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Tom Ossington's Ghost
Tom Ossington's Ghost

Chapter XV

Chapter 15 of Tom Ossington's Ghost is here in full — 188 sentences across 38 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Richard Marsh • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for Tom Ossington's Ghost
Context Illustration Reading 1/37 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
THE COMPANION OF HIS SOLITUDE When he looked up, it was timidly, doubtfully, as if fearful of what he might see.
He glanced about him anxiously from side to side, as if in search of something or some one.
"Tom!--Tom!" he said, speaking it was difficult to say to whom.
He paused, as if for an answer.
When none came, he drew himself upright gradually, inch by inch.
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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 Ossington's Ghost

Chapter XV

Chapter 15 of Tom Ossington's Ghost is here in full — 188 sentences across 38 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/37 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
THE COMPANION OF HIS SOLITUDE When he looked up, it was timidly, doubtfully, as if fearful of what he might see.
Line 2
He glanced about him anxiously from side to side, as if in search of something or some one.
/hiː ɡlænst əˈbaʊt hɪm ˈæŋkʃəsli frʌm saɪd tuː saɪd æz ɪf ɪn sɜːrtʃ ʌv ˈsʌmθɪŋ ɔːr sʌm wʌn/
Line 3
"Tom!--Tom!" he said, speaking it was difficult to say to whom.
Line 4
He paused, as if for an answer.
/hiː pɔːzd æz ɪf fɔːr æn ˈænsər/
Line 5
When none came, he drew himself upright gradually, inch by inch.
/wen nʌn keɪm hiː druː hɪmˈself əˈpraɪt ˈɡrædʒuːəli ɪntʃ baɪ ɪntʃ/

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.

anxiously adverb US /ˈæŋkʃəsli/

with anxiety or apprehension

From this reading “He glanced about him anxiously from side to side, as if in search of something or some one.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
fearful adjective US /ˈfɪrfəl/

experiencing or showing fear

From this reading “THE COMPANION OF HIS SOLITUDE When he looked up, it was timidly, doubtfully, as if fearful of what he might see.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
glanced verb US /ɡlænst/

past form of “glance” — throw a glance at; take a brief look at

From this reading “He glanced about him anxiously from side to side, as if in search of something or some one.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
gradually adverb US /ˈɡrædʒuːəli/

in a gradual manner

From this reading “When none came, he drew himself upright gradually, inch by inch.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
inch noun US /ɪntʃ/

a unit of length equal to one twelfth of a foot

From this reading “When none came, he drew himself upright gradually, inch by inch.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
solitude noun US /ˈsɑːlətuːd/

a state of social isolation

From this reading “THE COMPANION OF HIS SOLITUDE When he looked up, it was timidly, doubtfully, as if fearful of what he might see.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
timidly adverb US /ˈtɪmədli/

in a shy or timid or bashful manner

From this reading “THE COMPANION OF HIS SOLITUDE When he looked up, it was timidly, doubtfully, as if fearful of what he might see.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
upright adjective US /əˈpraɪt/

in a vertical position; not sloping

From this reading “When none came, he drew himself upright gradually, inch by inch.”

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.

looked up verb + adjective counted as “look up”

seek information from

In this reading “THE COMPANION OF HIS SOLITUDE When he looked up, it was timidly, doubtfully, as if fearful of what he might see.”

73,493 times in 225,867 chapters
by inch preposition + noun

In this reading “When none came, he drew himself upright gradually, inch by inch.”

2,485 times in 225,867 chapters
search of verb + particle

In this reading “He glanced about him anxiously from side to side, as if in search of something or some one.”

23,278 times in 225,867 chapters
glanced about verb + particle counted as “glance about”

In this reading “He glanced about him anxiously from side to side, as if in search of something or some one.”

3,077 times in 225,867 chapters
from side preposition + noun

In this reading “He glanced about him anxiously from side to side, as if in search of something or some one.”

