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The informer
The informer

Chapter V

Chapter 5 of The informer is here in full — 143 sentences across 29 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/28 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Gypo!”
Gypo had taken three steps down the street when his name came to him through the darkness, uttered in that long-drawn-out whisper which is the customary intonation among revolutionaries.
He contracted his back suddenly like an ass that has been struck with violence.
Then he halted.
He did not turn about or reply.
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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 informer

Chapter V

Chapter 5 of The informer is here in full — 143 sentences across 29 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/28 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Gypo!”
Line 2
Gypo had taken three steps down the street when his name came to him through the darkness, uttered in that long-drawn-out whisper which is the customary intonation among revolutionaries.
Line 3
He contracted his back suddenly like an ass that has been struck with violence.
/hiː ˈkɑːntræktəd hɪz bæk ˈsʌdənli laɪk æn æs ðæt hæz bɪn strʌk wɪð ˈvaɪələns/
Line 4
Then he halted.
/ðen hiː ˈhɔːltəd/
Line 5
He did not turn about or reply.
/hiː dɪd nɑːt tɜːrn əˈbaʊt ɔːr rɪˈplaɪ/

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.

ass noun US /æs/

the fleshy part of the human body that you sit on

From this reading “He contracted his back suddenly like an ass that has been struck with violence.”

contracted adjective US /ˈkɑːntræktəd/

reduced in size or pulled together

From this reading “He contracted his back suddenly like an ass that has been struck with violence.”

customary adjective US /ˈkʌstəmeri/

in accordance with convention or custom

From this reading “Gypo had taken three steps down the street when his name came to him through the darkness, uttered in that long-drawn-out whisper which is the customary intonation among revolutionaries.”

halted verb US /ˈhɔːltəd/

past form of “halt” — cause to stop

From this reading “Then he halted.”

intonation noun US /ˌɪntəˈneɪʃən/

rise and fall of the voice pitch

From this reading “Gypo had taken three steps down the street when his name came to him through the darkness, uttered in that long-drawn-out whisper which is the customary intonation among revolutionaries.”

revolutionaries noun US /ˌrevəˈluːʃəneriz/

plural of “revolutionary” — a radical supporter of political or social revolution

From this reading “Gypo had taken three steps down the street when his name came to him through the darkness, uttered in that long-drawn-out whisper which is the customary intonation among revolutionaries.”

violence noun US /ˈvaɪələns/

an act of aggression (as one against a person who resists)

From this reading “He contracted his back suddenly like an ass that has been struck with violence.”

whisper noun US /ˈwɪspər/

speaking softly without vibration of the vocal cords

From this reading “Gypo had taken three steps down the street when his name came to him through the darkness, uttered in that long-drawn-out whisper which is the customary intonation among revolutionaries.”

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.

through the darkness preposition + article + noun counted as “through … darkness”

In this reading “Gypo had taken three steps down the street when his name came to him through the darkness, uttered in that long-drawn-out whisper which is the customary intonation among revolutionaries.”

three steps noun + noun

In this reading “Gypo had taken three steps down the street when his name came to him through the darkness, uttered in that long-drawn-out whisper which is the customary intonation among revolutionaries.”

All words in this reading · 47

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.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading He did not turn about or reply.

amongprepositionUS /əˈmʌŋ/

surrounded by; in the middle of a group

From this reading Gypo had taken three steps down the street when his name came to him through the darkness, uttered in that long-drawn-out whisper which is the customary intonation among revolutionaries.

andeterminerUS /æn/

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

From this reading He contracted his back suddenly like an ass that has been struck with violence.

assnounUS /æs/

the fleshy part of the human body that you sit on

From this reading He contracted his back suddenly like an ass that has been struck with violence.

backadverbUS /bæk/

in or to or toward a former location

From this reading He contracted his back suddenly like an ass that has been struck with violence.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading He contracted his back suddenly like an ass that has been struck with violence.

cameverbUS /keɪm/

inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading Gypo had taken three steps down the street when his name came to him through the darkness, uttered in that long-drawn-out whisper which is the customary intonation among revolutionaries.

contractedadjectiveUS /ˈkɑːntræktəd/

reduced in size or pulled together

From this reading He contracted his back suddenly like an ass that has been struck with violence.

customaryadjectiveUS /ˈkʌstəmeri/

in accordance with convention or custom

From this reading Gypo had taken three steps down the street when his name came to him through the darkness, uttered in that long-drawn-out whisper which is the customary intonation among revolutionaries.

darknessnounUS /ˈdɑːrknəs/

absence of light or illumination

From this reading Gypo had taken three steps down the street when his name came to him through the darkness, uttered in that long-drawn-out whisper which is the customary intonation among revolutionaries.

didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

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

From this reading He did not turn about or reply.

downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading Gypo had taken three steps down the street when his name came to him through the darkness, uttered in that long-drawn-out whisper which is the customary intonation among revolutionaries.

Gypo

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

From this reading “Gypo!”

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading Gypo had taken three steps down the street when his name came to him through the darkness, uttered in that long-drawn-out whisper which is the customary intonation among revolutionaries.

haltedverbUS /ˈhɔːltəd/

past form of “halt” — cause to stop

From this reading Then he halted.

hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/

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

From this reading He contracted his back suddenly like an ass that has been struck with violence.

HepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading He contracted his back suddenly like an ass that has been struck with violence.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading Gypo had taken three steps down the street when his name came to him through the darkness, uttered in that long-drawn-out whisper which is the customary intonation among revolutionaries.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading Gypo had taken three steps down the street when his name came to him through the darkness, uttered in that long-drawn-out whisper which is the customary intonation among revolutionaries.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Gypo had taken three steps down the street when his name came to him through the darkness, uttered in that long-drawn-out whisper which is the customary intonation among revolutionaries.

intonationnounUS /ˌɪntəˈneɪʃən/

rise and fall of the voice pitch

From this reading Gypo had taken three steps down the street when his name came to him through the darkness, uttered in that long-drawn-out whisper which is the customary intonation among revolutionaries.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading Gypo had taken three steps down the street when his name came to him through the darkness, uttered in that long-drawn-out whisper which is the customary intonation among revolutionaries.

likeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading He contracted his back suddenly like an ass that has been struck with violence.

long-drawn-out

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

From this reading Gypo had taken three steps down the street when his name came to him through the darkness, uttered in that long-drawn-out whisper which is the customary intonation among revolutionaries.

nameverbUS /neɪm/

assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading Gypo had taken three steps down the street when his name came to him through the darkness, uttered in that long-drawn-out whisper which is the customary intonation among revolutionaries.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading He did not turn about or reply.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading He did not turn about or reply.

replynounUS /rɪˈplaɪ/

a statement (either spoken or written) that is made to reply to a question or request or criticism or accusation

From this reading He did not turn about or reply.

revolutionariesnounUS /ˌrevəˈluːʃəneriz/

plural of “revolutionary” — a radical supporter of political or social revolution

From this reading Gypo had taken three steps down the street when his name came to him through the darkness, uttered in that long-drawn-out whisper which is the customary intonation among revolutionaries.

stepsnounUS /steps/

a flight of stairs or a flight of steps

From this reading Gypo had taken three steps down the street when his name came to him through the darkness, uttered in that long-drawn-out whisper which is the customary intonation among revolutionaries.

streetnounUS /striːt/

a thoroughfare (usually including sidewalks) that is lined with buildings

From this reading Gypo had taken three steps down the street when his name came to him through the darkness, uttered in that long-drawn-out whisper which is the customary intonation among revolutionaries.

struckadjectiveUS /strʌk/

(used in combination) affected by something overwhelming

From this reading He contracted his back suddenly like an ass that has been struck with violence.

suddenlyadverbUS /ˈsʌdənli/

happening unexpectedly

From this reading He contracted his back suddenly like an ass that has been struck with violence.

takenadjectiveUS /ˈteɪkən/

understood in a certain way; made sense of

From this reading Gypo had taken three steps down the street when his name came to him through the darkness, uttered in that long-drawn-out whisper which is the customary intonation among revolutionaries.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Gypo had taken three steps down the street when his name came to him through the darkness, uttered in that long-drawn-out whisper which is the customary intonation among revolutionaries.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Gypo had taken three steps down the street when his name came to him through the darkness, uttered in that long-drawn-out whisper which is the customary intonation among revolutionaries.

ThenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading Then he halted.

threenounUS /θriː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one

From this reading Gypo had taken three steps down the street when his name came to him through the darkness, uttered in that long-drawn-out whisper which is the customary intonation among revolutionaries.

throughprepositionUS /θruː/

from one end or side of something to the other

From this reading Gypo had taken three steps down the street when his name came to him through the darkness, uttered in that long-drawn-out whisper which is the customary intonation among revolutionaries.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Gypo had taken three steps down the street when his name came to him through the darkness, uttered in that long-drawn-out whisper which is the customary intonation among revolutionaries.

turnverbUS /tɜːrn/

change orientation or direction, also in the abstract sense

From this reading He did not turn about or reply.

utteredadjectiveUS /ˈʌtərd/

communicated in words

From this reading Gypo had taken three steps down the street when his name came to him through the darkness, uttered in that long-drawn-out whisper which is the customary intonation among revolutionaries.

violencenounUS /ˈvaɪələns/

an act of aggression (as one against a person who resists)

From this reading He contracted his back suddenly like an ass that has been struck with violence.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading Gypo had taken three steps down the street when his name came to him through the darkness, uttered in that long-drawn-out whisper which is the customary intonation among revolutionaries.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading Gypo had taken three steps down the street when his name came to him through the darkness, uttered in that long-drawn-out whisper which is the customary intonation among revolutionaries.

whispernounUS /ˈwɪspər/

speaking softly without vibration of the vocal cords

From this reading Gypo had taken three steps down the street when his name came to him through the darkness, uttered in that long-drawn-out whisper which is the customary intonation among revolutionaries.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading He contracted his back suddenly like an ass that has been struck with violence.

Chapter 5 of The informer by Liam O'Flaherty holds 143 sentences, grouped into 29 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 5 of The informer contain?

Chapter 5 holds 143 sentences of The informer, unabridged, divided into 29 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 5 of The informer by Liam O'Flaherty exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 143 sentences, grouped into 29 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 5 of The informer?

Work through the 29 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 29 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 5 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 5 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.

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Is this the complete text of The informer?

Yes. All 0 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #? are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The informer is used?

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

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Vocabulary met early in The informer

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

Chapter 1
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Chapter 2
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Chapter 3
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