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The Simpkins Plot
The Simpkins Plot

Chapter XVII · Chapter 17

Chapter 17 of The Simpkins Plot is here in full — 233 sentences across 47 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Simpkins Plot
Context Illustration Reading 1/46 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
"You may as well drive me into Ballymoy, Doyle," said Meldon, as they walked up together from the shore.
"You've your trap with you, I suppose?"
"I have, and I'll drive you of course, but I'll be expecting that you'll do something when we get there the way the judge won't be leaving the hotel altogether."
"You may put that out of your head at once," said Meldon, "for I'll do nothing of the sort.
I've already explained to you at some length that my chief object at present is to chase away the judge, not only from your hotel but from Ballymoy."
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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 Simpkins Plot

Chapter XVII · Chapter 17

Chapter 17 of The Simpkins Plot is here in full — 233 sentences across 47 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/46 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
"You may as well drive me into Ballymoy, Doyle," said Meldon, as they walked up together from the shore.
Line 2
"You've your trap with you, I suppose?"
Line 3
"I have, and I'll drive you of course, but I'll be expecting that you'll do something when we get there the way the judge won't be leaving the hotel altogether."
Line 4
"You may put that out of your head at once," said Meldon, "for I'll do nothing of the sort.
Line 5
I've already explained to you at some length that my chief object at present is to chase away the judge, not only from your hotel but from Ballymoy."

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.

altogether adverb US /ˌɔːltəˈɡeðər/

to a complete degree or to the full or entire extent (“whole” is often used informally for “wholly”)

From this reading “"I have, and I'll drive you of course, but I'll be expecting that you'll do something when we get there the way the judge won't be leaving the hotel altogether."”

chase verb US /tʃeɪs/

go after with the intent to catch

From this reading “I've already explained to you at some length that my chief object at present is to chase away the judge, not only from your hotel but from Ballymoy."”

drive verb US /draɪv/

operate or control a vehicle

From this reading “"You may as well drive me into Ballymoy, Doyle," said Meldon, as they walked up together from the shore.”

expecting verb US /ɪkˈspektɪŋ/

-ing form of “expect” — regard something as probable or likely

From this reading “"I have, and I'll drive you of course, but I'll be expecting that you'll do something when we get there the way the judge won't be leaving the hotel altogether."”

explained verb US /ɪkˈspleɪnd/

past form of “explain” — make plain and comprehensible

From this reading “I've already explained to you at some length that my chief object at present is to chase away the judge, not only from your hotel but from Ballymoy."”

hotel noun US /hoʊˈtel/

a building where travelers can pay for lodging and meals and other services

From this reading “"I have, and I'll drive you of course, but I'll be expecting that you'll do something when we get there the way the judge won't be leaving the hotel altogether."”

shore noun US /ʃɔːr/

the land along the edge of a body of water

From this reading “"You may as well drive me into Ballymoy, Doyle," said Meldon, as they walked up together from the shore.”

trap noun US /træp/

a device in which something (usually an animal) can be caught and penned

From this reading “"You've your trap with you, I suppose?"”

All words in this reading · 69

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.

alreadyadverbUS /ɔːlˈredi/

prior to a specified or implied time

From this reading I've already explained to you at some length that my chief object at present is to chase away the judge, not only from your hotel but from Ballymoy."

altogetheradverbUS /ˌɔːltəˈɡeðər/

to a complete degree or to the full or entire extent (“whole” is often used informally for “wholly”)

From this reading "I have, and I'll drive you of course, but I'll be expecting that you'll do something when we get there the way the judge won't be leaving the hotel altogether."

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading "I have, and I'll drive you of course, but I'll be expecting that you'll do something when we get there the way the judge won't be leaving the hotel altogether."

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading "You may as well drive me into Ballymoy, Doyle," said Meldon, as they walked up together from the shore.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading "You may put that out of your head at once," said Meldon, "for I'll do nothing of the sort.

awayadverbUS /əˈweɪ/

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading I've already explained to you at some length that my chief object at present is to chase away the judge, not only from your hotel but from Ballymoy."

Ballymoy

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

From this reading "You may as well drive me into Ballymoy, Doyle," said Meldon, as they walked up together from the shore.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading "I have, and I'll drive you of course, but I'll be expecting that you'll do something when we get there the way the judge won't be leaving the hotel altogether."

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading "I have, and I'll drive you of course, but I'll be expecting that you'll do something when we get there the way the judge won't be leaving the hotel altogether."

chaseverbUS /tʃeɪs/

go after with the intent to catch

From this reading I've already explained to you at some length that my chief object at present is to chase away the judge, not only from your hotel but from Ballymoy."

chiefnounUS /tʃiːf/

a person who is in charge

From this reading I've already explained to you at some length that my chief object at present is to chase away the judge, not only from your hotel but from Ballymoy."

coursenounUS /kɔːrs/

education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings

From this reading "I have, and I'll drive you of course, but I'll be expecting that you'll do something when we get there the way the judge won't be leaving the hotel altogether."

