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Tom Newcombe
Tom Newcombe

Chapter XX

Chapter 20 of Tom Newcombe is here in full — 156 sentences across 32 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Tom Newcombe
Context Illustration Reading 1/31 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
PLANS AND ARRANGEMENTS.
Well, how is it now?” inquired Rich, as Tom approached the spot where all the Night-hawks were standing, listening to Miller’s description of the letter that had just been written.
Have you succeeded?”
Of course,” replied the grand commander.
We are all right, so far.
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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.

Tom Newcombe

Chapter XX

Chapter 20 of Tom Newcombe is here in full — 156 sentences across 32 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/31 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
PLANS AND ARRANGEMENTS.
/plænz ənd ərˈeɪndʒmənts/
Line 2
Well, how is it now?” inquired Rich, as Tom approached the spot where all the Night-hawks were standing, listening to Miller’s description of the letter that had just been written.
Line 3
Have you succeeded?”
/hæv juː səkˈsiːdɪd/
Line 4
Of course,” replied the grand commander.
/ʌv kɔːrs rɪˈplaɪd ðə ɡrænd kəˈmændər/
Line 5
We are all right, so far.
/wiː ɑːr ɔːl raɪt soʊ fɑːr/

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.

approached verb US /əˈproʊtʃt/

past form of “approach” — move towards

From this reading ““Well, how is it now?” inquired Rich, as Tom approached the spot where all the Night-hawks were standing, listening to Miller’s description of the letter that had just been written.”

arrangements noun US /ərˈeɪndʒmənts/

plural of “arrangement” — the thing arranged or agreed to

From this reading “PLANS AND ARRANGEMENTS.”

commander noun US /kəˈmændər/

an officer in command of a military unit

From this reading ““Of course,” replied the grand commander.”

description noun US /dɪˈskrɪpʃən/

a statement that represents something in words

From this reading ““Well, how is it now?” inquired Rich, as Tom approached the spot where all the Night-hawks were standing, listening to Miller’s description of the letter that had just been written.”

listening noun US /ˈlɪsənɪŋ/

the act of hearing attentively

From this reading ““Well, how is it now?” inquired Rich, as Tom approached the spot where all the Night-hawks were standing, listening to Miller’s description of the letter that had just been written.”

Miller's noun US /ˈmɪlərz/

possessive form of “miller” — United States bandleader of a popular big band (1909-1944)

plans noun US /plænz/

plural of “plan” — a series of steps to be carried out or goals to be accomplished

From this reading “PLANS AND ARRANGEMENTS.”

succeeded verb US /səkˈsiːdɪd/

past form of “succeed” — attain success or reach a desired goal

From this reading ““Have you succeeded?””

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.

approached the spot verb + article + noun counted as “approach … spot”

In this reading ““Well, how is it now?” inquired Rich, as Tom approached the spot where all the Night-hawks were standing, listening to Miller’s description of the letter that had just been written.”

Of course preposition + noun

as might be expected

In this reading ““Of course,” replied the grand commander.”

All words in this reading · 43

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.

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(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 “Well, how is it now?” inquired Rich, as Tom approached the spot where all the Night-hawks were standing, listening to Miller’s description of the letter that had just been written.

ANDconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading PLANS AND ARRANGEMENTS.

approachedverbUS /əˈproʊtʃt/

past form of “approach” — move towards

From this reading “Well, how is it now?” inquired Rich, as Tom approached the spot where all the Night-hawks were standing, listening to Miller’s description of the letter that had just been written.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading “We are all right, so far.

ARRANGEMENTSnounUS /ərˈeɪndʒmənts/

plural of “arrangement” — the thing arranged or agreed to

From this reading PLANS AND ARRANGEMENTS.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading “Well, how is it now?” inquired Rich, as Tom approached the spot where all the Night-hawks were standing, listening to Miller’s description of the letter that had just been written.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading “Well, how is it now?” inquired Rich, as Tom approached the spot where all the Night-hawks were standing, listening to Miller’s description of the letter that had just been written.

commandernounUS /kəˈmændər/

an officer in command of a military unit

From this reading “Of course,” replied the grand commander.

coursenounUS /kɔːrs/

education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings

From this reading “Of course,” replied the grand commander.

descriptionnounUS /dɪˈskrɪpʃən/

a statement that represents something in words

From this reading “Well, how is it now?” inquired Rich, as Tom approached the spot where all the Night-hawks were standing, listening to Miller’s description of the letter that had just been written.

faradverbUS /fɑːr/

to a considerable degree; very much

From this reading “We are all right, so far.

grandadjectiveUS /ɡrænd/

of behavior that is impressive and ambitious in scale or scope

From this reading “Of course,” replied the grand commander.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading “Well, how is it now?” inquired Rich, as Tom approached the spot where all the Night-hawks were standing, listening to Miller’s description of the letter that had just been written.

Haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading “Have you succeeded?”

how

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

From this reading “Well, how is it now?” inquired Rich, as Tom approached the spot where all the Night-hawks were standing, listening to Miller’s description of the letter that had just been written.

inquiredverbUS /ˌɪnˈkwaɪərd/

past form of “inquire” — address a question to and expect an answer from

From this reading “Well, how is it now?” inquired Rich, as Tom approached the spot where all the Night-hawks were standing, listening to Miller’s description of the letter that had just been written.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading “Well, how is it now?” inquired Rich, as Tom approached the spot where all the Night-hawks were standing, listening to Miller’s description of the letter that had just been written.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading “Well, how is it now?” inquired Rich, as Tom approached the spot where all the Night-hawks were standing, listening to Miller’s description of the letter that had just been written.

justadverbUS /dʒʌst/

and nothing more

From this reading “Well, how is it now?” inquired Rich, as Tom approached the spot where all the Night-hawks were standing, listening to Miller’s description of the letter that had just been written.

letternounUS /ˈletər/

a written message addressed to a person or organization

From this reading “Well, how is it now?” inquired Rich, as Tom approached the spot where all the Night-hawks were standing, listening to Miller’s description of the letter that had just been written.

listeningnounUS /ˈlɪsənɪŋ/

the act of hearing attentively

From this reading “Well, how is it now?” inquired Rich, as Tom approached the spot where all the Night-hawks were standing, listening to Miller’s description of the letter that had just been written.

Miller'snounUS /ˈmɪlərz/

possessive form of “miller” — United States bandleader of a popular big band (1909-1944)

From this reading “Well, how is it now?” inquired Rich, as Tom approached the spot where all the Night-hawks were standing, listening to Miller’s description of the letter that had just been written.

Night-hawks

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

From this reading “Well, how is it now?” inquired Rich, as Tom approached the spot where all the Night-hawks were standing, listening to Miller’s description of the letter that had just been written.

nowadverbUS /naʊ/

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading “Well, how is it now?” inquired Rich, as Tom approached the spot where all the Night-hawks were standing, listening to Miller’s description of the letter that had just been written.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading “Well, how is it now?” inquired Rich, as Tom approached the spot where all the Night-hawks were standing, listening to Miller’s description of the letter that had just been written.

PLANSnounUS /plænz/

plural of “plan” — a series of steps to be carried out or goals to be accomplished

From this reading PLANS AND ARRANGEMENTS.

repliedverbUS /rɪˈplaɪd/

inflected form of “reply” — react verbally

From this reading “Of course,” replied the grand commander.

RichadjectiveUS /rɪtʃ/

possessing material wealth

From this reading “Well, how is it now?” inquired Rich, as Tom approached the spot where all the Night-hawks were standing, listening to Miller’s description of the letter that had just been written.

rightadverbUS /raɪt/

precisely, exactly

From this reading “We are all right, so far.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading “We are all right, so far.

spotnounUS /spɑːt/

a point located with respect to surface features of some region

From this reading “Well, how is it now?” inquired Rich, as Tom approached the spot where all the Night-hawks were standing, listening to Miller’s description of the letter that had just been written.

standingadjectiveUS /ˈstændɪŋ/

having a supporting base

From this reading “Well, how is it now?” inquired Rich, as Tom approached the spot where all the Night-hawks were standing, listening to Miller’s description of the letter that had just been written.

succeededverbUS /səkˈsiːdɪd/

past form of “succeed” — attain success or reach a desired goal

From this reading “Have you succeeded?”

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading “Well, how is it now?” inquired Rich, as Tom approached the spot where all the Night-hawks were standing, listening to Miller’s description of the letter that had just been written.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading “Well, how is it now?” inquired Rich, as Tom approached the spot where all the Night-hawks were standing, listening to Miller’s description of the letter that had just been written.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading “Well, how is it now?” inquired Rich, as Tom approached the spot where all the Night-hawks were standing, listening to Miller’s description of the letter that had just been written.

TomnounUS /tɑːm/

male cat

From this reading “Well, how is it now?” inquired Rich, as Tom approached the spot where all the Night-hawks were standing, listening to Miller’s description of the letter that had just been written.

WepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading “We are all right, so far.

WelladverbUS /wel/

(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)

From this reading “Well, how is it now?” inquired Rich, as Tom approached the spot where all the Night-hawks were standing, listening to Miller’s description of the letter that had just been written.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading “Well, how is it now?” inquired Rich, as Tom approached the spot where all the Night-hawks were standing, listening to Miller’s description of the letter that had just been written.

whereconjunctionUS /wer/

in or at the place that

From this reading “Well, how is it now?” inquired Rich, as Tom approached the spot where all the Night-hawks were standing, listening to Miller’s description of the letter that had just been written.

writtenadjectiveUS /ˈrɪtən/

set down in writing in any of various ways

From this reading “Well, how is it now?” inquired Rich, as Tom approached the spot where all the Night-hawks were standing, listening to Miller’s description of the letter that had just been written.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading “Have you succeeded?”

Chapter 20 of Tom Newcombe by Harry Castlemon holds 156 sentences, grouped into 32 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 20 of Tom Newcombe contain?

Chapter 20 holds 156 sentences of Tom Newcombe, unabridged, divided into 32 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 20 of Tom Newcombe by Harry Castlemon exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 156 sentences, grouped into 32 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 20 of Tom Newcombe?

Work through the 32 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 32 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 20 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 20 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 Tom Newcombe

Common questions about reading Tom Newcombe by Harry Castlemon on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Tom Newcombe?

Yes. All 4740 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #64169 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Tom Newcombe is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #64169, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Tom Newcombe take to read?

About 395 minutes of reading across 948 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Tom Newcombe section by section

How to work through Tom Newcombe section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 25 chapters of Tom Newcombe to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

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

Vocabulary met early in Tom Newcombe

Words and structures a reader meets early in Tom Newcombe, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Go-ahead
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Tom Newcombe; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Series
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Tom Newcombe; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Habits
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Tom Newcombe; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Author
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Tom Newcombe; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.