Chapter 2 of The Ties That Bind is here in full — 419 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of The Ties That Bind is here in full — 419 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A moment of hush in the room. "I see what you mean," the commander grunted. "But 'desertion' is a pattern of _action_, not a transmittable determinant." Meikl shook his head. "We don't _know_ what is a transmittable determinant until after it's happened."
Chapter 2 of The Ties That Bind is here in full — 419 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.
something done (usually as opposed to something said)
an officer in command of a military unit
From this reading “"I see what you mean," the commander grunted.”
withdrawing support or help despite allegiance or responsibility
From this reading “"But 'desertion' is a pattern of _action_, not a transmittable determinant."”
a determining or causal element or factor
From this reading “"But 'desertion' is a pattern of _action_, not a transmittable determinant."”
past form of “grunt” — issue a grunting, low, animal-like noise
From this reading “"I see what you mean," the commander grunted.”
become quiet or still; fall silent
From this reading “A moment of hush in the room.”
a perceptual structure
From this reading “"But 'desertion' is a pattern of _action_, not a transmittable determinant."”
(of disease) capable of being transmitted by infection
From this reading “"But 'desertion' is a pattern of _action_, not a transmittable determinant."”
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 “A moment of hush in the room.”
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 A moment of hush in the room.
something done (usually as opposed to something said)
From this reading "But 'desertion' is a pattern of _action_, not a transmittable determinant."
later than; following
From this reading "We don't _know_ what is a transmittable determinant until after it's happened."
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading "But 'desertion' is a pattern of _action_, not a transmittable determinant."
an officer in command of a military unit
From this reading "I see what you mean," the commander grunted.
withdrawing support or help despite allegiance or responsibility
From this reading "But 'desertion' is a pattern of _action_, not a transmittable determinant."
a determining or causal element or factor
From this reading "But 'desertion' is a pattern of _action_, not a transmittable determinant."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "We don't _know_ what is a transmittable determinant until after it's happened."
past form of “grunt” — issue a grunting, low, animal-like noise
From this reading "I see what you mean," the commander grunted.
past form of “happen” — come to pass
From this reading "We don't _know_ what is a transmittable determinant until after it's happened."
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading Meikl shook his head.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Meikl shook his head.
become quiet or still; fall silent
From this reading A moment of hush in the room.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I see what you mean," the commander grunted.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading A moment of hush in the room.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "But 'desertion' is a pattern of _action_, not a transmittable determinant."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "We don't _know_ what is a transmittable determinant until after it's happened."
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading "We don't _know_ what is a transmittable determinant until after it's happened."
mean or intend to express or convey
From this reading "I see what you mean," the commander grunted.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Meikl shook his head.
a particular point in time
From this reading A moment of hush in the room.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading "But 'desertion' is a pattern of _action_, not a transmittable determinant."
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading A moment of hush in the room.
a perceptual structure
From this reading "But 'desertion' is a pattern of _action_, not a transmittable determinant."
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading A moment of hush in the room.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading "I see what you mean," the commander grunted.
a disassembled barrel; the parts packed for storage or shipment
From this reading Meikl shook his head.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading A moment of hush in the room.
(of disease) capable of being transmitted by infection
From this reading "But 'desertion' is a pattern of _action_, not a transmittable determinant."
up to a particular time
From this reading "We don't _know_ what is a transmittable determinant until after it's happened."
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading "We don't _know_ what is a transmittable determinant until after it's happened."
used to ask for information about something
From this reading "I see what you mean," the commander grunted.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "I see what you mean," the commander grunted.
Chapter 2 of The Ties That Bind by Walter M. Miller holds 419 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 2 holds 419 sentences of The Ties That Bind, unabridged, divided into 84 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of The Ties That Bind by Walter M. Miller exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 419 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 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 Ties That Bind by Walter M. Miller on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 847 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #32775 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #32775, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 70 minutes of reading across 170 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Ties That Bind section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 2 chapters of The Ties That Bind 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 Ties That Bind, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
