Chapter 3 of The Well-Beloved: A Sketch of a Temperament is here in full — 186 sentences across 38 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter III
Chapter 3 of The Well-Beloved: A Sketch of a Temperament is here in full — 186 sentences across 38 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
'My father,' she burst out suddenly, 'is always scolding me for my extravagance! And he has been doing it to-day more than ever. He said I go shopping in town to simply a diabolical extent, and exceed my allowance!' 'Was that this evening?' 'Yes.
Chapter 3 of The Well-Beloved: A Sketch of a Temperament is here in full — 186 sentences across 38 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/37 · 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.
an amount allowed or granted (as during a given period)
From this reading “He said I go shopping in town to simply a diabolical extent, and exceed my allowance!'”
come open suddenly and violently, as if from internal pressure
From this reading “'My father,' she burst out suddenly, 'is always scolding me for my extravagance!”
showing the cunning or ingenuity or wickedness typical of a devil
From this reading “He said I go shopping in town to simply a diabolical extent, and exceed my allowance!'”
be greater in scope or size than some standard
From this reading “He said I go shopping in town to simply a diabolical extent, and exceed my allowance!'”
the point or degree to which something extends
From this reading “He said I go shopping in town to simply a diabolical extent, and exceed my allowance!'”
the quality of exceeding the appropriate limits of decorum or probability or truth
From this reading “'My father,' she burst out suddenly, 'is always scolding me for my extravagance!”
rebuking a person harshly
From this reading “'My father,' she burst out suddenly, 'is always scolding me for my extravagance!”
searching for or buying goods or services
From this reading “He said I go shopping in town to simply a diabolical extent, and exceed my allowance!'”
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 He said I go shopping in town to simply a diabolical extent, and exceed my allowance!'
an amount allowed or granted (as during a given period)
From this reading He said I go shopping in town to simply a diabolical extent, and exceed my allowance!'
at all times; all the time and on every occasion
From this reading 'My father,' she burst out suddenly, 'is always scolding me for my extravagance!
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading And he has been doing it to-day more than ever.
the past participle of “be”
From this reading And he has been doing it to-day more than ever.
come open suddenly and violently, as if from internal pressure
From this reading 'My father,' she burst out suddenly, 'is always scolding me for my extravagance!
showing the cunning or ingenuity or wickedness typical of a devil
From this reading He said I go shopping in town to simply a diabolical extent, and exceed my allowance!'
-ing form of “do” — engage in
From this reading And he has been doing it to-day more than ever.
the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)
From this reading 'Was that this evening?'
at any time
From this reading And he has been doing it to-day more than ever.
be greater in scope or size than some standard
From this reading He said I go shopping in town to simply a diabolical extent, and exceed my allowance!'
the point or degree to which something extends
From this reading He said I go shopping in town to simply a diabolical extent, and exceed my allowance!'
the quality of exceeding the appropriate limits of decorum or probability or truth
From this reading 'My father,' she burst out suddenly, 'is always scolding me for my extravagance!
a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)
From this reading 'My father,' she burst out suddenly, 'is always scolding me for my extravagance!
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading 'My father,' she burst out suddenly, 'is always scolding me for my extravagance!
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading He said I go shopping in town to simply a diabolical extent, and exceed my allowance!'
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading And he has been doing it to-day more than ever.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading And he has been doing it to-day more than ever.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading He said I go shopping in town to simply a diabolical extent, and exceed my allowance!'
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading He said I go shopping in town to simply a diabolical extent, and exceed my allowance!'
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading 'My father,' she burst out suddenly, 'is always scolding me for my extravagance!
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading And he has been doing it to-day more than ever.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading 'My father,' she burst out suddenly, 'is always scolding me for my extravagance!
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading And he has been doing it to-day more than ever.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading 'My father,' she burst out suddenly, 'is always scolding me for my extravagance!
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading 'My father,' she burst out suddenly, 'is always scolding me for my extravagance!
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading He said I go shopping in town to simply a diabolical extent, and exceed my allowance!'
rebuking a person harshly
From this reading 'My father,' she burst out suddenly, 'is always scolding me for my extravagance!
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading 'My father,' she burst out suddenly, 'is always scolding me for my extravagance!
searching for or buying goods or services
From this reading He said I go shopping in town to simply a diabolical extent, and exceed my allowance!'
and nothing more
From this reading He said I go shopping in town to simply a diabolical extent, and exceed my allowance!'
happening unexpectedly
From this reading 'My father,' she burst out suddenly, 'is always scolding me for my extravagance!
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading And he has been doing it to-day more than ever.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading 'Was that this evening?'
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading 'Was that this evening?'
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading He said I go shopping in town to simply a diabolical extent, and exceed my allowance!'
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And he has been doing it to-day more than ever.
an urban area with a fixed boundary that is smaller than a city
From this reading He said I go shopping in town to simply a diabolical extent, and exceed my allowance!'
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading 'Was that this evening?'
an affirmative
From this reading 'Yes.
Chapter 3 of The Well-Beloved: A Sketch of a Temperament by Thomas Hardy holds 186 sentences, grouped into 38 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 3 holds 186 sentences of The Well-Beloved: A Sketch of a Temperament, unabridged, divided into 38 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 3 of The Well-Beloved: A Sketch of a Temperament by Thomas Hardy exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 186 sentences, grouped into 38 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 38 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 38 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 3 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 Well-Beloved: A Sketch of a Temperament by Thomas Hardy on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3405 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #3326 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #3326, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 283 minutes of reading across 681 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Well-Beloved: A Sketch of a Temperament section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 19 chapters of The Well-Beloved: A Sketch of a Temperament 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 Well-Beloved: A Sketch of a Temperament, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
