Chapter 1 of The sociable ghost is here in full — 12 sentences across 3 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of The sociable ghost is here in full — 12 sentences across 3 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
THE SOCIABLE GHOST. BEING THE ADVENTURES OF A REPORTER WHO WAS INVITED BY THE SOCIABLE GHOST TO A GRAND BANQUET, BALL, AND CONVENTION UNDER THE GROUND OF OLD TRINITY CHURCHYARD. A TRUE TALE OF THE THINGS HE SAW AND DID NOT SEE WHILE HE WAS NOT THERE. WRITTEN DOWN BY OLIVE HARPER AND ANOTHER. ILLUSTRATED BY THOMAS MCILVAINE AND A. W. SCHWARTZ.
Chapter 1 of The sociable ghost is here in full — 12 sentences across 3 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/2 · 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.
a ceremonial dinner party for many people
From this reading “BEING THE ADVENTURES OF A REPORTER WHO WAS INVITED BY THE SOCIABLE GHOST TO A GRAND BANQUET, BALL, AND CONVENTION UNDER THE GROUND OF OLD TRINITY CHURCHYARD.”
the yard associated with a church
From this reading “BEING THE ADVENTURES OF A REPORTER WHO WAS INVITED BY THE SOCIABLE GHOST TO A GRAND BANQUET, BALL, AND CONVENTION UNDER THE GROUND OF OLD TRINITY CHURCHYARD.”
a large formal assembly
From this reading “BEING THE ADVENTURES OF A REPORTER WHO WAS INVITED BY THE SOCIABLE GHOST TO A GRAND BANQUET, BALL, AND CONVENTION UNDER THE GROUND OF OLD TRINITY CHURCHYARD.”
someone who plays the harp
From this reading “WRITTEN DOWN BY OLIVE HARPER AND ANOTHER.”
of a yellow-green color similar to that of an unripe olive
From this reading “WRITTEN DOWN BY OLIVE HARPER AND ANOTHER.”
a person who investigates and reports or edits news stories
From this reading “BEING THE ADVENTURES OF A REPORTER WHO WAS INVITED BY THE SOCIABLE GHOST TO A GRAND BANQUET, BALL, AND CONVENTION UNDER THE GROUND OF OLD TRINITY CHURCHYARD.”
inclined to or conducive to companionship with others
From this reading “THE SOCIABLE GHOST.”
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading “BEING THE ADVENTURES OF A REPORTER WHO WAS INVITED BY THE SOCIABLE GHOST TO A GRAND BANQUET, BALL, AND CONVENTION UNDER THE GROUND OF OLD TRINITY CHURCHYARD.”
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 “ILLUSTRATED BY THOMAS MCILVAINE AND A. W. SCHWARTZ.”
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 BEING THE ADVENTURES OF A REPORTER WHO WAS INVITED BY THE SOCIABLE GHOST TO A GRAND BANQUET, BALL, AND CONVENTION UNDER THE GROUND OF OLD TRINITY CHURCHYARD.
plural of “adventure” — a wild and exciting undertaking (not necessarily lawful)
From this reading BEING THE ADVENTURES OF A REPORTER WHO WAS INVITED BY THE SOCIABLE GHOST TO A GRAND BANQUET, BALL, AND CONVENTION UNDER THE GROUND OF OLD TRINITY CHURCHYARD.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading BEING THE ADVENTURES OF A REPORTER WHO WAS INVITED BY THE SOCIABLE GHOST TO A GRAND BANQUET, BALL, AND CONVENTION UNDER THE GROUND OF OLD TRINITY CHURCHYARD.
one more of the same kind, or a different one
From this reading WRITTEN DOWN BY OLIVE HARPER AND ANOTHER.
round object that is hit or thrown or kicked in games
From this reading BEING THE ADVENTURES OF A REPORTER WHO WAS INVITED BY THE SOCIABLE GHOST TO A GRAND BANQUET, BALL, AND CONVENTION UNDER THE GROUND OF OLD TRINITY CHURCHYARD.
a ceremonial dinner party for many people
From this reading BEING THE ADVENTURES OF A REPORTER WHO WAS INVITED BY THE SOCIABLE GHOST TO A GRAND BANQUET, BALL, AND CONVENTION UNDER THE GROUND OF OLD TRINITY CHURCHYARD.
