Chapter 12 of The Sundial is here in full — 402 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XII
Chapter 12 of The Sundial is here in full — 402 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"You need not say more than that," Charlock murmured. "Now, tell me how I can help you." "It is Arnold Rent," Ethel stammered. "He has disappeared from the house. I was looking after him while his mother was asleep, and I dozed in my chair.
Chapter 12 of The Sundial is here in full — 402 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/80 · 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.
English poet and literary critic (1822-1888)
From this reading “"It is Arnold Rent," Ethel stammered.”
in a state of sleep
From this reading “I was looking after him while his mother was asleep, and I dozed in my chair.”
a seat for one person, with a support for the back
From this reading “I was looking after him while his mother was asleep, and I dozed in my chair.”
past form of “disappear” — get lost, as without warning or explanation
From this reading “"He has disappeared from the house.”
past form of “doze” — sleep lightly or for a short period of time
From this reading “I was looking after him while his mother was asleep, and I dozed in my chair.”
past form of “murmur” — speak softly or indistinctly
From this reading “"You need not say more than that," Charlock murmured.”
a condition requiring relief
From this reading “"You need not say more than that," Charlock murmured.”
let for money
From this reading “"It is Arnold Rent," Ethel stammered.”
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 “"He has disappeared from the house.”
In this reading “"He has disappeared from the house.”
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.
later than; following
From this reading I was looking after him while his mother was asleep, and I dozed in my chair.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading I was looking after him while his mother was asleep, and I dozed in my chair.
English poet and literary critic (1822-1888)
From this reading "It is Arnold Rent," Ethel stammered.
in a state of sleep
From this reading I was looking after him while his mother was asleep, and I dozed in my chair.
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading "Now, tell me how I can help you."
a seat for one person, with a support for the back
From this reading I was looking after him while his mother was asleep, and I dozed in my chair.
weedy Eurasian plant often a pest in grain fields
From this reading "You need not say more than that," Charlock murmured.
past form of “disappear” — get lost, as without warning or explanation
From this reading "He has disappeared from the house.
past form of “doze” — sleep lightly or for a short period of time
From this reading I was looking after him while his mother was asleep, and I dozed in my chair.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "It is Arnold Rent," Ethel stammered.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading "He has disappeared from the house.
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "He has disappeared from the house.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "He has disappeared from the house.
give help or assistance; be of service
From this reading "Now, tell me how I can help you."
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading I was looking after him while his mother was asleep, and I dozed in my chair.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading I was looking after him while his mother was asleep, and I dozed in my chair.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading "He has disappeared from the house.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Now, tell me how I can help you."
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "Now, tell me how I can help you."
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading I was looking after him while his mother was asleep, and I dozed in my chair.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "It is Arnold Rent," Ethel stammered.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "It is Arnold Rent," Ethel stammered.
the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually
From this reading I was looking after him while his mother was asleep, and I dozed in my chair.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "Now, tell me how I can help you."
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading "You need not say more than that," Charlock murmured.
a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)
From this reading I was looking after him while his mother was asleep, and I dozed in my chair.
past form of “murmur” — speak softly or indistinctly
From this reading "You need not say more than that," Charlock murmured.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading I was looking after him while his mother was asleep, and I dozed in my chair.
a condition requiring relief
From this reading "You need not say more than that," Charlock murmured.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading "You need not say more than that," Charlock murmured.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading "Now, tell me how I can help you."
let for money
From this reading "It is Arnold Rent," Ethel stammered.
express in words
From this reading "You need not say more than that," Charlock murmured.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "It is Arnold Rent," Ethel stammered.
express in words
From this reading "Now, tell me how I can help you."
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading "You need not say more than that," Charlock murmured.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "You need not say more than that," Charlock murmured.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "He has disappeared from the house.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading I was looking after him while his mother was asleep, and I dozed in my chair.
during the time that
From this reading I was looking after him while his mother was asleep, and I dozed in my chair.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "You need not say more than that," Charlock murmured.
Chapter 12 of The Sundial by Fred M. (Fred Merrick) White holds 402 sentences, grouped into 81 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 12 holds 402 sentences of The Sundial, unabridged, divided into 81 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 12 of The Sundial by Fred M. (Fred Merrick) White exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 402 sentences, grouped into 81 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 81 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 81 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 12 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 Sundial by Fred M. (Fred Merrick) White on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 6094 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #55006 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #55006, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 507 minutes of reading across 1219 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Sundial section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 15 chapters of The Sundial 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 Sundial, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
