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Those Times and These
Those Times and These

Chapter VI · The Family Tree

Chapter VI of Those Times and These, “The Family Tree,” is here in full — 591 sentences across 119 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Irvin S. (Irvin Shrewsbury) Cobb • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for Those Times and These
Context Illustration Reading 1/118 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
THE family tree of the Van Nicht family was not the sort of family tree you think I mean, although they had one of that variety too.
This was a real tree.
It was an elm--the biggest elm and the broadest and the most majestic elm in the entire state, and in the times of its leafage cast the densest shade of any elm to be found anywhere, probably.
For more than one hundred years the Van Nicht family had lived in its shadow.
That was the principal trouble with them--they did live in the shadow.
0:00 / 0:00
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Those Times and These

Chapter VI · The Family Tree

Chapter VI of Those Times and These, “The Family Tree,” is here in full — 591 sentences across 119 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/118 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
THE family tree of the Van Nicht family was not the sort of family tree you think I mean, although they had one of that variety too.
Line 2
This was a real tree.
/ðɪs wɑːz ə riːl triː/
Line 3
It was an elm--the biggest elm and the broadest and the most majestic elm in the entire state, and in the times of its leafage cast the densest shade of any elm to be found anywhere, probably.
Line 4
For more than one hundred years the Van Nicht family had lived in its shadow.
Line 5
That was the principal trouble with them--they did live in the shadow.

Learner Dictionary

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.

anywhere adverb US /ˈeniwer/

at or in or to any place

From this reading “It was an elm--the biggest elm and the broadest and the most majestic elm in the entire state, and in the times of its leafage cast the densest shade of any elm to be found anywhere, probably.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
biggest adjective US /ˈbɪɡəst/

superlative of “big” — above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading “It was an elm--the biggest elm and the broadest and the most majestic elm in the entire state, and in the times of its leafage cast the densest shade of any elm to be found anywhere, probably.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
broadest adjective US /ˈbrɔːdɪst/

superlative of “broad” — having great (or a certain) extent from one side to the other

From this reading “It was an elm--the biggest elm and the broadest and the most majestic elm in the entire state, and in the times of its leafage cast the densest shade of any elm to be found anywhere, probably.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
densest adjective US /ˈdensəst/

superlative of “dense” — permitting little if any light to pass through because of denseness of matter

From this reading “It was an elm--the biggest elm and the broadest and the most majestic elm in the entire state, and in the times of its leafage cast the densest shade of any elm to be found anywhere, probably.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
elm noun US /elm/

any of various trees of the genus Ulmus: important timber or shade trees

From this reading “It was an elm--the biggest elm and the broadest and the most majestic elm in the entire state, and in the times of its leafage cast the densest shade of any elm to be found anywhere, probably.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
majestic adjective US /məˈdʒestɪk/

majestic in manner or bearing; superior to mundane matters

From this reading “It was an elm--the biggest elm and the broadest and the most majestic elm in the entire state, and in the times of its leafage cast the densest shade of any elm to be found anywhere, probably.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
principal noun US /ˈprɪnsəpəl/

the original amount of a debt on which interest is calculated

From this reading “That was the principal trouble with them--they did live in the shadow.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
variety noun US /vərˈaɪəti/

a collection containing a variety of sorts of things

From this reading “THE family tree of the Van Nicht family was not the sort of family tree you think I mean, although they had one of that variety too.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

Word partnerships in these lines

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.

hundred years noun + noun

In this reading “For more than one hundred years the Van Nicht family had lived in its shadow.”

14,971 times in 426,211 chapters
most majestic adverb + adjective

In this reading “It was an elm--the biggest elm and the broadest and the most majestic elm in the entire state, and in the times of its leafage cast the densest shade of any elm to be found anywhere, probably.”

177 times in 426,211 chapters
found anywhere verb + particle

In this reading “It was an elm--the biggest elm and the broadest and the most majestic elm in the entire state, and in the times of its leafage cast the densest shade of any elm to be found anywhere, probably.”

483 times in 426,211 chapters
lived in verb + particle counted as “live in”

live in the house where one works

In this reading “For more than one hundred years the Van Nicht family had lived in its shadow.”

64,539 times in 426,211 chapters
in the shadow preposition + article + noun counted as “in … shadow”

In this reading “That was the principal trouble with them--they did live in the shadow.”

10,289 times in 426,211 chapters

All words in this reading · 59

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.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading This was a real tree.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
althoughconjunctionUS /ˌɔːlˈðoʊ/

in spite of the fact that

From this reading THE family tree of the Van Nicht family was not the sort of family tree you think I mean, although they had one of that variety too.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading It was an elm--the biggest elm and the broadest and the most majestic elm in the entire state, and in the times of its leafage cast the densest shade of any elm to be found anywhere, probably.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading It was an elm--the biggest elm and the broadest and the most majestic elm in the entire state, and in the times of its leafage cast the densest shade of any elm to be found anywhere, probably.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
anyadjectiveUS /ˈeni/

