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The Good Englishwoman
The Good Englishwoman

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of The Good Englishwoman is here in full — 182 sentences across 37 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Good Englishwoman
Context Illustration Reading 1/36 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Obvious typographical errors have been silently corrected.
Variations in hyphenation have been standardised but all other spelling and punctuation remains unchanged.
The half title immediately before the title page has been omitted.
Italics are represented thus _italic_.
BY ORLO WILLIAMS, M.C.
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Speed 0.75x
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 Good Englishwoman

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of The Good Englishwoman is here in full — 182 sentences across 37 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/36 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Obvious typographical errors have been silently corrected.
/ˈɑːbviəs ˌtaɪpəˈɡræfɪkəl ˈerərz hæv bɪn ˈsaɪləntli kərˈektəd/
Line 2
Variations in hyphenation have been standardised but all other spelling and punctuation remains unchanged.
Line 3
The half title immediately before the title page has been omitted.
/ðə hæf ˈtaɪtəl ˌɪˈmiːdiːətli bɪˈfɔːr ðə ˈtaɪtəl peɪdʒ hæz bɪn oʊˈmɪtəd/
Line 4
Italics are represented thus _italic_.
/aɪˈtælɪks ɑːr ˌreprɪˈzentɪd ðʌs aɪˈtælɪk/
Line 5
BY ORLO WILLIAMS, M.C.

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.

hyphenation noun US /ˌhaɪfəˈneɪʃən/

division of a word especially at the end of a line on a page

From this reading “Variations in hyphenation have been standardised but all other spelling and punctuation remains unchanged.”

italic noun US /aɪˈtælɪk/

a style of handwriting with the letters slanting to the right

Italics noun US /aɪˈtælɪks/

plural of “italic” — a style of handwriting with the letters slanting to the right

From this reading “Italics are represented thus _italic_.”

punctuation noun US /ˌpʌŋktʃuːˈeɪʃən/

something that makes repeated and regular interruptions or divisions

From this reading “Variations in hyphenation have been standardised but all other spelling and punctuation remains unchanged.”

spelling noun US /ˈspelɪŋ/

forming words with letters according to the principles underlying accepted usage

From this reading “Variations in hyphenation have been standardised but all other spelling and punctuation remains unchanged.”

typographical adjective US /ˌtaɪpəˈɡræfɪkəl/

relating to or occurring or used in typography

From this reading “Obvious typographical errors have been silently corrected.”

unchanged adjective US /ənˈtʃeɪndʒd/

not made or become different

From this reading “Variations in hyphenation have been standardised but all other spelling and punctuation remains unchanged.”

Variations noun US /ˌveriˈeɪʃənz/

plural of “variation” — an instance of change; the rate or magnitude of change

From this reading “Variations in hyphenation have been standardised but all other spelling and punctuation remains unchanged.”

Word partnerships in these lines

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.

title page noun + noun

a page of a book displaying the title and author and publisher

In this reading “The half title immediately before the title page has been omitted.”

All words in this reading · 37

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.

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 Variations in hyphenation have been standardised but all other spelling and punctuation remains unchanged.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Variations in hyphenation have been standardised but all other spelling and punctuation remains unchanged.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

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

From this reading Italics are represented thus _italic_.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading Obvious typographical errors have been silently corrected.

beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading The half title immediately before the title page has been omitted.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading Variations in hyphenation have been standardised but all other spelling and punctuation remains unchanged.

BYprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading BY ORLO WILLIAMS, M.C.

CnounUS /siː/

a degree on the centigrade scale of temperature

From this reading BY ORLO WILLIAMS, M.C.

correctedadjectiveUS /kərˈektəd/

having something undesirable neutralized

From this reading Obvious typographical errors have been silently corrected.

errorsnounUS /ˈerərz/

plural of “error” — a wrong action attributable to bad judgment or ignorance or inattention

From this reading Obvious typographical errors have been silently corrected.

halfadjectiveUS /hæf/

consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity

From this reading The half title immediately before the title page has been omitted.

hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/

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

From this reading The half title immediately before the title page has been omitted.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading Obvious typographical errors have been silently corrected.

hyphenationnounUS /ˌhaɪfəˈneɪʃən/

division of a word especially at the end of a line on a page

From this reading Variations in hyphenation have been standardised but all other spelling and punctuation remains unchanged.

immediatelyadverbUS /ˌɪˈmiːdiːətli/

without delay or hesitation; with no time intervening

From this reading The half title immediately before the title page has been omitted.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Variations in hyphenation have been standardised but all other spelling and punctuation remains unchanged.

italicnounUS /aɪˈtælɪk/

a style of handwriting with the letters slanting to the right

From this reading Italics are represented thus _italic_.

