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Uncle Sam's Boys on Field Duty
Uncle Sam's Boys on Field Duty

Chapter IX

Chapter 9 of Uncle Sam's Boys on Field Duty is here in full — 155 sentences across 31 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Uncle Sam's Boys on Field Duty
Context Illustration Reading 1/31 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
PLANNING FOR THE NIGHT ATTACK For a distance of several yards the soldier boys proceeded through the darkness without appearing to attract any attention.
The officers and soldiers of C Company were finishing their hasty, cheerless meal.
There was nothing strange about two soldiers having finished ahead of the rest and deciding for a stroll through the camp.
The darkness was the greatest protection of our young friends.
They refrained from going very close to any group.
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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.

Uncle Sam's Boys on Field Duty

Chapter IX

Chapter 9 of Uncle Sam's Boys on Field Duty is here in full — 155 sentences across 31 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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

Line 1
PLANNING FOR THE NIGHT ATTACK For a distance of several yards the soldier boys proceeded through the darkness without appearing to attract any attention.
/ˈplænɪŋ fɔːr ðə naɪt əˈtæk fɔːr ə ˈdɪstəns ʌv ˈsevrəl jɑːrdz ðə ˈsoʊldʒər bɔɪz prəˈsiːdɪd θruː ðə ˈdɑːrknəs wɪˈθaʊt əˈpɪrɪŋ tuː əˈtrækt ˈeni əˈtenʃən/
Line 2
The officers and soldiers of C Company were finishing their hasty, cheerless meal.
Line 3
There was nothing strange about two soldiers having finished ahead of the rest and deciding for a stroll through the camp.
/ðer wɑːz ˈnʌθɪŋ streɪndʒ əˈbaʊt tuː ˈsoʊldʒərz ˈhævɪŋ ˈfɪnɪʃt əˈhed ʌv ðə rest ənd ˌdɪˈsaɪdɪŋ fɔːr ə stroʊl θruː ðə kæmp/
Line 4
The darkness was the greatest protection of our young friends.
/ðə ˈdɑːrknəs wɑːz ðə ˈɡreɪtəst prəˈtekʃən ʌv ˈaʊər jʌŋ frendz/
Line 5
They refrained from going very close to any group.
/ðeɪ rɪˈfreɪnd frʌm ˈɡoʊɪŋ ˈveri kloʊs tuː ˈeni ɡruːp/

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.

appearing noun US /əˈpɪrɪŋ/

formal attendance (in court or at a hearing) of a party in an action

From this reading “PLANNING FOR THE NIGHT ATTACK For a distance of several yards the soldier boys proceeded through the darkness without appearing to attract any attention.”

attract verb US /əˈtrækt/

direct toward itself or oneself by means of some psychological power or physical attributes

From this reading “PLANNING FOR THE NIGHT ATTACK For a distance of several yards the soldier boys proceeded through the darkness without appearing to attract any attention.”

deciding noun US /ˌdɪˈsaɪdɪŋ/

the cognitive process of reaching a decision

From this reading “There was nothing strange about two soldiers having finished ahead of the rest and deciding for a stroll through the camp.”

finishing noun US /ˈfɪnɪʃɪŋ/

a decorative texture or appearance of a surface (or the substance that gives it that appearance)

From this reading “The officers and soldiers of C Company were finishing their hasty, cheerless meal.”

hasty adjective US /ˈheɪsti/

excessively quick

From this reading “The officers and soldiers of C Company were finishing their hasty, cheerless meal.”

planning noun US /ˈplænɪŋ/

an act of formulating a program for a definite course of action

From this reading “PLANNING FOR THE NIGHT ATTACK For a distance of several yards the soldier boys proceeded through the darkness without appearing to attract any attention.”

refrained verb US /rɪˈfreɪnd/

past form of “refrain” — resist doing something

From this reading “They refrained from going very close to any group.”

stroll noun US /stroʊl/

a leisurely walk (usually in some public place)

From this reading “There was nothing strange about two soldiers having finished ahead of the rest and deciding for a stroll through the camp.”

