Chapter 1 of The murder of Roger Ackroyd is here in full — 138 sentences across 28 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of The murder of Roger Ackroyd is here in full — 138 sentences across 28 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
AUTHOR OF THE SECRET OF CHIMNEYS, THE MURDER ON THE LINKS, Etc. To Punkie, who likes an orthodox detective story, murder, inquest, and suspicion falling on every one in turn! Mrs. Ferrars died on the night of the 16th–17th September—a Thursday. I was sent for at eight o’clock on the morning of Friday the 17th. There was nothing to be done.
Chapter 1 of The murder of Roger Ackroyd is here in full — 138 sentences across 28 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/27 · 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 “chimney” — a vertical flue that provides a path through which smoke from a fire is carried away through the wall or roof of a building
From this reading “AUTHOR OF THE SECRET OF CHIMNEYS, THE MURDER ON THE LINKS, Etc.”
the sixth day of the week; the fifth working day
From this reading “I was sent for at eight o’clock on the morning of Friday the 17th.”
an inquiry into the cause of an unexpected death
From this reading “To Punkie, who likes an orthodox detective story, murder, inquest, and suspicion falling on every one in turn!”
plural of “like” — a similar kind
From this reading “To Punkie, who likes an orthodox detective story, murder, inquest, and suspicion falling on every one in turn!”
a golf course that is built on sandy ground near a shore
From this reading “AUTHOR OF THE SECRET OF CHIMNEYS, THE MURDER ON THE LINKS, Etc.”
of or pertaining to or characteristic of Judaism
From this reading “To Punkie, who likes an orthodox detective story, murder, inquest, and suspicion falling on every one in turn!”
the month following August and preceding October
From this reading “Mrs. Ferrars died on the night of the 16th–17th September—a Thursday.”
the fifth day of the week; the fourth working day
From this reading “Mrs. Ferrars died on the night of the 16th–17th September—a Thursday.”
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.
a narrative about someone who investigates crimes and obtains evidence leading to their resolution
In this reading “To Punkie, who likes an orthodox detective story, murder, inquest, and suspicion falling on every one in turn!”
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 Mrs. Ferrars died on the night of the 16th–17th September—a Thursday.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Mrs. Ferrars died on the night of the 16th–17th September—a Thursday.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Mrs. Ferrars died on the night of the 16th–17th September—a Thursday.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading To Punkie, who likes an orthodox detective story, murder, inquest, and suspicion falling on every one in turn!
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading To Punkie, who likes an orthodox detective story, murder, inquest, and suspicion falling on every one in turn!
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading I was sent for at eight o’clock on the morning of Friday the 17th.
writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)
From this reading AUTHOR OF THE SECRET OF CHIMNEYS, THE MURDER ON THE LINKS, Etc.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading There was nothing to be done.
plural of “chimney” — a vertical flue that provides a path through which smoke from a fire is carried away through the wall or roof of a building
From this reading AUTHOR OF THE SECRET OF CHIMNEYS, THE MURDER ON THE LINKS, Etc.
a police officer who investigates crimes
From this reading To Punkie, who likes an orthodox detective story, murder, inquest, and suspicion falling on every one in turn!
past form of “die” — pass from physical life and lose all bodily attributes and functions necessary to sustain life
From this reading Mrs. Ferrars died on the night of the 16th–17th September—a Thursday.
having finished or arrived at completion
From this reading There was nothing to be done.
being one more than seven
From this reading I was sent for at eight o’clock on the morning of Friday the 17th.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading AUTHOR OF THE SECRET OF CHIMNEYS, THE MURDER ON THE LINKS, Etc.
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading To Punkie, who likes an orthodox detective story, murder, inquest, and suspicion falling on every one in turn!
decreasing in amount or degree
From this reading To Punkie, who likes an orthodox detective story, murder, inquest, and suspicion falling on every one in turn!
