The Swan and Her Crew

Chapter XVIII

Chapter 18 of The Swan and Her Crew is here in full — 153 sentences across 31 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By G. Christopher (George Christopher) Davies • Curated US English Learning Edition

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The boys slept at the Royal Hotel that night, and to their surprise found Sir Richard's groom there.

He had brought the brougham to town for repairs, and had orders to wait until it was finished, which would not be until the next day but one.

In the meantime his two ponies were in the stables with nothing to do.

Here was a good opportunity for a long drive.

Narrator

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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English

LEARNER DICTIONARY

Archivist

/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/

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A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Chapter XVIII Reading 1/30

The Swan and Her Crew G. Christopher (George Christopher) Davies

Chapter XVIII

Chapter 18 of The Swan and Her Crew is here in full — 153 sentences across 31 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

A queer Umbrella.--Visit to Scoulton Gullery.--Driving Tandem.-- Running away.--Black-headed Gulls.--Collecting the Eggs.--Carp.-- Wood Argus Butterfly.--Scarlet Pimpernel.--Grasshopper Warbler.-- Chiff-Chaff.--Gall-Fly.--Robins' Pincushions. The boys slept at the Royal Hotel that night, and to their surprise found Sir Richard's groom there. He had brought the brougham to town for repairs, and had orders to wait until it was finished, which would not be until the next day but one. In the meantime his two ponies were in the stables with nothing to do. Here was a good opportunity for a long drive.

The Swan and Her Crew

Chapter XVIII

Chapter 18 of The Swan and Her Crew is here in full — 153 sentences across 31 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/30 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

Line 2

The boys slept at the Royal Hotel that night, and to their surprise found Sir Richard's groom there.

/ðə bɔɪz slept æt ðə ˈrɔɪəl hoʊˈtel ðæt naɪt ənd tuː ðer sərˈpraɪz faʊnd sɜːr ˈrɪtʃərdz ɡruːm ðer/

Line 3

He had brought the brougham to town for repairs, and had orders to wait until it was finished, which would not be until the next day but one.

/hiː hæd brɔːt ðə ˈbruːɡəm tuː taʊn fɔːr rɪˈperz ənd hæd ˈɔːrdərz tuː weɪt ənˈtɪl ɪt wɑːz ˈfɪnɪʃt wɪtʃ wʊd nɑːt biː ənˈtɪl ðə nekst deɪ bʌt wʌn/

Line 4

In the meantime his two ponies were in the stables with nothing to do.

/ɪn ðə ˈmiːntaɪm hɪz tuː ˈpoʊniz wɜːr ɪn ðə ˈsteɪbəlz wɪð ˈnʌθɪŋ tuː duː/

Line 5

Here was a good opportunity for a long drive.

/hiːr wɑːz ə ɡʊd ˌɑːpərˈtuːnəti fɔːr ə lɔːŋ draɪv/

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.

Argus noun US /ˈɑːrɡəs/

(Greek mythology) a giant with 100 eyes; was guardian of the heifer Io and was slain by Hermes

From this reading “A queer Umbrella.--Visit to Scoulton Gullery.--Driving Tandem.-- Running away.--Black-headed Gulls.--Collecting the Eggs.--Carp.-- Wood Argus Butterfly.--Scarlet Pimpernel.--Grasshopper Warbler.-- Chiff-Chaff.--Gall-Fly.--Robins' Pincushions.”

Carp noun US /kɑːrp/

the lean flesh of a fish that is often farmed; can be baked or braised

Grasshopper noun US /ˈɡræshɑːpər/

terrestrial plant-eating insect with hind legs adapted for leaping

Gulls noun US /ɡʌlz/

plural of “gull” — a person who is gullible and easy to take advantage of

Richard's noun US /ˈrɪtʃərdz/

possessive form of “richards” — English literary critic who collaborated with C. K. Ogden and contributed to the development of Basic English (1893-1979)

From this reading “The boys slept at the Royal Hotel that night, and to their surprise found Sir Richard's groom there.”

Robins noun US /ˈrɑːbənz/

plural of “robin” — small Old World songbird with a reddish breast

Tandem noun US /ˈtændəm/

an arrangement of two or more objects or persons one behind another

Warbler noun US /ˈwɔːrblər/

a singer; usually a singer who adds embellishments to the song

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.

next day adjective + noun

In this reading “He had brought the brougham to town for repairs, and had orders to wait until it was finished, which would not be until the next day but one.”

wait until verb + particle

In this reading “He had brought the brougham to town for repairs, and had orders to wait until it was finished, which would not be until the next day but one.”

In the meantime preposition + article + noun counted as “in … meantime”

during the intervening time

In this reading “In the meantime his two ponies were in the stables with nothing to do.”

good opportunity adjective + noun

In this reading “Here was a good opportunity for a long drive.”

All words in this reading · 79

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 A queer Umbrella.--Visit to Scoulton Gullery.--Driving Tandem.-- Running away.--Black-headed Gulls.--Collecting the Eggs.--Carp.-- Wood Argus Butterfly.--Scarlet Pimpernel.--Grasshopper Warbler.-- Chiff-Chaff.--Gall-Fly.--Robins' Pincushions.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading The boys slept at the Royal Hotel that night, and to their surprise found Sir Richard's groom there.

