Chapter 16 of The Unforgiving Offender is here in full — 416 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XVI
Chapter 16 of The Unforgiving Offender is here in full — 416 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"No doubt about that--the difficulty with me hitherto has been that I never started. Now----" "Now it is a question whether it wouldn't be better if you _hadn't_ started." "Do you think so?" demanded Lorraine. "Candidly, I don't know what to think," said Pendleton. "It's such a miserable mess all through.
Chapter 16 of The Unforgiving Offender is here in full — 416 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.
(used as intensives reflecting the speaker's attitude) it is sincerely the case that
From this reading “"Candidly, I don't know what to think," said Pendleton.”
past form of “demand” — request urgently and forcefully
From this reading “"Do you think so?" demanded Lorraine.”
an effort that is inconvenient
From this reading “"No doubt about that--the difficulty with me hitherto has been that I never started.”
used in negative statement to describe a situation that has existed up to this point or up to the present time
From this reading “"No doubt about that--the difficulty with me hitherto has been that I never started.”
an eastern French region rich in iron-ore deposits
From this reading “"Do you think so?" demanded Lorraine.”
a state of confusion and disorderliness
From this reading “"It's such a miserable mess all through.”
very unhappy; full of misery
From this reading “"It's such a miserable mess all through.”
past form of “start” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading “"No doubt about that--the difficulty with me hitherto has been that I never started.”
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.
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 Now----" "Now it is a question whether it wouldn't be better if you _hadn't_ started."
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading "No doubt about that--the difficulty with me hitherto has been that I never started.
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading "It's such a miserable mess all through.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Now----" "Now it is a question whether it wouldn't be better if you _hadn't_ started."
the past participle of “be”
From this reading "No doubt about that--the difficulty with me hitherto has been that I never started.
(comparative of “good”) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another
From this reading Now----" "Now it is a question whether it wouldn't be better if you _hadn't_ started."
(used as intensives reflecting the speaker's attitude) it is sincerely the case that
From this reading "Candidly, I don't know what to think," said Pendleton.
past form of “demand” — request urgently and forcefully
From this reading "Do you think so?" demanded Lorraine.
an effort that is inconvenient
From this reading "No doubt about that--the difficulty with me hitherto has been that I never started.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading "Do you think so?" demanded Lorraine.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Candidly, I don't know what to think," said Pendleton.
the state of being unsure of something
From this reading "No doubt about that--the difficulty with me hitherto has been that I never started.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Now----" "Now it is a question whether it wouldn't be better if you _hadn't_ started."
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "No doubt about that--the difficulty with me hitherto has been that I never started.
used in negative statement to describe a situation that has existed up to this point or up to the present time
From this reading "No doubt about that--the difficulty with me hitherto has been that I never started.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "No doubt about that--the difficulty with me hitherto has been that I never started.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading Now----" "Now it is a question whether it wouldn't be better if you _hadn't_ started."
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Now----" "Now it is a question whether it wouldn't be better if you _hadn't_ started."
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Now----" "Now it is a question whether it wouldn't be better if you _hadn't_ started."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "It's such a miserable mess all through.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading "Candidly, I don't know what to think," said Pendleton.
an eastern French region rich in iron-ore deposits
From this reading "Do you think so?" demanded Lorraine.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "No doubt about that--the difficulty with me hitherto has been that I never started.
a state of confusion and disorderliness
From this reading "It's such a miserable mess all through.
very unhappy; full of misery
From this reading "It's such a miserable mess all through.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading "No doubt about that--the difficulty with me hitherto has been that I never started.
not any; not one
From this reading "No doubt about that--the difficulty with me hitherto has been that I never started.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading Now----" "Now it is a question whether it wouldn't be better if you _hadn't_ started."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Candidly, I don't know what to think," said Pendleton.
challenge the accuracy, probity, or propriety of
From this reading Now----" "Now it is a question whether it wouldn't be better if you _hadn't_ started."
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "Candidly, I don't know what to think," said Pendleton.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading "Do you think so?" demanded Lorraine.
past form of “start” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading "No doubt about that--the difficulty with me hitherto has been that I never started.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading "It's such a miserable mess all through.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "No doubt about that--the difficulty with me hitherto has been that I never started.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "No doubt about that--the difficulty with me hitherto has been that I never started.
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading "Do you think so?" demanded Lorraine.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading "It's such a miserable mess all through.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "Candidly, I don't know what to think," said Pendleton.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading "Candidly, I don't know what to think," said Pendleton.
used to introduce two or more possibilities
From this reading Now----" "Now it is a question whether it wouldn't be better if you _hadn't_ started."
in the company of; together with
From this reading "No doubt about that--the difficulty with me hitherto has been that I never started.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Now----" "Now it is a question whether it wouldn't be better if you _hadn't_ started."
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading Now----" "Now it is a question whether it wouldn't be better if you _hadn't_ started."
Chapter 16 of The Unforgiving Offender by John Reed Scott holds 416 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 16 holds 416 sentences of The Unforgiving Offender, unabridged, divided into 84 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 16 of The Unforgiving Offender by John Reed Scott exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 416 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 16 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 Unforgiving Offender by John Reed Scott on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 6982 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #62036 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #62036, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 581 minutes of reading across 1397 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Unforgiving Offender section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 17 chapters of The Unforgiving Offender 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 Unforgiving Offender, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
