Chapter 3 of Tragic Romances is here in full — 414 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter III
Chapter 3 of Tragic Romances is here in full — 414 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
This, in truth, was what Donull had done. But while he was speaking, Marcus was staring fixedly beyond him. “Who is it that is there?” he asked; “there, in the stern?” “There is no one there.” “I thought I saw the shadow of a man.”
Chapter 3 of Tragic Romances is here in full — 414 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/82 · 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.
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading ““Who is it that is there?” he asked; “there, in the stern?””
on the far side of; further than
From this reading “But while he was speaking, Marcus was staring fixedly beyond him.”
having finished or arrived at completion
From this reading “This, in truth, was what Donull had done.”
A dark area or shape produced by a body coming between rays of light and a surface.
From this reading ““I thought I saw the shadow of a man.””
the utterance of intelligible speech
From this reading “But while he was speaking, Marcus was staring fixedly beyond him.”
(used of eyes) open and fixed as if in fear or wonder
From this reading “But while he was speaking, Marcus was staring fixedly beyond him.”
of a stern or strict bearing or demeanor; forbidding in aspect
From this reading ““Who is it that is there?” he asked; “there, in the stern?””
a fact that has been verified
From this reading “This, in truth, was what Donull had done.”
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.
in fact (used as intensifiers or sentence modifiers)
In this reading “This, in truth, was what Donull had done.”
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 “I thought I saw the shadow of a man.”
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading “Who is it that is there?” he asked; “there, in the stern?”
on the far side of; further than
From this reading But while he was speaking, Marcus was staring fixedly beyond him.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But while he was speaking, Marcus was staring fixedly beyond him.
having finished or arrived at completion
From this reading This, in truth, was what Donull had done.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading This, in truth, was what Donull had done.
in a fixed manner
From this reading But while he was speaking, Marcus was staring fixedly beyond him.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading This, in truth, was what Donull had done.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading But while he was speaking, Marcus was staring fixedly beyond him.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading But while he was speaking, Marcus was staring fixedly beyond him.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “I thought I saw the shadow of a man.”
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading This, in truth, was what Donull had done.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “Who is it that is there?” he asked; “there, in the stern?”
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading “Who is it that is there?” he asked; “there, in the stern?”
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading “I thought I saw the shadow of a man.”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But while he was speaking, Marcus was staring fixedly beyond him.
not any; not one
From this reading “There is no one there.”
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading “I thought I saw the shadow of a man.”
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading “There is no one there.”
cut with a saw
From this reading “I thought I saw the shadow of a man.”
A dark area or shape produced by a body coming between rays of light and a surface.
From this reading “I thought I saw the shadow of a man.”
the utterance of intelligible speech
From this reading But while he was speaking, Marcus was staring fixedly beyond him.
(used of eyes) open and fixed as if in fear or wonder
From this reading But while he was speaking, Marcus was staring fixedly beyond him.
of a stern or strict bearing or demeanor; forbidding in aspect
From this reading “Who is it that is there?” he asked; “there, in the stern?”
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading “Who is it that is there?” he asked; “there, in the stern?”
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading “Who is it that is there?” he asked; “there, in the stern?”
in or at that place or location
From this reading “Who is it that is there?” he asked; “there, in the stern?”
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading This, in truth, was what Donull had done.
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading “I thought I saw the shadow of a man.”
a fact that has been verified
From this reading This, in truth, was what Donull had done.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading This, in truth, was what Donull had done.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading This, in truth, was what Donull had done.
during the time that
From this reading But while he was speaking, Marcus was staring fixedly beyond him.
which person or people
From this reading “Who is it that is there?” he asked; “there, in the stern?”
Chapter 3 of Tragic Romances by William Sharp holds 414 sentences, grouped into 83 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 414 sentences of Tragic Romances, unabridged, divided into 83 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 3 of Tragic Romances by William Sharp exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 414 sentences, grouped into 83 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 83 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 83 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 Tragic Romances by William Sharp on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 2824 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #53839 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #53839, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 235 minutes of reading across 565 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Tragic Romances section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 7 chapters of Tragic Romances 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 Tragic Romances, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
