The Passion for Life

Chapter VIII

Chapter 8 of The Passion for Life is here in full — 418 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Joseph Hocking • Curated US English Learning Edition

Cover illustration for The Passion for Life

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

"Ah, sur, I wish you 'ad come down 'ere in the ould days, when we 'ad Revivals.

I've knawed the time when every one in St. Issey who went to Chapel was converted."

"Revivals?"

I said, for I scarcely understood her.

"Yes, sur, the Spirit of the Lord used to move mightily, and after a Sunday evening service I 'ave knawed lots of people come out and be soundly converted; but that is all over now."

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 VIII Reading 1/83

The Passion for Life

Chapter VIII

Chapter 8 of The Passion for Life is here in full — 418 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/83 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

"Ah, sur, I wish you 'ad come down 'ere in the ould days, when we 'ad Revivals.

Line 2

I've knawed the time when every one in St. Issey who went to Chapel was converted."

Line 3

"Revivals?"

/riˈvaɪvəlz/

Line 4

I said, for I scarcely understood her.

/aɪ sed fɔːr aɪ ˈskersli ˌʌndərˈstʊd hɜːr/

Line 5

"Yes, sur, the Spirit of the Lord used to move mightily, and after a Sunday evening service I 'ave knawed lots of people come out and be soundly converted; but that is all over now."

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.

Chapel noun US /ˈtʃæpəl/

a place of worship that has its own altar

From this reading “I've knawed the time when every one in St. Issey who went to Chapel was converted."”

converted verb US /kənˈvɜːrtɪd/

past form of “convert” — change from one system to another or to a new plan or policy

From this reading “I've knawed the time when every one in St. Issey who went to Chapel was converted."”

ere conjunction US /er/

an old word for “before”

From this reading “"Ah, sur, I wish you 'ad come down 'ere in the ould days, when we 'ad Revivals.”

lots noun US /lɑːts/

a large number or amount

From this reading “"Yes, sur, the Spirit of the Lord used to move mightily, and after a Sunday evening service I 'ave knawed lots of people come out and be soundly converted; but that is all over now."”

mightily adverb US /ˈmaɪtəli/

powerfully or vigorously

Revivals noun US /riˈvaɪvəlz/

plural of “revival” — bringing again into activity and prominence

From this reading “"Ah, sur, I wish you 'ad come down 'ere in the ould days, when we 'ad Revivals.”

soundly adverb US /ˈsaʊndli/

deeply or completely

sur noun US /sɜːr/

a port in southern Lebanon on the Mediterranean Sea; formerly a major Phoenician seaport famous for silks

From this reading “"Ah, sur, I wish you 'ad come down 'ere in the ould days, when we 'ad Revivals.”

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.

scarcely understood adverb + adjective

In this reading “I said, for I scarcely understood her.”

evening service noun + noun

In this reading “"Yes, sur, the Spirit of the Lord used to move mightily, and after a Sunday evening service I 'ave knawed lots of people come out and be soundly converted; but that is all over now."”

come down verb + adjective

move downward and lower, but not necessarily all the way

In this reading “"Ah, sur, I wish you 'ad come down 'ere in the ould days, when we 'ad Revivals.”

come out verb + adjective

appear or become visible; make a showing

All words in this reading · 59

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 "Yes, sur, the Spirit of the Lord used to move mightily, and after a Sunday evening service I 'ave knawed lots of people come out and be soundly converted; but that is all over now."

adnounUS /æd/

a public promotion of some product or service

From this reading "Ah, sur, I wish you 'ad come down 'ere in the ould days, when we 'ad Revivals.

afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

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

From this reading "Ah, sur, I wish you 'ad come down 'ere in the ould days, when we 'ad Revivals.

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

ave

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

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

ChapelnounUS /ˈtʃæpəl/

a place of worship that has its own altar

From this reading I've knawed the time when every one in St. Issey who went to Chapel was converted."

comeverbUS /kʌm/

move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading "Ah, sur, I wish you 'ad come down 'ere in the ould days, when we 'ad Revivals.

convertedverbUS /kənˈvɜːrtɪd/

past form of “convert” — change from one system to another or to a new plan or policy

From this reading I've knawed the time when every one in St. Issey who went to Chapel was converted."

daysnounUS /deɪz/

the time during which someone's life continues

From this reading "Ah, sur, I wish you 'ad come down 'ere in the ould days, when we 'ad Revivals.

downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading "Ah, sur, I wish you 'ad come down 'ere in the ould days, when we 'ad Revivals.

ereconjunctionUS /er/

an old word for “before”

From this reading "Ah, sur, I wish you 'ad come down 'ere in the ould days, when we 'ad Revivals.

eveningnounUS /ˈiːvnɪŋ/

the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)

everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/

all the members of a group, with none left out

From this reading I've knawed the time when every one in St. Issey who went to Chapel was converted."

