and take a seat.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading In they came, most of them with a sheepish or suspicious air.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading “Come in, lads,” I called out, “and take a seat.
having come or been brought to a conclusion
From this reading When our programme was ended I asked Macnicol to say a few words.
divisible by two
From this reading When anything of an amusing nature was being read or sung their interest quickened; they even applauded in a quiet way.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading When our programme was ended I asked Macnicol to say a few words.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “Come in, lads,” I called out, “and take a seat.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading “Come in, lads,” I called out, “and take a seat.
a sense of concern with and curiosity about someone or something
From this reading When anything of an amusing nature was being read or sung their interest quickened; they even applauded in a quiet way.
plural of “lad” — a boy or man
From this reading “Come in, lads,” I called out, “and take a seat.
a large number or amount
From this reading There’s lots of room.”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When our programme was ended I asked Macnicol to say a few words.
used to form the superlative
From this reading In they came, most of them with a sheepish or suspicious air.
the essential qualities or characteristics by which something is recognized
From this reading When anything of an amusing nature was being read or sung their interest quickened; they even applauded in a quiet way.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading There’s lots of room.”
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading In they came, most of them with a sheepish or suspicious air.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading When our programme was ended I asked Macnicol to say a few words.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading “Come in, lads,” I called out, “and take a seat.
an announcement of the events that will occur as part of a theatrical or sporting event
From this reading When our programme was ended I asked Macnicol to say a few words.
past form of “quicken” — move faster
From this reading When anything of an amusing nature was being read or sung their interest quickened; they even applauded in a quiet way.
characterized by an absence or near absence of agitation or activity
From this reading When anything of an amusing nature was being read or sung their interest quickened; they even applauded in a quiet way.
interpret something that is written or printed
From this reading When anything of an amusing nature was being read or sung their interest quickened; they even applauded in a quiet way.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading There’s lots of room.”
express in words
From this reading When our programme was ended I asked Macnicol to say a few words.
a space reserved for sitting (as in a theater or on a train or airplane)
From this reading “Come in, lads,” I called out, “and take a seat.
like or suggestive of a sheep in docility or stupidity or meekness or timidity
From this reading In they came, most of them with a sheepish or suspicious air.
the imperial dynasty of China from 960 to 1279; noted for art and literature and philosophy
From this reading When anything of an amusing nature was being read or sung their interest quickened; they even applauded in a quiet way.
openly distrustful and unwilling to confide
From this reading In they came, most of them with a sheepish or suspicious air.
carry out
From this reading “Come in, lads,” I called out, “and take a seat.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading When anything of an amusing nature was being read or sung their interest quickened; they even applauded in a quiet way.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading In they came, most of them with a sheepish or suspicious air.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There’s lots of room.”
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading In they came, most of them with a sheepish or suspicious air.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading When our programme was ended I asked Macnicol to say a few words.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading When anything of an amusing nature was being read or sung their interest quickened; they even applauded in a quiet way.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading When anything of an amusing nature was being read or sung their interest quickened; they even applauded in a quiet way.
at the time that
From this reading When anything of an amusing nature was being read or sung their interest quickened; they even applauded in a quiet way.
in the company of; together with
From this reading In they came, most of them with a sheepish or suspicious air.
the words that are spoken
From this reading When our programme was ended I asked Macnicol to say a few words.
Chapter 2 of The Gentle Persuasion by Alan Gray holds 543 sentences, grouped into 109 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 543 sentences of The Gentle Persuasion, unabridged, divided into 109 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of The Gentle Persuasion by Alan Gray exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 543 sentences, grouped into 109 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 109 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 109 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 Gentle Persuasion by Alan Gray on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 1088 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #56582 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #56582, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 90 minutes of reading across 218 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Gentle Persuasion section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 2 chapters of The Gentle Persuasion 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 Gentle Persuasion, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