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.

refrained from verb + particle counted as “refrain from”

In this reading “They refrained from going very close to any group.”

without appearing preposition + noun

In this reading “PLANNING FOR THE NIGHT ATTACK For a distance of several yards the soldier boys proceeded through the darkness without appearing to attract any attention.”

through the darkness preposition + article + noun counted as “through … darkness”

In this reading “PLANNING FOR THE NIGHT ATTACK For a distance of several yards the soldier boys proceeded through the darkness without appearing to attract any attention.”

several yards adjective + noun counted as “several yard”

In this reading “PLANNING FOR THE NIGHT ATTACK For a distance of several yards the soldier boys proceeded through the darkness without appearing to attract any attention.”

young friends adjective + noun counted as “young friend”

In this reading “The darkness was the greatest protection of our young friends.”

any attention adjective + noun

In this reading “PLANNING FOR THE NIGHT ATTACK For a distance of several yards the soldier boys proceeded through the darkness without appearing to attract any attention.”

about two preposition + noun

In this reading “There was nothing strange about two soldiers having finished ahead of the rest and deciding for a stroll through the camp.”

All words in this reading · 57

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.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading PLANNING FOR THE NIGHT ATTACK For a distance of several yards the soldier boys proceeded through the darkness without appearing to attract any attention.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading There was nothing strange about two soldiers having finished ahead of the rest and deciding for a stroll through the camp.

aheadadverbUS /əˈhed/

at or in the front

From this reading There was nothing strange about two soldiers having finished ahead of the rest and deciding for a stroll through the camp.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading The officers and soldiers of C Company were finishing their hasty, cheerless meal.

anyadjectiveUS /ˈeni/

one or some or every or all without specification

From this reading PLANNING FOR THE NIGHT ATTACK For a distance of several yards the soldier boys proceeded through the darkness without appearing to attract any attention.

appearingnounUS /əˈpɪrɪŋ/

formal attendance (in court or at a hearing) of a party in an action

From this reading PLANNING FOR THE NIGHT ATTACK For a distance of several yards the soldier boys proceeded through the darkness without appearing to attract any attention.

ATTACKnounUS /əˈtæk/

(military) an offensive against an enemy (using weapons)

From this reading PLANNING FOR THE NIGHT ATTACK For a distance of several yards the soldier boys proceeded through the darkness without appearing to attract any attention.

attentionnounUS /əˈtenʃən/

the process whereby a person concentrates on some features of the environment to the (relative) exclusion of others

From this reading PLANNING FOR THE NIGHT ATTACK For a distance of several yards the soldier boys proceeded through the darkness without appearing to attract any attention.

attractverbUS /əˈtrækt/

direct toward itself or oneself by means of some psychological power or physical attributes

From this reading PLANNING FOR THE NIGHT ATTACK For a distance of several yards the soldier boys proceeded through the darkness without appearing to attract any attention.

boysnounUS /bɔɪz/

plural of “boy” — a youthful male person

From this reading PLANNING FOR THE NIGHT ATTACK For a distance of several yards the soldier boys proceeded through the darkness without appearing to attract any attention.

CnounUS /siː/

a degree on the centigrade scale of temperature

From this reading The officers and soldiers of C Company were finishing their hasty, cheerless meal.

campnounUS /kæmp/

temporary living quarters specially built by the army for soldiers

From this reading There was nothing strange about two soldiers having finished ahead of the rest and deciding for a stroll through the camp.

cheerlessadjective

causing sad feelings of gloom and inadequacy

From this reading The officers and soldiers of C Company were finishing their hasty, cheerless meal.

closeadjectiveUS /kloʊs/

at or within a short distance in space or time or having elements near each other

From this reading They refrained from going very close to any group.

