Chapter 2 of The Greater Inclination is here in full — 422 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of The Greater Inclination is here in full — 422 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
“I got his milk all ready when he wants it. You know you told me to have it for him by seven.” She nodded silently and crept into her seat. At half-past eight the train reached Buffalo. By this time the other passengers were dressed and the berths had been folded back for the day.
Chapter 2 of The Greater Inclination is here in full — 422 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/84 · 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.
plural of “berth” — a job in an organization
From this reading “By this time the other passengers were dressed and the berths had been folded back for the day.”
large shaggy-haired brown bison of North American plains
From this reading “At half-past eight the train reached Buffalo.”
inflected form of “creep” — move slowly; in the case of people or animals with the body near the ground
From this reading “She nodded silently and crept into her seat.”
past form of “fold” — bend or lay so that one part covers the other
From this reading “By this time the other passengers were dressed and the berths had been folded back for the day.”
a white nutritious liquid secreted by mammals and used as food by human beings
From this reading ““I got his milk all ready when he wants it.”
inflected form of “nod” — express or signify by nodding
From this reading “She nodded silently and crept into her seat.”
plural of “passenger” — a traveler riding in a vehicle (a boat or bus or car or plane or train etc) who is not operating it
From this reading “By this time the other passengers were dressed and the berths had been folded back for the day.”
without speaking
From this reading “She nodded silently and crept into her seat.”
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.
(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 “I got his milk all ready when he wants it.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading She nodded silently and crept into her seat.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading At half-past eight the train reached Buffalo.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading By this time the other passengers were dressed and the berths had been folded back for the day.
the past participle of “be”
From this reading By this time the other passengers were dressed and the berths had been folded back for the day.
plural of “berth” — a job in an organization
From this reading By this time the other passengers were dressed and the berths had been folded back for the day.
large shaggy-haired brown bison of North American plains
From this reading At half-past eight the train reached Buffalo.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading You know you told me to have it for him by seven.”
inflected form of “creep” — move slowly; in the case of people or animals with the body near the ground
From this reading She nodded silently and crept into her seat.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading By this time the other passengers were dressed and the berths had been folded back for the day.
dressed or clothed especially in fine attire; often used in combination
From this reading By this time the other passengers were dressed and the berths had been folded back for the day.
being one more than seven
From this reading At half-past eight the train reached Buffalo.
past form of “fold” — bend or lay so that one part covers the other
From this reading By this time the other passengers were dressed and the berths had been folded back for the day.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading You know you told me to have it for him by seven.”
inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading “I got his milk all ready when he wants it.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading By this time the other passengers were dressed and the berths had been folded back for the day.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At half-past eight the train reached Buffalo.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading You know you told me to have it for him by seven.”
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “I got his milk all ready when he wants it.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading She nodded silently and crept into her seat.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading You know you told me to have it for him by seven.”
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading “I got his milk all ready when he wants it.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “I got his milk all ready when he wants it.
moving to the inside of something
From this reading She nodded silently and crept into her seat.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading “I got his milk all ready when he wants it.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading You know you told me to have it for him by seven.”
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading You know you told me to have it for him by seven.”
a white nutritious liquid secreted by mammals and used as food by human beings
From this reading “I got his milk all ready when he wants it.
inflected form of “nod” — express or signify by nodding
From this reading She nodded silently and crept into her seat.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading By this time the other passengers were dressed and the berths had been folded back for the day.
plural of “passenger” — a traveler riding in a vehicle (a boat or bus or car or plane or train etc) who is not operating it
From this reading By this time the other passengers were dressed and the berths had been folded back for the day.
past form of “reach” — reach a destination, either real or abstract
From this reading At half-past eight the train reached Buffalo.
completely prepared or in condition for immediate action or use or progress
From this reading “I got his milk all ready when he wants it.
a space reserved for sitting (as in a theater or on a train or airplane)
From this reading She nodded silently and crept into her seat.
the cardinal number that is the sum of six and one
From this reading You know you told me to have it for him by seven.”
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She nodded silently and crept into her seat.
without speaking
From this reading She nodded silently and crept into her seat.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading At half-past eight the train reached Buffalo.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading By this time the other passengers were dressed and the berths had been folded back for the day.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading By this time the other passengers were dressed and the berths had been folded back for the day.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading You know you told me to have it for him by seven.”
inflected form of “tell” — express in words
From this reading You know you told me to have it for him by seven.”
create by training and teaching
From this reading At half-past eight the train reached Buffalo.
plural of “want” — a state of extreme poverty
From this reading “I got his milk all ready when he wants it.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading By this time the other passengers were dressed and the berths had been folded back for the day.
at the time that
From this reading “I got his milk all ready when he wants it.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading You know you told me to have it for him by seven.”
Chapter 2 of The Greater Inclination by Edith Wharton holds 422 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 2 holds 422 sentences of The Greater Inclination, unabridged, divided into 85 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of The Greater Inclination by Edith Wharton exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 422 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 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 Greater Inclination by Edith Wharton on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3378 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #9190 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #9190, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 281 minutes of reading across 676 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Greater Inclination section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 8 chapters of The Greater Inclination 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 Greater Inclination, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