ItalicsnounUS /aɪˈtælɪks/

plural of “italic” — a style of handwriting with the letters slanting to the right

From this reading Italics are represented thus _italic_.

MnounUS /em/

the basic unit of length adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites (approximately 1.094 yards)

From this reading BY ORLO WILLIAMS, M.C.

ObviousadjectiveUS /ˈɑːbviəs/

easily perceived by the senses or grasped by the mind

From this reading Obvious typographical errors have been silently corrected.

omittedverbUS /oʊˈmɪtəd/

inflected form of “omit” — prevent from being included or considered or accepted

From this reading The half title immediately before the title page has been omitted.

ORLO

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

From this reading BY ORLO WILLIAMS, M.C.

otheradjectiveUS /ˈʌðər/

not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied

From this reading Variations in hyphenation have been standardised but all other spelling and punctuation remains unchanged.

pagenounUS /peɪdʒ/

one side of one leaf (of a book or magazine or newspaper or letter etc.) or the written or pictorial matter it contains

From this reading The half title immediately before the title page has been omitted.

punctuationnounUS /ˌpʌŋktʃuːˈeɪʃən/

something that makes repeated and regular interruptions or divisions

From this reading Variations in hyphenation have been standardised but all other spelling and punctuation remains unchanged.

remainsnounUS /rɪˈmeɪnz/

any object that is left unused or still extant

From this reading Variations in hyphenation have been standardised but all other spelling and punctuation remains unchanged.

representedadjectiveUS /ˌreprɪˈzentɪd/

represented accurately or precisely

From this reading Italics are represented thus _italic_.

silentlyadverbUS /ˈsaɪləntli/

without speaking

From this reading Obvious typographical errors have been silently corrected.

spellingnounUS /ˈspelɪŋ/

forming words with letters according to the principles underlying accepted usage

From this reading Variations in hyphenation have been standardised but all other spelling and punctuation remains unchanged.

standardisedadjective

brought into conformity with a standard

From this reading Variations in hyphenation have been standardised but all other spelling and punctuation remains unchanged.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading The half title immediately before the title page has been omitted.

thusadverbUS /ðʌs/

(used to introduce a logical conclusion) from that fact or reason or as a result

From this reading Italics are represented thus _italic_.

titlenounUS /ˈtaɪtəl/

a heading that names a statute or legislative bill; may give a brief summary of the matters it deals with

From this reading The half title immediately before the title page has been omitted.

typographicaladjectiveUS /ˌtaɪpəˈɡræfɪkəl/

relating to or occurring or used in typography

From this reading Obvious typographical errors have been silently corrected.

unchangedadjectiveUS /ənˈtʃeɪndʒd/

not made or become different

From this reading Variations in hyphenation have been standardised but all other spelling and punctuation remains unchanged.

VariationsnounUS /ˌveriˈeɪʃənz/

plural of “variation” — an instance of change; the rate or magnitude of change

From this reading Variations in hyphenation have been standardised but all other spelling and punctuation remains unchanged.

WILLIAMSnounUS /ˈwɪljəmz/

United States country singer and songwriter (1923-1953)

From this reading BY ORLO WILLIAMS, M.C.

Chapter 1 of The Good Englishwoman by Orlo Williams holds 182 sentences, grouped into 37 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.

What does chapter 1 of The Good Englishwoman contain?

Chapter 1 holds 182 sentences of The Good Englishwoman, unabridged, divided into 37 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of The Good Englishwoman by Orlo Williams exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 182 sentences, grouped into 37 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 1 of The Good Englishwoman?

Work through the 37 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 37 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 1 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 1 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 Good Englishwoman

Common questions about reading The Good Englishwoman by Orlo Williams on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Good Englishwoman?

Yes. All 1728 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #58041 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Good Englishwoman is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #58041, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Good Englishwoman take to read?

About 144 minutes of reading across 346 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Good Englishwoman section by section

How to work through The Good Englishwoman section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 12 chapters of The Good Englishwoman 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 Good Englishwoman

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Good Englishwoman, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Obvious
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Good Englishwoman; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Typographical
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Good Englishwoman; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Errors
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Good Englishwoman; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Silently
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Good Englishwoman; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.