The Gunroom

Chapter XX

Chapter 20 of The Gunroom is here in full — 107 sentences across 22 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Charles Morgan • Curated US English Learning Edition

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

WINGFIELD ALTER John’s request to leave the Service did not find his mother wholly unprepared.

Her realization of the mistake he had made had been earlier than his own, and for many months now she had considered the possibility of obtaining his release should he demand it.

The difficulties were, as John knew, wholly financial.

She could afford to pay the sum which the Admiralty would require as the price of his liberty, but she could not re-educate him as she felt it was essential he should be re-educated.

If he abandoned the Service he would have to earn his living as an unqualified man.

Narrator

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.

Chapter XX Reading 1/21

The Gunroom Charles Morgan

Chapter XX

Chapter 20 of The Gunroom is here in full — 107 sentences across 22 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

WINGFIELD ALTER John’s request to leave the Service did not find his mother wholly unprepared. Her realization of the mistake he had made had been earlier than his own, and for many months now she had considered the possibility of obtaining his release should he demand it. The difficulties were, as John knew, wholly financial. She could afford to pay the sum which the Admiralty would require as the price of his liberty, but she could not re-educate him as she felt it was essential he should be re-educated. If he abandoned the Service he would have to earn his living as an unqualified man.

The Gunroom

Chapter XX

Chapter 20 of The Gunroom is here in full — 107 sentences across 22 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/21 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

WINGFIELD ALTER John’s request to leave the Service did not find his mother wholly unprepared.

Line 2

Her realization of the mistake he had made had been earlier than his own, and for many months now she had considered the possibility of obtaining his release should he demand it.

/hɜːr ˈriːləˈzeɪʃən ʌv ðə mɪˈsteɪk hiː hæd meɪd hæd bɪn ˈɜːrliər ðæn hɪz oʊn ənd fɔːr ˈmeni mʌnθs naʊ ʃiː hæd kənˈsɪdərd ðə ˌpɑːsəˈbɪlətiː ʌv əbˈteɪnɪŋ hɪz riˈliːs ʃʊd hiː dɪˈmænd ɪt/

Line 3

The difficulties were, as John knew, wholly financial.

/ðə ˈdɪfəkəltiz wɜːr æz dʒɑːn nuː ˈhoʊli fəˈnænʃəl/

Line 4

She could afford to pay the sum which the Admiralty would require as the price of his liberty, but she could not re-educate him as she felt it was essential he should be re-educated.

Line 5

If he abandoned the Service he would have to earn his living as an unqualified man.

/ɪf hiː əˈbændənd ðə ˈsɜːrvəs hiː wʊd hæv tuː ɜːrn hɪz ˈlɪvɪŋ æz æn ənˈkwɑːlɪfaɪd mæn/

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.

Admiralty noun US /ˈædmərəlti/

the department in charge of the navy (as in Great Britain)

From this reading “She could afford to pay the sum which the Admiralty would require as the price of his liberty, but she could not re-educate him as she felt it was essential he should be re-educated.”

alter verb US /ˈɔːltər/

cause to change; make different; cause a transformation

From this reading “WINGFIELD ALTER John’s request to leave the Service did not find his mother wholly unprepared.”

financial adjective US /fəˈnænʃəl/

involving financial matters

From this reading “The difficulties were, as John knew, wholly financial.”

John's noun US /dʒɑːnz/

possessive form of “john” — a room or building equipped with one or more toilets

obtaining verb US /əbˈteɪnɪŋ/

-ing form of “obtain” — come into possession of

From this reading “Her realization of the mistake he had made had been earlier than his own, and for many months now she had considered the possibility of obtaining his release should he demand it.”

realization noun US /ˈriːləˈzeɪʃən/

coming to understand something clearly and distinctly

unprepared adjective US /ˌʌnpriˈperd/

without preparation; not prepared for

From this reading “WINGFIELD ALTER John’s request to leave the Service did not find his mother wholly unprepared.”

unqualified adjective US /ənˈkwɑːlɪfaɪd/

not limited or restricted

From this reading “If he abandoned the Service he would have to earn his living as an unqualified man.”

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.

many months adjective + noun counted as “many month”

In this reading “Her realization of the mistake he had made had been earlier than his own, and for many months now she had considered the possibility of obtaining his release should he demand it.”

All words in this reading · 71

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.

abandonedadjectiveUS /əˈbændənd/

forsaken by owner or inhabitants

From this reading If he abandoned the Service he would have to earn his living as an unqualified man.