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading "I have, and I'll drive you of course, but I'll be expecting that you'll do something when we get there the way the judge won't be leaving the hotel altogether."

Doyle

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

From this reading "You may as well drive me into Ballymoy, Doyle," said Meldon, as they walked up together from the shore.

driveverbUS /draɪv/

operate or control a vehicle

From this reading "You may as well drive me into Ballymoy, Doyle," said Meldon, as they walked up together from the shore.

expectingverbUS /ɪkˈspektɪŋ/

-ing form of “expect” — regard something as probable or likely

From this reading "I have, and I'll drive you of course, but I'll be expecting that you'll do something when we get there the way the judge won't be leaving the hotel altogether."

explainedverbUS /ɪkˈspleɪnd/

past form of “explain” — make plain and comprehensible

From this reading I've already explained to you at some length that my chief object at present is to chase away the judge, not only from your hotel but from Ballymoy."

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading "You may put that out of your head at once," said Meldon, "for I'll do nothing of the sort.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading "You may as well drive me into Ballymoy, Doyle," said Meldon, as they walked up together from the shore.

getverbUS /ɡet/

come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

From this reading "I have, and I'll drive you of course, but I'll be expecting that you'll do something when we get there the way the judge won't be leaving the hotel altogether."

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading "I have, and I'll drive you of course, but I'll be expecting that you'll do something when we get there the way the judge won't be leaving the hotel altogether."

headnounUS /hed/

the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains

From this reading "You may put that out of your head at once," said Meldon, "for I'll do nothing of the sort.

hotelnounUS /hoʊˈtel/

a building where travelers can pay for lodging and meals and other services

From this reading "I have, and I'll drive you of course, but I'll be expecting that you'll do something when we get there the way the judge won't be leaving the hotel altogether."

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading "You've your trap with you, I suppose?"

I'll

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

From this reading "I have, and I'll drive you of course, but I'll be expecting that you'll do something when we get there the way the judge won't be leaving the hotel altogether."

I've

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

From this reading I've already explained to you at some length that my chief object at present is to chase away the judge, not only from your hotel but from Ballymoy."

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading "You may as well drive me into Ballymoy, Doyle," said Meldon, as they walked up together from the shore.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading I've already explained to you at some length that my chief object at present is to chase away the judge, not only from your hotel but from Ballymoy."

judgeverbUS /dʒʌdʒ/

determine the result of (a competition)

From this reading "I have, and I'll drive you of course, but I'll be expecting that you'll do something when we get there the way the judge won't be leaving the hotel altogether."

leavingnounUS /ˈliːvɪŋ/

the act of departing

From this reading "I have, and I'll drive you of course, but I'll be expecting that you'll do something when we get there the way the judge won't be leaving the hotel altogether."

lengthnounUS /leŋkθ/

the linear extent in space from one end to the other; the longest dimension of something that is fixed in place

From this reading I've already explained to you at some length that my chief object at present is to chase away the judge, not only from your hotel but from Ballymoy."

maymodal verbUS /meɪ/

used to say something is possible, or to give permission

From this reading "You may as well drive me into Ballymoy, Doyle," said Meldon, as they walked up together from the shore.

mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading "You may as well drive me into Ballymoy, Doyle," said Meldon, as they walked up together from the shore.

Meldon

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

From this reading "You may as well drive me into Ballymoy, Doyle," said Meldon, as they walked up together from the shore.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading I've already explained to you at some length that my chief object at present is to chase away the judge, not only from your hotel but from Ballymoy."

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading I've already explained to you at some length that my chief object at present is to chase away the judge, not only from your hotel but from Ballymoy."

nothingpronounUS /ˈnʌθɪŋ/

not one thing; not anything

From this reading "You may put that out of your head at once," said Meldon, "for I'll do nothing of the sort.

objectnounUS /ˈɑːbdʒekt/

a tangible and visible entity; an entity that can cast a shadow

From this reading I've already explained to you at some length that my chief object at present is to chase away the judge, not only from your hotel but from Ballymoy."

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading "I have, and I'll drive you of course, but I'll be expecting that you'll do something when we get there the way the judge won't be leaving the hotel altogether."

onceadverbUS /wʌns/

on one occasion

From this reading "You may put that out of your head at once," said Meldon, "for I'll do nothing of the sort.

onlyadverbUS /ˈoʊnli/

and nothing more

From this reading I've already explained to you at some length that my chief object at present is to chase away the judge, not only from your hotel but from Ballymoy."

