Chapter 7 of The Tenth Man: A Tragic Comedy in Three Acts is here in full — 410 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter VII
Chapter 7 of The Tenth Man: A Tragic Comedy in Three Acts is here in full — 410 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
JAMES FORD. I think it’s the best thing, you know. GEORGE WINTER. But if my wife refuses to answer I warn you that I shall not say a word to persuade her. I think the whole thing’s a perfect scandal.
Chapter 7 of The Tenth Man: A Tragic Comedy in Three Acts is here in full — 410 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/82 · 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.
United States film maker (1896-1973)
From this reading “JAMES FORD.”
a Stuart king of Scotland who married a daughter of Henry VII; when England and France went to war in 1513 he invaded England and died in defeat at Flodden (1473-1513)
From this reading “JAMES FORD.”
being complete of its kind and without defect or blemish
From this reading “I think the whole thing’s a perfect scandal.”
win approval or support for
From this reading “But if my wife refuses to answer I warn you that I shall not say a word to persuade her.”
plural of “refuse” — food that is discarded (as from a kitchen)
From this reading “But if my wife refuses to answer I warn you that I shall not say a word to persuade her.”
disgraceful gossip about the private lives of other people
From this reading “I think the whole thing’s a perfect scandal.”
possessive form of “thing” — a special situation
notify of danger, potential harm, or risk
From this reading “But if my wife refuses to answer I warn you that I shall not say a word to persuade her.”
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 “I think it’s the best thing, you know.”
In this reading “But if my wife refuses to answer I warn you that I shall not say a word to persuade her.”
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 But if my wife refuses to answer I warn you that I shall not say a word to persuade her.
react verbally
From this reading But if my wife refuses to answer I warn you that I shall not say a word to persuade her.
the supreme effort one can make
From this reading I think it’s the best thing, you know.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But if my wife refuses to answer I warn you that I shall not say a word to persuade her.
United States film maker (1896-1973)
From this reading JAMES FORD.
Christian martyr; patron saint of England; hero of the legend of Saint George and the Dragon in which he slew a dragon and saved a princess (?-303)
From this reading GEORGE WINTER.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading But if my wife refuses to answer I warn you that I shall not say a word to persuade her.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I think it’s the best thing, you know.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading But if my wife refuses to answer I warn you that I shall not say a word to persuade her.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I think it’s the best thing, you know.
a Stuart king of Scotland who married a daughter of Henry VII; when England and France went to war in 1513 he invaded England and died in defeat at Flodden (1473-1513)
From this reading JAMES FORD.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading I think it’s the best thing, you know.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading But if my wife refuses to answer I warn you that I shall not say a word to persuade her.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading But if my wife refuses to answer I warn you that I shall not say a word to persuade her.
being complete of its kind and without defect or blemish
From this reading I think the whole thing’s a perfect scandal.
win approval or support for
From this reading But if my wife refuses to answer I warn you that I shall not say a word to persuade her.
plural of “refuse” — food that is discarded (as from a kitchen)
From this reading But if my wife refuses to answer I warn you that I shall not say a word to persuade her.
express in words
From this reading But if my wife refuses to answer I warn you that I shall not say a word to persuade her.
disgraceful gossip about the private lives of other people
From this reading I think the whole thing’s a perfect scandal.
used with I and we for the future, or to offer and suggest
From this reading But if my wife refuses to answer I warn you that I shall not say a word to persuade her.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading But if my wife refuses to answer I warn you that I shall not say a word to persuade her.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading I think it’s the best thing, you know.
a special situation
From this reading I think it’s the best thing, you know.
possessive form of “thing” — a special situation
From this reading I think the whole thing’s a perfect scandal.
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading I think it’s the best thing, you know.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading But if my wife refuses to answer I warn you that I shall not say a word to persuade her.
notify of danger, potential harm, or risk
From this reading But if my wife refuses to answer I warn you that I shall not say a word to persuade her.
including all components without exception; being one unit or constituting the full amount or extent or duration; complete
From this reading I think the whole thing’s a perfect scandal.
a married woman; a man's partner in marriage
From this reading But if my wife refuses to answer I warn you that I shall not say a word to persuade her.
the coldest season of the year; in the northern hemisphere it extends from the winter solstice to the vernal equinox
From this reading GEORGE WINTER.
a unit of language that native speakers can identify
From this reading But if my wife refuses to answer I warn you that I shall not say a word to persuade her.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading I think it’s the best thing, you know.
Chapter 7 of The Tenth Man: A Tragic Comedy in Three Acts by W. Somerset (William Somerset) Maugham holds 410 sentences, grouped into 82 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 410 sentences of The Tenth Man: A Tragic Comedy in Three Acts, unabridged, divided into 82 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 7 of The Tenth Man: A Tragic Comedy in Three Acts by W. Somerset (William Somerset) Maugham exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 410 sentences, grouped into 82 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 82 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 82 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 Tenth Man: A Tragic Comedy in Three Acts by W. Somerset (William Somerset) Maugham on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3701 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #49916 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #49916, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 308 minutes of reading across 741 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Tenth Man: A Tragic Comedy in Three Acts section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 9 chapters of The Tenth Man: A Tragic Comedy in Three Acts 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 Tenth Man: A Tragic Comedy in Three Acts, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