ArgusnounUS /ˈɑːrɡəs/

(Greek mythology) a giant with 100 eyes; was guardian of the heifer Io and was slain by Hermes

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading The boys slept at the Royal Hotel that night, and to their surprise found Sir Richard's groom there.

awayadverbUS /əˈweɪ/

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading He had brought the brougham to town for repairs, and had orders to wait until it was finished, which would not be until the next day but one.

Black-headed

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

boysnounUS /bɔɪz/

plural of “boy” — a youthful male person

From this reading The boys slept at the Royal Hotel that night, and to their surprise found Sir Richard's groom there.

broughamnounUS /ˈbruːɡəm/

light carriage; pulled by a single horse

From this reading He had brought the brougham to town for repairs, and had orders to wait until it was finished, which would not be until the next day but one.

broughtverbUS /brɔːt/

inflected form of “bring” — take something or somebody with oneself somewhere

From this reading He had brought the brougham to town for repairs, and had orders to wait until it was finished, which would not be until the next day but one.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading He had brought the brougham to town for repairs, and had orders to wait until it was finished, which would not be until the next day but one.

ButterflyverbUS /ˈbʌtərflaɪ/

flutter like a butterfly

CarpnounUS /kɑːrp/

the lean flesh of a fish that is often farmed; can be baked or braised

Chiff-Chaff

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

CollectingnounUS /kəˈlektɪŋ/

the act of gathering something together

daynounUS /deɪ/

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading He had brought the brougham to town for repairs, and had orders to wait until it was finished, which would not be until the next day but one.

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading In the meantime his two ponies were in the stables with nothing to do.

driveverbUS /draɪv/

operate or control a vehicle

From this reading Here was a good opportunity for a long drive.

DrivingadjectiveUS /ˈdraɪvɪŋ/

having the power of driving or impelling

EggsnounUS /eɡz/

oval reproductive body of a fowl (especially a hen) used as food

finishedadjectiveUS /ˈfɪnɪʃt/

(of materials or goods) brought to the desired final state

From this reading He had brought the brougham to town for repairs, and had orders to wait until it was finished, which would not be until the next day but one.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading He had brought the brougham to town for repairs, and had orders to wait until it was finished, which would not be until the next day but one.

foundverbUS /faʊnd/

set up or found

From this reading The boys slept at the Royal Hotel that night, and to their surprise found Sir Richard's groom there.

Gall-Fly

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

goodadjectiveUS /ɡʊd/

having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified

From this reading Here was a good opportunity for a long drive.

GrasshoppernounUS /ˈɡræshɑːpər/

terrestrial plant-eating insect with hind legs adapted for leaping

groomverbUS /ɡruːm/

educate for a future role or function

From this reading The boys slept at the Royal Hotel that night, and to their surprise found Sir Richard's groom there.

Gullery

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

GullsnounUS /ɡʌlz/

plural of “gull” — a person who is gullible and easy to take advantage of

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading He had brought the brougham to town for repairs, and had orders to wait until it was finished, which would not be until the next day but one.

HepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading He had brought the brougham to town for repairs, and had orders to wait until it was finished, which would not be until the next day but one.

HereadverbUS /hiːr/

in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is

From this reading Here was a good opportunity for a long drive.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading In the meantime his two ponies were in the stables with nothing to do.

HotelnounUS /hoʊˈtel/

a building where travelers can pay for lodging and meals and other services

From this reading The boys slept at the Royal Hotel that night, and to their surprise found Sir Richard's groom there.

InprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading In the meantime his two ponies were in the stables with nothing to do.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading He had brought the brougham to town for repairs, and had orders to wait until it was finished, which would not be until the next day but one.

longadjectiveUS /lɔːŋ/

primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified

From this reading Here was a good opportunity for a long drive.

meantimenounUS /ˈmiːntaɪm/

the time between one event, process, or period and another

From this reading In the meantime his two ponies were in the stables with nothing to do.

nextadjectiveUS /nekst/

immediately following in time or order

From this reading He had brought the brougham to town for repairs, and had orders to wait until it was finished, which would not be until the next day but one.

nightnounUS /naɪt/

the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside

From this reading The boys slept at the Royal Hotel that night, and to their surprise found Sir Richard's groom there.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading He had brought the brougham to town for repairs, and had orders to wait until it was finished, which would not be until the next day but one.

nothingpronounUS /ˈnʌθɪŋ/

not one thing; not anything

From this reading In the meantime his two ponies were in the stables with nothing to do.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading He had brought the brougham to town for repairs, and had orders to wait until it was finished, which would not be until the next day but one.

opportunitynounUS /ˌɑːpərˈtuːnəti/

a possibility due to a favorable combination of circumstances

From this reading Here was a good opportunity for a long drive.

ordersnounUS /ˈɔːrdərz/

plural of “order” — (often plural) a command given by a superior (e.g., a military or law enforcement officer) that must be obeyed

From this reading He had brought the brougham to town for repairs, and had orders to wait until it was finished, which would not be until the next day but one.