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading "You may put that out of your head at once," said Meldon, "for I'll do nothing of the sort.

presentverbUS /ˈprezənt/

give an exhibition of to an interested audience

From this reading I've already explained to you at some length that my chief object at present is to chase away the judge, not only from your hotel but from Ballymoy."

putverbUS /pʊt/

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading "You may put that out of your head at once," said Meldon, "for I'll do nothing of the sort.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading "You may as well drive me into Ballymoy, Doyle," said Meldon, as they walked up together from the shore.

shorenounUS /ʃɔːr/

the land along the edge of a body of water

From this reading "You may as well drive me into Ballymoy, Doyle," said Meldon, as they walked up together from the shore.

someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading I've already explained to you at some length that my chief object at present is to chase away the judge, not only from your hotel but from Ballymoy."

somethingpronounUS /ˈsʌmθɪŋ/

a thing, without saying which

From this reading "I have, and I'll drive you of course, but I'll be expecting that you'll do something when we get there the way the judge won't be leaving the hotel altogether."

sortnounUS /sɔːrt/

a category of things distinguished by some common characteristic or quality

From this reading "You may put that out of your head at once," said Meldon, "for I'll do nothing of the sort.

supposeverbUS /səˈpoʊz/

express a supposition

From this reading "You've your trap with you, I suppose?"

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading "I have, and I'll drive you of course, but I'll be expecting that you'll do something when we get there the way the judge won't be leaving the hotel altogether."

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading "You may as well drive me into Ballymoy, Doyle," said Meldon, as they walked up together from the shore.

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading "I have, and I'll drive you of course, but I'll be expecting that you'll do something when we get there the way the judge won't be leaving the hotel altogether."

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

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

From this reading "You may as well drive me into Ballymoy, Doyle," said Meldon, as they walked up together from the shore.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading I've already explained to you at some length that my chief object at present is to chase away the judge, not only from your hotel but from Ballymoy."

togetheradverbUS /təˈɡeðər/

in contact with each other or in proximity

From this reading "You may as well drive me into Ballymoy, Doyle," said Meldon, as they walked up together from the shore.

trapnounUS /træp/

a device in which something (usually an animal) can be caught and penned

From this reading "You've your trap with you, I suppose?"

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading "You may as well drive me into Ballymoy, Doyle," said Meldon, as they walked up together from the shore.

walkedverbUS /wɔːkt/

past form of “walk” — use one's feet to advance; advance by steps

From this reading "You may as well drive me into Ballymoy, Doyle," said Meldon, as they walked up together from the shore.

waynounUS /weɪ/

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading "I have, and I'll drive you of course, but I'll be expecting that you'll do something when we get there the way the judge won't be leaving the hotel altogether."

wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading "I have, and I'll drive you of course, but I'll be expecting that you'll do something when we get there the way the judge won't be leaving the hotel altogether."

welladverbUS /wel/

(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)

From this reading "You may as well drive me into Ballymoy, Doyle," said Meldon, as they walked up together from the shore.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading "I have, and I'll drive you of course, but I'll be expecting that you'll do something when we get there the way the judge won't be leaving the hotel altogether."

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading "You've your trap with you, I suppose?"

won't

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

From this reading "I have, and I'll drive you of course, but I'll be expecting that you'll do something when we get there the way the judge won't be leaving the hotel altogether."

YoupronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "You may as well drive me into Ballymoy, Doyle," said Meldon, as they walked up together from the shore.

you'll

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

From this reading "I have, and I'll drive you of course, but I'll be expecting that you'll do something when we get there the way the judge won't be leaving the hotel altogether."

You've

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

From this reading "You've your trap with you, I suppose?"

yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "You've your trap with you, I suppose?"

Chapter 17 of The Simpkins Plot by George A. Birmingham holds 233 sentences, grouped into 47 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 17 of The Simpkins Plot contain?

Chapter 17 holds 233 sentences of The Simpkins Plot, unabridged, divided into 47 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 17 of The Simpkins Plot by George A. Birmingham exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 233 sentences, grouped into 47 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 17 of The Simpkins Plot?

Work through the 47 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 47 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 17 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 17 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 Simpkins Plot

Common questions about reading The Simpkins Plot by George A. Birmingham on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Simpkins Plot?

Yes. All 5802 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #19586 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Simpkins Plot is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #19586, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Simpkins Plot take to read?

About 483 minutes of reading across 1161 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Simpkins Plot section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 24 chapters of The Simpkins Plot 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 Simpkins Plot

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

Platform
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Simpkins Plot; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Euston
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Simpkins Plot; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Crowded
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Simpkins Plot; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Porters'
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Simpkins Plot; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.