Chapter 12 of The Imitator: A Novel is here in full — 92 sentences across 19 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XII
Chapter 12 of The Imitator: A Novel is here in full — 92 sentences across 19 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Orson Vane was taking lunch with Professor Vanlief. Jeannette, learning of Vane's coming, had absented herself. "It is true," Vane was saying, "that I can assert what no other man has asserted before,--that I know the exact mental machinery of two human beings. Yes; that is quite true. But--" "I promised nothing more," remarked Vanlief.
Chapter 12 of The Imitator: A Novel is here in full — 92 sentences across 19 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/18 · 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.
state categorically
From this reading “"It is true," Vane was saying, "that I can assert what no other man has asserted before,--that I know the exact mental machinery of two human beings.”
confidently declared to be so
From this reading “"It is true," Vane was saying, "that I can assert what no other man has asserted before,--that I know the exact mental machinery of two human beings.”
plural of “being” — the state or fact of existing
From this reading “"It is true," Vane was saying, "that I can assert what no other man has asserted before,--that I know the exact mental machinery of two human beings.”
Strictly particular and correct.
From this reading “"It is true," Vane was saying, "that I can assert what no other man has asserted before,--that I know the exact mental machinery of two human beings.”
the cognitive process of acquiring skill or knowledge
From this reading “Jeannette, learning of Vane's coming, had absented herself.”
take the midday meal
From this reading “Orson Vane was taking lunch with Professor Vanlief.”
machines or machine systems collectively
From this reading “"It is true," Vane was saying, "that I can assert what no other man has asserted before,--that I know the exact mental machinery of two human beings.”
mechanical device attached to an elevated structure; rotates freely to show the direction of the wind
From this reading “Orson Vane was taking lunch with Professor Vanlief.”
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.
In this reading “Yes; that is quite true.”
In this reading “Orson Vane was taking lunch with Professor Vanlief.”
In this reading “"It is true," Vane was saying, "that I can assert what no other man has asserted before,--that I know the exact mental machinery of two human beings.”
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.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Jeannette, learning of Vane's coming, had absented herself.
state categorically
From this reading "It is true," Vane was saying, "that I can assert what no other man has asserted before,--that I know the exact mental machinery of two human beings.
confidently declared to be so
From this reading "It is true," Vane was saying, "that I can assert what no other man has asserted before,--that I know the exact mental machinery of two human beings.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading "It is true," Vane was saying, "that I can assert what no other man has asserted before,--that I know the exact mental machinery of two human beings.
plural of “being” — the state or fact of existing
From this reading "It is true," Vane was saying, "that I can assert what no other man has asserted before,--that I know the exact mental machinery of two human beings.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But--" "I promised nothing more," remarked Vanlief.
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading "It is true," Vane was saying, "that I can assert what no other man has asserted before,--that I know the exact mental machinery of two human beings.
the act of drawing spatially closer to something
From this reading Jeannette, learning of Vane's coming, had absented herself.
Strictly particular and correct.
From this reading "It is true," Vane was saying, "that I can assert what no other man has asserted before,--that I know the exact mental machinery of two human beings.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Jeannette, learning of Vane's coming, had absented herself.
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "It is true," Vane was saying, "that I can assert what no other man has asserted before,--that I know the exact mental machinery of two human beings.
used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object
From this reading Jeannette, learning of Vane's coming, had absented herself.
characteristic of humanity
From this reading "It is true," Vane was saying, "that I can assert what no other man has asserted before,--that I know the exact mental machinery of two human beings.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "It is true," Vane was saying, "that I can assert what no other man has asserted before,--that I know the exact mental machinery of two human beings.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "It is true," Vane was saying, "that I can assert what no other man has asserted before,--that I know the exact mental machinery of two human beings.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "It is true," Vane was saying, "that I can assert what no other man has asserted before,--that I know the exact mental machinery of two human beings.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Jeannette, learning of Vane's coming, had absented herself.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading "It is true," Vane was saying, "that I can assert what no other man has asserted before,--that I know the exact mental machinery of two human beings.
the cognitive process of acquiring skill or knowledge
From this reading Jeannette, learning of Vane's coming, had absented herself.
take the midday meal
From this reading Orson Vane was taking lunch with Professor Vanlief.
machines or machine systems collectively
From this reading "It is true," Vane was saying, "that I can assert what no other man has asserted before,--that I know the exact mental machinery of two human beings.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading "It is true," Vane was saying, "that I can assert what no other man has asserted before,--that I know the exact mental machinery of two human beings.
involving the mind or an intellectual process
From this reading "It is true," Vane was saying, "that I can assert what no other man has asserted before,--that I know the exact mental machinery of two human beings.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading But--" "I promised nothing more," remarked Vanlief.
not any; not one
From this reading "It is true," Vane was saying, "that I can assert what no other man has asserted before,--that I know the exact mental machinery of two human beings.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading But--" "I promised nothing more," remarked Vanlief.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Jeannette, learning of Vane's coming, had absented herself.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Orson Vane was taking lunch with Professor Vanlief.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading "It is true," Vane was saying, "that I can assert what no other man has asserted before,--that I know the exact mental machinery of two human beings.
someone who is a member of the faculty at a college or university
From this reading Orson Vane was taking lunch with Professor Vanlief.
past form of “promise” — make a promise or commitment
From this reading But--" "I promised nothing more," remarked Vanlief.
to a degree (not used with a negative)
From this reading Yes; that is quite true.
past form of “remark” — make mention of
From this reading But--" "I promised nothing more," remarked Vanlief.
a word or phrase that particular people use in particular situations
From this reading "It is true," Vane was saying, "that I can assert what no other man has asserted before,--that I know the exact mental machinery of two human beings.
the act of someone who picks up or takes something
From this reading Orson Vane was taking lunch with Professor Vanlief.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "It is true," Vane was saying, "that I can assert what no other man has asserted before,--that I know the exact mental machinery of two human beings.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "It is true," Vane was saying, "that I can assert what no other man has asserted before,--that I know the exact mental machinery of two human beings.
consistent with fact or reality; not false
From this reading "It is true," Vane was saying, "that I can assert what no other man has asserted before,--that I know the exact mental machinery of two human beings.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading "It is true," Vane was saying, "that I can assert what no other man has asserted before,--that I know the exact mental machinery of two human beings.
mechanical device attached to an elevated structure; rotates freely to show the direction of the wind
From this reading Orson Vane was taking lunch with Professor Vanlief.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Jeannette, learning of Vane's coming, had absented herself.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Orson Vane was taking lunch with Professor Vanlief.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Orson Vane was taking lunch with Professor Vanlief.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading "It is true," Vane was saying, "that I can assert what no other man has asserted before,--that I know the exact mental machinery of two human beings.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Orson Vane was taking lunch with Professor Vanlief.
an affirmative
From this reading Yes; that is quite true.
Chapter 12 of The Imitator: A Novel by Percival Pollard holds 92 sentences, grouped into 19 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 12 holds 92 sentences of The Imitator: A Novel, unabridged, divided into 19 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 12 of The Imitator: A Novel by Percival Pollard exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 92 sentences, grouped into 19 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 19 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 19 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 12 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 Imitator: A Novel by Percival Pollard on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3172 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #39724 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #39724, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 264 minutes of reading across 635 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Imitator: A Novel section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 20 chapters of The Imitator: A Novel 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 Imitator: A Novel, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
