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The Poisoned Pen
The Poisoned Pen

Chapter IX · Chapter 9

Chapter 9 of The Poisoned Pen is here in full — 180 sentences across 36 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/36 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
"When you come to the end of a word, if the stroke is down at the end of the last letter, that means no break; if it is up, it means a break.
The stroke at the end of the 'y' is plainly down.
Therefore there is no break until after the 't.'
That gives us the number 2.
So we get 1 next, and again 1, and still again 1; then 5; then 5; then 1; and so on.
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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.

The Poisoned Pen

Chapter IX · Chapter 9

Chapter 9 of The Poisoned Pen is here in full — 180 sentences across 36 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/36 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
"When you come to the end of a word, if the stroke is down at the end of the last letter, that means no break; if it is up, it means a break.
/wen juː kʌm tuː ðə end ʌv ə wɜːrd ɪf ðə stroʊk ɪz daʊn æt ðə end ʌv ðə læst ˈletər ðæt miːnz noʊ breɪk ɪf ɪt ɪz ʌp ɪt miːnz ə breɪk/
Line 2
The stroke at the end of the 'y' is plainly down.
/ðə stroʊk æt ðə end ʌv ðə waɪ ɪz ˈpleɪnli daʊn/
Line 3
Therefore there is no break until after the 't.'
/ˈðerfɔːr ðer ɪz noʊ breɪk ənˈtɪl ˈæftər ðə tiː/
Line 4
That gives us the number 2.
Line 5
So we get 1 next, and again 1, and still again 1; then 5; then 5; then 1; and so on.

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.

break verb US /breɪk/

terminate

From this reading “"When you come to the end of a word, if the stroke is down at the end of the last letter, that means no break; if it is up, it means a break.”

gives noun US /ɡɪvz/

plural of “give” — the elasticity of something that can be stretched and returns to its original length

From this reading “That gives us the number 2.”

letter noun US /ˈletər/

a written message addressed to a person or organization

From this reading “"When you come to the end of a word, if the stroke is down at the end of the last letter, that means no break; if it is up, it means a break.”

means noun US /miːnz/

thing or person that acts to produce a particular effect or achieve an end

From this reading “"When you come to the end of a word, if the stroke is down at the end of the last letter, that means no break; if it is up, it means a break.”

number noun US /ˈnʌmbər/

the property possessed by a sum or total or indefinite quantity of units or individuals

From this reading “That gives us the number 2.”

plainly adverb US /ˈpleɪnli/

unmistakably (“plain” is often used informally for “plainly”)

From this reading “The stroke at the end of the 'y' is plainly down.”

stroke noun US /stroʊk/

(sports) the act of swinging or striking at a ball with a club or racket or bat or cue or hand

From this reading “"When you come to the end of a word, if the stroke is down at the end of the last letter, that means no break; if it is up, it means a break.”

Therefore adverb US /ˈðerfɔːr/

for that reason; as a result

From this reading “Therefore there is no break until after the 't.'”

All words in this reading · 44

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.

1

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

From this reading So we get 1 next, and again 1, and still again 1; then 5; then 5; then 1; and so on.

2

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

From this reading That gives us the number 2.

5

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

From this reading So we get 1 next, and again 1, and still again 1; then 5; then 5; then 1; and so on.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading "When you come to the end of a word, if the stroke is down at the end of the last letter, that means no break; if it is up, it means a break.

afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading Therefore there is no break until after the 't.'

againadverbUS /əˈɡen/

anew

From this reading So we get 1 next, and again 1, and still again 1; then 5; then 5; then 1; and so on.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading So we get 1 next, and again 1, and still again 1; then 5; then 5; then 1; and so on.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading "When you come to the end of a word, if the stroke is down at the end of the last letter, that means no break; if it is up, it means a break.

breakverbUS /breɪk/

terminate

From this reading "When you come to the end of a word, if the stroke is down at the end of the last letter, that means no break; if it is up, it means a break.

comeverbUS /kʌm/

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

From this reading "When you come to the end of a word, if the stroke is down at the end of the last letter, that means no break; if it is up, it means a break.

downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading "When you come to the end of a word, if the stroke is down at the end of the last letter, that means no break; if it is up, it means a break.

endnounUS /end/

either extremity of something that has length

From this reading "When you come to the end of a word, if the stroke is down at the end of the last letter, that means no break; if it is up, it means a break.

getverbUS /ɡet/

come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

From this reading So we get 1 next, and again 1, and still again 1; then 5; then 5; then 1; and so on.

givesnounUS /ɡɪvz/

plural of “give” — the elasticity of something that can be stretched and returns to its original length

From this reading That gives us the number 2.

ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading "When you come to the end of a word, if the stroke is down at the end of the last letter, that means no break; if it is up, it means a break.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading "When you come to the end of a word, if the stroke is down at the end of the last letter, that means no break; if it is up, it means a break.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading "When you come to the end of a word, if the stroke is down at the end of the last letter, that means no break; if it is up, it means a break.

lastadjectiveUS /læst/

immediately past

From this reading "When you come to the end of a word, if the stroke is down at the end of the last letter, that means no break; if it is up, it means a break.

letternounUS /ˈletər/

a written message addressed to a person or organization

From this reading "When you come to the end of a word, if the stroke is down at the end of the last letter, that means no break; if it is up, it means a break.

meansnounUS /miːnz/

thing or person that acts to produce a particular effect or achieve an end

From this reading "When you come to the end of a word, if the stroke is down at the end of the last letter, that means no break; if it is up, it means a break.

nextadjectiveUS /nekst/

immediately following in time or order

From this reading So we get 1 next, and again 1, and still again 1; then 5; then 5; then 1; and so on.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading "When you come to the end of a word, if the stroke is down at the end of the last letter, that means no break; if it is up, it means a break.

numbernounUS /ˈnʌmbər/

the property possessed by a sum or total or indefinite quantity of units or individuals

From this reading That gives us the number 2.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading "When you come to the end of a word, if the stroke is down at the end of the last letter, that means no break; if it is up, it means a break.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading So we get 1 next, and again 1, and still again 1; then 5; then 5; then 1; and so on.

plainlyadverbUS /ˈpleɪnli/

unmistakably (“plain” is often used informally for “plainly”)

From this reading The stroke at the end of the 'y' is plainly down.

SoconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading So we get 1 next, and again 1, and still again 1; then 5; then 5; then 1; and so on.

stilladjectiveUS /stɪl/

not in physical motion

From this reading So we get 1 next, and again 1, and still again 1; then 5; then 5; then 1; and so on.

strokenounUS /stroʊk/

(sports) the act of swinging or striking at a ball with a club or racket or bat or cue or hand

From this reading "When you come to the end of a word, if the stroke is down at the end of the last letter, that means no break; if it is up, it means a break.

tnounUS /tiː/

a base found in DNA (but not in RNA) and derived from pyrimidine; pairs with adenine

From this reading Therefore there is no break until after the 't.'

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading "When you come to the end of a word, if the stroke is down at the end of the last letter, that means no break; if it is up, it means a break.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading "When you come to the end of a word, if the stroke is down at the end of the last letter, that means no break; if it is up, it means a break.

thenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading So we get 1 next, and again 1, and still again 1; then 5; then 5; then 1; and so on.

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading Therefore there is no break until after the 't.'

ThereforeadverbUS /ˈðerfɔːr/

for that reason; as a result

From this reading Therefore there is no break until after the 't.'

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading "When you come to the end of a word, if the stroke is down at the end of the last letter, that means no break; if it is up, it means a break.

untilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/

up to a particular time

From this reading Therefore there is no break until after the 't.'

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading "When you come to the end of a word, if the stroke is down at the end of the last letter, that means no break; if it is up, it means a break.

uspronounUS /ʌs/

the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading That gives us the number 2.

wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading So we get 1 next, and again 1, and still again 1; then 5; then 5; then 1; and so on.

WhenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading "When you come to the end of a word, if the stroke is down at the end of the last letter, that means no break; if it is up, it means a break.

wordnounUS /wɜːrd/

a unit of language that native speakers can identify

From this reading "When you come to the end of a word, if the stroke is down at the end of the last letter, that means no break; if it is up, it means a break.

ynounUS /waɪ/

a silvery metallic element that is common in rare-earth minerals; used in magnesium and aluminum alloys

From this reading The stroke at the end of the 'y' is plainly down.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "When you come to the end of a word, if the stroke is down at the end of the last letter, that means no break; if it is up, it means a break.

Chapter 9 of The Poisoned Pen by Arthur B. (Arthur Benjamin) Reeve holds 180 sentences, grouped into 36 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 9 of The Poisoned Pen contain?

Chapter 9 holds 180 sentences of The Poisoned Pen, unabridged, divided into 36 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 9 of The Poisoned Pen by Arthur B. (Arthur Benjamin) Reeve exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 180 sentences, grouped into 36 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 9 of The Poisoned Pen?

Work through the 36 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 36 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 9 be read aloud to me?

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.

Questions about reading The Poisoned Pen

Common questions about reading The Poisoned Pen by Arthur B. (Arthur Benjamin) Reeve on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Poisoned Pen?

Yes. All 6378 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #1923 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Poisoned Pen is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #1923, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Poisoned Pen take to read?

About 531 minutes of reading across 1276 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Poisoned Pen section by section

How to work through The Poisoned Pen section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 34 chapters of The Poisoned Pen to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in The Poisoned Pen

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Poisoned Pen, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Poisoned
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Poisoned Pen; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Arthur
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Poisoned Pen; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Reeve
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Poisoned Pen; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Transcriber's
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Poisoned Pen; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.