6,811 times in 225,867 chapters

All words in this reading · 50

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.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading He glanced about him anxiously from side to side, as if in search of something or some one.

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 He paused, as if for an answer.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
answerverbUS /ˈænsər/

react verbally

From this reading He paused, as if for an answer.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
anxiouslyadverbUS /ˈæŋkʃəsli/

with anxiety or apprehension

From this reading He glanced about him anxiously from side to side, as if in search of something or some one.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading THE COMPANION OF HIS SOLITUDE When he looked up, it was timidly, doubtfully, as if fearful of what he might see.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading When none came, he drew himself upright gradually, inch by inch.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
cameverbUS /keɪm/

inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading When none came, he drew himself upright gradually, inch by inch.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
COMPANIONnounUS /kəmˈpænjən/

a friend who is frequently in the company of another

From this reading THE COMPANION OF HIS SOLITUDE When he looked up, it was timidly, doubtfully, as if fearful of what he might see.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
difficultadjectiveUS /ˈdɪfəkəlt/

not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure

From this reading "Tom!--Tom!" he said, speaking it was difficult to say to whom.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
doubtfullyadverb

in a doubtful manner

From this reading THE COMPANION OF HIS SOLITUDE When he looked up, it was timidly, doubtfully, as if fearful of what he might see.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
drewnounUS /druː/

United States actor (born in Ireland); father of Georgiana Emma Barrymore (1827-1862)

From this reading When none came, he drew himself upright gradually, inch by inch.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
fearfuladjectiveUS /ˈfɪrfəl/

experiencing or showing fear

From this reading THE COMPANION OF HIS SOLITUDE When he looked up, it was timidly, doubtfully, as if fearful of what he might see.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading He paused, as if for an answer.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading He glanced about him anxiously from side to side, as if in search of something or some one.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
glancedverbUS /ɡlænst/

past form of “glance” — throw a glance at; take a brief look at

From this reading He glanced about him anxiously from side to side, as if in search of something or some one.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
graduallyadverbUS /ˈɡrædʒuːəli/

in a gradual manner

From this reading When none came, he drew himself upright gradually, inch by inch.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading THE COMPANION OF HIS SOLITUDE When he looked up, it was timidly, doubtfully, as if fearful of what he might see.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading He glanced about him anxiously from side to side, as if in search of something or some one.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/

used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object

From this reading When none came, he drew himself upright gradually, inch by inch.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
HISdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading THE COMPANION OF HIS SOLITUDE When he looked up, it was timidly, doubtfully, as if fearful of what he might see.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading THE COMPANION OF HIS SOLITUDE When he looked up, it was timidly, doubtfully, as if fearful of what he might see.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading He glanced about him anxiously from side to side, as if in search of something or some one.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
inchnounUS /ɪntʃ/

a unit of length equal to one twelfth of a foot

From this reading When none came, he drew himself upright gradually, inch by inch.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading THE COMPANION OF HIS SOLITUDE When he looked up, it was timidly, doubtfully, as if fearful of what he might see.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
lookedverbUS /lʊkt/

past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading THE COMPANION OF HIS SOLITUDE When he looked up, it was timidly, doubtfully, as if fearful of what he might see.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
mightmodal verbUS /maɪt/

used to say something is possible but not certain

From this reading THE COMPANION OF HIS SOLITUDE When he looked up, it was timidly, doubtfully, as if fearful of what he might see.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
nonepronounUS /nʌn/

not one, and not any

From this reading When none came, he drew himself upright gradually, inch by inch.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
OFprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading THE COMPANION OF HIS SOLITUDE When he looked up, it was timidly, doubtfully, as if fearful of what he might see.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading He glanced about him anxiously from side to side, as if in search of something or some one.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading He glanced about him anxiously from side to side, as if in search of something or some one.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
pausedverbUS /pɔːzd/

past form of “pause” — interrupt temporarily an activity before continuing

From this reading He paused, as if for an answer.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading "Tom!--Tom!" he said, speaking it was difficult to say to whom.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
sayverbUS /seɪ/

express in words

From this reading "Tom!--Tom!" he said, speaking it was difficult to say to whom.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
searchverbUS /sɜːrtʃ/

try to locate or discover, or try to establish the existence of

From this reading He glanced about him anxiously from side to side, as if in search of something or some one.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
seeverbUS /siː/

