Chapter 10 of The Young O'Briens is here in full — 410 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter X
Chapter 10 of The Young O'Briens is here in full — 410 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"O’Brien," exclaimed their host as they reached his side, "I’ve been trying to get to you, but," with a whimsical glance down at Sheila Pat, "I’m under orders to-night. I’ve never been so polite before in all my life. Now shake hands! You’ll be heard of some day, O’Brien!" Denis flushed and laughed.
Chapter 10 of The Young O'Briens is here in full — 410 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/82 · 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.
having the pinkish flush of health
From this reading “Denis flushed and laughed.”
a person who invites guests to a social event (such as a party in his or her own home) and who is responsible for them while they are there
From this reading “"O’Brien," exclaimed their host as they reached his side, "I’ve been trying to get to you, but," with a whimsical glance down at Sheila Pat, "I’m under orders to-night.”
Irish writer (born in 1932)
plural of “order” — (often plural) a command given by a superior (e.g., a military or law enforcement officer) that must be obeyed
From this reading “"O’Brien," exclaimed their host as they reached his side, "I’ve been trying to get to you, but," with a whimsical glance down at Sheila Pat, "I’m under orders to-night.”
pat or squeeze fondly or playfully, especially under the chin
From this reading “"O’Brien," exclaimed their host as they reached his side, "I’ve been trying to get to you, but," with a whimsical glance down at Sheila Pat, "I’m under orders to-night.”
showing regard for others in manners, speech, behavior, etc.
From this reading “I’ve never been so polite before in all my life.”
move or cause to move back and forth
From this reading “Now shake hands!”
determined by chance or impulse or whim rather than by necessity or reason
From this reading “"O’Brien," exclaimed their host as they reached his side, "I’ve been trying to get to you, but," with a whimsical glance down at Sheila Pat, "I’m under orders to-night.”
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.
take someone's hands and shake them as a gesture of greeting or congratulation
In this reading “Now shake hands!”
In this reading “You’ll be heard of some day, O’Brien!"”
In this reading “"O’Brien," exclaimed their host as they reached his side, "I’ve been trying to get to you, but," with a whimsical glance down at Sheila Pat, "I’m under orders to-night.”
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 "O’Brien," exclaimed their host as they reached his side, "I’ve been trying to get to you, but," with a whimsical glance down at Sheila Pat, "I’m under orders to-night.
(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 I’ve never been so polite before in all my life.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Denis flushed and laughed.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading "O’Brien," exclaimed their host as they reached his side, "I’ve been trying to get to you, but," with a whimsical glance down at Sheila Pat, "I’m under orders to-night.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading "O’Brien," exclaimed their host as they reached his side, "I’ve been trying to get to you, but," with a whimsical glance down at Sheila Pat, "I’m under orders to-night.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading You’ll be heard of some day, O’Brien!"
the past participle of “be”
From this reading "O’Brien," exclaimed their host as they reached his side, "I’ve been trying to get to you, but," with a whimsical glance down at Sheila Pat, "I’m under orders to-night.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading I’ve never been so polite before in all my life.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading "O’Brien," exclaimed their host as they reached his side, "I’ve been trying to get to you, but," with a whimsical glance down at Sheila Pat, "I’m under orders to-night.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading You’ll be heard of some day, O’Brien!"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Denis flushed and laughed.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading "O’Brien," exclaimed their host as they reached his side, "I’ve been trying to get to you, but," with a whimsical glance down at Sheila Pat, "I’m under orders to-night.
past form of “exclaim” — utter aloud; often with surprise, horror, or joy
From this reading "O’Brien," exclaimed their host as they reached his side, "I’ve been trying to get to you, but," with a whimsical glance down at Sheila Pat, "I’m under orders to-night.
having the pinkish flush of health
From this reading Denis flushed and laughed.
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading "O’Brien," exclaimed their host as they reached his side, "I’ve been trying to get to you, but," with a whimsical glance down at Sheila Pat, "I’m under orders to-night.
throw a glance at; take a brief look at
From this reading "O’Brien," exclaimed their host as they reached his side, "I’ve been trying to get to you, but," with a whimsical glance down at Sheila Pat, "I’m under orders to-night.
(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child
From this reading Now shake hands!
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading You’ll be heard of some day, O’Brien!"
