Chapter 5 of The Undying Past is here in full — 406 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter V
Chapter 5 of The Undying Past is here in full — 406 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"I thank you, old boy," Ulrich went on, "for not reproaching or laughing at me. Not that any contradiction on your part would have been of the least use. The facts are inexorable, and what we are doing is the only natural course to take." "Yes," Leo assented, staring out of the window. If Ulrich had only guessed what truth he was speaking!
Chapter 5 of The Undying Past is here in full — 406 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/81 · 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.
opposition between two conflicting forces or ideas
From this reading “Not that any contradiction on your part would have been of the least use.”
plural of “fact” — a piece of information about circumstances that exist or events that have occurred
From this reading “The facts are inexorable, and what we are doing is the only natural course to take."”
past form of “guess” — expect, believe, or suppose
From this reading “If Ulrich had only guessed what truth he was speaking!”
not to be placated or appeased or moved by entreaty
From this reading “The facts are inexorable, and what we are doing is the only natural course to take."”
showing or feeling mirth or pleasure or happiness
From this reading “"I thank you, old boy," Ulrich went on, "for not reproaching or laughing at me.”
(astrology) a person who is born while the sun is in Leo
From this reading “"Yes," Leo assented, staring out of the window.”
the utterance of intelligible speech
From this reading “If Ulrich had only guessed what truth he was speaking!”
(used of eyes) open and fixed as if in fear or wonder
From this reading “"Yes," Leo assented, staring out of the window.”
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.
continue a certain state, condition, or activity
In this reading “"I thank you, old boy," Ulrich went on, "for not reproaching or laughing at me.”
In this reading “The facts are inexorable, and what we are doing is the only natural course to take."”
a familiar term of address for a man
In this reading “"I thank you, old boy," Ulrich went on, "for not reproaching or laughing at me.”
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 to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The facts are inexorable, and what we are doing is the only natural course to take."
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading Not that any contradiction on your part would have been of the least use.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The facts are inexorable, and what we are doing is the only natural course to take."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Yes," Leo assented, staring out of the window.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading "I thank you, old boy," Ulrich went on, "for not reproaching or laughing at me.
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Not that any contradiction on your part would have been of the least use.
a youthful male person
From this reading "I thank you, old boy," Ulrich went on, "for not reproaching or laughing at me.
opposition between two conflicting forces or ideas
From this reading Not that any contradiction on your part would have been of the least use.
education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings
From this reading The facts are inexorable, and what we are doing is the only natural course to take."
-ing form of “do” — engage in
From this reading The facts are inexorable, and what we are doing is the only natural course to take."
plural of “fact” — a piece of information about circumstances that exist or events that have occurred
From this reading The facts are inexorable, and what we are doing is the only natural course to take."
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading "I thank you, old boy," Ulrich went on, "for not reproaching or laughing at me.
past form of “guess” — expect, believe, or suppose
From this reading If Ulrich had only guessed what truth he was speaking!
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading If Ulrich had only guessed what truth he was speaking!
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading Not that any contradiction on your part would have been of the least use.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading If Ulrich had only guessed what truth he was speaking!
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I thank you, old boy," Ulrich went on, "for not reproaching or laughing at me.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading If Ulrich had only guessed what truth he was speaking!
not to be placated or appeased or moved by entreaty
From this reading The facts are inexorable, and what we are doing is the only natural course to take."
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The facts are inexorable, and what we are doing is the only natural course to take."
showing or feeling mirth or pleasure or happiness
From this reading "I thank you, old boy," Ulrich went on, "for not reproaching or laughing at me.
the superlative of “little” that can be used with mass nouns and is usually preceded by “the”; a quantifier meaning smallest in amount or extent or degree
From this reading Not that any contradiction on your part would have been of the least use.
(astrology) a person who is born while the sun is in Leo
From this reading "Yes," Leo assented, staring out of the window.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "I thank you, old boy," Ulrich went on, "for not reproaching or laughing at me.
in accordance with nature; relating to or concerning nature
From this reading The facts are inexorable, and what we are doing is the only natural course to take."
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading "I thank you, old boy," Ulrich went on, "for not reproaching or laughing at me.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Not that any contradiction on your part would have been of the least use.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading "I thank you, old boy," Ulrich went on, "for not reproaching or laughing at me.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading "I thank you, old boy," Ulrich went on, "for not reproaching or laughing at me.
and nothing more
From this reading The facts are inexorable, and what we are doing is the only natural course to take."
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading "I thank you, old boy," Ulrich went on, "for not reproaching or laughing at me.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading "Yes," Leo assented, staring out of the window.
something determined in relation to something that includes it
From this reading Not that any contradiction on your part would have been of the least use.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I thank you, old boy," Ulrich went on, "for not reproaching or laughing at me.
the utterance of intelligible speech
From this reading If Ulrich had only guessed what truth he was speaking!
(used of eyes) open and fixed as if in fear or wonder
From this reading "Yes," Leo assented, staring out of the window.
carry out
From this reading The facts are inexorable, and what we are doing is the only natural course to take."
express gratitude or show appreciation to
From this reading "I thank you, old boy," Ulrich went on, "for not reproaching or laughing at me.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Not that any contradiction on your part would have been of the least use.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Not that any contradiction on your part would have been of the least use.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The facts are inexorable, and what we are doing is the only natural course to take."
a fact that has been verified
From this reading If Ulrich had only guessed what truth he was speaking!
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I thank you, old boy," Ulrich went on, "for not reproaching or laughing at me.
the act of using
From this reading Not that any contradiction on your part would have been of the least use.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading If Ulrich had only guessed what truth he was speaking!
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading The facts are inexorable, and what we are doing is the only natural course to take."
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading "I thank you, old boy," Ulrich went on, "for not reproaching or laughing at me.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading The facts are inexorable, and what we are doing is the only natural course to take."
a framework of wood or metal that contains a glass windowpane and is built into a wall or roof to admit light or air
From this reading "Yes," Leo assented, staring out of the window.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading Not that any contradiction on your part would have been of the least use.
an affirmative
From this reading "Yes," Leo assented, staring out of the window.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "I thank you, old boy," Ulrich went on, "for not reproaching or laughing at me.
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading Not that any contradiction on your part would have been of the least use.
Chapter 5 of The Undying Past by Hermann Sudermann holds 406 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 5 holds 406 sentences of The Undying Past, unabridged, divided into 82 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 5 of The Undying Past by Hermann Sudermann exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 406 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 5 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 Undying Past by Hermann Sudermann on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 10467 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #34156 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #34156, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 2094 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Undying Past section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 26 chapters of The Undying Past 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 Undying Past, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
