Chapter 1 of The Pretty Lady is here in full — 49 sentences across 10 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of The Pretty Lady is here in full — 49 sentences across 10 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Now, however, as she stood in the Promenade, it seemed to her that something uncanny had happened to the universe. Surely it had shifted from its pivot! Her basic conviction trembled. Men were not the same everywhere, and her power over them was a delusion. Englishmen were incomprehensible; they were not human; they were apart.
Chapter 1 of The Pretty Lady is here in full — 49 sentences across 10 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 2/9 · 5 reading units · Lines 6–10
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.
pertaining to or constituting a base or basis
From this reading “Her basic conviction trembled.”
(psychology) an erroneous belief that is held in the face of evidence to the contrary
From this reading “Men were not the same everywhere, and her power over them was a delusion.”
plural of “englishman” — a man who is a native or inhabitant of England
From this reading “Englishmen were incomprehensible; they were not human; they were apart.”
incapable of being explained or accounted for
From this reading “Englishmen were incomprehensible; they were not human; they were apart.”
turn on a pivot
From this reading “Surely it had shifted from its pivot!”
a formal ball held for a school class toward the end of the academic year
From this reading “Now, however, as she stood in the Promenade, it seemed to her that something uncanny had happened to the universe.”
past form of “shift” — make a shift in or exchange of
From this reading “Surely it had shifted from its pivot!”
suggesting the operation of supernatural influences
From this reading “Now, however, as she stood in the Promenade, it seemed to her that something uncanny had happened to the universe.”
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.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Men were not the same everywhere, and her power over them was a delusion.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Men were not the same everywhere, and her power over them was a delusion.
separated or at a distance in place or position or time
From this reading Englishmen were incomprehensible; they were not human; they were apart.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Now, however, as she stood in the Promenade, it seemed to her that something uncanny had happened to the universe.
pertaining to or constituting a base or basis
From this reading Her basic conviction trembled.
an unshakable belief in something without need for proof or evidence
From this reading Her basic conviction trembled.
(psychology) an erroneous belief that is held in the face of evidence to the contrary
From this reading Men were not the same everywhere, and her power over them was a delusion.
plural of “englishman” — a man who is a native or inhabitant of England
From this reading Englishmen were incomprehensible; they were not human; they were apart.
to or in any or all places
From this reading Men were not the same everywhere, and her power over them was a delusion.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Surely it had shifted from its pivot!
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Now, however, as she stood in the Promenade, it seemed to her that something uncanny had happened to the universe.
past form of “happen” — come to pass
From this reading Now, however, as she stood in the Promenade, it seemed to her that something uncanny had happened to the universe.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Now, however, as she stood in the Promenade, it seemed to her that something uncanny had happened to the universe.
used to add a contrasting statement
From this reading Now, however, as she stood in the Promenade, it seemed to her that something uncanny had happened to the universe.
characteristic of humanity
From this reading Englishmen were incomprehensible; they were not human; they were apart.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Now, however, as she stood in the Promenade, it seemed to her that something uncanny had happened to the universe.
incapable of being explained or accounted for
From this reading Englishmen were incomprehensible; they were not human; they were apart.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Now, however, as she stood in the Promenade, it seemed to her that something uncanny had happened to the universe.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading Surely it had shifted from its pivot!
the force of workers available
From this reading Men were not the same everywhere, and her power over them was a delusion.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Men were not the same everywhere, and her power over them was a delusion.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading Now, however, as she stood in the Promenade, it seemed to her that something uncanny had happened to the universe.
above and across; more than
From this reading Men were not the same everywhere, and her power over them was a delusion.
turn on a pivot
From this reading Surely it had shifted from its pivot!
possession of controlling influence
From this reading Men were not the same everywhere, and her power over them was a delusion.
a formal ball held for a school class toward the end of the academic year
From this reading Now, however, as she stood in the Promenade, it seemed to her that something uncanny had happened to the universe.
Identical; not different.
From this reading Men were not the same everywhere, and her power over them was a delusion.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading Now, however, as she stood in the Promenade, it seemed to her that something uncanny had happened to the universe.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Now, however, as she stood in the Promenade, it seemed to her that something uncanny had happened to the universe.
past form of “shift” — make a shift in or exchange of
From this reading Surely it had shifted from its pivot!
a thing, without saying which
From this reading Now, however, as she stood in the Promenade, it seemed to her that something uncanny had happened to the universe.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading Now, however, as she stood in the Promenade, it seemed to her that something uncanny had happened to the universe.
definitely or positively (“sure” is sometimes used informally for “surely”)
From this reading Surely it had shifted from its pivot!
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Now, however, as she stood in the Promenade, it seemed to her that something uncanny had happened to the universe.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Now, however, as she stood in the Promenade, it seemed to her that something uncanny had happened to the universe.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading Men were not the same everywhere, and her power over them was a delusion.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Englishmen were incomprehensible; they were not human; they were apart.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Now, however, as she stood in the Promenade, it seemed to her that something uncanny had happened to the universe.
past form of “tremble” — move or jerk quickly and involuntarily up and down or sideways
From this reading Her basic conviction trembled.
suggesting the operation of supernatural influences
From this reading Now, however, as she stood in the Promenade, it seemed to her that something uncanny had happened to the universe.
everything that exists anywhere
From this reading Now, however, as she stood in the Promenade, it seemed to her that something uncanny had happened to the universe.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Men were not the same everywhere, and her power over them was a delusion.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Men were not the same everywhere, and her power over them was a delusion.
Chapter 1 of The Pretty Lady by Arnold Bennett holds 49 sentences, grouped into 10 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 49 sentences of The Pretty Lady, unabridged, divided into 10 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of The Pretty Lady by Arnold Bennett exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 49 sentences, grouped into 10 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 10 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 10 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 Pretty Lady by Arnold Bennett on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 5883 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #12673 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #12673, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 490 minutes of reading across 1177 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Pretty Lady section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 40 chapters of The Pretty Lady 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 Pretty Lady, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
