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The Rough Road
The Rough Road

Chapter XI · Chapter 11

Chapter 11 of The Rough Road is here in full — 275 sentences across 55 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Rough Road
Context Illustration Reading 1/55 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
"We're all very proud of you, Marmaduke," said the Dean.
"I think you're just splendid," said Peggy.
They were sitting in Doggie's rooms in Woburn Place, Doggie having been given his three days' leave before going to France.
Once again Durdlebury had come to Doggie and not Doggie to Durdlebury.
Aunt Sophia, however, somewhat ailing, had stayed at home.
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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 Rough Road

Chapter XI · Chapter 11

Chapter 11 of The Rough Road is here in full — 275 sentences across 55 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/55 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
"We're all very proud of you, Marmaduke," said the Dean.
Line 2
"I think you're just splendid," said Peggy.
Line 3
They were sitting in Doggie's rooms in Woburn Place, Doggie having been given his three days' leave before going to France.
Line 4
Once again Durdlebury had come to Doggie and not Doggie to Durdlebury.
Line 5
Aunt Sophia, however, somewhat ailing, had stayed at home.

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.

ailing adjective US /ˈeɪlɪŋ/

somewhat ill or prone to illness

From this reading “Aunt Sophia, however, somewhat ailing, had stayed at home.”

Dean noun US /diːn/

an administrator in charge of a division of a university or college

From this reading “"We're all very proud of you, Marmaduke," said the Dean.”

Doggie noun US /ˈdɔːɡi/

informal terms for dogs

From this reading “They were sitting in Doggie's rooms in Woburn Place, Doggie having been given his three days' leave before going to France.”

France noun US /fræns/

a republic in western Europe; the largest country wholly in Europe

From this reading “They were sitting in Doggie's rooms in Woburn Place, Doggie having been given his three days' leave before going to France.”

proud adjective US /praʊd/

feeling self-respect or pleasure in something by which you measure your self-worth; or being a reason for pride

From this reading “"We're all very proud of you, Marmaduke," said the Dean.”

rooms noun US /ruːmz/

apartment consisting of a series of connected rooms used as a living unit (as in a hotel)

From this reading “They were sitting in Doggie's rooms in Woburn Place, Doggie having been given his three days' leave before going to France.”

splendid adjective US /ˈsplendɪd/

having great beauty and splendor

From this reading “"I think you're just splendid," said Peggy.”

stayed verb US /steɪd/

past form of “stay” — stay the same; remain in a certain state

From this reading “Aunt Sophia, however, somewhat ailing, had stayed at home.”

All words in this reading · 51

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.

againadverbUS /əˈɡen/

anew

From this reading Once again Durdlebury had come to Doggie and not Doggie to Durdlebury.

ailingadjectiveUS /ˈeɪlɪŋ/

somewhat ill or prone to illness

From this reading Aunt Sophia, however, somewhat ailing, had stayed at home.

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading "We're all very proud of you, Marmaduke," said the Dean.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Once again Durdlebury had come to Doggie and not Doggie to Durdlebury.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Aunt Sophia, however, somewhat ailing, had stayed at home.

AuntnounUS /ænt/

the sister of your father or mother; the wife of your uncle

From this reading Aunt Sophia, however, somewhat ailing, had stayed at home.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading They were sitting in Doggie's rooms in Woburn Place, Doggie having been given his three days' leave before going to France.

beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading They were sitting in Doggie's rooms in Woburn Place, Doggie having been given his three days' leave before going to France.

comeverbUS /kʌm/

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

From this reading Once again Durdlebury had come to Doggie and not Doggie to Durdlebury.

daysnounUS /deɪz/

the time during which someone's life continues

From this reading They were sitting in Doggie's rooms in Woburn Place, Doggie having been given his three days' leave before going to France.

DeannounUS /diːn/

an administrator in charge of a division of a university or college

From this reading "We're all very proud of you, Marmaduke," said the Dean.

DoggienounUS /ˈdɔːɡi/

informal terms for dogs

From this reading They were sitting in Doggie's rooms in Woburn Place, Doggie having been given his three days' leave before going to France.

Doggie's

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

From this reading They were sitting in Doggie's rooms in Woburn Place, Doggie having been given his three days' leave before going to France.

Durdlebury

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

From this reading Once again Durdlebury had come to Doggie and not Doggie to Durdlebury.

