Chapter 2 of The Story of a Play A Novel is here in full — 425 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of The Story of a Play A Novel is here in full — 425 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"I know what you're thinking of now," said his wife. "What?" "Whether you couldn't use _our_ affair in the play?" "You're a witch! Yes, I was!
Chapter 2 of The Story of a Play A Novel is here in full — 425 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/85 · 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 vaguely specified concern
From this reading “"Whether you couldn't use _our_ affair in the play?"”
participate in games or sport
From this reading “"Whether you couldn't use _our_ affair in the play?"”
the process of using your mind to consider something carefully
From this reading “"I know what you're thinking of now," said his wife.”
the act of using
From this reading “"Whether you couldn't use _our_ affair in the play?"”
used to introduce two or more possibilities
From this reading “"Whether you couldn't use _our_ affair in the play?"”
a married woman; a man's partner in marriage
From this reading “"I know what you're thinking of now," said his wife.”
a female sorcerer or magician
From this reading “"You're a witch!”
an affirmative
From this reading “Yes, I was!”
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 "You're a witch!
a vaguely specified concern
From this reading "Whether you couldn't use _our_ affair in the play?"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Whether you couldn't use _our_ affair in the play?"
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading "I know what you're thinking of now," said his wife.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I know what you're thinking of now," said his wife.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "Whether you couldn't use _our_ affair in the play?"
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading "I know what you're thinking of now," said his wife.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading "I know what you're thinking of now," said his wife.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "I know what you're thinking of now," said his wife.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading "Whether you couldn't use _our_ affair in the play?"
participate in games or sport
From this reading "Whether you couldn't use _our_ affair in the play?"
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "I know what you're thinking of now," said his wife.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "Whether you couldn't use _our_ affair in the play?"
the process of using your mind to consider something carefully
From this reading "I know what you're thinking of now," said his wife.
the act of using
From this reading "Whether you couldn't use _our_ affair in the play?"
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Yes, I was!
used to ask for information about something
From this reading "I know what you're thinking of now," said his wife.
used to introduce two or more possibilities
From this reading "Whether you couldn't use _our_ affair in the play?"
a married woman; a man's partner in marriage
From this reading "I know what you're thinking of now," said his wife.
a female sorcerer or magician
From this reading "You're a witch!
an affirmative
From this reading Yes, I was!
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Whether you couldn't use _our_ affair in the play?"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I know what you're thinking of now," said his wife.
Chapter 2 of The Story of a Play A Novel by William Dean Howells holds 425 sentences, grouped into 85 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 2 holds 425 sentences of The Story of a Play A Novel, unabridged, divided into 85 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of The Story of a Play A Novel by William Dean Howells exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 425 sentences, grouped into 85 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 85 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 85 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 2 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 Story of a Play A Novel by William Dean Howells on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3505 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #20225 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #20225, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 292 minutes of reading across 701 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Story of a Play A Novel section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 8 chapters of The Story of a Play A Novel 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 Story of a Play A Novel, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
