Chapter 9 of The Whole Family: a Novel by Twelve Authors is here in full — 429 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IX
Chapter 9 of The Whole Family: a Novel by Twelve Authors is here in full — 429 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
We didn't talk any more then for a long time, because suddenly the moon seemed so bright and the garden so sweet. But all at once I heard a step on the gravel walk, and I knew who it was. “That's Charles Edward,” I said. “He's been home with Aunt Elizabeth. We must go in.”
Chapter 9 of The Whole Family: a Novel by Twelve Authors is here in full — 429 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/85 · 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.
emitting or reflecting light readily or in large amounts
From this reading “We didn't talk any more then for a long time, because suddenly the moon seemed so bright and the garden so sweet.”
King of France from 1560 to 1574 whose reign was dominated by his mother Catherine de Medicis (1550-1574)
From this reading ““That's Charles Edward,” I said.”
King of England and Ireland in 1936; his marriage to Wallis Warfield Simpson created a constitutional crisis leading to his abdication (1894-1972)
From this reading ““That's Charles Edward,” I said.”
daughter of George VI who became the Queen of England and Northern Ireland in 1952 on the death of her father (1926-)
From this reading ““He's been home with Aunt Elizabeth.”
a plot of ground where plants are cultivated
From this reading “We didn't talk any more then for a long time, because suddenly the moon seemed so bright and the garden so sweet.”
rock fragments and pebbles
From this reading “But all at once I heard a step on the gravel walk, and I knew who it was.”
the natural satellite of the Earth
From this reading “We didn't talk any more then for a long time, because suddenly the moon seemed so bright and the garden so sweet.”
any maneuver made as part of progress toward a goal
From this reading “But all at once I heard a step on the gravel walk, and I knew who it was.”
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 We didn't talk any more then for a long time, because suddenly the moon seemed so bright and the garden so sweet.
(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 But all at once I heard a step on the gravel walk, and I knew who it was.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading We didn't talk any more then for a long time, because suddenly the moon seemed so bright and the garden so sweet.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading We didn't talk any more then for a long time, because suddenly the moon seemed so bright and the garden so sweet.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading But all at once I heard a step on the gravel walk, and I knew who it was.
the sister of your father or mother; the wife of your uncle
From this reading “He's been home with Aunt Elizabeth.
for the reason that
From this reading We didn't talk any more then for a long time, because suddenly the moon seemed so bright and the garden so sweet.
the past participle of “be”
From this reading “He's been home with Aunt Elizabeth.
emitting or reflecting light readily or in large amounts
From this reading We didn't talk any more then for a long time, because suddenly the moon seemed so bright and the garden so sweet.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But all at once I heard a step on the gravel walk, and I knew who it was.
King of France from 1560 to 1574 whose reign was dominated by his mother Catherine de Medicis (1550-1574)
From this reading “That's Charles Edward,” I said.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We didn't talk any more then for a long time, because suddenly the moon seemed so bright and the garden so sweet.
King of England and Ireland in 1936; his marriage to Wallis Warfield Simpson created a constitutional crisis leading to his abdication (1894-1972)
From this reading “That's Charles Edward,” I said.
daughter of George VI who became the Queen of England and Northern Ireland in 1952 on the death of her father (1926-)
From this reading “He's been home with Aunt Elizabeth.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading We didn't talk any more then for a long time, because suddenly the moon seemed so bright and the garden so sweet.
a plot of ground where plants are cultivated
From this reading We didn't talk any more then for a long time, because suddenly the moon seemed so bright and the garden so sweet.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading We must go in.”
rock fragments and pebbles
From this reading But all at once I heard a step on the gravel walk, and I knew who it was.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “He's been home with Aunt Elizabeth.
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading But all at once I heard a step on the gravel walk, and I knew who it was.
where you live at a particular time
From this reading “He's been home with Aunt Elizabeth.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading But all at once I heard a step on the gravel walk, and I knew who it was.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading We must go in.”
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading But all at once I heard a step on the gravel walk, and I knew who it was.
inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading But all at once I heard a step on the gravel walk, and I knew who it was.
primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified
From this reading We didn't talk any more then for a long time, because suddenly the moon seemed so bright and the garden so sweet.
the natural satellite of the Earth
From this reading We didn't talk any more then for a long time, because suddenly the moon seemed so bright and the garden so sweet.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading We didn't talk any more then for a long time, because suddenly the moon seemed so bright and the garden so sweet.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading We must go in.”
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading But all at once I heard a step on the gravel walk, and I knew who it was.
on one occasion
From this reading But all at once I heard a step on the gravel walk, and I knew who it was.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “That's Charles Edward,” I said.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading We didn't talk any more then for a long time, because suddenly the moon seemed so bright and the garden so sweet.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading We didn't talk any more then for a long time, because suddenly the moon seemed so bright and the garden so sweet.
any maneuver made as part of progress toward a goal
From this reading But all at once I heard a step on the gravel walk, and I knew who it was.
happening unexpectedly
From this reading We didn't talk any more then for a long time, because suddenly the moon seemed so bright and the garden so sweet.
having or denoting the characteristic taste of sugar
From this reading We didn't talk any more then for a long time, because suddenly the moon seemed so bright and the garden so sweet.
exchange thoughts; talk with
From this reading We didn't talk any more then for a long time, because suddenly the moon seemed so bright and the garden so sweet.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “That's Charles Edward,” I said.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading We didn't talk any more then for a long time, because suddenly the moon seemed so bright and the garden so sweet.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading We didn't talk any more then for a long time, because suddenly the moon seemed so bright and the garden so sweet.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading We didn't talk any more then for a long time, because suddenly the moon seemed so bright and the garden so sweet.
the act of traveling by foot
From this reading But all at once I heard a step on the gravel walk, and I knew who it was.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading But all at once I heard a step on the gravel walk, and I knew who it was.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading We didn't talk any more then for a long time, because suddenly the moon seemed so bright and the garden so sweet.
which person or people
From this reading But all at once I heard a step on the gravel walk, and I knew who it was.
in the company of; together with
From this reading “He's been home with Aunt Elizabeth.
Chapter 9 of The Whole Family: a Novel by Twelve Authors by William Dean Howells holds 429 sentences, grouped into 86 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 9 holds 429 sentences of The Whole Family: a Novel by Twelve Authors, unabridged, divided into 86 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 9 of The Whole Family: a Novel by Twelve Authors by William Dean Howells exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 429 sentences, grouped into 86 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 86 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 86 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 9 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 Whole Family: a Novel by Twelve Authors by William Dean Howells on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3899 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #5066 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #5066, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 324 minutes of reading across 780 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Whole Family: a Novel by Twelve Authors section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 9 chapters of The Whole Family: a Novel by Twelve Authors 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 Whole Family: a Novel by Twelve Authors, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
