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The spokesman's secretary
The spokesman's secretary

Chapter XIV

Chapter 14 of The spokesman's secretary is here in full — 70 sentences across 14 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The spokesman's secretary
Context Illustration Reading 1/14 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
IN WHICH I GO ON A STRIKE DEAR MOM:
I have not saw Mr. Edgerton for three days and I am just as glad because it has give me time to think things over and get your letter.
You are right I suppose if we cannot get what we want in this world we have got to make out with what we have.
I know that you would not of chose to live in the gas-house district of Camden New Jersey if you could of had your own way nor would I maybe of had so many brothers and sisters.
Well Mr. Edgerton did not call up.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The spokesman's secretary

Chapter XIV

Chapter 14 of The spokesman's secretary is here in full — 70 sentences across 14 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/14 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
IN WHICH I GO ON A STRIKE DEAR MOM:
/ɪn wɪtʃ aɪ ɡoʊ ɑːn ə straɪk dɪr mɑːm/
Line 2
I have not saw Mr. Edgerton for three days and I am just as glad because it has give me time to think things over and get your letter.
Line 3
You are right I suppose if we cannot get what we want in this world we have got to make out with what we have.
Line 4
I know that you would not of chose to live in the gas-house district of Camden New Jersey if you could of had your own way nor would I maybe of had so many brothers and sisters.
Line 5
Well Mr. Edgerton did not call up.

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.

brothers noun US /ˈbrʌðərz/

plural of “brother” — a male with the same parents as someone else

From this reading “I know that you would not of chose to live in the gas-house district of Camden New Jersey if you could of had your own way nor would I maybe of had so many brothers and sisters.”

Camden noun US /ˈkæmdən/

a city in southwestern New Jersey on the Delaware River near Philadelphia

From this reading “I know that you would not of chose to live in the gas-house district of Camden New Jersey if you could of had your own way nor would I maybe of had so many brothers and sisters.”

chose verb US /tʃoʊz/

inflected form of “choose” — pick out, select, or choose from a number of alternatives

From this reading “I know that you would not of chose to live in the gas-house district of Camden New Jersey if you could of had your own way nor would I maybe of had so many brothers and sisters.”

district noun US /ˈdɪstrɪkt/

a region marked off for administrative or other purposes

From this reading “I know that you would not of chose to live in the gas-house district of Camden New Jersey if you could of had your own way nor would I maybe of had so many brothers and sisters.”

Jersey noun US /ˈdʒɜːrzi/

a Mid-Atlantic state on the Atlantic; one of the original 13 colonies

From this reading “I know that you would not of chose to live in the gas-house district of Camden New Jersey if you could of had your own way nor would I maybe of had so many brothers and sisters.”

mom noun US /mɑːm/

informal terms for a mother

From this reading “IN WHICH I GO ON A STRIKE DEAR MOM:”

sisters noun US /ˈsɪstərz/

plural of “sister” — a female person who has the same parents as another person

From this reading “I know that you would not of chose to live in the gas-house district of Camden New Jersey if you could of had your own way nor would I maybe of had so many brothers and sisters.”

strike verb US /straɪk/

deliver a sharp blow, as with the hand, fist, or weapon

From this reading “IN WHICH I GO ON A STRIKE DEAR MOM:”

Word partnerships in these lines

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.

three days noun + noun

In this reading “I have not saw Mr. Edgerton for three days and I am just as glad because it has give me time to think things over and get your letter.”

GO ON verb + particle

continue a certain state, condition, or activity

In this reading “IN WHICH I GO ON A STRIKE DEAR MOM:”

own way verb + noun

In this reading “I know that you would not of chose to live in the gas-house district of Camden New Jersey if you could of had your own way nor would I maybe of had so many brothers and sisters.”

live in verb + particle

live in the house where one works

In this reading “I know that you would not of chose to live in the gas-house district of Camden New Jersey if you could of had your own way nor would I maybe of had so many brothers and sisters.”

make out verb + adjective

detect with the senses

In this reading “You are right I suppose if we cannot get what we want in this world we have got to make out with what we have.”

for three preposition + noun

In this reading “I have not saw Mr. Edgerton for three days and I am just as glad because it has give me time to think things over and get your letter.”