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading I said, for I scarcely understood her.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading I said, for I scarcely understood her.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading "Ah, sur, I wish you 'ad come down 'ere in the ould days, when we 'ad Revivals.

I've

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

From this reading I've knawed the time when every one in St. Issey who went to Chapel was converted."

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading "Ah, sur, I wish you 'ad come down 'ere in the ould days, when we 'ad Revivals.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

Issey

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

From this reading I've knawed the time when every one in St. Issey who went to Chapel was converted."

knawed

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

From this reading I've knawed the time when every one in St. Issey who went to Chapel was converted."

LordnounUS /lɔːrd/

terms referring to the Judeo-Christian God

lotsnounUS /lɑːts/

a large number or amount

mightilyadverbUS /ˈmaɪtəli/

powerfully or vigorously

moveverbUS /muːv/

change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

nowadverbUS /naʊ/

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading I've knawed the time when every one in St. Issey who went to Chapel was converted."

ould

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

From this reading "Ah, sur, I wish you 'ad come down 'ere in the ould days, when we 'ad Revivals.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/

above and across; more than

peoplenounUS /ˈpiːpəl/

(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively

RevivalsnounUS /riˈvaɪvəlz/

plural of “revival” — bringing again into activity and prominence

From this reading "Ah, sur, I wish you 'ad come down 'ere in the ould days, when we 'ad Revivals.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading I said, for I scarcely understood her.

scarcelyadverbUS /ˈskersli/

only a very short time before

From this reading I said, for I scarcely understood her.

servicenounUS /ˈsɜːrvəs/

work done by one person or group that benefits another

soundlyadverbUS /ˈsaʊndli/

deeply or completely

SpiritnounUS /ˈspɪrət/

the vital principle or animating force within living things

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

From this reading I've knawed the time when every one in St. Issey who went to Chapel was converted."

SundaynounUS /ˈsʌndeɪ/

first day of the week; observed as a day of rest and worship by most Christians

surnounUS /sɜːr/

a port in southern Lebanon on the Mediterranean Sea; formerly a major Phoenician seaport famous for silks

From this reading "Ah, sur, I wish you 'ad come down 'ere in the ould days, when we 'ad Revivals.

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 "Ah, sur, I wish you 'ad come down 'ere in the ould days, when we 'ad Revivals.

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading I've knawed the time when every one in St. Issey who went to Chapel was converted."

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading I've knawed the time when every one in St. Issey who went to Chapel was converted."

understoodadjectiveUS /ˌʌndərˈstʊd/

fully apprehended as to purport or meaning or explanation

From this reading I said, for I scarcely understood her.

usedadjectiveUS /juːzd/

employed in accomplishing something

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading I've knawed the time when every one in St. Issey who went to Chapel was converted."

wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading "Ah, sur, I wish you 'ad come down 'ere in the ould days, when we 'ad Revivals.

wentverbUS /went/

inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading I've knawed the time when every one in St. Issey who went to Chapel was converted."

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading "Ah, sur, I wish you 'ad come down 'ere in the ould days, when we 'ad Revivals.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading I've knawed the time when every one in St. Issey who went to Chapel was converted."

wishverbUS /wɪʃ/

hope for; have a wish

From this reading "Ah, sur, I wish you 'ad come down 'ere in the ould days, when we 'ad Revivals.

YesnounUS /jes/

an affirmative

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "Ah, sur, I wish you 'ad come down 'ere in the ould days, when we 'ad Revivals.

Chapter 8 of The Passion for Life by Joseph Hocking holds 418 sentences, grouped into 84 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 8 of The Passion for Life contain?

Chapter 8 holds 418 sentences of The Passion for Life, unabridged, divided into 84 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 8 of The Passion for Life by Joseph Hocking exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 418 sentences, grouped into 84 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 8 of The Passion for Life?

Work through the 84 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 84 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 8 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 8 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.

Questions about reading The Passion for Life

Common questions about reading The Passion for Life by Joseph Hocking on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Passion for Life?

Yes. All 7547 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #40102 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Passion for Life is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #40102, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Passion for Life take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 1510 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Chapter VIII

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