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The Great War in England in 1897
The Great War in England in 1897

Chapter XL

Chapter 40 of The Great War in England in 1897 is here in full — 194 sentences across 39 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Great War in England in 1897
Context Illustration Reading 1/38 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
DAWN.
A raw, cold December morning in London.
With the exception of a statuesque sentry on the Horse Guards' Parade, the wide open space was deserted.
It had not long been light, and a heavy yellow mist still hung over the grass in St. James's Park.
A bell clanged mournfully.
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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 Great War in England in 1897

Chapter XL

Chapter 40 of The Great War in England in 1897 is here in full — 194 sentences across 39 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/38 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
DAWN.
/dɔːn/
Line 2
A raw, cold December morning in London.
/ə rɑː koʊld dɪˈsembər ˈmɔːrnɪŋ ɪn ˈlʌndən/
Line 3
With the exception of a statuesque sentry on the Horse Guards' Parade, the wide open space was deserted.
/wɪð ðə ɪkˈsepʃən ʌv ə ˌstætʃuːˈesk ˈsentri ɑːn ðə hɔːrs ɡɑːrdz pərˈeɪd ðə waɪd ˈoʊ.pən speɪs wɑːz dɪˈzɜːrtɪd/
Line 4
It had not long been light, and a heavy yellow mist still hung over the grass in St. James's Park.
Line 5
A bell clanged mournfully.

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.

December noun US /dɪˈsembər/

the last (12th) month of the year

From this reading “A raw, cold December morning in London.”

exception noun US /ɪkˈsepʃən/

a deliberate act of omission

From this reading “With the exception of a statuesque sentry on the Horse Guards' Parade, the wide open space was deserted.”

Guards noun US /ɡɑːrdz/

plural of “guard” — a person who keeps watch over something or someone

From this reading “With the exception of a statuesque sentry on the Horse Guards' Parade, the wide open space was deserted.”

James's noun US /ˈdʒeɪmzɪz/

possessive form of “james” — a Stuart king of Scotland who married a daughter of Henry VII; when England and France went to war in 1513 he invaded England and died in defeat at Flodden (1473-1513)

From this reading “It had not long been light, and a heavy yellow mist still hung over the grass in St. James's Park.”

Parade noun US /pərˈeɪd/

a ceremonial procession including people marching

From this reading “With the exception of a statuesque sentry on the Horse Guards' Parade, the wide open space was deserted.”

raw adjective US /rɑː/

(used especially of commodities) being unprocessed or manufactured using only simple or minimal processes

From this reading “A raw, cold December morning in London.”

sentry noun US /ˈsentri/

a person employed to keep watch for some anticipated event

From this reading “With the exception of a statuesque sentry on the Horse Guards' Parade, the wide open space was deserted.”

statuesque adjective US /ˌstætʃuːˈesk/

of size and dignity suggestive of a statue

From this reading “With the exception of a statuesque sentry on the Horse Guards' Parade, the wide open space was deserted.”

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.

open space verb + noun

In this reading “With the exception of a statuesque sentry on the Horse Guards' Parade, the wide open space was deserted.”

With the exception preposition + article + noun counted as “with … exception”

In this reading “With the exception of a statuesque sentry on the Horse Guards' Parade, the wide open space was deserted.”

hung over verb + particle counted as “hang over”

In this reading “It had not long been light, and a heavy yellow mist still hung over the grass in St. James's Park.”

All words in this reading · 43

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 A raw, cold December morning in London.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading It had not long been light, and a heavy yellow mist still hung over the grass in St. James's Park.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading It had not long been light, and a heavy yellow mist still hung over the grass in St. James's Park.

bellnounUS /bel/

a hollow device made of metal that makes a ringing sound when struck

From this reading A bell clanged mournfully.

clanged

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

From this reading A bell clanged mournfully.

coldadjectiveUS /koʊld/

having a low or inadequate temperature or feeling a sensation of coldness or having been made cold by e.g. ice or refrigeration

From this reading A raw, cold December morning in London.

DAWNnounUS /dɔːn/

the first light of day

From this reading DAWN.

DecembernounUS /dɪˈsembər/

the last (12th) month of the year

From this reading A raw, cold December morning in London.

desertedadjectiveUS /dɪˈzɜːrtɪd/

forsaken by owner or inhabitants

From this reading With the exception of a statuesque sentry on the Horse Guards' Parade, the wide open space was deserted.

exceptionnounUS /ɪkˈsepʃən/

a deliberate act of omission

From this reading With the exception of a statuesque sentry on the Horse Guards' Parade, the wide open space was deserted.

grassverbUS /ɡræs/

shoot down, of birds

From this reading It had not long been light, and a heavy yellow mist still hung over the grass in St. James's Park.

GuardsnounUS /ɡɑːrdz/

plural of “guard” — a person who keeps watch over something or someone

From this reading With the exception of a statuesque sentry on the Horse Guards' Parade, the wide open space was deserted.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading It had not long been light, and a heavy yellow mist still hung over the grass in St. James's Park.

heavyadjectiveUS /ˈhevi/

of comparatively great physical weight or density

From this reading It had not long been light, and a heavy yellow mist still hung over the grass in St. James's Park.