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading BEING THE ADVENTURES OF A REPORTER WHO WAS INVITED BY THE SOCIABLE GHOST TO A GRAND BANQUET, BALL, AND CONVENTION UNDER THE GROUND OF OLD TRINITY CHURCHYARD.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading BEING THE ADVENTURES OF A REPORTER WHO WAS INVITED BY THE SOCIABLE GHOST TO A GRAND BANQUET, BALL, AND CONVENTION UNDER THE GROUND OF OLD TRINITY CHURCHYARD.
the yard associated with a church
From this reading BEING THE ADVENTURES OF A REPORTER WHO WAS INVITED BY THE SOCIABLE GHOST TO A GRAND BANQUET, BALL, AND CONVENTION UNDER THE GROUND OF OLD TRINITY CHURCHYARD.
a large formal assembly
From this reading BEING THE ADVENTURES OF A REPORTER WHO WAS INVITED BY THE SOCIABLE GHOST TO A GRAND BANQUET, BALL, AND CONVENTION UNDER THE GROUND OF OLD TRINITY CHURCHYARD.
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading A TRUE TALE OF THE THINGS HE SAW AND DID NOT SEE WHILE HE WAS NOT THERE.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading WRITTEN DOWN BY OLIVE HARPER AND ANOTHER.
a mental representation of some haunting experience
From this reading THE SOCIABLE GHOST.
of behavior that is impressive and ambitious in scale or scope
From this reading BEING THE ADVENTURES OF A REPORTER WHO WAS INVITED BY THE SOCIABLE GHOST TO A GRAND BANQUET, BALL, AND CONVENTION UNDER THE GROUND OF OLD TRINITY CHURCHYARD.
the solid part of the earth's surface
From this reading BEING THE ADVENTURES OF A REPORTER WHO WAS INVITED BY THE SOCIABLE GHOST TO A GRAND BANQUET, BALL, AND CONVENTION UNDER THE GROUND OF OLD TRINITY CHURCHYARD.
someone who plays the harp
From this reading WRITTEN DOWN BY OLIVE HARPER AND ANOTHER.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading A TRUE TALE OF THE THINGS HE SAW AND DID NOT SEE WHILE HE WAS NOT THERE.
past form of “illustrate” — clarify by giving an example of
From this reading ILLUSTRATED BY THOMAS MCILVAINE AND A. W. SCHWARTZ.
past form of “invite” — increase the likelihood of
From this reading BEING THE ADVENTURES OF A REPORTER WHO WAS INVITED BY THE SOCIABLE GHOST TO A GRAND BANQUET, BALL, AND CONVENTION UNDER THE GROUND OF OLD TRINITY CHURCHYARD.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ILLUSTRATED BY THOMAS MCILVAINE AND A. W. SCHWARTZ.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading A TRUE TALE OF THE THINGS HE SAW AND DID NOT SEE WHILE HE WAS NOT THERE.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading BEING THE ADVENTURES OF A REPORTER WHO WAS INVITED BY THE SOCIABLE GHOST TO A GRAND BANQUET, BALL, AND CONVENTION UNDER THE GROUND OF OLD TRINITY CHURCHYARD.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading BEING THE ADVENTURES OF A REPORTER WHO WAS INVITED BY THE SOCIABLE GHOST TO A GRAND BANQUET, BALL, AND CONVENTION UNDER THE GROUND OF OLD TRINITY CHURCHYARD.
of a yellow-green color similar to that of an unripe olive
From this reading WRITTEN DOWN BY OLIVE HARPER AND ANOTHER.
