Under the Star-Spangled Banner

Chapter XVII

Chapter 17 of Under the Star-Spangled Banner is here in full — 307 sentences across 62 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By F. S. (Frederick Sadleir) Brereton • Curated US English Learning Edition

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A BAPTISM OF FIRE "This young guest of ours is as smart and as full of pluck as they make them."

These were the lieutenant's words, and those who had the fortune to be acquainted with our hero could not deny their truth; for Hal looked a particularly capable and sturdy young fellow two days after boarding the _New York_.

"You look a regular sailor," said Gerald, with a laugh.

"When I saw you walking the deck with our friend of yesterday, I took you for one of the officers."

"And that is what I should like to be," Hal answered briskly.

Narrator

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LEARNER DICTIONARY

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/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/

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A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Chapter XVII Reading 1/61

Under the Star-Spangled Banner F. S. (Frederick Sadleir) Brereton

Chapter XVII

Chapter 17 of Under the Star-Spangled Banner is here in full — 307 sentences across 62 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

A BAPTISM OF FIRE "This young guest of ours is as smart and as full of pluck as they make them." These were the lieutenant's words, and those who had the fortune to be acquainted with our hero could not deny their truth; for Hal looked a particularly capable and sturdy young fellow two days after boarding the _New York_. "You look a regular sailor," said Gerald, with a laugh. "When I saw you walking the deck with our friend of yesterday, I took you for one of the officers." "And that is what I should like to be," Hal answered briskly.

Under the Star-Spangled Banner

Chapter XVII

Chapter 17 of Under the Star-Spangled Banner is here in full — 307 sentences across 62 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/61 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

A BAPTISM OF FIRE "This young guest of ours is as smart and as full of pluck as they make them."

/ə ˈbæptɪzəm ʌv ˈfaɪər ðɪs jʌŋ ɡest ʌv ˈaʊərz ɪz æz smɑːrt ənd æz fʊl ʌv plʌk æz ðeɪ meɪk ðem/

Line 2

Line 3

"You look a regular sailor," said Gerald, with a laugh.

Line 4

"When I saw you walking the deck with our friend of yesterday, I took you for one of the officers."

/wen aɪ sɔː juː ˈwɔːkɪŋ ðə dek wɪð ˈaʊər frend ʌv ˈjestərdeɪ aɪ tʊk juː fɔːr wʌn ʌv ðə ˈɔːfəsərz/

Line 5

"And that is what I should like to be," Hal answered briskly.

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.

baptism noun US /ˈbæptɪzəm/

a Christian sacrament signifying spiritual cleansing and rebirth

From this reading “A BAPTISM OF FIRE "This young guest of ours is as smart and as full of pluck as they make them."”

boarding noun US /ˈbɔːrdɪŋ/

the act of passengers and crew getting aboard a ship or aircraft

From this reading “These were the lieutenant's words, and those who had the fortune to be acquainted with our hero could not deny their truth; for Hal looked a particularly capable and sturdy young fellow two days after boarding the _New York_.”

briskly adverb US /ˈbrɪskli/

in a brisk manner

From this reading “"And that is what I should like to be," Hal answered briskly.”

deny verb US /dɪˈnaɪ/

declare untrue; contradict

lieutenant's noun US /luːˈtenənts/

possessive form of “lieutenant” — a commissioned military officer

pluck verb US /plʌk/

pull or pull out sharply

From this reading “A BAPTISM OF FIRE "This young guest of ours is as smart and as full of pluck as they make them."”

smart adjective US /smɑːrt/

showing mental alertness and calculation and resourcefulness

From this reading “A BAPTISM OF FIRE "This young guest of ours is as smart and as full of pluck as they make them."”

sturdy adjective US /ˈstɜːrdi/

having rugged physical strength; inured to fatigue or hardships

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.

young fellow adjective + noun

In this reading “These were the lieutenant's words, and those who had the fortune to be acquainted with our hero could not deny their truth; for Hal looked a particularly capable and sturdy young fellow two days after boarding the _New York_.”

two days noun + noun

All words in this reading · 73

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 A BAPTISM OF FIRE "This young guest of ours is as smart and as full of pluck as they make them."

acquaintedadjectiveUS /əˈkweɪntɪd/

having fair knowledge of

From this reading These were the lieutenant's words, and those who had the fortune to be acquainted with our hero could not deny their truth; for Hal looked a particularly capable and sturdy young fellow two days after boarding the _New York_.

afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading A BAPTISM OF FIRE "This young guest of ours is as smart and as full of pluck as they make them."

answeredverbUS /ˈænsərd/

past form of “answer” — react verbally

From this reading "And that is what I should like to be," Hal answered briskly.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading A BAPTISM OF FIRE "This young guest of ours is as smart and as full of pluck as they make them."