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Mrs. Ferrars died on the night of the 16th–17th September—a Thursday.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading I was sent for at eight o’clock on the morning of Friday the 17th.
the sixth day of the week; the fifth working day
From this reading I was sent for at eight o’clock on the morning of Friday the 17th.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I was sent for at eight o’clock on the morning of Friday the 17th.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading To Punkie, who likes an orthodox detective story, murder, inquest, and suspicion falling on every one in turn!
an inquiry into the cause of an unexpected death
From this reading To Punkie, who likes an orthodox detective story, murder, inquest, and suspicion falling on every one in turn!
plural of “like” — a similar kind
From this reading To Punkie, who likes an orthodox detective story, murder, inquest, and suspicion falling on every one in turn!
a golf course that is built on sandy ground near a shore
From this reading AUTHOR OF THE SECRET OF CHIMNEYS, THE MURDER ON THE LINKS, Etc.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading I was sent for at eight o’clock on the morning of Friday the 17th.
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading Mrs. Ferrars died on the night of the 16th–17th September—a Thursday.
kill intentionally and with premeditation
From this reading AUTHOR OF THE SECRET OF CHIMNEYS, THE MURDER ON THE LINKS, Etc.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading Mrs. Ferrars died on the night of the 16th–17th September—a Thursday.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading There was nothing to be done.
according to the clock
From this reading I was sent for at eight o’clock on the morning of Friday the 17th.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading AUTHOR OF THE SECRET OF CHIMNEYS, THE MURDER ON THE LINKS, Etc.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading AUTHOR OF THE SECRET OF CHIMNEYS, THE MURDER ON THE LINKS, Etc.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading To Punkie, who likes an orthodox detective story, murder, inquest, and suspicion falling on every one in turn!
of or pertaining to or characteristic of Judaism
From this reading To Punkie, who likes an orthodox detective story, murder, inquest, and suspicion falling on every one in turn!
minute two-winged insect that sucks the blood of mammals and birds and other insects
From this reading To Punkie, who likes an orthodox detective story, murder, inquest, and suspicion falling on every one in turn!
Something that is kept or meant to be kept unknown or unseen by others.
From this reading AUTHOR OF THE SECRET OF CHIMNEYS, THE MURDER ON THE LINKS, Etc.
100 senti equal 1 kroon in Estonia
From this reading I was sent for at eight o’clock on the morning of Friday the 17th.
the month following August and preceding October
From this reading Mrs. Ferrars died on the night of the 16th–17th September—a Thursday.
a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program
From this reading To Punkie, who likes an orthodox detective story, murder, inquest, and suspicion falling on every one in turn!
an impression that something might be the case
From this reading To Punkie, who likes an orthodox detective story, murder, inquest, and suspicion falling on every one in turn!
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading AUTHOR OF THE SECRET OF CHIMNEYS, THE MURDER ON THE LINKS, Etc.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There was nothing to be done.
the fifth day of the week; the fourth working day
From this reading Mrs. Ferrars died on the night of the 16th–17th September—a Thursday.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading To Punkie, who likes an orthodox detective story, murder, inquest, and suspicion falling on every one in turn!
change orientation or direction, also in the abstract sense
From this reading To Punkie, who likes an orthodox detective story, murder, inquest, and suspicion falling on every one in turn!
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading I was sent for at eight o’clock on the morning of Friday the 17th.
which person or people
From this reading To Punkie, who likes an orthodox detective story, murder, inquest, and suspicion falling on every one in turn!
Chapter 1 of The murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie holds 138 sentences, grouped into 28 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 1 holds 138 sentences of The murder of Roger Ackroyd, unabridged, divided into 28 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of The murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 138 sentences, grouped into 28 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 28 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 28 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 1 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 murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 6902 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #69087 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #69087, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 575 minutes of reading across 1381 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The murder of Roger Ackroyd section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 27 chapters of The murder of Roger Ackroyd 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 murder of Roger Ackroyd, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
