Chapter 7 of The step on the stair is here in full — 416 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter VII
Chapter 7 of The step on the stair is here in full — 416 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
“Yes, sir.” “Then you caught a glimpse of the papers he selected?” “I did, sir. I could not help it. I had to wait, for he wished me to relieve him of the ones he didn’t want.”
Chapter 7 of The step on the stair is here in full — 416 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.
inflected form of “catch” — discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state
From this reading ““Then you caught a glimpse of the papers he selected?””
a quick look
From this reading ““Then you caught a glimpse of the papers he selected?””
plural of “one” — the smallest whole number or a numeral representing this number
From this reading “I had to wait, for he wished me to relieve him of the ones he didn’t want.””
writing that provides information (especially information of an official nature)
From this reading ““Then you caught a glimpse of the papers he selected?””
provide physical relief, as from pain
From this reading “I had to wait, for he wished me to relieve him of the ones he didn’t want.””
chosen in preference to another
From this reading ““Then you caught a glimpse of the papers he selected?””
stay in one place and anticipate or expect something
From this reading “I had to wait, for he wished me to relieve him of the ones he didn’t want.””
past form of “wish” — hope for; have a wish
From this reading “I had to wait, for he wished me to relieve him of the ones he didn’t want.””
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.
see something for a brief time
In this reading ““Then you caught a glimpse of the papers he selected?””
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 “Then you caught a glimpse of the papers he selected?”
inflected form of “catch” — discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state
From this reading “Then you caught a glimpse of the papers he selected?”
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading I could not help it.
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading “I did, sir.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I had to wait, for he wished me to relieve him of the ones he didn’t want.”
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading I had to wait, for he wished me to relieve him of the ones he didn’t want.”
a quick look
From this reading “Then you caught a glimpse of the papers he selected?”
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading I had to wait, for he wished me to relieve him of the ones he didn’t want.”
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “Then you caught a glimpse of the papers he selected?”
give help or assistance; be of service
From this reading I could not help it.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading I had to wait, for he wished me to relieve him of the ones he didn’t want.”
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “I did, sir.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading I could not help it.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading I had to wait, for he wished me to relieve him of the ones he didn’t want.”
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading I could not help it.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading “Then you caught a glimpse of the papers he selected?”
plural of “one” — the smallest whole number or a numeral representing this number
From this reading I had to wait, for he wished me to relieve him of the ones he didn’t want.”
writing that provides information (especially information of an official nature)
From this reading “Then you caught a glimpse of the papers he selected?”
provide physical relief, as from pain
From this reading I had to wait, for he wished me to relieve him of the ones he didn’t want.”
chosen in preference to another
From this reading “Then you caught a glimpse of the papers he selected?”
term of address for a man
From this reading “Yes, sir.”
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading “Then you caught a glimpse of the papers he selected?”
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading “Then you caught a glimpse of the papers he selected?”
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading I had to wait, for he wished me to relieve him of the ones he didn’t want.”
stay in one place and anticipate or expect something
From this reading I had to wait, for he wished me to relieve him of the ones he didn’t want.”
feel or have a desire for; want strongly
From this reading I had to wait, for he wished me to relieve him of the ones he didn’t want.”
past form of “wish” — hope for; have a wish
From this reading I had to wait, for he wished me to relieve him of the ones he didn’t want.”
an affirmative
From this reading “Yes, sir.”
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “Then you caught a glimpse of the papers he selected?”
Chapter 7 of The step on the stair by Anna Katharine Green holds 416 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 7 holds 416 sentences of The step on the stair, unabridged, divided into 84 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 7 of The step on the stair by Anna Katharine Green exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 416 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 7 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 step on the stair by Anna Katharine Green 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 step on the stair section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 0 chapters of The step on the stair 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 step on the stair, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
