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The House on the Beach: A Realistic Tale
The House on the Beach: A Realistic Tale

Chapter VIII · Chapter 8

Chapter 8 of The House on the Beach: A Realistic Tale is here in full — 148 sentences across 30 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The House on the Beach: A Realistic Tale
Context Illustration Reading 1/29 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Annette did not shun him next morning.
She did not shun the subject, either.
But she had been exact in arranging that she should not be more than a few minutes downstairs before her father.
Herbert found, that compared with her, girls of sentiment are commonplace indeed.
She had conceived an insane idea of nobility in Tinman that blinded her to his face, figure, and character--his manners, likewise.
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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 House on the Beach: A Realistic Tale

Chapter VIII · Chapter 8

Chapter 8 of The House on the Beach: A Realistic Tale is here in full — 148 sentences across 30 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/29 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Annette did not shun him next morning.
Line 2
She did not shun the subject, either.
/ʃiː dɪd nɑːt ʃʌn ðə səbˈdʒekt ˈiːðər/
Line 3
But she had been exact in arranging that she should not be more than a few minutes downstairs before her father.
/bʌt ʃiː hæd bɪn ɪɡˈzækt ɪn ərˈeɪndʒɪŋ ðæt ʃiː ʃʊd nɑːt biː mɔːr ðæn ə fjuː ˈmɪnəts ˈdaʊnˈsterz bɪˈfɔːr hɜːr ˈfɑːðər/
Line 4
Herbert found, that compared with her, girls of sentiment are commonplace indeed.
/ˈhɜːrbərt faʊnd ðæt kəmˈperd wɪð hɜːr ɡɜːrlz ʌv ˈsentəmənt ɑːr ˈkɑːmənpleɪs ˌɪnˈdiːd/
Line 5
She had conceived an insane idea of nobility in Tinman that blinded her to his face, figure, and character--his manners, likewise.

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.

arranging noun US /ərˈeɪndʒɪŋ/

the act of arranging and adapting a piece of music

From this reading “But she had been exact in arranging that she should not be more than a few minutes downstairs before her father.”

blinded adjective US /ˈblaɪndɪd/

deprived of sight

From this reading “She had conceived an insane idea of nobility in Tinman that blinded her to his face, figure, and character--his manners, likewise.”

commonplace adjective US /ˈkɑːmənpleɪs/

completely ordinary and unremarkable

From this reading “Herbert found, that compared with her, girls of sentiment are commonplace indeed.”

conceived verb US /kənˈsiːvd/

past form of “conceive” — have the idea for

From this reading “She had conceived an insane idea of nobility in Tinman that blinded her to his face, figure, and character--his manners, likewise.”

downstairs adverb US /ˈdaʊnˈsterz/

on a floor below

From this reading “But she had been exact in arranging that she should not be more than a few minutes downstairs before her father.”

insane adjective US /ˌɪnˈseɪn/

afflicted with or characteristic of mental derangement

From this reading “She had conceived an insane idea of nobility in Tinman that blinded her to his face, figure, and character--his manners, likewise.”

nobility noun US /noʊˈbɪləti/

a privileged class holding hereditary titles

From this reading “She had conceived an insane idea of nobility in Tinman that blinded her to his face, figure, and character--his manners, likewise.”

shun verb US /ʃʌn/

avoid and stay away from deliberately; stay clear of

From this reading “Annette did not shun him next morning.”

All words in this reading · 54

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 But she had been exact in arranging that she should not be more than a few minutes downstairs before her father.

andeterminerUS /æn/

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

From this reading She had conceived an insane idea of nobility in Tinman that blinded her to his face, figure, and character--his manners, likewise.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading She had conceived an insane idea of nobility in Tinman that blinded her to his face, figure, and character--his manners, likewise.