FrancenounUS /fræns/

a republic in western Europe; the largest country wholly in Europe

From this reading They were sitting in Doggie's rooms in Woburn Place, Doggie having been given his three days' leave before going to France.

givenadjectiveUS /ˈɡɪvən/

acknowledged as a supposition

From this reading They were sitting in Doggie's rooms in Woburn Place, Doggie having been given his three days' leave before going to France.

goingnounUS /ˈɡoʊɪŋ/

the act of departing

From this reading They were sitting in Doggie's rooms in Woburn Place, Doggie having been given his three days' leave before going to France.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading Once again Durdlebury had come to Doggie and not Doggie to Durdlebury.

havingauxiliary verbUS /ˈhævɪŋ/

the -ing form of “have”

From this reading They were sitting in Doggie's rooms in Woburn Place, Doggie having been given his three days' leave before going to France.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading They were sitting in Doggie's rooms in Woburn Place, Doggie having been given his three days' leave before going to France.

homenounUS /hoʊm/

where you live at a particular time

From this reading Aunt Sophia, however, somewhat ailing, had stayed at home.

howeveradverbUS /ˌhaʊˈevər/

used to add a contrasting statement

From this reading Aunt Sophia, however, somewhat ailing, had stayed at home.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading "I think you're just splendid," said Peggy.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading They were sitting in Doggie's rooms in Woburn Place, Doggie having been given his three days' leave before going to France.

justadverbUS /dʒʌst/

and nothing more

From this reading "I think you're just splendid," said Peggy.

leaveverbUS /liːv/

go away from a place

From this reading They were sitting in Doggie's rooms in Woburn Place, Doggie having been given his three days' leave before going to France.

Marmaduke

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

From this reading "We're all very proud of you, Marmaduke," said the Dean.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Once again Durdlebury had come to Doggie and not Doggie to Durdlebury.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading "We're all very proud of you, Marmaduke," said the Dean.

OnceadverbUS /wʌns/

on one occasion

From this reading Once again Durdlebury had come to Doggie and not Doggie to Durdlebury.

Peggy

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

From this reading "I think you're just splendid," said Peggy.

PlacenounUS /pleɪs/

a point located with respect to surface features of some region

From this reading They were sitting in Doggie's rooms in Woburn Place, Doggie having been given his three days' leave before going to France.

proudadjectiveUS /praʊd/

feeling self-respect or pleasure in something by which you measure your self-worth; or being a reason for pride

From this reading "We're all very proud of you, Marmaduke," said the Dean.

roomsnounUS /ruːmz/

apartment consisting of a series of connected rooms used as a living unit (as in a hotel)

From this reading They were sitting in Doggie's rooms in Woburn Place, Doggie having been given his three days' leave before going to France.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading "We're all very proud of you, Marmaduke," said the Dean.

sittingnounUS /ˈsɪtɪŋ/

(photography) the act of assuming a certain position (as for a photograph or portrait)

From this reading They were sitting in Doggie's rooms in Woburn Place, Doggie having been given his three days' leave before going to France.

somewhatadverbUS /ˈsʌmˈwʌt/

to a small degree or extent

From this reading Aunt Sophia, however, somewhat ailing, had stayed at home.

Sophia

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

From this reading Aunt Sophia, however, somewhat ailing, had stayed at home.

splendidadjectiveUS /ˈsplendɪd/

having great beauty and splendor

From this reading "I think you're just splendid," said Peggy.

stayedverbUS /steɪd/

past form of “stay” — stay the same; remain in a certain state

From this reading Aunt Sophia, however, somewhat ailing, had stayed at home.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading "We're all very proud of you, Marmaduke," said the Dean.

TheypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading They were sitting in Doggie's rooms in Woburn Place, Doggie having been given his three days' leave before going to France.

thinkverbUS /θɪŋk/

judge or regard; look upon; judge

From this reading "I think you're just splendid," said Peggy.

threenounUS /θriː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one

From this reading They were sitting in Doggie's rooms in Woburn Place, Doggie having been given his three days' leave before going to France.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading They were sitting in Doggie's rooms in Woburn Place, Doggie having been given his three days' leave before going to France.

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading "We're all very proud of you, Marmaduke," said the Dean.

We're

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

From this reading "We're all very proud of you, Marmaduke," said the Dean.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading They were sitting in Doggie's rooms in Woburn Place, Doggie having been given his three days' leave before going to France.

Woburn

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

From this reading They were sitting in Doggie's rooms in Woburn Place, Doggie having been given his three days' leave before going to France.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "We're all very proud of you, Marmaduke," said the Dean.

you're

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

From this reading "I think you're just splendid," said Peggy.

Chapter 11 of The Rough Road by William John Locke holds 275 sentences, grouped into 55 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 11 of The Rough Road contain?

Chapter 11 holds 275 sentences of The Rough Road, unabridged, divided into 55 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 11 of The Rough Road by William John Locke exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 275 sentences, grouped into 55 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 11 of The Rough Road?

Work through the 55 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 55 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 11 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 11 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 Rough Road

Common questions about reading The Rough Road by William John Locke on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Rough Road?

Yes. All 7200 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #27786 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Rough Road is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #27786, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Rough Road take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 1440 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Rough Road section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 24 chapters of The Rough Road 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 Rough Road

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

Bodley
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Rough Road; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Story
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Rough Road; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Doggie
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Rough Road; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Trevor
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Rough Road; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.