CompanynounUS /ˈkʌmpəniː/

an institution created to conduct business

From this reading The officers and soldiers of C Company were finishing their hasty, cheerless meal.

darknessnounUS /ˈdɑːrknəs/

absence of light or illumination

From this reading PLANNING FOR THE NIGHT ATTACK For a distance of several yards the soldier boys proceeded through the darkness without appearing to attract any attention.

decidingnounUS /ˌdɪˈsaɪdɪŋ/

the cognitive process of reaching a decision

From this reading There was nothing strange about two soldiers having finished ahead of the rest and deciding for a stroll through the camp.

distancenounUS /ˈdɪstəns/

the property created by the space between two objects or points

From this reading PLANNING FOR THE NIGHT ATTACK For a distance of several yards the soldier boys proceeded through the darkness without appearing to attract any attention.

finishedadjectiveUS /ˈfɪnɪʃt/

(of materials or goods) brought to the desired final state

From this reading There was nothing strange about two soldiers having finished ahead of the rest and deciding for a stroll through the camp.

finishingnounUS /ˈfɪnɪʃɪŋ/

a decorative texture or appearance of a surface (or the substance that gives it that appearance)

From this reading The officers and soldiers of C Company were finishing their hasty, cheerless meal.

FORprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading PLANNING FOR THE NIGHT ATTACK For a distance of several yards the soldier boys proceeded through the darkness without appearing to attract any attention.

friendsnounUS /frendz/

plural of “friend” — a person you know well and regard with affection and trust

From this reading The darkness was the greatest protection of our young friends.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading They refrained from going very close to any group.

goingnounUS /ˈɡoʊɪŋ/

the act of departing

From this reading They refrained from going very close to any group.

greatestadjectiveUS /ˈɡreɪtəst/

highest in quality

From this reading The darkness was the greatest protection of our young friends.

groupnounUS /ɡruːp/

any number of entities (members) considered as a unit

From this reading They refrained from going very close to any group.

hastyadjectiveUS /ˈheɪsti/

excessively quick

From this reading The officers and soldiers of C Company were finishing their hasty, cheerless meal.

havingauxiliary verbUS /ˈhævɪŋ/

the -ing form of “have”

From this reading There was nothing strange about two soldiers having finished ahead of the rest and deciding for a stroll through the camp.

mealnounUS /miːl/

the food served and eaten at one time

From this reading The officers and soldiers of C Company were finishing their hasty, cheerless meal.

NIGHTnounUS /naɪt/

the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside

From this reading PLANNING FOR THE NIGHT ATTACK For a distance of several yards the soldier boys proceeded through the darkness without appearing to attract any attention.

nothingpronounUS /ˈnʌθɪŋ/

not one thing; not anything

From this reading There was nothing strange about two soldiers having finished ahead of the rest and deciding for a stroll through the camp.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading PLANNING FOR THE NIGHT ATTACK For a distance of several yards the soldier boys proceeded through the darkness without appearing to attract any attention.

officersnounUS /ˈɔːfəsərz/

plural of “officer” — any person in the armed services who holds a position of authority or command

From this reading The officers and soldiers of C Company were finishing their hasty, cheerless meal.

ourdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/

belonging to the speaker and others

From this reading The darkness was the greatest protection of our young friends.

PLANNINGnounUS /ˈplænɪŋ/

an act of formulating a program for a definite course of action

From this reading PLANNING FOR THE NIGHT ATTACK For a distance of several yards the soldier boys proceeded through the darkness without appearing to attract any attention.

proceededverbUS /prəˈsiːdɪd/

past form of “proceed” — continue talking

From this reading PLANNING FOR THE NIGHT ATTACK For a distance of several yards the soldier boys proceeded through the darkness without appearing to attract any attention.

protectionnounUS /prəˈtekʃən/

the activity of protecting someone or something

From this reading The darkness was the greatest protection of our young friends.

refrainedverbUS /rɪˈfreɪnd/

past form of “refrain” — resist doing something

From this reading They refrained from going very close to any group.

restverbUS /rest/

not move; be in a resting position

From this reading There was nothing strange about two soldiers having finished ahead of the rest and deciding for a stroll through the camp.

severaladjectiveUS /ˈsevrəl/

(used with count nouns) of an indefinite number more than 2 or 3 but not many

From this reading PLANNING FOR THE NIGHT ATTACK For a distance of several yards the soldier boys proceeded through the darkness without appearing to attract any attention.

