The Man: A Story of To-day

Chapter V · Some Things

Chapter V of The Man: A Story of To-day, “Some Things,” is here in full — 39 sentences across 8 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Elbert Hubbard • Curated US English Learning Edition

Cover illustration for The Man: A Story of To-day

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

My mother received a little money from the life insurance companies.

Father patronized only assessment companies, as they are cheap.

He prided himself on his financial ability, always saying he could invest money as well as any rascally insurance president and that there was “nothing like having your money where you can put your claw on it in case you get a straight tip.”

Idle I could not be, and I resolved to get a situation.

“Verily, I will teach school, for the young must be educated,” I said, “or the world cannot be tamed.

Narrator

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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.

Chapter V Reading 1/7

The Man: A Story of To-day Elbert Hubbard

Chapter V

Some Things

Chapter V of The Man: A Story of To-day, “Some Things,” is here in full — 39 sentences across 8 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

My mother received a little money from the life insurance companies. Father patronized only assessment companies, as they are cheap. He prided himself on his financial ability, always saying he could invest money as well as any rascally insurance president and that there was “nothing like having your money where you can put your claw on it in case you get a straight tip.” Idle I could not be, and I resolved to get a situation. “Verily, I will teach school, for the young must be educated,” I said, “or the world cannot be tamed.

The Man: A Story of To-day

Chapter V · Some Things

Chapter V of The Man: A Story of To-day, “Some Things,” is here in full — 39 sentences across 8 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/7 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

My mother received a little money from the life insurance companies.

/maɪ ˈmʌðər rəˈsiːvd ə ˈlɪtəl ˈmʌni frʌm ðə laɪf ˌɪnˈʃʊrəns ˈkʌmpəniːz/

Line 2

Father patronized only assessment companies, as they are cheap.

/ˈfɑːðər ˈpeɪtrənaɪzd ˈoʊnli əˈsesmənt ˈkʌmpəniːz æz ðeɪ ɑːr tʃiːp/

Line 3

Line 4

Idle I could not be, and I resolved to get a situation.

/ˈaɪdəl aɪ kʊd nɑːt biː ənd aɪ riˈzɑːlvd tuː ɡet ə ˌsɪtʃuːˈeɪʃən/

Line 5

“Verily, I will teach school, for the young must be educated,” I said, “or the world cannot be tamed.

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.

assessment noun US /əˈsesmənt/

the classification of someone or something with respect to its worth

From this reading “Father patronized only assessment companies, as they are cheap.”

claw noun US /klɔː/

sharp curved horny process on the toe of a bird or some mammals or reptiles

From this reading “He prided himself on his financial ability, always saying he could invest money as well as any rascally insurance president and that there was “nothing like having your money where you can put your claw on it in case you get a straight tip.””

financial adjective US /fəˈnænʃəl/

involving financial matters

insurance noun US /ˌɪnˈʃʊrəns/

promise of reimbursement in the case of loss; paid to people or companies so concerned about hazards that they have made prepayments to an insurance company

From this reading “My mother received a little money from the life insurance companies.”

invest verb US /ˌɪnˈvest/

make an investment

patronized adjective US /ˈpeɪtrənaɪzd/

having patronage or clients

From this reading “Father patronized only assessment companies, as they are cheap.”

prided verb US /ˈpraɪdɪd/

past form of “pride” — be proud of

tamed adjective US /teɪmd/

brought from wildness into a domesticated state

From this reading ““Verily, I will teach school, for the young must be educated,” I said, “or the world cannot be tamed.”

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.

insurance companies noun + noun counted as “insurance company”

a financial institution that sells insurance

In this reading “My mother received a little money from the life insurance companies.”

life insurance noun + noun

insurance paid to named beneficiaries when the insured person dies

In this reading “My mother received a little money from the life insurance companies.”

teach school verb + noun

In this reading ““Verily, I will teach school, for the young must be educated,” I said, “or the world cannot be tamed.”

little money adjective + noun

In this reading “My mother received a little money from the life insurance companies.”

in case preposition + noun

if there happens to be need

In this reading “He prided himself on his financial ability, always saying he could invest money as well as any rascally insurance president and that there was “nothing like having your money where you can put your claw on it in case you get a straight tip.””

All words in this reading · 73

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 My mother received a little money from the life insurance companies.

abilitynounUS /əˈbɪlətiː/

the quality of being able to perform; a quality that permits or facilitates achievement or accomplishment

From this reading He prided himself on his financial ability, always saying he could invest money as well as any rascally insurance president and that there was “nothing like having your money where you can put your claw on it in case you get a straight tip.”

alwaysadverbUS /ˈɔːlweɪz/

at all times; all the time and on every occasion

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

anyadjectiveUS /ˈeni/

one or some or every or all without specification

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

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

From this reading Father patronized only assessment companies, as they are cheap.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading Father patronized only assessment companies, as they are cheap.

assessmentnounUS /əˈsesmənt/

the classification of someone or something with respect to its worth

From this reading Father patronized only assessment companies, as they are cheap.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading Idle I could not be, and I resolved to get a situation.

canmodal verbUS /kæn/

to be able to, or to be allowed to

cannot

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

From this reading “Verily, I will teach school, for the young must be educated,” I said, “or the world cannot be tamed.

casenounUS /keɪs/

an occurrence of something

cheapadjectiveUS /tʃiːp/

relatively low in price or charging low prices

From this reading Father patronized only assessment companies, as they are cheap.

clawnounUS /klɔː/

sharp curved horny process on the toe of a bird or some mammals or reptiles

companiesnounUS /ˈkʌmpəniːz/

plural of “company” — an institution created to conduct business

From this reading My mother received a little money from the life insurance companies.

