Chapter 12 of The Printer Boy is here in full — 119 sentences across 24 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XII
Chapter 12 of The Printer Boy is here in full — 119 sentences across 24 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
PLAIN FARE. "How much will you allow me a week if I will board myself?" inquired Benjamin of James. "It costs you now more than you need to pay." James was still boarding Benjamin in a family near by, being himself yet unmarried. "Then you think I am paying more a week for your board than it is worth?" replied his brother.
Chapter 12 of The Printer Boy is here in full — 119 sentences across 24 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/23 · 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.
gum resin used especially in treating skin irritation
From this reading “"How much will you allow me a week if I will board myself?" inquired Benjamin of James.”
the act of passengers and crew getting aboard a ship or aircraft
From this reading “James was still boarding Benjamin in a family near by, being himself yet unmarried.”
pecuniary reimbursement to the winning party for the expenses of litigation
From this reading “"It costs you now more than you need to pay."”
an agenda of things to do
From this reading “PLAIN FARE.”
past form of “inquire” — address a question to and expect an answer from
From this reading “"How much will you allow me a week if I will board myself?" inquired Benjamin of James.”
a Stuart king of Scotland who married a daughter of Henry VII; when England and France went to war in 1513 he invaded England and died in defeat at Flodden (1473-1513)
From this reading “"How much will you allow me a week if I will board myself?" inquired Benjamin of James.”
yielding a fair profit
From this reading “"Then you think I am paying more a week for your board than it is worth?" replied his brother.”
not married or related to the unmarried state
From this reading “James was still boarding Benjamin in a family near by, being himself yet unmarried.”
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 "How much will you allow me a week if I will board myself?" inquired Benjamin of James.
make it possible through a specific action or lack of action for something to happen
From this reading "How much will you allow me a week if I will board myself?" inquired Benjamin of James.
the form of “be” used with “I”
From this reading "Then you think I am paying more a week for your board than it is worth?" replied his brother.
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading James was still boarding Benjamin in a family near by, being himself yet unmarried.
gum resin used especially in treating skin irritation
From this reading "How much will you allow me a week if I will board myself?" inquired Benjamin of James.
a committee having supervisory powers
From this reading "How much will you allow me a week if I will board myself?" inquired Benjamin of James.
the act of passengers and crew getting aboard a ship or aircraft
From this reading James was still boarding Benjamin in a family near by, being himself yet unmarried.
a male with the same parents as someone else
From this reading "Then you think I am paying more a week for your board than it is worth?" replied his brother.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading James was still boarding Benjamin in a family near by, being himself yet unmarried.
pecuniary reimbursement to the winning party for the expenses of litigation
From this reading "It costs you now more than you need to pay."
a social unit living together
From this reading James was still boarding Benjamin in a family near by, being himself yet unmarried.
an agenda of things to do
From this reading PLAIN FARE.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading "Then you think I am paying more a week for your board than it is worth?" replied his brother.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading James was still boarding Benjamin in a family near by, being himself yet unmarried.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading "Then you think I am paying more a week for your board than it is worth?" replied his brother.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "How much will you allow me a week if I will board myself?" inquired Benjamin of James.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "How much will you allow me a week if I will board myself?" inquired Benjamin of James.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading "How much will you allow me a week if I will board myself?" inquired Benjamin of James.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading James was still boarding Benjamin in a family near by, being himself yet unmarried.
past form of “inquire” — address a question to and expect an answer from
From this reading "How much will you allow me a week if I will board myself?" inquired Benjamin of James.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "Then you think I am paying more a week for your board than it is worth?" replied his brother.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "It costs you now more than you need to pay."
a Stuart king of Scotland who married a daughter of Henry VII; when England and France went to war in 1513 he invaded England and died in defeat at Flodden (1473-1513)
From this reading "How much will you allow me a week if I will board myself?" inquired Benjamin of James.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "How much will you allow me a week if I will board myself?" inquired Benjamin of James.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading "It costs you now more than you need to pay."
to a great degree or extent
From this reading "How much will you allow me a week if I will board myself?" inquired Benjamin of James.
used when the speaker is also the object of the action
From this reading "How much will you allow me a week if I will board myself?" inquired Benjamin of James.
near in time or place or relationship
From this reading James was still boarding Benjamin in a family near by, being himself yet unmarried.
a condition requiring relief
From this reading "It costs you now more than you need to pay."
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading "It costs you now more than you need to pay."
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "How much will you allow me a week if I will board myself?" inquired Benjamin of James.
give money, usually in exchange for goods or services
From this reading "It costs you now more than you need to pay."
yielding a fair profit
From this reading "Then you think I am paying more a week for your board than it is worth?" replied his brother.
clearly revealed to the mind or the senses or judgment
From this reading PLAIN FARE.
inflected form of “reply” — react verbally
From this reading "Then you think I am paying more a week for your board than it is worth?" replied his brother.
not in physical motion
From this reading James was still boarding Benjamin in a family near by, being himself yet unmarried.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading "It costs you now more than you need to pay."
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading "Then you think I am paying more a week for your board than it is worth?" replied his brother.
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading "Then you think I am paying more a week for your board than it is worth?" replied his brother.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "It costs you now more than you need to pay."
not married or related to the unmarried state
From this reading James was still boarding Benjamin in a family near by, being himself yet unmarried.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading James was still boarding Benjamin in a family near by, being himself yet unmarried.
any period of seven consecutive days
From this reading "How much will you allow me a week if I will board myself?" inquired Benjamin of James.
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading "How much will you allow me a week if I will board myself?" inquired Benjamin of James.
an indefinite quantity of something having a specified value
From this reading "Then you think I am paying more a week for your board than it is worth?" replied his brother.
but in spite of that
From this reading James was still boarding Benjamin in a family near by, being himself yet unmarried.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "How much will you allow me a week if I will board myself?" inquired Benjamin of James.
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Then you think I am paying more a week for your board than it is worth?" replied his brother.
Chapter 12 of The Printer Boy by William Makepeace Thayer holds 119 sentences, grouped into 24 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 12 holds 119 sentences of The Printer Boy, unabridged, divided into 24 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 12 of The Printer Boy by William Makepeace Thayer exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 119 sentences, grouped into 24 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 24 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 24 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 12 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 Printer Boy by William Makepeace Thayer on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 2992 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #26295 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #26295, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 249 minutes of reading across 599 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Printer Boy section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 24 chapters of The Printer Boy 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 Printer Boy, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
