used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading I was born in the good old State of Illinois, my birthplace being on a farm just twenty miles out of Chicago.
an unfortunate mishap; especially one causing damage or injury
From this reading BECOMING AMBITIOUS—LEAVING HOME—HOTEL PORTER—CARD BUSINESS—LIGHTNING ROD AGENT—THE ACCIDENT—TWELVE GLASSES OF WATER.
be able to spare or give up
From this reading My father was fairly well fixed as a farmer and gave me as good an education, both classical and musical, as a country residence could afford.
how long something has existed
From this reading Here I lived until I was eighteen years of age.
AGENTnounUS /ˈeɪdʒənt/
an active and efficient cause; capable of producing a certain effect
From this reading BECOMING AMBITIOUS—LEAVING HOME—HOTEL PORTER—CARD BUSINESS—LIGHTNING ROD AGENT—THE ACCIDENT—TWELVE GLASSES OF WATER.
AMBITIOUSadjectiveUS /æmˈbɪʃəs/
having a strong desire for success or achievement
From this reading BECOMING AMBITIOUS—LEAVING HOME—HOTEL PORTER—CARD BUSINESS—LIGHTNING ROD AGENT—THE ACCIDENT—TWELVE GLASSES OF WATER.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading My father was fairly well fixed as a farmer and gave me as good an education, both classical and musical, as a country residence could afford.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading My father was fairly well fixed as a farmer and gave me as good an education, both classical and musical, as a country residence could afford.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading My father was fairly well fixed as a farmer and gave me as good an education, both classical and musical, as a country residence could afford.
according with custom or propriety
From this reading BECOMING AMBITIOUS—LEAVING HOME—HOTEL PORTER—CARD BUSINESS—LIGHTNING ROD AGENT—THE ACCIDENT—TWELVE GLASSES OF WATER.
beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading I was born in the good old State of Illinois, my birthplace being on a farm just twenty miles out of Chicago.
birthplacenounUS /ˈbɜːrθpleɪs/
the place where someone was born
From this reading I was born in the good old State of Illinois, my birthplace being on a farm just twenty miles out of Chicago.
brought into existence
From this reading I was born in the good old State of Illinois, my birthplace being on a farm just twenty miles out of Chicago.
the two together, not just one
From this reading My father was fairly well fixed as a farmer and gave me as good an education, both classical and musical, as a country residence could afford.
a commercial or industrial enterprise and the people who constitute it
From this reading BECOMING AMBITIOUS—LEAVING HOME—HOTEL PORTER—CARD BUSINESS—LIGHTNING ROD AGENT—THE ACCIDENT—TWELVE GLASSES OF WATER.
one of a set of small pieces of stiff paper marked in various ways and used for playing games or for telling fortunes
From this reading BECOMING AMBITIOUS—LEAVING HOME—HOTEL PORTER—CARD BUSINESS—LIGHTNING ROD AGENT—THE ACCIDENT—TWELVE GLASSES OF WATER.
ChicagonounUS /ʃəˈkɑːɡoʊ/
largest city in Illinois; a bustling Great Lakes port that extends 26 miles along the southwestern shoreline of Lake Michigan
From this reading I was born in the good old State of Illinois, my birthplace being on a farm just twenty miles out of Chicago.
classicaladjectiveUS /ˈklæsɪkəl/
of or relating to the first significant period of a civilization, culture, area of study, etc.
From this reading My father was fairly well fixed as a farmer and gave me as good an education, both classical and musical, as a country residence could afford.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading My father was fairly well fixed as a farmer and gave me as good an education, both classical and musical, as a country residence could afford.
a politically organized body of people under a single government
From this reading My father was fairly well fixed as a farmer and gave me as good an education, both classical and musical, as a country residence could afford.
the activities of educating or instructing; activities that impart knowledge or skill
From this reading My father was fairly well fixed as a farmer and gave me as good an education, both classical and musical, as a country residence could afford.
eighteenadjectiveUS /eɪˈtiːn/
being one more than seventeen
From this reading Here I lived until I was eighteen years of age.
to certain extent or degree
From this reading My father was fairly well fixed as a farmer and gave me as good an education, both classical and musical, as a country residence could afford.
be a farmer; work as a farmer
From this reading I was born in the good old State of Illinois, my birthplace being on a farm just twenty miles out of Chicago.
a person who operates a farm
From this reading My father was fairly well fixed as a farmer and gave me as good an education, both classical and musical, as a country residence could afford.
a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)
From this reading My father was fairly well fixed as a farmer and gave me as good an education, both classical and musical, as a country residence could afford.
(of a number) having a fixed and unchanging value
From this reading My father was fairly well fixed as a farmer and gave me as good an education, both classical and musical, as a country residence could afford.
inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading My father was fairly well fixed as a farmer and gave me as good an education, both classical and musical, as a country residence could afford.
(plural) optical instrument consisting of a frame that holds a pair of lenses for correcting defective vision
From this reading BECOMING AMBITIOUS—LEAVING HOME—HOTEL PORTER—CARD BUSINESS—LIGHTNING ROD AGENT—THE ACCIDENT—TWELVE GLASSES OF WATER.