Pimpernelnoun

European garden herb with purple-tinged flowers and leaves that are sometimes used for salads

Pincushions

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

poniesnounUS /ˈpoʊniz/

plural of “pony” — a range horse of the western United States

From this reading In the meantime his two ponies were in the stables with nothing to do.

queeradjectiveUS /kwɪr/

beyond or deviating from the usual or expected

repairsnounUS /rɪˈperz/

plural of “repair” — the act of putting something in working order again

From this reading He had brought the brougham to town for repairs, and had orders to wait until it was finished, which would not be until the next day but one.

Richard'snounUS /ˈrɪtʃərdz/

possessive form of “richards” — English literary critic who collaborated with C. K. Ogden and contributed to the development of Basic English (1893-1979)

From this reading The boys slept at the Royal Hotel that night, and to their surprise found Sir Richard's groom there.

RobinsnounUS /ˈrɑːbənz/

plural of “robin” — small Old World songbird with a reddish breast

RoyaladjectiveUS /ˈrɔɪəl/

of or relating to or indicative of or issued or performed by a king or queen or other monarch

From this reading The boys slept at the Royal Hotel that night, and to their surprise found Sir Richard's groom there.

RunningadjectiveUS /ˈrʌnɪŋ/

(of fluids) moving or issuing in a stream

ScarletnounUS /ˈskɑːrlət/

a variable color that is vivid red but sometimes with an orange tinge

Scoulton

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

SirnounUS /sɜːr/

term of address for a man

From this reading The boys slept at the Royal Hotel that night, and to their surprise found Sir Richard's groom there.

sleptverbUS /slept/

inflected form of “sleep” — be asleep

From this reading The boys slept at the Royal Hotel that night, and to their surprise found Sir Richard's groom there.

stablesnounUS /ˈsteɪbəlz/

plural of “stable” — a farm building for housing horses or other livestock

From this reading In the meantime his two ponies were in the stables with nothing to do.

surprisenounUS /sərˈpraɪz/

the astonishment you feel when something totally unexpected happens to you

From this reading The boys slept at the Royal Hotel that night, and to their surprise found Sir Richard's groom there.

TandemnounUS /ˈtændəm/

an arrangement of two or more objects or persons one behind another

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading The boys slept at the Royal Hotel that night, and to their surprise found Sir Richard's groom there.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading The boys slept at the Royal Hotel that night, and to their surprise found Sir Richard's groom there.

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading The boys slept at the Royal Hotel that night, and to their surprise found Sir Richard's groom there.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

townnounUS /taʊn/

an urban area with a fixed boundary that is smaller than a city

From this reading He had brought the brougham to town for repairs, and had orders to wait until it was finished, which would not be until the next day but one.

twonounUS /tuː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading In the meantime his two ponies were in the stables with nothing to do.

UmbrellanounUS /əmˈbrelə/

a lightweight handheld collapsible canopy

untilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/

up to a particular time

From this reading He had brought the brougham to town for repairs, and had orders to wait until it was finished, which would not be until the next day but one.

VisitverbUS /ˈvɪzɪt/

go to see a place, as for entertainment

waitverbUS /weɪt/

stay in one place and anticipate or expect something

From this reading He had brought the brougham to town for repairs, and had orders to wait until it was finished, which would not be until the next day but one.

WarblernounUS /ˈwɔːrblər/

a singer; usually a singer who adds embellishments to the song

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading He had brought the brougham to town for repairs, and had orders to wait until it was finished, which would not be until the next day but one.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading In the meantime his two ponies were in the stables with nothing to do.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading He had brought the brougham to town for repairs, and had orders to wait until it was finished, which would not be until the next day but one.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading In the meantime his two ponies were in the stables with nothing to do.

WoodnounUS /wʊd/

the hard fibrous lignified substance under the bark of trees

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

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

From this reading He had brought the brougham to town for repairs, and had orders to wait until it was finished, which would not be until the next day but one.

Chapter 18 of The Swan and Her Crew by G. Christopher (George Christopher) Davies holds 153 sentences, grouped into 31 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 18 of The Swan and Her Crew contain?

Chapter 18 holds 153 sentences of The Swan and Her Crew, unabridged, divided into 31 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 18 of The Swan and Her Crew by G. Christopher (George Christopher) Davies exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 153 sentences, grouped into 31 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 18 of The Swan and Her Crew?

Work through the 31 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 31 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 18 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 18 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 Swan and Her Crew

Common questions about reading The Swan and Her Crew by G. Christopher (George Christopher) Davies on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Swan and Her Crew?

Yes. All 3767 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #40214 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Swan and Her Crew is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #40214, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Swan and Her Crew take to read?

About 313 minutes of reading across 754 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in The Swan and Her Crew

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Swan and Her Crew, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Broads: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Swan and Her Crew; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Rivers: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Swan and Her Crew; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Norfolk: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Swan and Her Crew; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Author: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Swan and Her Crew; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

Chapter XVIII

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