Chapter 3 of The girls is here in full — 199 sentences across 40 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
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Chapter III
Chapter 3 of The girls is here in full — 199 sentences across 40 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
It was a submissive enough little figure that they had hustled home through the crowded streets, up the front stoop and into the brick house on Wabash Avenue. Crushed and rumpled. The crudest edge of the things they said to her was mercifully dulled by the time it penetrated her numbed consciousness. She hardly seemed to hear them. At intervals she sobbed.
Chapter 3 of The girls is here in full — 199 sentences across 40 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/39 · 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.
having lost or been caused to lose interest because of overexposure
From this reading “The crudest edge of the things they said to her was mercifully dulled by the time it penetrated her numbed consciousness.”
past form of “hustle” — cause to move furtively and hurriedly
From this reading “It was a submissive enough little figure that they had hustled home through the crowded streets, up the front stoop and into the brick house on Wabash Avenue.”
in a compassionate manner
From this reading “The crudest edge of the things they said to her was mercifully dulled by the time it penetrated her numbed consciousness.”
past form of “numb” — make numb or insensitive
From this reading “The crudest edge of the things they said to her was mercifully dulled by the time it penetrated her numbed consciousness.”
in disarray; extremely disorderly
From this reading “Crushed and rumpled.”
bend one's back forward from the waist on down
From this reading “It was a submissive enough little figure that they had hustled home through the crowded streets, up the front stoop and into the brick house on Wabash Avenue.”
inclined or willing to submit to orders or wishes of others or showing such inclination
From this reading “It was a submissive enough little figure that they had hustled home through the crowded streets, up the front stoop and into the brick house on Wabash Avenue.”
a tributary of the Ohio River that rises in western Ohio and flows southwestward across Indiana
From this reading “It was a submissive enough little figure that they had hustled home through the crowded streets, up the front stoop and into the brick house on Wabash Avenue.”
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 “It was a submissive enough little figure that they had hustled home through the crowded streets, up the front stoop and into the brick house on Wabash Avenue.”
In this reading “It was a submissive enough little figure that they had hustled home through the crowded streets, up the front stoop and into the brick house on Wabash Avenue.”
In this reading “At intervals she sobbed.”
In this reading “It was a submissive enough little figure that they had hustled home through the crowded streets, up the front stoop and into the brick house on Wabash Avenue.”
In this reading “The crudest edge of the things they said to her was mercifully dulled by the time it penetrated her numbed consciousness.”
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 It was a submissive enough little figure that they had hustled home through the crowded streets, up the front stoop and into the brick house on Wabash Avenue.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading It was a submissive enough little figure that they had hustled home through the crowded streets, up the front stoop and into the brick house on Wabash Avenue.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading At intervals she sobbed.
a line of approach
From this reading It was a submissive enough little figure that they had hustled home through the crowded streets, up the front stoop and into the brick house on Wabash Avenue.
rectangular block of clay baked by the sun or in a kiln; used as a building or paving material
From this reading It was a submissive enough little figure that they had hustled home through the crowded streets, up the front stoop and into the brick house on Wabash Avenue.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading The crudest edge of the things they said to her was mercifully dulled by the time it penetrated her numbed consciousness.
an alert cognitive state in which you are aware of yourself and your situation
From this reading The crudest edge of the things they said to her was mercifully dulled by the time it penetrated her numbed consciousness.
overfilled or compacted or concentrated
From this reading It was a submissive enough little figure that they had hustled home through the crowded streets, up the front stoop and into the brick house on Wabash Avenue.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The crudest edge of the things they said to her was mercifully dulled by the time it penetrated her numbed consciousness.
treated so as to have a permanently wrinkled appearance
From this reading Crushed and rumpled.
having lost or been caused to lose interest because of overexposure
From this reading The crudest edge of the things they said to her was mercifully dulled by the time it penetrated her numbed consciousness.
the boundary of a surface
From this reading The crudest edge of the things they said to her was mercifully dulled by the time it penetrated her numbed consciousness.
an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose
From this reading It was a submissive enough little figure that they had hustled home through the crowded streets, up the front stoop and into the brick house on Wabash Avenue.
a diagram or picture illustrating textual material
From this reading It was a submissive enough little figure that they had hustled home through the crowded streets, up the front stoop and into the brick house on Wabash Avenue.
the side that is forward or prominent
From this reading It was a submissive enough little figure that they had hustled home through the crowded streets, up the front stoop and into the brick house on Wabash Avenue.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading It was a submissive enough little figure that they had hustled home through the crowded streets, up the front stoop and into the brick house on Wabash Avenue.