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading I was born in the good old State of Illinois, my birthplace being on a farm just twenty miles out of Chicago.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading Here I lived until I was eighteen years of age.
where you live at a particular time
From this reading BECOMING AMBITIOUS—LEAVING HOME—HOTEL PORTER—CARD BUSINESS—LIGHTNING ROD AGENT—THE ACCIDENT—TWELVE GLASSES OF WATER.
a building where travelers can pay for lodging and meals and other services
From this reading BECOMING AMBITIOUS—LEAVING HOME—HOTEL PORTER—CARD BUSINESS—LIGHTNING ROD AGENT—THE ACCIDENT—TWELVE GLASSES OF WATER.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I was born in the good old State of Illinois, my birthplace being on a farm just twenty miles out of Chicago.
IllinoisnounUS /ˌɪləˈnɔɪ/
a midwestern state in north-central United States
From this reading I was born in the good old State of Illinois, my birthplace being on a farm just twenty miles out of Chicago.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading I was born in the good old State of Illinois, my birthplace being on a farm just twenty miles out of Chicago.
and nothing more
From this reading I was born in the good old State of Illinois, my birthplace being on a farm just twenty miles out of Chicago.
the act of departing
From this reading BECOMING AMBITIOUS—LEAVING HOME—HOTEL PORTER—CARD BUSINESS—LIGHTNING ROD AGENT—THE ACCIDENT—TWELVE GLASSES OF WATER.
abrupt electric discharge from cloud to cloud or from cloud to earth accompanied by the emission of light
From this reading BECOMING AMBITIOUS—LEAVING HOME—HOTEL PORTER—CARD BUSINESS—LIGHTNING ROD AGENT—THE ACCIDENT—TWELVE GLASSES OF WATER.
past form of “live” — be an inhabitant of or reside in
From this reading Here I lived until I was eighteen years of age.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading My father was fairly well fixed as a farmer and gave me as good an education, both classical and musical, as a country residence could afford.
plural of “mile” — a unit of length equal to 1,760 yards or 5,280 feet; exactly 1609.344 meters
From this reading I was born in the good old State of Illinois, my birthplace being on a farm just twenty miles out of Chicago.
musicaladjectiveUS /ˈmjuːzɪkəl/
characterized by or capable of producing music
From this reading My father was fairly well fixed as a farmer and gave me as good an education, both classical and musical, as a country residence could afford.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading I was born in the good old State of Illinois, my birthplace being on a farm just twenty miles out of Chicago.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading BECOMING AMBITIOUS—LEAVING HOME—HOTEL PORTER—CARD BUSINESS—LIGHTNING ROD AGENT—THE ACCIDENT—TWELVE GLASSES OF WATER.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading I was born in the good old State of Illinois, my birthplace being on a farm just twenty miles out of Chicago.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading I was born in the good old State of Illinois, my birthplace being on a farm just twenty miles out of Chicago.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading STARTING OUT.
PORTERnounUS /ˈpɔːrtər/
a person employed to carry luggage and supplies
From this reading BECOMING AMBITIOUS—LEAVING HOME—HOTEL PORTER—CARD BUSINESS—LIGHTNING ROD AGENT—THE ACCIDENT—TWELVE GLASSES OF WATER.
residencenounUS /ˈrezɪdəns/
any address at which you dwell more than temporarily
From this reading My father was fairly well fixed as a farmer and gave me as good an education, both classical and musical, as a country residence could afford.
RODnounUS /rɑːd/
a long thin implement made of metal or wood
From this reading BECOMING AMBITIOUS—LEAVING HOME—HOTEL PORTER—CARD BUSINESS—LIGHTNING ROD AGENT—THE ACCIDENT—TWELVE GLASSES OF WATER.
(especially of eyes) bulging or protruding as with fear
From this reading STARTING OUT.
the territory occupied by one of the constituent administrative districts of a nation
From this reading I was born in the good old State of Illinois, my birthplace being on a farm just twenty miles out of Chicago.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading BECOMING AMBITIOUS—LEAVING HOME—HOTEL PORTER—CARD BUSINESS—LIGHTNING ROD AGENT—THE ACCIDENT—TWELVE GLASSES OF WATER.
the cardinal number that is the sum of eleven and one
From this reading BECOMING AMBITIOUS—LEAVING HOME—HOTEL PORTER—CARD BUSINESS—LIGHTNING ROD AGENT—THE ACCIDENT—TWELVE GLASSES OF WATER.
the cardinal number that is the sum of nineteen and one
From this reading I was born in the good old State of Illinois, my birthplace being on a farm just twenty miles out of Chicago.
untilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/
up to a particular time
From this reading Here I lived until I was eighteen years of age.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading I was born in the good old State of Illinois, my birthplace being on a farm just twenty miles out of Chicago.
binary compound that occurs at room temperature as a clear colorless odorless tasteless liquid; freezes into ice below 0 degrees centigrade and boils above 100 degrees centigrade; widely used as a solvent
From this reading BECOMING AMBITIOUS—LEAVING HOME—HOTEL PORTER—CARD BUSINESS—LIGHTNING ROD AGENT—THE ACCIDENT—TWELVE GLASSES OF WATER.
(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 My father was fairly well fixed as a farmer and gave me as good an education, both classical and musical, as a country residence could afford.
a late time of life
From this reading Here I lived until I was eighteen years of age.
