Chapter 9 of The Man with Two Left Feet, and Other Stories is here in full — 391 sentences across 79 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IX
Chapter 9 of The Man with Two Left Feet, and Other Stories is here in full — 391 sentences across 79 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
'Then can you tell me what it was that first gave the place the impetus which started it on its upward course? What causes should you say were responsible for its phenomenal prosperity? What--' 'What gave it a leg-up? Is that what you're trying to get at?' 'Exactly.
Chapter 9 of The Man with Two Left Feet, and Other Stories is here in full — 391 sentences across 79 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/78 · 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.
plural of “cause” — events that provide the generative force that is the origin of something
From this reading “What causes should you say were responsible for its phenomenal prosperity?”
indicating exactness or preciseness
From this reading “'Exactly.”
a force that moves something along
From this reading “'Then can you tell me what it was that first gave the place the impetus which started it on its upward course?”
of or relating to a phenomenon
From this reading “What causes should you say were responsible for its phenomenal prosperity?”
an economic state of growth with rising profits and full employment
From this reading “What causes should you say were responsible for its phenomenal prosperity?”
worthy of or requiring responsibility or trust; or held accountable
From this reading “What causes should you say were responsible for its phenomenal prosperity?”
hard to endure
From this reading “Is that what you're trying to get at?'”
directed up
From this reading “'Then can you tell me what it was that first gave the place the impetus which started it on its upward course?”
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 before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading What--' 'What gave it a leg-up?
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Is that what you're trying to get at?'
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading 'Then can you tell me what it was that first gave the place the impetus which started it on its upward course?
plural of “cause” — events that provide the generative force that is the origin of something
From this reading What causes should you say were responsible for its phenomenal prosperity?
education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings
From this reading 'Then can you tell me what it was that first gave the place the impetus which started it on its upward course?
indicating exactness or preciseness
From this reading 'Exactly.
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading 'Then can you tell me what it was that first gave the place the impetus which started it on its upward course?
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading What causes should you say were responsible for its phenomenal prosperity?
inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading 'Then can you tell me what it was that first gave the place the impetus which started it on its upward course?
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading Is that what you're trying to get at?'
a force that moves something along
From this reading 'Then can you tell me what it was that first gave the place the impetus which started it on its upward course?
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Is that what you're trying to get at?'
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading 'Then can you tell me what it was that first gave the place the impetus which started it on its upward course?
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading 'Then can you tell me what it was that first gave the place the impetus which started it on its upward course?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading What--' 'What gave it a leg-up?
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading 'Then can you tell me what it was that first gave the place the impetus which started it on its upward course?
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading 'Then can you tell me what it was that first gave the place the impetus which started it on its upward course?
of or relating to a phenomenon
From this reading What causes should you say were responsible for its phenomenal prosperity?
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading 'Then can you tell me what it was that first gave the place the impetus which started it on its upward course?
an economic state of growth with rising profits and full employment
From this reading What causes should you say were responsible for its phenomenal prosperity?
worthy of or requiring responsibility or trust; or held accountable
From this reading What causes should you say were responsible for its phenomenal prosperity?
express in words
From this reading What causes should you say were responsible for its phenomenal prosperity?
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading What causes should you say were responsible for its phenomenal prosperity?
past form of “start” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading 'Then can you tell me what it was that first gave the place the impetus which started it on its upward course?
express in words
From this reading 'Then can you tell me what it was that first gave the place the impetus which started it on its upward course?
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading 'Then can you tell me what it was that first gave the place the impetus which started it on its upward course?
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading 'Then can you tell me what it was that first gave the place the impetus which started it on its upward course?
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading 'Then can you tell me what it was that first gave the place the impetus which started it on its upward course?
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Is that what you're trying to get at?'
hard to endure
From this reading Is that what you're trying to get at?'
directed up
From this reading 'Then can you tell me what it was that first gave the place the impetus which started it on its upward course?
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading 'Then can you tell me what it was that first gave the place the impetus which started it on its upward course?
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading What causes should you say were responsible for its phenomenal prosperity?
used to ask for information about something
From this reading 'Then can you tell me what it was that first gave the place the impetus which started it on its upward course?
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading 'Then can you tell me what it was that first gave the place the impetus which started it on its upward course?
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading 'Then can you tell me what it was that first gave the place the impetus which started it on its upward course?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Is that what you're trying to get at?'
Chapter 9 of The Man with Two Left Feet, and Other Stories by P. G. (Pelham Grenville) Wodehouse holds 391 sentences, grouped into 79 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 9 holds 391 sentences of The Man with Two Left Feet, and Other Stories, unabridged, divided into 79 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 9 of The Man with Two Left Feet, and Other Stories by P. G. (Pelham Grenville) Wodehouse exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 391 sentences, grouped into 79 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 79 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 79 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 9 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 Man with Two Left Feet, and Other Stories by P. G. (Pelham Grenville) Wodehouse on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 5619 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #7471 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #7471, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 468 minutes of reading across 1124 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Man with Two Left Feet, and Other Stories section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 14 chapters of The Man with Two Left Feet, and Other Stories 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 Man with Two Left Feet, and Other Stories, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
