Learn English through classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
Tono-Bungay
Tono-Bungay

Chapter XXXI · Chapter 31

Chapter 31 of Tono-Bungay is here in full — 215 sentences across 43 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Tono-Bungay
Context Illustration Reading 1/43 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
You think we’re unsubstantial.
You’ve listened to all these rumours Boom has started because we talked of a newspaper of our own.
When you are with me you know I’m a man; when you get away from me you think I’m a cheat and a cad....
There’s not a word of truth in the things they say about us.
I’ve been slack.
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Tono-Bungay

Chapter XXXI · Chapter 31

Chapter 31 of Tono-Bungay is here in full — 215 sentences across 43 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/43 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
You think we’re unsubstantial.
Line 2
You’ve listened to all these rumours Boom has started because we talked of a newspaper of our own.
Line 3
When you are with me you know I’m a man; when you get away from me you think I’m a cheat and a cad....
Line 4
There’s not a word of truth in the things they say about us.
Line 5
I’ve been slack.

All words in this reading · 48

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.

a

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

From this reading You’ve listened to all these rumours Boom has started because we talked of a newspaper of our own.

about

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

From this reading There’s not a word of truth in the things they say about us.

all

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

From this reading You’ve listened to all these rumours Boom has started because we talked of a newspaper of our own.

and

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

From this reading When you are with me you know I’m a man; when you get away from me you think I’m a cheat and a cad....

are

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

From this reading When you are with me you know I’m a man; when you get away from me you think I’m a cheat and a cad....

away

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

From this reading When you are with me you know I’m a man; when you get away from me you think I’m a cheat and a cad....

because

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

From this reading You’ve listened to all these rumours Boom has started because we talked of a newspaper of our own.

been

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

From this reading I’ve been slack.

Boom

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

From this reading You’ve listened to all these rumours Boom has started because we talked of a newspaper of our own.

cad

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

From this reading When you are with me you know I’m a man; when you get away from me you think I’m a cheat and a cad....

cheat

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

From this reading When you are with me you know I’m a man; when you get away from me you think I’m a cheat and a cad....

from

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

From this reading When you are with me you know I’m a man; when you get away from me you think I’m a cheat and a cad....

get

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

From this reading When you are with me you know I’m a man; when you get away from me you think I’m a cheat and a cad....

has

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

From this reading You’ve listened to all these rumours Boom has started because we talked of a newspaper of our own.

I'm

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

From this reading When you are with me you know I’m a man; when you get away from me you think I’m a cheat and a cad....

I've

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

From this reading I’ve been slack.

in

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

From this reading There’s not a word of truth in the things they say about us.

know

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

From this reading When you are with me you know I’m a man; when you get away from me you think I’m a cheat and a cad....

listened

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

From this reading You’ve listened to all these rumours Boom has started because we talked of a newspaper of our own.

man

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

From this reading When you are with me you know I’m a man; when you get away from me you think I’m a cheat and a cad....

me

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

From this reading When you are with me you know I’m a man; when you get away from me you think I’m a cheat and a cad....

newspaper

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

From this reading You’ve listened to all these rumours Boom has started because we talked of a newspaper of our own.

not

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

From this reading There’s not a word of truth in the things they say about us.

of

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

From this reading You’ve listened to all these rumours Boom has started because we talked of a newspaper of our own.

our

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

From this reading You’ve listened to all these rumours Boom has started because we talked of a newspaper of our own.

own

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

From this reading You’ve listened to all these rumours Boom has started because we talked of a newspaper of our own.

rumours

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

From this reading You’ve listened to all these rumours Boom has started because we talked of a newspaper of our own.

say

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

From this reading There’s not a word of truth in the things they say about us.

slack

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

From this reading I’ve been slack.

started

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

From this reading You’ve listened to all these rumours Boom has started because we talked of a newspaper of our own.

talked

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

From this reading You’ve listened to all these rumours Boom has started because we talked of a newspaper of our own.

the

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

From this reading There’s not a word of truth in the things they say about us.

There's

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

From this reading There’s not a word of truth in the things they say about us.

these

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

From this reading You’ve listened to all these rumours Boom has started because we talked of a newspaper of our own.

they

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

From this reading There’s not a word of truth in the things they say about us.

things

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

From this reading There’s not a word of truth in the things they say about us.

think

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

From this reading “You think we’re unsubstantial.

to

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

From this reading You’ve listened to all these rumours Boom has started because we talked of a newspaper of our own.

truth

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

From this reading There’s not a word of truth in the things they say about us.

unsubstantial

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

From this reading “You think we’re unsubstantial.

us

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

From this reading There’s not a word of truth in the things they say about us.

we

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

From this reading You’ve listened to all these rumours Boom has started because we talked of a newspaper of our own.

we're

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

From this reading “You think we’re unsubstantial.

When

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

From this reading When you are with me you know I’m a man; when you get away from me you think I’m a cheat and a cad....

with

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

From this reading When you are with me you know I’m a man; when you get away from me you think I’m a cheat and a cad....

word

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

From this reading There’s not a word of truth in the things they say about us.

You

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

From this reading “You think we’re unsubstantial.

You've

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

From this reading You’ve listened to all these rumours Boom has started because we talked of a newspaper of our own.

Chapter 31 of Tono-Bungay by H. G. (Herbert George) Wells holds 215 sentences, grouped into 43 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.

What does chapter 31 of Tono-Bungay contain?

Chapter 31 holds 215 sentences of Tono-Bungay, unabridged, divided into 43 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 31 of Tono-Bungay by H. G. (Herbert George) Wells exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 215 sentences, grouped into 43 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 31 of Tono-Bungay?

Work through the 43 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 43 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 31 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 31 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 Tono-Bungay

Common questions about reading Tono-Bungay by H. G. (Herbert George) Wells on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Tono-Bungay?

Yes. All 8702 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #718 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Tono-Bungay is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #718, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Tono-Bungay take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 1741 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Tono-Bungay section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 40 chapters of Tono-Bungay 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 Tono-Bungay

Words and structures a reader meets early in Tono-Bungay, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

People
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Tono-Bungay; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
World
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Tono-Bungay; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Character
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Tono-Bungay; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Beginning
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Tono-Bungay; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.