Chapter 1 of To Let is here in full — 2355 sentences across 471 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of To Let is here in full — 2355 sentences across 471 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
To say that Jon Forsyte accompanied his mother to Spain unwillingly would scarcely have been adequate. He went as a well-natured dog goes for a walk with its mistress, leaving a choice mutton-bone on the lawn. He went looking back at it. Forsytes deprived of their mutton-bones are wont to sulk. But Jon had little sulkiness in his composition.
Chapter 1 of To Let is here in full — 2355 sentences across 471 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/471 · 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 requisite qualities or resources to meet a task
From this reading “To say that Jon Forsyte accompanied his mother to Spain unwillingly would scarcely have been adequate.”
the spatial property resulting from the arrangement of parts in relation to each other and to the whole
From this reading “But Jon had little sulkiness in his composition.”
marked by deprivation especially of the necessities of life or healthful environmental influences
From this reading “Forsytes deprived of their mutton-bones are wont to sulk.”
a field of cultivated and mowed grass
From this reading “He went as a well-natured dog goes for a walk with its mistress, leaving a choice mutton-bone on the lawn.”
a parliamentary monarchy in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula; a former colonial power
From this reading “To say that Jon Forsyte accompanied his mother to Spain unwillingly would scarcely have been adequate.”
a mood or display of sullen aloofness or withdrawal
From this reading “Forsytes deprived of their mutton-bones are wont to sulk.”
in an unwilling manner
From this reading “To say that Jon Forsyte accompanied his mother to Spain unwillingly would scarcely have been adequate.”
an established custom
From this reading “Forsytes deprived of their mutton-bones are wont to sulk.”
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 went as a well-natured dog goes for a walk with its mistress, leaving a choice mutton-bone on the lawn.
having companions or an escort
From this reading To say that Jon Forsyte accompanied his mother to Spain unwillingly would scarcely have been adequate.
having the requisite qualities or resources to meet a task
From this reading To say that Jon Forsyte accompanied his mother to Spain unwillingly would scarcely have been adequate.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Forsytes deprived of their mutton-bones are wont to sulk.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading He went as a well-natured dog goes for a walk with its mistress, leaving a choice mutton-bone on the lawn.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading He went looking back at it.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading He went looking back at it.
the past participle of “be”
From this reading To say that Jon Forsyte accompanied his mother to Spain unwillingly would scarcely have been adequate.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But Jon had little sulkiness in his composition.
the person or thing chosen or selected
From this reading He went as a well-natured dog goes for a walk with its mistress, leaving a choice mutton-bone on the lawn.
the spatial property resulting from the arrangement of parts in relation to each other and to the whole
From this reading But Jon had little sulkiness in his composition.
marked by deprivation especially of the necessities of life or healthful environmental influences
From this reading Forsytes deprived of their mutton-bones are wont to sulk.
a member of the genus Canis (probably descended from the common wolf) that has been domesticated by man since prehistoric times; occurs in many breeds
From this reading He went as a well-natured dog goes for a walk with its mistress, leaving a choice mutton-bone on the lawn.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading He went as a well-natured dog goes for a walk with its mistress, leaving a choice mutton-bone on the lawn.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading To say that Jon Forsyte accompanied his mother to Spain unwillingly would scarcely have been adequate.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Forsytes deprived of their mutton-bones are wont to sulk.
plural of “go” — a time period for working (after which you will be relieved by someone else)
From this reading He went as a well-natured dog goes for a walk with its mistress, leaving a choice mutton-bone on the lawn.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading But Jon had little sulkiness in his composition.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading To say that Jon Forsyte accompanied his mother to Spain unwillingly would scarcely have been adequate.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He went as a well-natured dog goes for a walk with its mistress, leaving a choice mutton-bone on the lawn.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading To say that Jon Forsyte accompanied his mother to Spain unwillingly would scarcely have been adequate.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading But Jon had little sulkiness in his composition.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading He went looking back at it.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading He went as a well-natured dog goes for a walk with its mistress, leaving a choice mutton-bone on the lawn.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading To say that Jon Forsyte accompanied his mother to Spain unwillingly would scarcely have been adequate.
a field of cultivated and mowed grass
From this reading He went as a well-natured dog goes for a walk with its mistress, leaving a choice mutton-bone on the lawn.
the act of departing
From this reading He went as a well-natured dog goes for a walk with its mistress, leaving a choice mutton-bone on the lawn.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading But Jon had little sulkiness in his composition.
the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually
From this reading He went looking back at it.
an adulterous woman; a woman who has an ongoing extramarital sexual relationship with a man
From this reading He went as a well-natured dog goes for a walk with its mistress, leaving a choice mutton-bone on the lawn.
a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)
From this reading To say that Jon Forsyte accompanied his mother to Spain unwillingly would scarcely have been adequate.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He went as a well-natured dog goes for a walk with its mistress, leaving a choice mutton-bone on the lawn.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Forsytes deprived of their mutton-bones are wont to sulk.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Forsytes deprived of their mutton-bones are wont to sulk.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading He went as a well-natured dog goes for a walk with its mistress, leaving a choice mutton-bone on the lawn.
express in words
From this reading To say that Jon Forsyte accompanied his mother to Spain unwillingly would scarcely have been adequate.
only a very short time before
From this reading To say that Jon Forsyte accompanied his mother to Spain unwillingly would scarcely have been adequate.
a parliamentary monarchy in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula; a former colonial power
From this reading To say that Jon Forsyte accompanied his mother to Spain unwillingly would scarcely have been adequate.
a mood or display of sullen aloofness or withdrawal
From this reading Forsytes deprived of their mutton-bones are wont to sulk.
a mood or display of sullen aloofness or withdrawal
From this reading But Jon had little sulkiness in his composition.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading To say that Jon Forsyte accompanied his mother to Spain unwillingly would scarcely have been adequate.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading He went as a well-natured dog goes for a walk with its mistress, leaving a choice mutton-bone on the lawn.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading Forsytes deprived of their mutton-bones are wont to sulk.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading To say that Jon Forsyte accompanied his mother to Spain unwillingly would scarcely have been adequate.
in an unwilling manner
From this reading To say that Jon Forsyte accompanied his mother to Spain unwillingly would scarcely have been adequate.
the act of traveling by foot
From this reading He went as a well-natured dog goes for a walk with its mistress, leaving a choice mutton-bone on the lawn.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He went as a well-natured dog goes for a walk with its mistress, leaving a choice mutton-bone on the lawn.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading He went as a well-natured dog goes for a walk with its mistress, leaving a choice mutton-bone on the lawn.
in the company of; together with
From this reading He went as a well-natured dog goes for a walk with its mistress, leaving a choice mutton-bone on the lawn.
an established custom
From this reading Forsytes deprived of their mutton-bones are wont to sulk.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading To say that Jon Forsyte accompanied his mother to Spain unwillingly would scarcely have been adequate.
Chapter 1 of To Let by John Galsworthy holds 2355 sentences, grouped into 471 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 1 holds 2355 sentences of To Let, unabridged, divided into 471 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of To Let by John Galsworthy exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 2355 sentences, grouped into 471 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 471 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 471 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 1 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 To Let by John Galsworthy on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4219 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #3817 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #3817, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 351 minutes of reading across 844 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through To Let section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 2 chapters of To Let 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 To Let, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