All words in this reading · 76

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.

AdeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading IN WHICH I GO ON A STRIKE DEAR MOM:

amauxiliary verbUS /æm/

the form of “be” used with “I”

From this reading I have not saw Mr. Edgerton for three days and I am just as glad because it has give me time to think things over and get your letter.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading I have not saw Mr. Edgerton for three days and I am just as glad because it has give me time to think things over and get your letter.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

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

From this reading You are right I suppose if we cannot get what we want in this world we have got to make out with what we have.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading I have not saw Mr. Edgerton for three days and I am just as glad because it has give me time to think things over and get your letter.

becauseconjunctionUS /bɪˈkɔːz/

for the reason that

From this reading I have not saw Mr. Edgerton for three days and I am just as glad because it has give me time to think things over and get your letter.

brothersnounUS /ˈbrʌðərz/

plural of “brother” — a male with the same parents as someone else

From this reading I know that you would not of chose to live in the gas-house district of Camden New Jersey if you could of had your own way nor would I maybe of had so many brothers and sisters.

callverbUS /kɔːl/

assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading Well Mr. Edgerton did not call up.

CamdennounUS /ˈkæmdən/

a city in southwestern New Jersey on the Delaware River near Philadelphia

From this reading I know that you would not of chose to live in the gas-house district of Camden New Jersey if you could of had your own way nor would I maybe of had so many brothers and sisters.

cannot

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

From this reading You are right I suppose if we cannot get what we want in this world we have got to make out with what we have.

choseverbUS /tʃoʊz/

inflected form of “choose” — pick out, select, or choose from a number of alternatives

From this reading I know that you would not of chose to live in the gas-house district of Camden New Jersey if you could of had your own way nor would I maybe of had so many brothers and sisters.

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading I know that you would not of chose to live in the gas-house district of Camden New Jersey if you could of had your own way nor would I maybe of had so many brothers and sisters.

daysnounUS /deɪz/

the time during which someone's life continues

From this reading I have not saw Mr. Edgerton for three days and I am just as glad because it has give me time to think things over and get your letter.

DEARadjectiveUS /dɪr/

dearly loved

From this reading IN WHICH I GO ON A STRIKE DEAR MOM:

didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading Well Mr. Edgerton did not call up.

districtnounUS /ˈdɪstrɪkt/

a region marked off for administrative or other purposes

From this reading I know that you would not of chose to live in the gas-house district of Camden New Jersey if you could of had your own way nor would I maybe of had so many brothers and sisters.

Edgerton

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

From this reading I have not saw Mr. Edgerton for three days and I am just as glad because it has give me time to think things over and get your letter.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading I have not saw Mr. Edgerton for three days and I am just as glad because it has give me time to think things over and get your letter.

gas-house

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

From this reading I know that you would not of chose to live in the gas-house district of Camden New Jersey if you could of had your own way nor would I maybe of had so many brothers and sisters.

getverbUS /ɡet/

come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

From this reading I have not saw Mr. Edgerton for three days and I am just as glad because it has give me time to think things over and get your letter.

giveverbUS /ɡɪv/

cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense

From this reading I have not saw Mr. Edgerton for three days and I am just as glad because it has give me time to think things over and get your letter.

gladadjectiveUS /ɡlæd/

showing or causing joy and pleasure; especially made happy

From this reading I have not saw Mr. Edgerton for three days and I am just as glad because it has give me time to think things over and get your letter.

GOverbUS /ɡoʊ/

change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading IN WHICH I GO ON A STRIKE DEAR MOM:

gotverbUS /ɡɑːt/

inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

From this reading You are right I suppose if we cannot get what we want in this world we have got to make out with what we have.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading I know that you would not of chose to live in the gas-house district of Camden New Jersey if you could of had your own way nor would I maybe of had so many brothers and sisters.

hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/

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

From this reading I have not saw Mr. Edgerton for three days and I am just as glad because it has give me time to think things over and get your letter.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading I have not saw Mr. Edgerton for three days and I am just as glad because it has give me time to think things over and get your letter.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading IN WHICH I GO ON A STRIKE DEAR MOM:

ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading You are right I suppose if we cannot get what we want in this world we have got to make out with what we have.

INprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading IN WHICH I GO ON A STRIKE DEAR MOM:

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading I have not saw Mr. Edgerton for three days and I am just as glad because it has give me time to think things over and get your letter.

JerseynounUS /ˈdʒɜːrzi/

a Mid-Atlantic state on the Atlantic; one of the original 13 colonies

From this reading I know that you would not of chose to live in the gas-house district of Camden New Jersey if you could of had your own way nor would I maybe of had so many brothers and sisters.

justadverbUS /dʒʌst/

and nothing more

From this reading I have not saw Mr. Edgerton for three days and I am just as glad because it has give me time to think things over and get your letter.

knowverbUS /noʊ/

be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading I know that you would not of chose to live in the gas-house district of Camden New Jersey if you could of had your own way nor would I maybe of had so many brothers and sisters.

letternounUS /ˈletər/

a written message addressed to a person or organization

From this reading I have not saw Mr. Edgerton for three days and I am just as glad because it has give me time to think things over and get your letter.

liveverbUS /laɪv/

be an inhabitant of or reside in

From this reading I know that you would not of chose to live in the gas-house district of Camden New Jersey if you could of had your own way nor would I maybe of had so many brothers and sisters.

makeverbUS /meɪk/

engage in

From this reading You are right I suppose if we cannot get what we want in this world we have got to make out with what we have.

manyadjectiveUS /ˈmeni/

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number

From this reading I know that you would not of chose to live in the gas-house district of Camden New Jersey if you could of had your own way nor would I maybe of had so many brothers and sisters.

maybeadverbUS /ˈmeɪbi/

by chance

From this reading I know that you would not of chose to live in the gas-house district of Camden New Jersey if you could of had your own way nor would I maybe of had so many brothers and sisters.

mepronounUS /miː/

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

From this reading I have not saw Mr. Edgerton for three days and I am just as glad because it has give me time to think things over and get your letter.

MOMnounUS /mɑːm/

informal terms for a mother

From this reading IN WHICH I GO ON A STRIKE DEAR MOM:

MrnounUS /ˈmɪstər/

a form of address for a man

From this reading I have not saw Mr. Edgerton for three days and I am just as glad because it has give me time to think things over and get your letter.

NewadjectiveUS /nuː/

not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered

From this reading I know that you would not of chose to live in the gas-house district of Camden New Jersey if you could of had your own way nor would I maybe of had so many brothers and sisters.

norconjunctionUS /nɔːr/

and not; used after a negative to add a second negative

From this reading I know that you would not of chose to live in the gas-house district of Camden New Jersey if you could of had your own way nor would I maybe of had so many brothers and sisters.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading I have not saw Mr. Edgerton for three days and I am just as glad because it has give me time to think things over and get your letter.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading I know that you would not of chose to live in the gas-house district of Camden New Jersey if you could of had your own way nor would I maybe of had so many brothers and sisters.

ONprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading IN WHICH I GO ON A STRIKE DEAR MOM:

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading You are right I suppose if we cannot get what we want in this world we have got to make out with what we have.

overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/

above and across; more than

From this reading I have not saw Mr. Edgerton for three days and I am just as glad because it has give me time to think things over and get your letter.

ownverbUS /oʊn/

have ownership or possession of

From this reading I know that you would not of chose to live in the gas-house district of Camden New Jersey if you could of had your own way nor would I maybe of had so many brothers and sisters.

rightadverbUS /raɪt/

precisely, exactly

From this reading You are right I suppose if we cannot get what we want in this world we have got to make out with what we have.

sawverbUS /sɔː/

cut with a saw

From this reading I have not saw Mr. Edgerton for three days and I am just as glad because it has give me time to think things over and get your letter.

sistersnounUS /ˈsɪstərz/

plural of “sister” — a female person who has the same parents as another person

From this reading I know that you would not of chose to live in the gas-house district of Camden New Jersey if you could of had your own way nor would I maybe of had so many brothers and sisters.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading I know that you would not of chose to live in the gas-house district of Camden New Jersey if you could of had your own way nor would I maybe of had so many brothers and sisters.

