Chapter 12 of The Matador of the Five Towns and Other is here in full — 413 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XII
Chapter 12 of The Matador of the Five Towns and Other is here in full — 413 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"Well, I'm--!" exclaimed Herbert. "Well, I never!" exclaimed Alice when she had read the letter. "What's the meaning--?" "Don't ask me!" Herbert replied.
Chapter 12 of The Matador of the Five Towns and Other is here in full — 413 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/82 · 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.
make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading “"Don't ask me!"”
past form of “exclaim” — utter aloud; often with surprise, horror, or joy
From this reading “"Well, I'm--!" exclaimed Herbert.”
United States musician and composer and conductor noted for his comic operas (1859-1924)
From this reading “"Well, I'm--!" exclaimed Herbert.”
a written message addressed to a person or organization
From this reading “"Well, I never!" exclaimed Alice when she had read the letter.”
the message that is intended or expressed or signified
From this reading “"What's the meaning--?"”
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading “"Well, I never!" exclaimed Alice when she had read the letter.”
interpret something that is written or printed
From this reading “"Well, I never!" exclaimed Alice when she had read the letter.”
inflected form of “reply” — react verbally
From this reading “Herbert replied.”
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 "Well, I never!" exclaimed Alice when she had read the letter.
make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading "Don't ask me!"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Don't ask me!"
past form of “exclaim” — utter aloud; often with surprise, horror, or joy
From this reading "Well, I'm--!" exclaimed Herbert.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading "Well, I never!" exclaimed Alice when she had read the letter.
United States musician and composer and conductor noted for his comic operas (1859-1924)
From this reading "Well, I'm--!" exclaimed Herbert.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "Well, I never!" exclaimed Alice when she had read the letter.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Well, I'm--!" exclaimed Herbert.
a written message addressed to a person or organization
From this reading "Well, I never!" exclaimed Alice when she had read the letter.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "Don't ask me!"
the message that is intended or expressed or signified
From this reading "What's the meaning--?"
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading "Well, I never!" exclaimed Alice when she had read the letter.
interpret something that is written or printed
From this reading "Well, I never!" exclaimed Alice when she had read the letter.
inflected form of “reply” — react verbally
From this reading Herbert replied.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "Well, I never!" exclaimed Alice when she had read the letter.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "Well, I never!" exclaimed Alice when she had read the letter.
(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, I'm--!" exclaimed Herbert.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "What's the meaning--?"
at the time that
From this reading "Well, I never!" exclaimed Alice when she had read the letter.
Chapter 12 of The Matador of the Five Towns and Other by Arnold Bennett holds 413 sentences, grouped into 83 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 413 sentences of The Matador of the Five Towns and Other, unabridged, divided into 83 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 12 of The Matador of the Five Towns and Other by Arnold Bennett exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 413 sentences, grouped into 83 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 83 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 83 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 Matador of the Five Towns and Other by Arnold Bennett on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 7037 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #12995 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #12995, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 586 minutes of reading across 1408 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Matador of the Five Towns and Other section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 17 chapters of The Matador of the Five Towns and Other 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 Matador of the Five Towns and Other, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
