Chapter 3 of Till the Clock Stops is here in full — 146 sentences across 30 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter III
Chapter 3 of Till the Clock Stops is here in full — 146 sentences across 30 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
It was dusky in the room when Caw brought tea to his master. Fitful gleams from the fire touched the latter's face, which had grown haggard. The Green Box was open again. "Never mind the lights for the present," he said, as the servant's hand went to the switch. "Give me a cup of tea--nothing more--and sit down."
Chapter 3 of Till the Clock Stops is here in full — 146 sentences across 30 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/29 · 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.
utter a cry, characteristic of crows, rooks, or ravens
From this reading “It was dusky in the room when Caw brought tea to his master.”
a small open container usually used for drinking; usually has a handle
From this reading “"Give me a cup of tea--nothing more--and sit down."”
occurring in spells and often abruptly
From this reading “Fitful gleams from the fire touched the latter's face, which had grown haggard.”
plural of “gleam” — an appearance of reflected light
From this reading “Fitful gleams from the fire touched the latter's face, which had grown haggard.”
showing the wearing effects of overwork or care or suffering
From this reading “Fitful gleams from the fire touched the latter's face, which had grown haggard.”
possessive form of “latter” — the second of two or the second mentioned of two
From this reading “Fitful gleams from the fire touched the latter's face, which had grown haggard.”
plural of “light” — (physics) electromagnetic radiation that can produce a visual sensation
From this reading “"Never mind the lights for the present," he said, as the servant's hand went to the switch.”
change over, change around, as to a new order or sequence
From this reading “"Never mind the lights for the present," he said, as the servant's hand went to the switch.”
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 "Give me a cup of tea--nothing more--and sit down."
anew
From this reading The Green Box was open again.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "Give me a cup of tea--nothing more--and sit down."
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading "Never mind the lights for the present," he said, as the servant's hand went to the switch.
a (usually rectangular) container; may have a lid
From this reading The Green Box was open again.
inflected form of “bring” — take something or somebody with oneself somewhere
From this reading It was dusky in the room when Caw brought tea to his master.
utter a cry, characteristic of crows, rooks, or ravens
From this reading It was dusky in the room when Caw brought tea to his master.
a small open container usually used for drinking; usually has a handle
From this reading "Give me a cup of tea--nothing more--and sit down."
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading "Give me a cup of tea--nothing more--and sit down."
lighted by or as if by twilight
From this reading It was dusky in the room when Caw brought tea to his master.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading Fitful gleams from the fire touched the latter's face, which had grown haggard.
start firing a weapon
From this reading Fitful gleams from the fire touched the latter's face, which had grown haggard.
occurring in spells and often abruptly
From this reading Fitful gleams from the fire touched the latter's face, which had grown haggard.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading "Never mind the lights for the present," he said, as the servant's hand went to the switch.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Fitful gleams from the fire touched the latter's face, which had grown haggard.
cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading "Give me a cup of tea--nothing more--and sit down."
plural of “gleam” — an appearance of reflected light
From this reading Fitful gleams from the fire touched the latter's face, which had grown haggard.
green color or pigment; resembling the color of growing grass
From this reading The Green Box was open again.
(of animals) fully developed
From this reading Fitful gleams from the fire touched the latter's face, which had grown haggard.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Fitful gleams from the fire touched the latter's face, which had grown haggard.
showing the wearing effects of overwork or care or suffering
From this reading Fitful gleams from the fire touched the latter's face, which had grown haggard.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading "Never mind the lights for the present," he said, as the servant's hand went to the switch.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "Never mind the lights for the present," he said, as the servant's hand went to the switch.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading It was dusky in the room when Caw brought tea to his master.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading It was dusky in the room when Caw brought tea to his master.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was dusky in the room when Caw brought tea to his master.
possessive form of “latter” — the second of two or the second mentioned of two
From this reading Fitful gleams from the fire touched the latter's face, which had grown haggard.
plural of “light” — (physics) electromagnetic radiation that can produce a visual sensation
From this reading "Never mind the lights for the present," he said, as the servant's hand went to the switch.
an artist of consummate skill
From this reading It was dusky in the room when Caw brought tea to his master.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "Give me a cup of tea--nothing more--and sit down."
The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.
From this reading "Never mind the lights for the present," he said, as the servant's hand went to the switch.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading "Give me a cup of tea--nothing more--and sit down."
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading "Never mind the lights for the present," he said, as the servant's hand went to the switch.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading "Give me a cup of tea--nothing more--and sit down."
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "Give me a cup of tea--nothing more--and sit down."
To move from a closed position.
From this reading The Green Box was open again.
give an exhibition of to an interested audience
From this reading "Never mind the lights for the present," he said, as the servant's hand went to the switch.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading It was dusky in the room when Caw brought tea to his master.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "Never mind the lights for the present," he said, as the servant's hand went to the switch.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Never mind the lights for the present," he said, as the servant's hand went to the switch.
be seated
From this reading "Give me a cup of tea--nothing more--and sit down."
change over, change around, as to a new order or sequence
From this reading "Never mind the lights for the present," he said, as the servant's hand went to the switch.
a beverage made by steeping tea leaves in water
From this reading It was dusky in the room when Caw brought tea to his master.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading It was dusky in the room when Caw brought tea to his master.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading It was dusky in the room when Caw brought tea to his master.
having come into contact
From this reading Fitful gleams from the fire touched the latter's face, which had grown haggard.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was dusky in the room when Caw brought tea to his master.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading "Never mind the lights for the present," he said, as the servant's hand went to the switch.
at the time that
From this reading It was dusky in the room when Caw brought tea to his master.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Fitful gleams from the fire touched the latter's face, which had grown haggard.
Chapter 3 of Till the Clock Stops by J. J. (John Joy) Bell holds 146 sentences, grouped into 30 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 146 sentences of Till the Clock Stops, unabridged, divided into 30 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 3 of Till the Clock Stops by J. J. (John Joy) Bell exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 146 sentences, grouped into 30 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 30 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 30 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 Till the Clock Stops by J. J. (John Joy) Bell on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 5010 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #9873 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #9873, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 417 minutes of reading across 1002 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Till the Clock Stops section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 29 chapters of Till the Clock Stops 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 Till the Clock Stops, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