STRIKEverbUS /straɪk/

deliver a sharp blow, as with the hand, fist, or weapon

From this reading IN WHICH I GO ON A STRIKE DEAR MOM:

supposeverbUS /səˈpoʊz/

express a supposition

From this reading You are right I suppose if we cannot get what we want in this world we have got to make out with what we have.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading I know that you would not of chose to live in the gas-house district of Camden New Jersey if you could of had your own way nor would I maybe of had so many brothers and sisters.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading I know that you would not of chose to live in the gas-house district of Camden New Jersey if you could of had your own way nor would I maybe of had so many brothers and sisters.

thingsnounUS /θɪŋz/

any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)

From this reading I have not saw Mr. Edgerton for three days and I am just as glad because it has give me time to think things over and get your letter.

thinkverbUS /θɪŋk/

judge or regard; look upon; judge

From this reading I have not saw Mr. Edgerton for three days and I am just as glad because it has give me time to think things over and get your letter.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading You are right I suppose if we cannot get what we want in this world we have got to make out with what we have.

threenounUS /θriː/

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

From this reading I have not saw Mr. Edgerton for three days and I am just as glad because it has give me time to think things over and get your letter.

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading I have not saw Mr. Edgerton for three days and I am just as glad because it has give me time to think things over and get your letter.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading I have not saw Mr. Edgerton for three days and I am just as glad because it has give me time to think things over and get your letter.

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

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

From this reading Well Mr. Edgerton did not call up.

wantverbUS /wɑːnt/

feel or have a desire for; want strongly

From this reading You are right I suppose if we cannot get what we want in this world we have got to make out with what we have.

waynounUS /weɪ/

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading I know that you would not of chose to live in the gas-house district of Camden New Jersey if you could of had your own way nor would I maybe of had so many brothers and sisters.

wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading You are right I suppose if we cannot get what we want in this world we have got to make out with what we have.

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 Well Mr. Edgerton did not call up.

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading You are right I suppose if we cannot get what we want in this world we have got to make out with what we have.

WHICHpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading IN WHICH I GO ON A STRIKE DEAR MOM:

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading You are right I suppose if we cannot get what we want in this world we have got to make out with what we have.

worldnounUS /wɜːrld/

everything that exists anywhere

From this reading You are right I suppose if we cannot get what we want in this world we have got to make out with what we have.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading I know that you would not of chose to live in the gas-house district of Camden New Jersey if you could of had your own way nor would I maybe of had so many brothers and sisters.

YoupronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading You are right I suppose if we cannot get what we want in this world we have got to make out with what we have.

yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading I have not saw Mr. Edgerton for three days and I am just as glad because it has give me time to think things over and get your letter.

Chapter 14 of The spokesman's secretary by Upton Sinclair holds 70 sentences, grouped into 14 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 14 of The spokesman's secretary contain?

Chapter 14 holds 70 sentences of The spokesman's secretary, unabridged, divided into 14 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 14 of The spokesman's secretary by Upton Sinclair exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 70 sentences, grouped into 14 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 14 of The spokesman's secretary?

Work through the 14 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 14 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 14 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 14 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 spokesman's secretary

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Is this the complete text of The spokesman's secretary?

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Project Gutenberg eBook #71030, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

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About 123 minutes of reading across 296 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in The spokesman's secretary

Words and structures a reader meets early in The spokesman's secretary, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Being
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The spokesman's secretary; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Letters
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The spokesman's secretary; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Complaining
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The spokesman's secretary; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Enough
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The spokesman's secretary; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.