Chapter 1 of The Oxford Book of American Essays is here in full — 368 sentences across 74 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of The Oxford Book of American Essays is here in full — 368 sentences across 74 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Professor in Columbia University Member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790). Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790). Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790). Francis Hopkinson (1737-1791). JOHN BULL 21 Washington Irving (1783-1859).
Chapter 1 of The Oxford Book of American Essays is here in full — 368 sentences across 74 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/73 · 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.
A place of study or training in a special field of knowledge and arts.
From this reading “Professor in Columbia University Member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790).”
studies intended to provide general knowledge and intellectual skills (rather than occupational or professional skills)
From this reading “Professor in Columbia University Member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790).”
gum resin used especially in treating skin irritation
From this reading “Professor in Columbia University Member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790).”
a North American river; rises in southwestern Canada and flows southward across Washington to form the border between Washington and Oregon before emptying into the Pacific; known for its salmon runs in the spring
From this reading “Professor in Columbia University Member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790).”
United States historian noted for studies of Black American history (born in 1915)
From this reading “Professor in Columbia University Member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790).”
American Revolutionary leader and patriot; a signer of the Declaration of Independence (1737-1791)
From this reading “Francis Hopkinson (1737-1791).”
United States writer remembered for his stories (1783-1859)
From this reading “JOHN BULL 21 Washington Irving (1783-1859).”
the body of faculty and students at a university
From this reading “Professor in Columbia University Member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790).”
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.
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 Professor in Columbia University Member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790).
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Francis Hopkinson (1737-1791).
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading JOHN BULL 21 Washington Irving (1783-1859).
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Professor in Columbia University Member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790).
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Francis Hopkinson (1737-1791).
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading JOHN BULL 21 Washington Irving (1783-1859).
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading JOHN BULL 21 Washington Irving (1783-1859).
A place of study or training in a special field of knowledge and arts.
From this reading Professor in Columbia University Member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790).
a native or inhabitant of the United States
From this reading Professor in Columbia University Member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790).
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Professor in Columbia University Member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790).
studies intended to provide general knowledge and intellectual skills (rather than occupational or professional skills)
From this reading Professor in Columbia University Member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790).
gum resin used especially in treating skin irritation
From this reading Professor in Columbia University Member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790).
uncastrated adult male of domestic cattle
From this reading JOHN BULL 21 Washington Irving (1783-1859).
a North American river; rises in southwestern Canada and flows southward across Washington to form the border between Washington and Oregon before emptying into the Pacific; known for its salmon runs in the spring
From this reading Professor in Columbia University Member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790).
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Francis Hopkinson (1737-1791).
United States historian noted for studies of Black American history (born in 1915)
From this reading Professor in Columbia University Member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790).
American Revolutionary leader and patriot; a signer of the Declaration of Independence (1737-1791)
From this reading Francis Hopkinson (1737-1791).
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Professor in Columbia University Member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790).
United States writer remembered for his stories (1783-1859)
From this reading JOHN BULL 21 Washington Irving (1783-1859).
a room or building equipped with one or more toilets
From this reading JOHN BULL 21 Washington Irving (1783-1859).
the literary culture
From this reading Professor in Columbia University Member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790).
one of the persons who compose a social group (especially individuals who have joined and participate in a group organization)
From this reading Professor in Columbia University Member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790).
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Professor in Columbia University Member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790).
someone who is a member of the faculty at a college or university
From this reading Professor in Columbia University Member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790).
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Professor in Columbia University Member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790).
the body of faculty and students at a university
From this reading Professor in Columbia University Member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790).
the capital of the United States in the District of Columbia and a tourist mecca; George Washington commissioned Charles L'Enfant to lay out the city in 1791
From this reading JOHN BULL 21 Washington Irving (1783-1859).
Chapter 1 of The Oxford Book of American Essays by Brander [Editor] Matthews holds 368 sentences, grouped into 74 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 368 sentences of The Oxford Book of American Essays, unabridged, divided into 74 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of The Oxford Book of American Essays by Brander [Editor] Matthews exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 368 sentences, grouped into 74 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 74 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 74 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 Oxford Book of American Essays by Brander [Editor] Matthews on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 6383 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #40196 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #40196, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 531 minutes of reading across 1277 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Oxford Book of American Essays section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 16 chapters of The Oxford Book of American Essays 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 Oxford Book of American Essays, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