soldiernounUS /ˈsoʊldʒər/

an enlisted man or woman who serves in an army

From this reading PLANNING FOR THE NIGHT ATTACK For a distance of several yards the soldier boys proceeded through the darkness without appearing to attract any attention.

soldiersnounUS /ˈsoʊldʒərz/

plural of “soldier” — an enlisted man or woman who serves in an army

From this reading The officers and soldiers of C Company were finishing their hasty, cheerless meal.

strangeadjectiveUS /streɪndʒ/

being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird

From this reading There was nothing strange about two soldiers having finished ahead of the rest and deciding for a stroll through the camp.

strollnounUS /stroʊl/

a leisurely walk (usually in some public place)

From this reading There was nothing strange about two soldiers having finished ahead of the rest and deciding for a stroll through the camp.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading PLANNING FOR THE NIGHT ATTACK For a distance of several yards the soldier boys proceeded through the darkness without appearing to attract any attention.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading The officers and soldiers of C Company were finishing their hasty, cheerless meal.

ThereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading There was nothing strange about two soldiers having finished ahead of the rest and deciding for a stroll through the camp.

TheypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading They refrained from going very close to any group.

throughprepositionUS /θruː/

from one end or side of something to the other

From this reading PLANNING FOR THE NIGHT ATTACK For a distance of several yards the soldier boys proceeded through the darkness without appearing to attract any attention.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading PLANNING FOR THE NIGHT ATTACK For a distance of several yards the soldier boys proceeded through the darkness without appearing to attract any attention.

twonounUS /tuː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading There was nothing strange about two soldiers having finished ahead of the rest and deciding for a stroll through the camp.

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading They refrained from going very close to any group.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading There was nothing strange about two soldiers having finished ahead of the rest and deciding for a stroll through the camp.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading The officers and soldiers of C Company were finishing their hasty, cheerless meal.

withoutprepositionUS /wɪˈθaʊt/

not having, not using, or not accompanied by

From this reading PLANNING FOR THE NIGHT ATTACK For a distance of several yards the soldier boys proceeded through the darkness without appearing to attract any attention.

yardsnounUS /jɑːrdz/

plural of “yard” — a unit of length equal to 3 feet; defined as 91.44 centimeters; originally taken to be the average length of a stride

From this reading PLANNING FOR THE NIGHT ATTACK For a distance of several yards the soldier boys proceeded through the darkness without appearing to attract any attention.

youngadjectiveUS /jʌŋ/

(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth

From this reading The darkness was the greatest protection of our young friends.

Chapter 9 of Uncle Sam's Boys on Field Duty by H. Irving (Harrie Irving) Hancock holds 155 sentences, grouped into 31 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 9 of Uncle Sam's Boys on Field Duty contain?

Chapter 9 holds 155 sentences of Uncle Sam's Boys on Field Duty, unabridged, divided into 31 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 9 of Uncle Sam's Boys on Field Duty by H. Irving (Harrie Irving) Hancock exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 155 sentences, grouped into 31 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 9 of Uncle Sam's Boys on Field Duty?

Work through the 31 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 31 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 9 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 9 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 Uncle Sam's Boys on Field Duty

Common questions about reading Uncle Sam's Boys on Field Duty by H. Irving (Harrie Irving) Hancock on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Uncle Sam's Boys on Field Duty?

Yes. All 3358 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #52755 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Uncle Sam's Boys on Field Duty is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #52755, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Uncle Sam's Boys on Field Duty take to read?

About 279 minutes of reading across 672 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Uncle Sam's Boys on Field Duty section by section

How to work through Uncle Sam's Boys on Field Duty section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 24 chapters of Uncle Sam's Boys on Field Duty 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 Uncle Sam's Boys on Field Duty

Words and structures a reader meets early in Uncle Sam's Boys on Field Duty, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Uncle
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Uncle Sam's Boys on Field Duty; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Sam's
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Uncle Sam's Boys on Field Duty; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Field
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Uncle Sam's Boys on Field Duty; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Author
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Uncle Sam's Boys on Field Duty; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.