The Human Boy

Chapter IV

Chapter 4 of The Human Boy is here in full — 436 sentences across 88 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Eden Phillpotts • Curated US English Learning Edition

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

So now you see what a sinful mess you’ve made of it.”

I said I did, but I felt it was my duty to him.

“Yes, I know,” he said; “but the question is, What do I do now?

You see ‘all’s fair’ and all that; but now, being out of the hunt, ought I to throw up the sponge and tell the truth, or ought I not?”

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 IV Reading 1/87

The Human Boy Eden Phillpotts

Chapter IV

Chapter 4 of The Human Boy is here in full — 436 sentences across 88 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

“She’s written to him also, asking him where he got the verses out of, and exsplaining she doesn’t believe they are original, and saying how another acquaintance of hers had sent the very same lot the day before. So now you see what a sinful mess you’ve made of it.” I said I did, but I felt it was my duty to him. “Yes, I know,” he said; “but the question is, What do I do now? You see ‘all’s fair’ and all that; but now, being out of the hunt, ought I to throw up the sponge and tell the truth, or ought I not?”

The Human Boy

Chapter IV

Chapter 4 of The Human Boy is here in full — 436 sentences across 88 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/87 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

Line 2

So now you see what a sinful mess you’ve made of it.”

Line 3

I said I did, but I felt it was my duty to him.

/aɪ sed aɪ dɪd bʌt aɪ felt ɪt wɑːz maɪ ˈduːti tuː hɪm/

Line 4

“Yes, I know,” he said; “but the question is, What do I do now?

/jes aɪ noʊ hiː sed bʌt ðə ˈkwestʃən ɪz wʌt duː aɪ duː naʊ/

Line 5

You see ‘all’s fair’ and all that; but now, being out of the hunt, ought I to throw up the sponge and tell the truth, or ought I not?”

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.

acquaintance noun US /əˈkweɪntəns/

personal knowledge or information about someone or something

From this reading ““She’s written to him also, asking him where he got the verses out of, and exsplaining she doesn’t believe they are original, and saying how another acquaintance of hers had sent the very same lot the day before.”

asking noun US /ˈæskɪŋ/

the verbal act of requesting

hunt verb US /hʌnt/

pursue for food or sport (as of wild animals)

From this reading “You see ‘all’s fair’ and all that; but now, being out of the hunt, ought I to throw up the sponge and tell the truth, or ought I not?””

mess noun US /mes/

a state of confusion and disorderliness

From this reading “So now you see what a sinful mess you’ve made of it.””

original adjective US /ərˈɪdʒənəl/

preceding all others in time or being as first made or performed

sinful adjective US /ˈsɪnfəl/

characterized by iniquity; wicked because it is believed to be a sin

From this reading “So now you see what a sinful mess you’ve made of it.””

sponge verb US /spʌndʒ/

wipe with a sponge, so as to clean or moisten

From this reading “You see ‘all’s fair’ and all that; but now, being out of the hunt, ought I to throw up the sponge and tell the truth, or ought I not?””

verses noun US /ˈvɜːrsəz/

plural of “verse” — literature in metrical form

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.

tell the truth verb + article + noun counted as “tell … truth”

In this reading “You see ‘all’s fair’ and all that; but now, being out of the hunt, ought I to throw up the sponge and tell the truth, or ought I not?””

throw up verb + adjective

eject the contents of the stomach through the mouth

In this reading “You see ‘all’s fair’ and all that; but now, being out of the hunt, ought I to throw up the sponge and tell the truth, or ought I not?””

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.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading So now you see what a sinful mess you’ve made of it.”

acquaintancenounUS /əˈkweɪntəns/

personal knowledge or information about someone or something

From this reading “She’s written to him also, asking him where he got the verses out of, and exsplaining she doesn’t believe they are original, and saying how another acquaintance of hers had sent the very same lot the day before.

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 You see ‘all’s fair’ and all that; but now, being out of the hunt, ought I to throw up the sponge and tell the truth, or ought I not?”

all's

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

From this reading You see ‘all’s fair’ and all that; but now, being out of the hunt, ought I to throw up the sponge and tell the truth, or ought I not?”

alsoadverbUS /ˈɔːlsoʊ/

in addition

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

anotherdeterminerUS /əˈnʌðər/

one more of the same kind, or a different one

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

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

askingnounUS /ˈæskɪŋ/

the verbal act of requesting

beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/

the -ing form of “be”

From this reading You see ‘all’s fair’ and all that; but now, being out of the hunt, ought I to throw up the sponge and tell the truth, or ought I not?”

believeverbUS /bɪˈliːv/

accept as true; take to be true

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading I said I did, but I felt it was my duty to him.

daynounUS /deɪ/

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

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

From this reading I said I did, but I felt it was my duty to him.