AdmiraltynounUS /ˈædmərəlti/

the department in charge of the navy (as in Great Britain)

From this reading She could afford to pay the sum which the Admiralty would require as the price of his liberty, but she could not re-educate him as she felt it was essential he should be re-educated.

affordverbUS /əˈfɔːrd/

be able to spare or give up

ALTERverbUS /ˈɔːltər/

cause to change; make different; cause a transformation

From this reading WINGFIELD ALTER John’s request to leave the Service did not find his mother wholly unprepared.

andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading If he abandoned the Service he would have to earn his living as an unqualified man.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Her realization of the mistake he had made had been earlier than his own, and for many months now she had considered the possibility of obtaining his release should he demand it.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading The difficulties were, as John knew, wholly financial.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading Her realization of the mistake he had made had been earlier than his own, and for many months now she had considered the possibility of obtaining his release should he demand it.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

consideredadjectiveUS /kənˈsɪdərd/

carefully weighed

From this reading Her realization of the mistake he had made had been earlier than his own, and for many months now she had considered the possibility of obtaining his release should he demand it.

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

demandnounUS /dɪˈmænd/

an urgent or peremptory request

From this reading Her realization of the mistake he had made had been earlier than his own, and for many months now she had considered the possibility of obtaining his release should he demand it.

didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading WINGFIELD ALTER John’s request to leave the Service did not find his mother wholly unprepared.

difficultiesnounUS /ˈdɪfəkəltiz/

plural of “difficulty” — an effort that is inconvenient

From this reading The difficulties were, as John knew, wholly financial.

earlieradverbUS /ˈɜːrliər/

earlier in time; previously

From this reading Her realization of the mistake he had made had been earlier than his own, and for many months now she had considered the possibility of obtaining his release should he demand it.

earnverbUS /ɜːrn/

earn on some commercial or business transaction; earn as salary or wages

From this reading If he abandoned the Service he would have to earn his living as an unqualified man.

essentialadjectiveUS /eˈsenʃəl/

absolutely necessary; vitally necessary

feltverbUS /felt/

mat together and make felt-like

financialadjectiveUS /fəˈnænʃəl/

involving financial matters

From this reading The difficulties were, as John knew, wholly financial.

findverbUS /faɪnd/

come upon, as if by accident; meet with

From this reading WINGFIELD ALTER John’s request to leave the Service did not find his mother wholly unprepared.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading Her realization of the mistake he had made had been earlier than his own, and for many months now she had considered the possibility of obtaining his release should he demand it.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading Her realization of the mistake he had made had been earlier than his own, and for many months now she had considered the possibility of obtaining his release should he demand it.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading If he abandoned the Service he would have to earn his living as an unqualified man.

hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Her realization of the mistake he had made had been earlier than his own, and for many months now she had considered the possibility of obtaining his release should he demand it.

HerdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading Her realization of the mistake he had made had been earlier than his own, and for many months now she had considered the possibility of obtaining his release should he demand it.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading WINGFIELD ALTER John’s request to leave the Service did not find his mother wholly unprepared.

IfconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading If he abandoned the Service he would have to earn his living as an unqualified man.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Her realization of the mistake he had made had been earlier than his own, and for many months now she had considered the possibility of obtaining his release should he demand it.

JohnnounUS /dʒɑːn/

a room or building equipped with one or more toilets

From this reading The difficulties were, as John knew, wholly financial.

John'snounUS /dʒɑːnz/

possessive form of “john” — a room or building equipped with one or more toilets

From this reading WINGFIELD ALTER John’s request to leave the Service did not find his mother wholly unprepared.

knewverbUS /nuː/

inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading The difficulties were, as John knew, wholly financial.

leaveverbUS /liːv/

go away from a place

From this reading WINGFIELD ALTER John’s request to leave the Service did not find his mother wholly unprepared.

libertynounUS /ˈlɪb.ər.ti/

The state of being free within society from oppressive restrictions on one's way of life.

livingnounUS /ˈlɪvɪŋ/

the experience of being alive; the course of human events and activities

From this reading If he abandoned the Service he would have to earn his living as an unqualified man.

madeadjectiveUS /meɪd/

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading Her realization of the mistake he had made had been earlier than his own, and for many months now she had considered the possibility of obtaining his release should he demand it.

mannounUS /mæn/

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading If he abandoned the Service he would have to earn his living as an unqualified man.

manyadjectiveUS /ˈmeni/

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number

From this reading Her realization of the mistake he had made had been earlier than his own, and for many months now she had considered the possibility of obtaining his release should he demand it.

mistakenounUS /mɪˈsteɪk/

a wrong action attributable to bad judgment or ignorance or inattention

From this reading Her realization of the mistake he had made had been earlier than his own, and for many months now she had considered the possibility of obtaining his release should he demand it.

monthsnounUS /mʌnθs/

plural of “month” — one of the twelve divisions of the calendar year

From this reading Her realization of the mistake he had made had been earlier than his own, and for many months now she had considered the possibility of obtaining his release should he demand it.

mothernounUS /ˈmʌðər/

a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)