Annette

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

From this reading Annette did not shun him next morning.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

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

From this reading Herbert found, that compared with her, girls of sentiment are commonplace indeed.

arrangingnounUS /ərˈeɪndʒɪŋ/

the act of arranging and adapting a piece of music

From this reading But she had been exact in arranging that she should not be more than a few minutes downstairs before her father.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading But she had been exact in arranging that she should not be more than a few minutes downstairs before her father.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading But she had been exact in arranging that she should not be more than a few minutes downstairs before her father.

beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading But she had been exact in arranging that she should not be more than a few minutes downstairs before her father.

blindedadjectiveUS /ˈblaɪndɪd/

deprived of sight

From this reading She had conceived an insane idea of nobility in Tinman that blinded her to his face, figure, and character--his manners, likewise.

ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading But she had been exact in arranging that she should not be more than a few minutes downstairs before her father.

characternounUS /ˈkerɪktər/

an imaginary person represented in a work of fiction (play or film or story)

From this reading She had conceived an insane idea of nobility in Tinman that blinded her to his face, figure, and character--his manners, likewise.

commonplaceadjectiveUS /ˈkɑːmənpleɪs/

completely ordinary and unremarkable

From this reading Herbert found, that compared with her, girls of sentiment are commonplace indeed.

comparedverbUS /kəmˈperd/

past form of “compare” — examine and note the similarities or differences of

From this reading Herbert found, that compared with her, girls of sentiment are commonplace indeed.

conceivedverbUS /kənˈsiːvd/

past form of “conceive” — have the idea for

From this reading She had conceived an insane idea of nobility in Tinman that blinded her to his face, figure, and character--his manners, likewise.

didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

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

From this reading Annette did not shun him next morning.

downstairsadverbUS /ˈdaʊnˈsterz/

on a floor below

From this reading But she had been exact in arranging that she should not be more than a few minutes downstairs before her father.

eitherdeterminerUS /ˈiːðər/

one or the other of two

From this reading She did not shun the subject, either.

exactadjectiveUS /ɪɡˈzækt/

Strictly particular and correct.

From this reading But she had been exact in arranging that she should not be more than a few minutes downstairs before her father.

facenounUS /feɪs/

the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear

From this reading She had conceived an insane idea of nobility in Tinman that blinded her to his face, figure, and character--his manners, likewise.

fathernounUS /ˈfɑːðər/

a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)

From this reading But she had been exact in arranging that she should not be more than a few minutes downstairs before her father.

fewadjectiveUS /fjuː/

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number

From this reading But she had been exact in arranging that she should not be more than a few minutes downstairs before her father.

figurenounUS /ˈfɪɡjər/

a diagram or picture illustrating textual material

From this reading She had conceived an insane idea of nobility in Tinman that blinded her to his face, figure, and character--his manners, likewise.

foundverbUS /faʊnd/

set up or found

From this reading Herbert found, that compared with her, girls of sentiment are commonplace indeed.

girlsnounUS /ɡɜːrlz/

plural of “girl” — a young female

From this reading Herbert found, that compared with her, girls of sentiment are commonplace indeed.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading But she had been exact in arranging that she should not be more than a few minutes downstairs before her father.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading But she had been exact in arranging that she should not be more than a few minutes downstairs before her father.

HerbertnounUS /ˈhɜːrbərt/

United States musician and composer and conductor noted for his comic operas (1859-1924)

From this reading Herbert found, that compared with her, girls of sentiment are commonplace indeed.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading Annette did not shun him next morning.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading She had conceived an insane idea of nobility in Tinman that blinded her to his face, figure, and character--his manners, likewise.

ideanounUS /aɪˈdiːə/

the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about

From this reading She had conceived an insane idea of nobility in Tinman that blinded her to his face, figure, and character--his manners, likewise.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading But she had been exact in arranging that she should not be more than a few minutes downstairs before her father.

indeedadverbUS /ˌɪnˈdiːd/

in truth (often tends to intensify)

From this reading Herbert found, that compared with her, girls of sentiment are commonplace indeed.

insaneadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈseɪn/

afflicted with or characteristic of mental derangement

From this reading She had conceived an insane idea of nobility in Tinman that blinded her to his face, figure, and character--his manners, likewise.

likewiseadverbUS /ˈlaɪkwaɪz/

in like or similar manner

From this reading She had conceived an insane idea of nobility in Tinman that blinded her to his face, figure, and character--his manners, likewise.

mannersnounUS /ˈmænərz/

social deportment

From this reading She had conceived an insane idea of nobility in Tinman that blinded her to his face, figure, and character--his manners, likewise.

minutesnounUS /ˈmɪnəts/

a written account of what transpired at a meeting

From this reading But she had been exact in arranging that she should not be more than a few minutes downstairs before her father.

moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading But she had been exact in arranging that she should not be more than a few minutes downstairs before her father.

morningnounUS /ˈmɔːrnɪŋ/

the time period between dawn and noon

From this reading Annette did not shun him next morning.

nextadjectiveUS /nekst/

immediately following in time or order

From this reading Annette did not shun him next morning.

nobilitynounUS /noʊˈbɪləti/

a privileged class holding hereditary titles

From this reading She had conceived an insane idea of nobility in Tinman that blinded her to his face, figure, and character--his manners, likewise.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Annette did not shun him next morning.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Herbert found, that compared with her, girls of sentiment are commonplace indeed.

sentimentnounUS /ˈsentəmənt/

tender, romantic, or nostalgic feeling or emotion

From this reading Herbert found, that compared with her, girls of sentiment are commonplace indeed.

ShepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading She did not shun the subject, either.

shouldmodal verbUS /ʃʊd/

used to say what is right, expected, or advisable

From this reading But she had been exact in arranging that she should not be more than a few minutes downstairs before her father.

shunverbUS /ʃʌn/

avoid and stay away from deliberately; stay clear of

From this reading Annette did not shun him next morning.

subjectnounUS /səbˈdʒekt/

the subject matter of a conversation or discussion

From this reading She did not shun the subject, either.

thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading But she had been exact in arranging that she should not be more than a few minutes downstairs before her father.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading But she had been exact in arranging that she should not be more than a few minutes downstairs before her father.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading She did not shun the subject, either.

Tinman

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

From this reading She had conceived an insane idea of nobility in Tinman that blinded her to his face, figure, and character--his manners, likewise.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading She had conceived an insane idea of nobility in Tinman that blinded her to his face, figure, and character--his manners, likewise.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Herbert found, that compared with her, girls of sentiment are commonplace indeed.

Chapter 8 of The House on the Beach: A Realistic Tale by George Meredith holds 148 sentences, grouped into 30 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 8 of The House on the Beach: A Realistic Tale contain?

Chapter 8 holds 148 sentences of The House on the Beach: A Realistic Tale, unabridged, divided into 30 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 8 of The House on the Beach: A Realistic Tale by George Meredith exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 148 sentences, grouped into 30 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 8 of The House on the Beach: A Realistic Tale?

Work through the 30 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 30 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 8 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 8 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 House on the Beach: A Realistic Tale

Common questions about reading The House on the Beach: A Realistic Tale by George Meredith on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The House on the Beach: A Realistic Tale?

Yes. All 1936 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #4495 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The House on the Beach: A Realistic Tale is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #4495, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The House on the Beach: A Realistic Tale take to read?

About 161 minutes of reading across 388 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The House on the Beach: A Realistic Tale section by section

How to work through The House on the Beach: A Realistic Tale section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 11 chapters of The House on the Beach: A Realistic Tale 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 House on the Beach: A Realistic Tale

Words and structures a reader meets early in The House on the Beach: A Realistic Tale, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Carriage
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The House on the Beach: A Realistic Tale; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Stopped
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The House on the Beach: A Realistic Tale; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Short
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The House on the Beach: A Realistic Tale; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Candlelight
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The House on the Beach: A Realistic Tale; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.