one or some or every or all without specification

From this reading It was an elm--the biggest elm and the broadest and the most majestic elm in the entire state, and in the times of its leafage cast the densest shade of any elm to be found anywhere, probably.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
anywhereadverbUS /ˈeniwer/

at or in or to any place

From this reading It was an elm--the biggest elm and the broadest and the most majestic elm in the entire state, and in the times of its leafage cast the densest shade of any elm to be found anywhere, probably.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading It was an elm--the biggest elm and the broadest and the most majestic elm in the entire state, and in the times of its leafage cast the densest shade of any elm to be found anywhere, probably.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
biggestadjectiveUS /ˈbɪɡəst/

superlative of “big” — above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading It was an elm--the biggest elm and the broadest and the most majestic elm in the entire state, and in the times of its leafage cast the densest shade of any elm to be found anywhere, probably.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
broadestadjectiveUS /ˈbrɔːdɪst/

superlative of “broad” — having great (or a certain) extent from one side to the other

From this reading It was an elm--the biggest elm and the broadest and the most majestic elm in the entire state, and in the times of its leafage cast the densest shade of any elm to be found anywhere, probably.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
castverbUS /kæst/

put or send forth

From this reading It was an elm--the biggest elm and the broadest and the most majestic elm in the entire state, and in the times of its leafage cast the densest shade of any elm to be found anywhere, probably.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
densestadjectiveUS /ˈdensəst/

superlative of “dense” — permitting little if any light to pass through because of denseness of matter

From this reading It was an elm--the biggest elm and the broadest and the most majestic elm in the entire state, and in the times of its leafage cast the densest shade of any elm to be found anywhere, probably.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading That was the principal trouble with them--they did live in the shadow.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
elmnounUS /elm/

any of various trees of the genus Ulmus: important timber or shade trees

From this reading It was an elm--the biggest elm and the broadest and the most majestic elm in the entire state, and in the times of its leafage cast the densest shade of any elm to be found anywhere, probably.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
entireadjectiveUS /ɪnˈtaɪər/

constituting the full quantity or extent; complete

From this reading It was an elm--the biggest elm and the broadest and the most majestic elm in the entire state, and in the times of its leafage cast the densest shade of any elm to be found anywhere, probably.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
familynounUS /ˈfæməli/

a social unit living together

From this reading THE family tree of the Van Nicht family was not the sort of family tree you think I mean, although they had one of that variety too.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ForprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading For more than one hundred years the Van Nicht family had lived in its shadow.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
foundverbUS /faʊnd/

set up or found

From this reading It was an elm--the biggest elm and the broadest and the most majestic elm in the entire state, and in the times of its leafage cast the densest shade of any elm to be found anywhere, probably.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading THE family tree of the Van Nicht family was not the sort of family tree you think I mean, although they had one of that variety too.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
hundrednounUS /ˈhʌndrəd/

ten 10s

From this reading For more than one hundred years the Van Nicht family had lived in its shadow.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading THE family tree of the Van Nicht family was not the sort of family tree you think I mean, although they had one of that variety too.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading It was an elm--the biggest elm and the broadest and the most majestic elm in the entire state, and in the times of its leafage cast the densest shade of any elm to be found anywhere, probably.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It was an elm--the biggest elm and the broadest and the most majestic elm in the entire state, and in the times of its leafage cast the densest shade of any elm to be found anywhere, probably.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading It was an elm--the biggest elm and the broadest and the most majestic elm in the entire state, and in the times of its leafage cast the densest shade of any elm to be found anywhere, probably.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
leafagenoun

the main organ of photosynthesis and transpiration in higher plants

From this reading It was an elm--the biggest elm and the broadest and the most majestic elm in the entire state, and in the times of its leafage cast the densest shade of any elm to be found anywhere, probably.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
liveverbUS /laɪv/

be an inhabitant of or reside in

From this reading That was the principal trouble with them--they did live in the shadow.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
livedverbUS /lɪvd/

past form of “live” — be an inhabitant of or reside in

From this reading For more than one hundred years the Van Nicht family had lived in its shadow.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
majesticadjectiveUS /məˈdʒestɪk/

majestic in manner or bearing; superior to mundane matters

From this reading It was an elm--the biggest elm and the broadest and the most majestic elm in the entire state, and in the times of its leafage cast the densest shade of any elm to be found anywhere, probably.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
meanverbUS /miːn/

mean or intend to express or convey

From this reading THE family tree of the Van Nicht family was not the sort of family tree you think I mean, although they had one of that variety too.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading For more than one hundred years the Van Nicht family had lived in its shadow.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
mostadverbUS /moʊst/

used to form the superlative

From this reading It was an elm--the biggest elm and the broadest and the most majestic elm in the entire state, and in the times of its leafage cast the densest shade of any elm to be found anywhere, probably.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Nicht

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading THE family tree of the Van Nicht family was not the sort of family tree you think I mean, although they had one of that variety too.