only a very short time before
From this reading She hardly seemed to hear them.
perceive (sound) via the auditory sense
From this reading She hardly seemed to hear them.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading The crudest edge of the things they said to her was mercifully dulled by the time it penetrated her numbed consciousness.
where you live at a particular time
From this reading It was a submissive enough little figure that they had hustled home through the crowded streets, up the front stoop and into the brick house on Wabash Avenue.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading It was a submissive enough little figure that they had hustled home through the crowded streets, up the front stoop and into the brick house on Wabash Avenue.
past form of “hustle” — cause to move furtively and hurriedly
From this reading It was a submissive enough little figure that they had hustled home through the crowded streets, up the front stoop and into the brick house on Wabash Avenue.
plural of “interval” — a definite length of time marked off by two instants
From this reading At intervals she sobbed.
moving to the inside of something
From this reading It was a submissive enough little figure that they had hustled home through the crowded streets, up the front stoop and into the brick house on Wabash Avenue.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was a submissive enough little figure that they had hustled home through the crowded streets, up the front stoop and into the brick house on Wabash Avenue.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading It was a submissive enough little figure that they had hustled home through the crowded streets, up the front stoop and into the brick house on Wabash Avenue.
in a compassionate manner
From this reading The crudest edge of the things they said to her was mercifully dulled by the time it penetrated her numbed consciousness.
past form of “numb” — make numb or insensitive
From this reading The crudest edge of the things they said to her was mercifully dulled by the time it penetrated her numbed consciousness.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The crudest edge of the things they said to her was mercifully dulled by the time it penetrated her numbed consciousness.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading It was a submissive enough little figure that they had hustled home through the crowded streets, up the front stoop and into the brick house on Wabash Avenue.
past form of “penetrate” — pass into or through, often by overcoming resistance
From this reading The crudest edge of the things they said to her was mercifully dulled by the time it penetrated her numbed consciousness.
in disarray; extremely disorderly
From this reading Crushed and rumpled.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading The crudest edge of the things they said to her was mercifully dulled by the time it penetrated her numbed consciousness.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading She hardly seemed to hear them.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She hardly seemed to hear them.
inflected form of “sob” — weep convulsively
From this reading At intervals she sobbed.
bend one's back forward from the waist on down
From this reading It was a submissive enough little figure that they had hustled home through the crowded streets, up the front stoop and into the brick house on Wabash Avenue.
plural of “street” — a thoroughfare (usually including sidewalks) that is lined with buildings
From this reading It was a submissive enough little figure that they had hustled home through the crowded streets, up the front stoop and into the brick house on Wabash Avenue.
inclined or willing to submit to orders or wishes of others or showing such inclination
From this reading It was a submissive enough little figure that they had hustled home through the crowded streets, up the front stoop and into the brick house on Wabash Avenue.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading It was a submissive enough little figure that they had hustled home through the crowded streets, up the front stoop and into the brick house on Wabash Avenue.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading It was a submissive enough little figure that they had hustled home through the crowded streets, up the front stoop and into the brick house on Wabash Avenue.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading She hardly seemed to hear them.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading It was a submissive enough little figure that they had hustled home through the crowded streets, up the front stoop and into the brick house on Wabash Avenue.
any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)
From this reading The crudest edge of the things they said to her was mercifully dulled by the time it penetrated her numbed consciousness.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading It was a submissive enough little figure that they had hustled home through the crowded streets, up the front stoop and into the brick house on Wabash Avenue.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading The crudest edge of the things they said to her was mercifully dulled by the time it penetrated her numbed consciousness.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The crudest edge of the things they said to her was mercifully dulled by the time it penetrated her numbed consciousness.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading It was a submissive enough little figure that they had hustled home through the crowded streets, up the front stoop and into the brick house on Wabash Avenue.
a tributary of the Ohio River that rises in western Ohio and flows southwestward across Indiana
From this reading It was a submissive enough little figure that they had hustled home through the crowded streets, up the front stoop and into the brick house on Wabash Avenue.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was a submissive enough little figure that they had hustled home through the crowded streets, up the front stoop and into the brick house on Wabash Avenue.
Chapter 3 of The girls by Edna Ferber holds 199 sentences, grouped into 40 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 3 holds 199 sentences of The girls, unabridged, divided into 40 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 3 of The girls by Edna Ferber exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 199 sentences, grouped into 40 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 40 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 40 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 3 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 girls by Edna Ferber on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 7190 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #75334 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #75334, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 599 minutes of reading across 1438 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The girls section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 19 chapters of The girls 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 girls, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