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading "O’Brien," exclaimed their host as they reached his side, "I’ve been trying to get to you, but," with a whimsical glance down at Sheila Pat, "I’m under orders to-night.
a person who invites guests to a social event (such as a party in his or her own home) and who is responsible for them while they are there
From this reading "O’Brien," exclaimed their host as they reached his side, "I’ve been trying to get to you, but," with a whimsical glance down at Sheila Pat, "I’m under orders to-night.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "O’Brien," exclaimed their host as they reached his side, "I’ve been trying to get to you, but," with a whimsical glance down at Sheila Pat, "I’m under orders to-night.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "O’Brien," exclaimed their host as they reached his side, "I’ve been trying to get to you, but," with a whimsical glance down at Sheila Pat, "I’m under orders to-night.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading I’ve never been so polite before in all my life.
past form of “laugh” — produce laughter
From this reading Denis flushed and laughed.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading I’ve never been so polite before in all my life.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading I’ve never been so polite before in all my life.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading I’ve never been so polite before in all my life.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading Now shake hands!
Irish writer (born in 1932)
From this reading "O’Brien," exclaimed their host as they reached his side, "I’ve been trying to get to you, but," with a whimsical glance down at Sheila Pat, "I’m under orders to-night.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading You’ll be heard of some day, O’Brien!"
plural of “order” — (often plural) a command given by a superior (e.g., a military or law enforcement officer) that must be obeyed
From this reading "O’Brien," exclaimed their host as they reached his side, "I’ve been trying to get to you, but," with a whimsical glance down at Sheila Pat, "I’m under orders to-night.
pat or squeeze fondly or playfully, especially under the chin
From this reading "O’Brien," exclaimed their host as they reached his side, "I’ve been trying to get to you, but," with a whimsical glance down at Sheila Pat, "I’m under orders to-night.
showing regard for others in manners, speech, behavior, etc.
From this reading I’ve never been so polite before in all my life.
past form of “reach” — reach a destination, either real or abstract
From this reading "O’Brien," exclaimed their host as they reached his side, "I’ve been trying to get to you, but," with a whimsical glance down at Sheila Pat, "I’m under orders to-night.
move or cause to move back and forth
From this reading Now shake hands!
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "O’Brien," exclaimed their host as they reached his side, "I’ve been trying to get to you, but," with a whimsical glance down at Sheila Pat, "I’m under orders to-night.
a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location
From this reading "O’Brien," exclaimed their host as they reached his side, "I’ve been trying to get to you, but," with a whimsical glance down at Sheila Pat, "I’m under orders to-night.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading I’ve never been so polite before in all my life.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading You’ll be heard of some day, O’Brien!"
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading "O’Brien," exclaimed their host as they reached his side, "I’ve been trying to get to you, but," with a whimsical glance down at Sheila Pat, "I’m under orders to-night.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "O’Brien," exclaimed their host as they reached his side, "I’ve been trying to get to you, but," with a whimsical glance down at Sheila Pat, "I’m under orders to-night.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "O’Brien," exclaimed their host as they reached his side, "I’ve been trying to get to you, but," with a whimsical glance down at Sheila Pat, "I’m under orders to-night.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "O’Brien," exclaimed their host as they reached his side, "I’ve been trying to get to you, but," with a whimsical glance down at Sheila Pat, "I’m under orders to-night.
hard to endure
From this reading "O’Brien," exclaimed their host as they reached his side, "I’ve been trying to get to you, but," with a whimsical glance down at Sheila Pat, "I’m under orders to-night.
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading "O’Brien," exclaimed their host as they reached his side, "I’ve been trying to get to you, but," with a whimsical glance down at Sheila Pat, "I’m under orders to-night.
determined by chance or impulse or whim rather than by necessity or reason
From this reading "O’Brien," exclaimed their host as they reached his side, "I’ve been trying to get to you, but," with a whimsical glance down at Sheila Pat, "I’m under orders to-night.
in the company of; together with
From this reading "O’Brien," exclaimed their host as they reached his side, "I’ve been trying to get to you, but," with a whimsical glance down at Sheila Pat, "I’m under orders to-night.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "O’Brien," exclaimed their host as they reached his side, "I’ve been trying to get to you, but," with a whimsical glance down at Sheila Pat, "I’m under orders to-night.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading You’ll be heard of some day, O’Brien!"
Chapter 10 of The Young O'Briens by Margaret Westrup holds 410 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 10 holds 410 sentences of The Young O'Briens, unabridged, divided into 82 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 10 of The Young O'Briens by Margaret Westrup exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 410 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 10 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 Young O'Briens by Margaret Westrup on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 8807 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #45324 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #45324, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 1762 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Young O'Briens section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 22 chapters of The Young O'Briens 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 Young O'Briens, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