From this reading WINGFIELD ALTER John’s request to leave the Service did not find his mother wholly unprepared.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading WINGFIELD ALTER John’s request to leave the Service did not find his mother wholly unprepared.

nowadverbUS /naʊ/

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading Her realization of the mistake he had made had been earlier than his own, and for many months now she had considered the possibility of obtaining his release should he demand it.

obtainingverbUS /əbˈteɪnɪŋ/

-ing form of “obtain” — come into possession of

From this reading Her realization of the mistake he had made had been earlier than his own, and for many months now she had considered the possibility of obtaining his release should he demand it.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Her realization of the mistake he had made had been earlier than his own, and for many months now she had considered the possibility of obtaining his release should he demand it.

ownverbUS /oʊn/

have ownership or possession of

From this reading Her realization of the mistake he had made had been earlier than his own, and for many months now she had considered the possibility of obtaining his release should he demand it.

payverbUS /peɪ/

give money, usually in exchange for goods or services

possibilitynounUS /ˌpɑːsəˈbɪlətiː/

a future prospect or potential

From this reading Her realization of the mistake he had made had been earlier than his own, and for many months now she had considered the possibility of obtaining his release should he demand it.

pricenounUS /praɪs/

the property of having material worth (often indicated by the amount of money something would bring if sold)

re-educate

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

re-educated

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

realizationnounUS /ˈriːləˈzeɪʃən/

coming to understand something clearly and distinctly

From this reading Her realization of the mistake he had made had been earlier than his own, and for many months now she had considered the possibility of obtaining his release should he demand it.

releaseverbUS /riˈliːs/

release, as from one's grip

From this reading Her realization of the mistake he had made had been earlier than his own, and for many months now she had considered the possibility of obtaining his release should he demand it.

requestverbUS /rɪˈkwest/

express the need or desire for

From this reading WINGFIELD ALTER John’s request to leave the Service did not find his mother wholly unprepared.

requireverbUS /ˌriːˈkwaɪər/

require as useful, just, or proper

ServicenounUS /ˈsɜːrvəs/

work done by one person or group that benefits another

From this reading WINGFIELD ALTER John’s request to leave the Service did not find his mother wholly unprepared.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Her realization of the mistake he had made had been earlier than his own, and for many months now she had considered the possibility of obtaining his release should he demand it.

shouldmodal verbUS /ʃʊd/

used to say what is right, expected, or advisable

From this reading Her realization of the mistake he had made had been earlier than his own, and for many months now she had considered the possibility of obtaining his release should he demand it.

sumnounUS /sʌm/

a quantity of money

thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading Her realization of the mistake he had made had been earlier than his own, and for many months now she had considered the possibility of obtaining his release should he demand it.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading WINGFIELD ALTER John’s request to leave the Service did not find his mother wholly unprepared.

toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading WINGFIELD ALTER John’s request to leave the Service did not find his mother wholly unprepared.

unpreparedadjectiveUS /ˌʌnpriˈperd/

without preparation; not prepared for

From this reading WINGFIELD ALTER John’s request to leave the Service did not find his mother wholly unprepared.

unqualifiedadjectiveUS /ənˈkwɑːlɪfaɪd/

not limited or restricted

From this reading If he abandoned the Service he would have to earn his living as an unqualified man.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading The difficulties were, as John knew, wholly financial.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

whollyadverbUS /ˈhoʊli/

to a complete degree or to the full or entire extent (“whole” is often used informally for “wholly”)

From this reading WINGFIELD ALTER John’s request to leave the Service did not find his mother wholly unprepared.

WINGFIELD

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

From this reading WINGFIELD ALTER John’s request to leave the Service did not find his mother wholly unprepared.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

Chapter 20 of The Gunroom by Charles Morgan holds 107 sentences, grouped into 22 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 20 of The Gunroom contain?

Chapter 20 holds 107 sentences of The Gunroom, unabridged, divided into 22 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 20 of The Gunroom by Charles Morgan exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 107 sentences, grouped into 22 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 20 of The Gunroom?

Work through the 22 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 22 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 20 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 20 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 Gunroom

Common questions about reading The Gunroom by Charles Morgan on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Gunroom?

Yes. All 6725 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #52591 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Gunroom is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #52591, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Gunroom take to read?

About 560 minutes of reading across 1345 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Gunroom section by section

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

Open a chapter

Choose one of the 24 chapters of The Gunroom to begin.
Read one section

Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Listen and tap

Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in The Gunroom

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

Stewart: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Gunroom; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Acting-commander: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Gunroom; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Peshall: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Gunroom; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Chaplain: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Gunroom; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

Chapter XX

What does chapter 20 of The Gunroom contain?

How do I study chapter 20 of The Gunroom?

Can chapter 20 be read aloud to me?

Questions about reading The Gunroom

How to read The Gunroom section by section

Open a chapter

Read one section

Listen and tap

Vocabulary met early in The Gunroom