Chapter 11 of The Impossibles is here in full — 423 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XI
Chapter 11 of The Impossibles is here in full — 423 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
In the end he merely said, "Nothing," and let it go at that. "Well, anyhow," Fernack said, "do you want anything else?" "Not right now," Malone said. "I'll let you know, though And thanks, John Henry. No matter why you're doing this, thanks."
Chapter 11 of The Impossibles is here in full — 423 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.
used to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
From this reading “"Well, anyhow," Fernack said, "do you want anything else?"”
-ing form of “do” — engage in
From this reading “No matter why you're doing this, thanks."”
a unit of inductance in which an induced electromotive force of one volt is produced when the current is varied at the rate of one ampere per second
From this reading “"I'll let you know, though And thanks, John Henry.”
a room or building equipped with one or more toilets
From this reading “"I'll let you know, though And thanks, John Henry.”
English scholar remembered for his chronology of Shakespeare's plays and his editions of Shakespeare and Dryden (1741-1812)
From this reading “"Not right now," Malone said.”
a vaguely specified concern
From this reading “No matter why you're doing this, thanks."”
and nothing more
From this reading “In the end he merely said, "Nothing," and let it go at that.”
an acknowledgment of appreciation
From this reading “"I'll let you know, though And thanks, John Henry.”
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.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading In the end he merely said, "Nothing," and let it go at that.
used to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
From this reading "Well, anyhow," Fernack said, "do you want anything else?"
any thing at all
From this reading "Well, anyhow," Fernack said, "do you want anything else?"
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading In the end he merely said, "Nothing," and let it go at that.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading "Well, anyhow," Fernack said, "do you want anything else?"
-ing form of “do” — engage in
From this reading No matter why you're doing this, thanks."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Well, anyhow," Fernack said, "do you want anything else?"
either extremity of something that has length
From this reading In the end he merely said, "Nothing," and let it go at that.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Well, anyhow," Fernack said, "do you want anything else?"
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading In the end he merely said, "Nothing," and let it go at that.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading In the end he merely said, "Nothing," and let it go at that.
a unit of inductance in which an induced electromotive force of one volt is produced when the current is varied at the rate of one ampere per second
From this reading "I'll let you know, though And thanks, John Henry.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I'll let you know, though And thanks, John Henry.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading In the end he merely said, "Nothing," and let it go at that.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading In the end he merely said, "Nothing," and let it go at that.
a room or building equipped with one or more toilets
From this reading "I'll let you know, though And thanks, John Henry.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading "I'll let you know, though And thanks, John Henry.
used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker
From this reading In the end he merely said, "Nothing," and let it go at that.
English scholar remembered for his chronology of Shakespeare's plays and his editions of Shakespeare and Dryden (1741-1812)
From this reading "Not right now," Malone said.
a vaguely specified concern
From this reading No matter why you're doing this, thanks."
and nothing more
From this reading In the end he merely said, "Nothing," and let it go at that.
not any; not one
From this reading No matter why you're doing this, thanks."
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading "Not right now," Malone said.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading In the end he merely said, "Nothing," and let it go at that.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading "Not right now," Malone said.
precisely, exactly
From this reading "Not right now," Malone said.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading In the end he merely said, "Nothing," and let it go at that.
an acknowledgment of appreciation
From this reading "I'll let you know, though And thanks, John Henry.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading In the end he merely said, "Nothing," and let it go at that.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading In the end he merely said, "Nothing," and let it go at that.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading No matter why you're doing this, thanks."
in spite of the fact that
From this reading "I'll let you know, though And thanks, John Henry.
feel or have a desire for; want strongly
From this reading "Well, anyhow," Fernack said, "do you want anything else?"
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading "Well, anyhow," Fernack said, "do you want anything else?"
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading No matter why you're doing this, thanks."
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Well, anyhow," Fernack said, "do you want anything else?"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading No matter why you're doing this, thanks."
Chapter 11 of The Impossibles by Randall Garrett holds 423 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 11 holds 423 sentences of The Impossibles, unabridged, divided into 85 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 11 of The Impossibles by Randall Garrett exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 423 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 11 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 Impossibles by Randall Garrett on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 0 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #? are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #?, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 5 minutes of reading across 0 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Impossibles section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 0 chapters of The Impossibles 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 Impossibles, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
