Chapter 4 of The Prodigal Son is here in full — 396 sentences across 80 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IV
Chapter 4 of The Prodigal Son is here in full — 396 sentences across 80 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
And then Oscar’s voice, large, expansive, indulgent, almost patronizing, "Tut, tut! You mustn’t say anything against Magnus, Elisabet!" "But I hear Magnus insulted Thora this evening, and the Factor has turned him out for it." "Can it be possible? I saw him in the hall as I was coming in!"
Chapter 4 of The Prodigal Son is here in full — 396 sentences across 80 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/79 · 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.
able or tending to expand or characterized by expansion
From this reading “And then Oscar’s voice, large, expansive, indulgent, almost patronizing, "Tut, tut!”
anything that contributes causally to a result
From this reading “"But I hear Magnus insulted Thora this evening, and the Factor has turned him out for it."”
an interior passage or corridor onto which rooms open
From this reading “I saw him in the hall as I was coming in!"”
characterized by or given to yielding to the wishes of someone
From this reading “And then Oscar’s voice, large, expansive, indulgent, almost patronizing, "Tut, tut!”
past form of “insult” — treat, mention, or speak to rudely
From this reading “"But I hear Magnus insulted Thora this evening, and the Factor has turned him out for it."”
possessive form of “oscar” — an annual award by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for achievements in motion picture production and performance
(used of behavior or attitude) characteristic of those who treat others with condescension
From this reading “And then Oscar’s voice, large, expansive, indulgent, almost patronizing, "Tut, tut!”
utter “tsk,” “tut,” or “tut-tut,” as in disapproval
From this reading “And then Oscar’s voice, large, expansive, indulgent, almost patronizing, "Tut, tut!”
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.
In this reading “I saw him in the hall as I was coming in!"”
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.
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading You mustn’t say anything against Magnus, Elisabet!"
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading And then Oscar’s voice, large, expansive, indulgent, almost patronizing, "Tut, tut!
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading And then Oscar’s voice, large, expansive, indulgent, almost patronizing, "Tut, tut!
any thing at all
From this reading You mustn’t say anything against Magnus, Elisabet!"
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading I saw him in the hall as I was coming in!"
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading "Can it be possible?
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading "But I hear Magnus insulted Thora this evening, and the Factor has turned him out for it."
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading "Can it be possible?
the act of drawing spatially closer to something
From this reading I saw him in the hall as I was coming in!"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading You mustn’t say anything against Magnus, Elisabet!"
the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)
From this reading "But I hear Magnus insulted Thora this evening, and the Factor has turned him out for it."
able or tending to expand or characterized by expansion
From this reading And then Oscar’s voice, large, expansive, indulgent, almost patronizing, "Tut, tut!
anything that contributes causally to a result
From this reading "But I hear Magnus insulted Thora this evening, and the Factor has turned him out for it."
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading "But I hear Magnus insulted Thora this evening, and the Factor has turned him out for it."
an interior passage or corridor onto which rooms open
From this reading I saw him in the hall as I was coming in!"
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "But I hear Magnus insulted Thora this evening, and the Factor has turned him out for it."
perceive (sound) via the auditory sense
From this reading "But I hear Magnus insulted Thora this evening, and the Factor has turned him out for it."
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "But I hear Magnus insulted Thora this evening, and the Factor has turned him out for it."
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "But I hear Magnus insulted Thora this evening, and the Factor has turned him out for it."
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading I saw him in the hall as I was coming in!"
characterized by or given to yielding to the wishes of someone
From this reading And then Oscar’s voice, large, expansive, indulgent, almost patronizing, "Tut, tut!
past form of “insult” — treat, mention, or speak to rudely
From this reading "But I hear Magnus insulted Thora this evening, and the Factor has turned him out for it."
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "But I hear Magnus insulted Thora this evening, and the Factor has turned him out for it."
above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading And then Oscar’s voice, large, expansive, indulgent, almost patronizing, "Tut, tut!
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading You mustn’t say anything against Magnus, Elisabet!"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading You mustn’t say anything against Magnus, Elisabet!"
possessive form of “oscar” — an annual award by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for achievements in motion picture production and performance
From this reading And then Oscar’s voice, large, expansive, indulgent, almost patronizing, "Tut, tut!
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading "But I hear Magnus insulted Thora this evening, and the Factor has turned him out for it."
(used of behavior or attitude) characteristic of those who treat others with condescension
From this reading And then Oscar’s voice, large, expansive, indulgent, almost patronizing, "Tut, tut!
capable of happening or existing
From this reading "Can it be possible?
cut with a saw
From this reading I saw him in the hall as I was coming in!"
express in words
From this reading You mustn’t say anything against Magnus, Elisabet!"
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "But I hear Magnus insulted Thora this evening, and the Factor has turned him out for it."
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading And then Oscar’s voice, large, expansive, indulgent, almost patronizing, "Tut, tut!
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading "But I hear Magnus insulted Thora this evening, and the Factor has turned him out for it."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "But I hear Magnus insulted Thora this evening, and the Factor has turned him out for it."
moved around an axis or center
From this reading "But I hear Magnus insulted Thora this evening, and the Factor has turned him out for it."
utter “tsk,” “tut,” or “tut-tut,” as in disapproval
From this reading And then Oscar’s voice, large, expansive, indulgent, almost patronizing, "Tut, tut!
the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading And then Oscar’s voice, large, expansive, indulgent, almost patronizing, "Tut, tut!
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading I saw him in the hall as I was coming in!"
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading You mustn’t say anything against Magnus, Elisabet!"
Chapter 4 of The Prodigal Son by Hall, Sir Caine holds 396 sentences, grouped into 80 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 4 holds 396 sentences of The Prodigal Son, unabridged, divided into 80 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 4 of The Prodigal Son by Hall, Sir Caine exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 396 sentences, grouped into 80 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 80 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 80 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 4 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 Prodigal Son by Hall, Sir Caine on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 8028 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #51950 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #51950, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 1606 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Prodigal Son section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 20 chapters of The Prodigal Son 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 Prodigal Son, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