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading “Yes, I know,” he said; “but the question is, What do I do now?

doesn't

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

dutynounUS /ˈduːti/

the social force that binds you to the courses of action demanded by that force

From this reading I said I did, but I felt it was my duty to him.

exsplaining

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

fairadjectiveUS /fer/

free from favoritism or self-interest or bias or deception; conforming with established standards or rules

From this reading You see ‘all’s fair’ and all that; but now, being out of the hunt, ought I to throw up the sponge and tell the truth, or ought I not?”

feltverbUS /felt/

mat together and make felt-like

From this reading I said I did, but I felt it was my duty to him.

gotverbUS /ɡɑːt/

inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

herspronounUS /hərz/

the one or ones belonging to her

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

how

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

huntverbUS /hʌnt/

pursue for food or sport (as of wild animals)

From this reading You see ‘all’s fair’ and all that; but now, being out of the hunt, ought I to throw up the sponge and tell the truth, or ought I not?”

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading I said I did, but I felt it was my duty to him.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading “Yes, I know,” he said; “but the question is, What do I do now?

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading So now you see what a sinful mess you’ve made of it.”

knowverbUS /noʊ/

be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading “Yes, I know,” he said; “but the question is, What do I do now?

lotnounUS /lɑːt/

(often followed by “of”) a large number or amount or extent

madeadjectiveUS /meɪd/

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading So now you see what a sinful mess you’ve made of it.”

messnounUS /mes/

a state of confusion and disorderliness

From this reading So now you see what a sinful mess you’ve made of it.”

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading I said I did, but I felt it was my duty to him.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading You see ‘all’s fair’ and all that; but now, being out of the hunt, ought I to throw up the sponge and tell the truth, or ought I not?”

nowadverbUS /naʊ/

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

From this reading So now you see what a sinful mess you’ve made of it.”

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading You see ‘all’s fair’ and all that; but now, being out of the hunt, ought I to throw up the sponge and tell the truth, or ought I not?”

originaladjectiveUS /ərˈɪdʒənəl/

preceding all others in time or being as first made or performed

oughtmodal verbUS /ɔːt/

used with “to” to say what is right or advisable

From this reading You see ‘all’s fair’ and all that; but now, being out of the hunt, ought I to throw up the sponge and tell the truth, or ought I not?”

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

questionverbUS /ˈkwestʃən/

challenge the accuracy, probity, or propriety of

From this reading “Yes, I know,” he said; “but the question is, What do I do now?

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading I said I did, but I felt it was my duty to him.

sameadjectiveUS /seɪm/

Identical; not different.

sayingnounUS /ˈseɪɪŋ/

a word or phrase that particular people use in particular situations

seeverbUS /siː/

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading So now you see what a sinful mess you’ve made of it.”

sentnounUS /sent/

100 senti equal 1 kroon in Estonia

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

She's

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

sinfuladjectiveUS /ˈsɪnfəl/

characterized by iniquity; wicked because it is believed to be a sin

From this reading So now you see what a sinful mess you’ve made of it.”

SoconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading So now you see what a sinful mess you’ve made of it.”

spongeverbUS /spʌndʒ/

wipe with a sponge, so as to clean or moisten

From this reading You see ‘all’s fair’ and all that; but now, being out of the hunt, ought I to throw up the sponge and tell the truth, or ought I not?”

tellverbUS /tel/

express in words

From this reading You see ‘all’s fair’ and all that; but now, being out of the hunt, ought I to throw up the sponge and tell the truth, or ought I not?”

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading You see ‘all’s fair’ and all that; but now, being out of the hunt, ought I to throw up the sponge and tell the truth, or ought I not?”

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

throwverbUS /θroʊ/

propel through the air

From this reading You see ‘all’s fair’ and all that; but now, being out of the hunt, ought I to throw up the sponge and tell the truth, or ought I not?”

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

truthnounUS /truːθ/

a fact that has been verified

From this reading You see ‘all’s fair’ and all that; but now, being out of the hunt, ought I to throw up the sponge and tell the truth, or ought I not?”

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading You see ‘all’s fair’ and all that; but now, being out of the hunt, ought I to throw up the sponge and tell the truth, or ought I not?”

versesnounUS /ˈvɜːrsəz/

plural of “verse” — literature in metrical form

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading I said I did, but I felt it was my duty to him.

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading So now you see what a sinful mess you’ve made of it.”

whereconjunctionUS /wer/

in or at the place that

writtenadjectiveUS /ˈrɪtən/

set down in writing in any of various ways

YesnounUS /jes/

an affirmative

From this reading “Yes, I know,” he said; “but the question is, What do I do now?

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading So now you see what a sinful mess you’ve made of it.”

you've

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

From this reading So now you see what a sinful mess you’ve made of it.”

Chapter 4 of The Human Boy by Eden Phillpotts holds 436 sentences, grouped into 88 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 4 of The Human Boy contain?

Chapter 4 holds 436 sentences of The Human Boy, unabridged, divided into 88 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 4 of The Human Boy by Eden Phillpotts exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 436 sentences, grouped into 88 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 4 of The Human Boy?

Work through the 88 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 88 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 4 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 4 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 Human Boy

Common questions about reading The Human Boy by Eden Phillpotts on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Human Boy?

Yes. All 2173 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #54270 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Human Boy is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #54270, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Human Boy take to read?

About 181 minutes of reading across 435 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Chapter IV

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