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

educatedadjectiveUS /ˈedʒəkeɪtɪd/

possessing an education (especially having more than average knowledge)

From this reading “Verily, I will teach school, for the young must be educated,” I said, “or the world cannot be tamed.

FathernounUS /ˈfɑːðər/

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

From this reading Father patronized only assessment companies, as they are cheap.

financialadjectiveUS /fəˈnænʃəl/

involving financial matters

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading “Verily, I will teach school, for the young must be educated,” I said, “or the world cannot be tamed.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading My mother received a little money from the life insurance companies.

getverbUS /ɡet/

come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

havingauxiliary verbUS /ˈhævɪŋ/

the -ing form of “have”

HepronounUS /hiː/

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

himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/

used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading Idle I could not be, and I resolved to get a situation.

IdleadjectiveUS /ˈaɪdəl/

not in action or at work

From this reading Idle I could not be, and I resolved to get a situation.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

insurancenounUS /ˌɪnˈʃʊrəns/

promise of reimbursement in the case of loss; paid to people or companies so concerned about hazards that they have made prepayments to an insurance company

From this reading My mother received a little money from the life insurance companies.

investverbUS /ˌɪnˈvest/

make an investment

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

lifenounUS /laɪf/

a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading My mother received a little money from the life insurance companies.

likeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading My mother received a little money from the life insurance companies.

moneynounUS /ˈmʌni/

the most common medium of exchange; functions as legal tender

From this reading My mother received a little money from the life insurance companies.

mothernounUS /ˈmʌðər/

a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)

From this reading My mother received a little money from the life insurance companies.

mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading “Verily, I will teach school, for the young must be educated,” I said, “or the world cannot be tamed.

MydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading My mother received a little money from the life insurance companies.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Idle I could not be, and I resolved to get a situation.

nothingpronounUS /ˈnʌθɪŋ/

not one thing; not anything

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

onlyadverbUS /ˈoʊnli/

and nothing more

From this reading Father patronized only assessment companies, as they are cheap.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading “Verily, I will teach school, for the young must be educated,” I said, “or the world cannot be tamed.

patronizedadjectiveUS /ˈpeɪtrənaɪzd/

having patronage or clients

From this reading Father patronized only assessment companies, as they are cheap.

presidentnounUS /ˈprezədent/

an executive officer of a firm or corporation

pridedverbUS /ˈpraɪdɪd/

past form of “pride” — be proud of

putverbUS /pʊt/

put into a certain place or abstract location

rascallyadjective

playful in an appealingly bold way

receivedadjectiveUS /rəˈsiːvd/

conforming to the established language usage of educated native speakers

From this reading My mother received a little money from the life insurance companies.

resolvedadjectiveUS /riˈzɑːlvd/

determined

From this reading Idle I could not be, and I resolved to get a situation.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading “Verily, I will teach school, for the young must be educated,” I said, “or the world cannot be tamed.

sayingnounUS /ˈseɪɪŋ/

a word or phrase that particular people use in particular situations

schoolnounUS /skuːl/

an educational institution

From this reading “Verily, I will teach school, for the young must be educated,” I said, “or the world cannot be tamed.

situationnounUS /ˌsɪtʃuːˈeɪʃən/

the general state of things; the combination of circumstances at a given time

From this reading Idle I could not be, and I resolved to get a situation.

straightadjectiveUS /streɪt/

successive (without a break)

tamedadjectiveUS /teɪmd/

brought from wildness into a domesticated state

From this reading “Verily, I will teach school, for the young must be educated,” I said, “or the world cannot be tamed.

teachverbUS /tiːtʃ/

impart skills or knowledge to

From this reading “Verily, I will teach school, for the young must be educated,” I said, “or the world cannot be tamed.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading My mother received a little money from the life insurance companies.

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

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

From this reading Father patronized only assessment companies, as they are cheap.

tipnounUS /tɪp/

the extreme end of something; especially something pointed

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Idle I could not be, and I resolved to get a situation.

Verilyadverb

in truth; certainly

From this reading “Verily, I will teach school, for the young must be educated,” I said, “or the world cannot be tamed.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

welladverbUS /wel/

(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”)

whereconjunctionUS /wer/

in or at the place that

willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading “Verily, I will teach school, for the young must be educated,” I said, “or the world cannot be tamed.

worldnounUS /wɜːrld/

everything that exists anywhere

From this reading “Verily, I will teach school, for the young must be educated,” I said, “or the world cannot be tamed.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

youngadjectiveUS /jʌŋ/

(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth

From this reading “Verily, I will teach school, for the young must be educated,” I said, “or the world cannot be tamed.

yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

Chapter 5 of The Man: A Story of To-day by Elbert Hubbard holds 39 sentences, grouped into 8 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 Man: A Story of To-day contain?

Chapter 5 holds 39 sentences of The Man: A Story of To-day, unabridged, divided into 8 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 5 of The Man: A Story of To-day by Elbert Hubbard exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 39 sentences, grouped into 8 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 Man: A Story of To-day?

Work through the 8 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 8 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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Project Gutenberg eBook #52049, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

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About 148 minutes of reading across 357 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Chapter V · Some Things

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