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading THE COMPANION OF HIS SOLITUDE When he looked up, it was timidly, doubtfully, as if fearful of what he might see.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
sidenounUS /saɪd/

a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location

From this reading He glanced about him anxiously from side to side, as if in search of something or some one.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
SOLITUDEnounUS /ˈsɑːlətuːd/

a state of social isolation

From this reading THE COMPANION OF HIS SOLITUDE When he looked up, it was timidly, doubtfully, as if fearful of what he might see.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading He glanced about him anxiously from side to side, as if in search of something or some one.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
somethingpronounUS /ˈsʌmθɪŋ/

a thing, without saying which

From this reading He glanced about him anxiously from side to side, as if in search of something or some one.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
speakingnounUS /ˈspiːkɪŋ/

the utterance of intelligible speech

From this reading "Tom!--Tom!" he said, speaking it was difficult to say to whom.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading THE COMPANION OF HIS SOLITUDE When he looked up, it was timidly, doubtfully, as if fearful of what he might see.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
timidlyadverbUS /ˈtɪmədli/

in a shy or timid or bashful manner

From this reading THE COMPANION OF HIS SOLITUDE When he looked up, it was timidly, doubtfully, as if fearful of what he might see.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading He glanced about him anxiously from side to side, as if in search of something or some one.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
TomnounUS /tɑːm/

male cat

From this reading "Tom!--Tom!" he said, speaking it was difficult to say to whom.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading THE COMPANION OF HIS SOLITUDE When he looked up, it was timidly, doubtfully, as if fearful of what he might see.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
uprightadjectiveUS /əˈpraɪt/

in a vertical position; not sloping

From this reading When none came, he drew himself upright gradually, inch by inch.

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 COMPANION OF HIS SOLITUDE When he looked up, it was timidly, doubtfully, as if fearful of what he might see.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading THE COMPANION OF HIS SOLITUDE When he looked up, it was timidly, doubtfully, as if fearful of what he might see.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
WhenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading THE COMPANION OF HIS SOLITUDE When he looked up, it was timidly, doubtfully, as if fearful of what he might see.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
whompronounUS /huːm/

the form of “who” used as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading "Tom!--Tom!" he said, speaking it was difficult to say to whom.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary

Chapter 15 of Tom Ossington's Ghost by Richard Marsh holds 188 sentences, grouped into 38 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 15 of Tom Ossington's Ghost contain?

Chapter 15 holds 188 sentences of Tom Ossington's Ghost, unabridged, divided into 38 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 15 of Tom Ossington's Ghost by Richard Marsh exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 188 sentences, grouped into 38 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 15 of Tom Ossington's Ghost?

Work through the 38 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 38 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 15 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 15 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 Ossington's Ghost

Common questions about reading Tom Ossington's Ghost by Richard Marsh on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Tom Ossington's Ghost?

Yes. All 3436 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #40453 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Tom Ossington's Ghost is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #40453, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Tom Ossington's Ghost take to read?

About 286 minutes of reading across 688 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Tom Ossington's Ghost section by section

How to work through Tom Ossington's Ghost section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 20 chapters of Tom Ossington's Ghost 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 Ossington's Ghost

Words and structures a reader meets early in Tom Ossington's Ghost, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Source
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Tom Ossington's Ghost; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
First
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Tom Ossington's Ghost; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Series
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Tom Ossington's Ghost; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Curious
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Tom Ossington's Ghost; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.