a person who investigates and reports or edits news stories
From this reading BEING THE ADVENTURES OF A REPORTER WHO WAS INVITED BY THE SOCIABLE GHOST TO A GRAND BANQUET, BALL, AND CONVENTION UNDER THE GROUND OF OLD TRINITY CHURCHYARD.
cut with a saw
From this reading A TRUE TALE OF THE THINGS HE SAW AND DID NOT SEE WHILE HE WAS NOT THERE.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ILLUSTRATED BY THOMAS MCILVAINE AND A. W. SCHWARTZ.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading A TRUE TALE OF THE THINGS HE SAW AND DID NOT SEE WHILE HE WAS NOT THERE.
inclined to or conducive to companionship with others
From this reading THE SOCIABLE GHOST.
a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program
From this reading A TRUE TALE OF THE THINGS HE SAW AND DID NOT SEE WHILE HE WAS NOT THERE.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE SOCIABLE GHOST.
in or at that place or location
From this reading A TRUE TALE OF THE THINGS HE SAW AND DID NOT SEE WHILE HE WAS NOT THERE.
any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)
From this reading A TRUE TALE OF THE THINGS HE SAW AND DID NOT SEE WHILE HE WAS NOT THERE.
United States clockmaker who introduced mass production (1785-1859)
From this reading ILLUSTRATED BY THOMAS MCILVAINE AND A. W. SCHWARTZ.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading BEING THE ADVENTURES OF A REPORTER WHO WAS INVITED BY THE SOCIABLE GHOST TO A GRAND BANQUET, BALL, AND CONVENTION UNDER THE GROUND OF OLD TRINITY CHURCHYARD.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading BEING THE ADVENTURES OF A REPORTER WHO WAS INVITED BY THE SOCIABLE GHOST TO A GRAND BANQUET, BALL, AND CONVENTION UNDER THE GROUND OF OLD TRINITY CHURCHYARD.
consistent with fact or reality; not false
From this reading A TRUE TALE OF THE THINGS HE SAW AND DID NOT SEE WHILE HE WAS NOT THERE.
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading BEING THE ADVENTURES OF A REPORTER WHO WAS INVITED BY THE SOCIABLE GHOST TO A GRAND BANQUET, BALL, AND CONVENTION UNDER THE GROUND OF OLD TRINITY CHURCHYARD.
a heavy grey-white metallic element; the pure form is used mainly in electrical applications; it is found in several ores including wolframite and scheelite
From this reading ILLUSTRATED BY THOMAS MCILVAINE AND A. W. SCHWARTZ.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading BEING THE ADVENTURES OF A REPORTER WHO WAS INVITED BY THE SOCIABLE GHOST TO A GRAND BANQUET, BALL, AND CONVENTION UNDER THE GROUND OF OLD TRINITY CHURCHYARD.
during the time that
From this reading A TRUE TALE OF THE THINGS HE SAW AND DID NOT SEE WHILE HE WAS NOT THERE.
which person or people
From this reading BEING THE ADVENTURES OF A REPORTER WHO WAS INVITED BY THE SOCIABLE GHOST TO A GRAND BANQUET, BALL, AND CONVENTION UNDER THE GROUND OF OLD TRINITY CHURCHYARD.
set down in writing in any of various ways
From this reading WRITTEN DOWN BY OLIVE HARPER AND ANOTHER.
Chapter 1 of The sociable ghost by Olive Harper holds 12 sentences, grouped into 3 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 1 holds 12 sentences of The sociable ghost, unabridged, divided into 3 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of The sociable ghost by Olive Harper exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 12 sentences, grouped into 3 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 3 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 3 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 1 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 sociable ghost by Olive Harper on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 0 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #? are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #?, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 5 minutes of reading across 0 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The sociable ghost section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 0 chapters of The sociable ghost 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 sociable ghost, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
