Chapter 2 of The Return of the Prodigal is here in full — 418 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of The Return of the Prodigal is here in full — 418 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"I wasn't too young to feel that I had a career before me, nor to care when it was knocked on the head. If it hadn't been for him my music wouldn't have come to an end as it did." "Your music! If it hadn't been for him my engagement wouldn't have been broken off--as it was." "Oh _that_?
Chapter 2 of The Return of the Prodigal 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
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.
physically and forcibly separated into pieces or cracked or split
From this reading “If it hadn't been for him my engagement wouldn't have been broken off--as it was."”
the work of providing treatment for or attending to someone or something
From this reading “"I wasn't too young to feel that I had a career before me, nor to care when it was knocked on the head.”
the particular occupation for which you are trained
From this reading “"I wasn't too young to feel that I had a career before me, nor to care when it was knocked on the head.”
either extremity of something that has length
From this reading “If it hadn't been for him my music wouldn't have come to an end as it did."”
a hostile meeting of opposing military forces in the course of a war
From this reading “If it hadn't been for him my engagement wouldn't have been broken off--as it was."”
undergo an emotional sensation or be in a particular state of mind
From this reading “"I wasn't too young to feel that I had a career before me, nor to care when it was knocked on the head.”
past form of “knock” — deliver a sharp blow or push
From this reading “"I wasn't too young to feel that I had a career before me, nor to care when it was knocked on the head.”
an artistic form of auditory communication incorporating instrumental or vocal tones in a structured and continuous manner
From this reading “If it hadn't been for him my music wouldn't have come to an end as it did."”
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 wasn't too young to feel that I had a career before me, nor to care when it was knocked on the head.”
(rugby) knocking the ball forward while trying to catch it (a foul)
In this reading “"I wasn't too young to feel that I had a career before me, nor to care when it was knocked on the head.”
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 "I wasn't too young to feel that I had a career before me, nor to care when it was knocked on the head.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading If it hadn't been for him my music wouldn't have come to an end as it did."
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading If it hadn't been for him my music wouldn't have come to an end as it did."
the past participle of “be”
From this reading If it hadn't been for him my music wouldn't have come to an end as it did."
earlier than; in front of
From this reading "I wasn't too young to feel that I had a career before me, nor to care when it was knocked on the head.
physically and forcibly separated into pieces or cracked or split
From this reading If it hadn't been for him my engagement wouldn't have been broken off--as it was."
the work of providing treatment for or attending to someone or something
From this reading "I wasn't too young to feel that I had a career before me, nor to care when it was knocked on the head.
the particular occupation for which you are trained
From this reading "I wasn't too young to feel that I had a career before me, nor to care when it was knocked on the head.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading If it hadn't been for him my music wouldn't have come to an end as it did."
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading If it hadn't been for him my music wouldn't have come to an end as it did."
either extremity of something that has length
From this reading If it hadn't been for him my music wouldn't have come to an end as it did."
a hostile meeting of opposing military forces in the course of a war
From this reading If it hadn't been for him my engagement wouldn't have been broken off--as it was."
undergo an emotional sensation or be in a particular state of mind
From this reading "I wasn't too young to feel that I had a career before me, nor to care when it was knocked on the head.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading If it hadn't been for him my music wouldn't have come to an end as it did."
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading "I wasn't too young to feel that I had a career before me, nor to care when it was knocked on the head.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading If it hadn't been for him my music wouldn't have come to an end as it did."
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading If it hadn't been for him my music wouldn't have come to an end as it did."
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading "I wasn't too young to feel that I had a career before me, nor to care when it was knocked on the head.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading If it hadn't been for him my music wouldn't have come to an end as it did."
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I wasn't too young to feel that I had a career before me, nor to care when it was knocked on the head.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading If it hadn't been for him my music wouldn't have come to an end as it did."
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "I wasn't too young to feel that I had a career before me, nor to care when it was knocked on the head.
past form of “knock” — deliver a sharp blow or push
From this reading "I wasn't too young to feel that I had a career before me, nor to care when it was knocked on the head.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "I wasn't too young to feel that I had a career before me, nor to care when it was knocked on the head.
an artistic form of auditory communication incorporating instrumental or vocal tones in a structured and continuous manner
From this reading If it hadn't been for him my music wouldn't have come to an end as it did."
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading If it hadn't been for him my music wouldn't have come to an end as it did."
and not; used after a negative to add a second negative
From this reading "I wasn't too young to feel that I had a career before me, nor to care when it was knocked on the head.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading If it hadn't been for him my engagement wouldn't have been broken off--as it was."
a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region
From this reading "Oh _that_?
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading "I wasn't too young to feel that I had a career before me, nor to care when it was knocked on the head.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "I wasn't too young to feel that I had a career before me, nor to care when it was knocked on the head.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "I wasn't too young to feel that I had a career before me, nor to care when it was knocked on the head.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "I wasn't too young to feel that I had a career before me, nor to care when it was knocked on the head.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading "I wasn't too young to feel that I had a career before me, nor to care when it was knocked on the head.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "I wasn't too young to feel that I had a career before me, nor to care when it was knocked on the head.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I wasn't too young to feel that I had a career before me, nor to care when it was knocked on the head.
at the time that
From this reading "I wasn't too young to feel that I had a career before me, nor to care when it was knocked on the head.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading If it hadn't been for him my music wouldn't have come to an end as it did."
(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading "I wasn't too young to feel that I had a career before me, nor to care when it was knocked on the head.
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Your music!
Chapter 2 of The Return of the Prodigal by May Sinclair 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.
Chapter 2 holds 418 sentences of The Return of the Prodigal, unabridged, divided into 84 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of The Return of the Prodigal by May Sinclair 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.
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.
Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 2 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 Return of the Prodigal by May Sinclair on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 7139 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #31595 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #31595, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 594 minutes of reading across 1428 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Return of the Prodigal section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 15 chapters of The Return of the Prodigal 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 Return of the Prodigal, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