Pending verification
notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading THE family tree of the Van Nicht family was not the sort of family tree you think I mean, although they had one of that variety too.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading THE family tree of the Van Nicht family was not the sort of family tree you think I mean, although they had one of that variety too.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading THE family tree of the Van Nicht family was not the sort of family tree you think I mean, although they had one of that variety too.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
principalnounUS /ˈprɪnsəpəl/

the original amount of a debt on which interest is calculated

From this reading That was the principal trouble with them--they did live in the shadow.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
probablyadverbUS /ˈprɑːbəbliː/

with considerable certainty; without much doubt

From this reading It was an elm--the biggest elm and the broadest and the most majestic elm in the entire state, and in the times of its leafage cast the densest shade of any elm to be found anywhere, probably.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
realadjectiveUS /riːl/

being or occurring in fact or actuality; having verified existence; not illusory

From this reading This was a real tree.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
shadenounUS /ʃeɪd/

relative darkness caused by light rays being intercepted by an opaque body

From this reading It was an elm--the biggest elm and the broadest and the most majestic elm in the entire state, and in the times of its leafage cast the densest shade of any elm to be found anywhere, probably.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
shadownounUS /ˈʃæd.oʊ/

A dark area or shape produced by a body coming between rays of light and a surface.

From this reading For more than one hundred years the Van Nicht family had lived in its shadow.

Velmora curated lexicon
sortnounUS /sɔːrt/

a category of things distinguished by some common characteristic or quality

From this reading THE family tree of the Van Nicht family was not the sort of family tree you think I mean, although they had one of that variety too.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
statenounUS /steɪt/

the territory occupied by one of the constituent administrative districts of a nation

From this reading It was an elm--the biggest elm and the broadest and the most majestic elm in the entire state, and in the times of its leafage cast the densest shade of any elm to be found anywhere, probably.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading For more than one hundred years the Van Nicht family had lived in its shadow.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading THE family tree of the Van Nicht family was not the sort of family tree you think I mean, although they had one of that variety too.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading THE family tree of the Van Nicht family was not the sort of family tree you think I mean, although they had one of that variety too.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading That was the principal trouble with them--they did live in the shadow.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading THE family tree of the Van Nicht family was not the sort of family tree you think I mean, although they had one of that variety too.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thinkverbUS /θɪŋk/

judge or regard; look upon; judge

From this reading THE family tree of the Van Nicht family was not the sort of family tree you think I mean, although they had one of that variety too.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ThisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading This was a real tree.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
timesnounUS /taɪmz/

a more or less definite period of time now or previously present

From this reading It was an elm--the biggest elm and the broadest and the most majestic elm in the entire state, and in the times of its leafage cast the densest shade of any elm to be found anywhere, probably.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading It was an elm--the biggest elm and the broadest and the most majestic elm in the entire state, and in the times of its leafage cast the densest shade of any elm to be found anywhere, probably.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
tooadverbUS /tuː/

to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits

From this reading THE family tree of the Van Nicht family was not the sort of family tree you think I mean, although they had one of that variety too.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
treenounUS /triː/

a tall perennial woody plant having a main trunk and branches forming a distinct elevated crown; includes both gymnosperms and angiosperms

From this reading THE family tree of the Van Nicht family was not the sort of family tree you think I mean, although they had one of that variety too.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
troublenounUS /ˈtrʌbəl/

a source of difficulty

From this reading That was the principal trouble with them--they did live in the shadow.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
VannounUS /væn/

any creative group active in the innovation and application of new concepts and techniques in a given field (especially in the arts)

From this reading THE family tree of the Van Nicht family was not the sort of family tree you think I mean, although they had one of that variety too.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
varietynounUS /vərˈaɪəti/

a collection containing a variety of sorts of things

From this reading THE family tree of the Van Nicht family was not the sort of family tree you think I mean, although they had one of that variety too.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading THE family tree of the Van Nicht family was not the sort of family tree you think I mean, although they had one of that variety too.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading That was the principal trouble with them--they did live in the shadow.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
yearsnounUS /jɪrz/

a late time of life

From this reading For more than one hundred years the Van Nicht family had lived in its shadow.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading THE family tree of the Van Nicht family was not the sort of family tree you think I mean, although they had one of that variety too.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary

Chapter 6 of Those Times and These by Irvin S. (Irvin Shrewsbury) Cobb holds 591 sentences, grouped into 119 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.

What does chapter 6 of Those Times and These contain?

Chapter 6 holds 591 sentences of Those Times and These, unabridged, divided into 119 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 6 of Those Times and These by Irvin S. (Irvin Shrewsbury) Cobb exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 591 sentences, grouped into 119 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.

How do I study chapter 6 of Those Times and These?

Work through the 119 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 119 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.

Can chapter 6 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 6 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.

Questions about reading Those Times and These

Common questions about reading Those Times and These by Irvin S. (Irvin Shrewsbury) Cobb on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Those Times and These?

Yes. All 4367 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #44222 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Those Times and These is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #44222, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Those Times and These take to read?

About 363 minutes of reading across 874 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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How to work through Those Times and These section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

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  2. Read one section

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  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in Those Times and These

Words and structures a reader meets early in Those Times and These, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

George
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Those Times and These; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Doran
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Those Times and These; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Company
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Those Times and These; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Mandy
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Those Times and These; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.