HorsenounUS /hɔːrs/

solid-hoofed herbivorous quadruped domesticated since prehistoric times

From this reading With the exception of a statuesque sentry on the Horse Guards' Parade, the wide open space was deserted.

hungverbUS /hʌŋ/

inflected form of “hang” — be suspended or hanging

From this reading It had not long been light, and a heavy yellow mist still hung over the grass in St. James's Park.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading A raw, cold December morning in London.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It had not long been light, and a heavy yellow mist still hung over the grass in St. James's Park.

James'snounUS /ˈdʒeɪmzɪz/

possessive form of “james” — a Stuart king of Scotland who married a daughter of Henry VII; when England and France went to war in 1513 he invaded England and died in defeat at Flodden (1473-1513)

From this reading It had not long been light, and a heavy yellow mist still hung over the grass in St. James's Park.

lightadjectiveUS /laɪt/

of comparatively little physical weight or density

From this reading It had not long been light, and a heavy yellow mist still hung over the grass in St. James's Park.

LondonnounUS /ˈlʌndən/

the capital and largest city of England; located on the Thames in southeastern England; financial and industrial and cultural center

From this reading A raw, cold December morning in London.

longadjectiveUS /lɔːŋ/

primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified

From this reading It had not long been light, and a heavy yellow mist still hung over the grass in St. James's Park.

mistverbUS /mɪst/

become covered with mist

From this reading It had not long been light, and a heavy yellow mist still hung over the grass in St. James's Park.

morningnounUS /ˈmɔːrnɪŋ/

the time period between dawn and noon

From this reading A raw, cold December morning in London.

mournfullyadverb

in a mournful manner

From this reading A bell clanged mournfully.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading It had not long been light, and a heavy yellow mist still hung over the grass in St. James's Park.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading With the exception of a statuesque sentry on the Horse Guards' Parade, the wide open space was deserted.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading With the exception of a statuesque sentry on the Horse Guards' Parade, the wide open space was deserted.

openverbUS /ˈoʊ.pən/

To move from a closed position.

From this reading With the exception of a statuesque sentry on the Horse Guards' Parade, the wide open space was deserted.

overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/

above and across; more than

From this reading It had not long been light, and a heavy yellow mist still hung over the grass in St. James's Park.

ParadenounUS /pərˈeɪd/

a ceremonial procession including people marching

From this reading With the exception of a statuesque sentry on the Horse Guards' Parade, the wide open space was deserted.

ParknounUS /pɑːrk/

a large area of land preserved in its natural state as public property

From this reading It had not long been light, and a heavy yellow mist still hung over the grass in St. James's Park.

rawadjectiveUS /rɑː/

(used especially of commodities) being unprocessed or manufactured using only simple or minimal processes

From this reading A raw, cold December morning in London.

sentrynounUS /ˈsentri/

a person employed to keep watch for some anticipated event

From this reading With the exception of a statuesque sentry on the Horse Guards' Parade, the wide open space was deserted.

spacenounUS /speɪs/

the unlimited expanse in which everything is located

From this reading With the exception of a statuesque sentry on the Horse Guards' Parade, the wide open space was deserted.

St

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

From this reading It had not long been light, and a heavy yellow mist still hung over the grass in St. James's Park.

statuesqueadjectiveUS /ˌstætʃuːˈesk/

of size and dignity suggestive of a statue

From this reading With the exception of a statuesque sentry on the Horse Guards' Parade, the wide open space was deserted.

stilladjectiveUS /stɪl/

not in physical motion

From this reading It had not long been light, and a heavy yellow mist still hung over the grass in St. James's Park.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading With the exception of a statuesque sentry on the Horse Guards' Parade, the wide open space was deserted.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading With the exception of a statuesque sentry on the Horse Guards' Parade, the wide open space was deserted.

wideadjectiveUS /waɪd/

having great (or a certain) extent from one side to the other

From this reading With the exception of a statuesque sentry on the Horse Guards' Parade, the wide open space was deserted.

WithprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading With the exception of a statuesque sentry on the Horse Guards' Parade, the wide open space was deserted.

yellowadjectiveUS /ˈjeloʊ/

of the color intermediate between green and orange in the color spectrum; of something resembling the color of an egg yolk

From this reading It had not long been light, and a heavy yellow mist still hung over the grass in St. James's Park.

Chapter 40 of The Great War in England in 1897 by William Le Queux holds 194 sentences, grouped into 39 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 40 of The Great War in England in 1897 contain?

Chapter 40 holds 194 sentences of The Great War in England in 1897, unabridged, divided into 39 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 40 of The Great War in England in 1897 by William Le Queux exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 194 sentences, grouped into 39 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 40 of The Great War in England in 1897?

Work through the 39 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 39 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 40 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 40 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 Great War in England in 1897

Common questions about reading The Great War in England in 1897 by William Le Queux on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Great War in England in 1897?

Yes. All 3577 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #37470 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Great War in England in 1897 is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #37470, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Great War in England in 1897 take to read?

About 298 minutes of reading across 716 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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  3. Listen and tap

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Vocabulary met early in The Great War in England in 1897

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Great War in England in 1897, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

First
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Great War in England in 1897; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Edition
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Great War in England in 1897; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Second
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Great War in England in 1897; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Third
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Great War in England in 1897; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.