BAPTISMnounUS /ˈbæptɪzəm/

a Christian sacrament signifying spiritual cleansing and rebirth

From this reading A BAPTISM OF FIRE "This young guest of ours is as smart and as full of pluck as they make them."

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

boardingnounUS /ˈbɔːrdɪŋ/

the act of passengers and crew getting aboard a ship or aircraft

brisklyadverbUS /ˈbrɪskli/

in a brisk manner

From this reading "And that is what I should like to be," Hal answered briskly.

capableadjectiveUS /ˈkeɪpəbəl/

(usually followed by “of”) having capacity or ability

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

daysnounUS /deɪz/

the time during which someone's life continues

decknounUS /dek/

any of various platforms built into a vessel

From this reading "When I saw you walking the deck with our friend of yesterday, I took you for one of the officers."

denyverbUS /dɪˈnaɪ/

declare untrue; contradict

fellownounUS /ˈfeloʊ/

a boy or man

FIREverbUS /ˈfaɪər/

start firing a weapon

From this reading A BAPTISM OF FIRE "This young guest of ours is as smart and as full of pluck as they make them."

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

fortunenounUS /ˈfɔːrtʃən/

an unknown and unpredictable phenomenon that causes an event to result one way rather than another

friendnounUS /frend/

a person you know well and regard with affection and trust

From this reading "When I saw you walking the deck with our friend of yesterday, I took you for one of the officers."

fulladjectiveUS /fʊl/

containing as much or as many as is possible or normal

From this reading A BAPTISM OF FIRE "This young guest of ours is as smart and as full of pluck as they make them."

Gerald

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

From this reading "You look a regular sailor," said Gerald, with a laugh.

guestnounUS /ɡest/

a visitor to whom hospitality is extended

From this reading A BAPTISM OF FIRE "This young guest of ours is as smart and as full of pluck as they make them."

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

Hal

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

heronounUS /ˈhɪroʊ/

a man distinguished by exceptional courage and nobility and strength

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading "When I saw you walking the deck with our friend of yesterday, I took you for one of the officers."

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading A BAPTISM OF FIRE "This young guest of ours is as smart and as full of pluck as they make them."

laughnounUS /læf/

the sound of laughing

From this reading "You look a regular sailor," said Gerald, with a laugh.

lieutenant'snounUS /luːˈtenənts/

possessive form of “lieutenant” — a commissioned military officer

likeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading "And that is what I should like to be," Hal answered briskly.

lookverbUS /lʊk/

perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading "You look a regular sailor," said Gerald, with a laugh.

lookedverbUS /lʊkt/

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

makeverbUS /meɪk/

engage in

From this reading A BAPTISM OF FIRE "This young guest of ours is as smart and as full of pluck as they make them."

NewadjectiveUS /nuː/

not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

OFprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading A BAPTISM OF FIRE "This young guest of ours is as smart and as full of pluck as they make them."

officersnounUS /ˈɔːfəsərz/

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

From this reading "When I saw you walking the deck with our friend of yesterday, I took you for one of the officers."

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading "When I saw you walking the deck with our friend of yesterday, I took you for one of the officers."

ourdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/

belonging to the speaker and others

ourspronounUS /ˈaʊərz/

the one or ones belonging to us

From this reading A BAPTISM OF FIRE "This young guest of ours is as smart and as full of pluck as they make them."

particularlyadverbUS /ˌpɑːrˈtɪkjələrli/

to a distinctly greater extent or degree than is common

pluckverbUS /plʌk/

pull or pull out sharply

From this reading A BAPTISM OF FIRE "This young guest of ours is as smart and as full of pluck as they make them."

regularadjectiveUS /ˈreɡjələr/

in accordance with fixed order or procedure or principle

From this reading "You look a regular sailor," said Gerald, with a laugh.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading "You look a regular sailor," said Gerald, with a laugh.

sailornounUS /ˈseɪlər/

any member of a ship's crew

From this reading "You look a regular sailor," said Gerald, with a laugh.

sawverbUS /sɔː/

cut with a saw

From this reading "When I saw you walking the deck with our friend of yesterday, I took you for one of the officers."

shouldmodal verbUS /ʃʊd/

used to say what is right, expected, or advisable

From this reading "And that is what I should like to be," Hal answered briskly.

smartadjectiveUS /smɑːrt/

showing mental alertness and calculation and resourcefulness

From this reading A BAPTISM OF FIRE "This young guest of ours is as smart and as full of pluck as they make them."

sturdyadjectiveUS /ˈstɜːrdi/

having rugged physical strength; inured to fatigue or hardships

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading "And that is what I should like to be," Hal answered briskly.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading A BAPTISM OF FIRE "This young guest of ours is as smart and as full of pluck as they make them."

ThesedeterminerUS /ðiːz/

the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

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

From this reading A BAPTISM OF FIRE "This young guest of ours is as smart and as full of pluck as they make them."

ThisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading A BAPTISM OF FIRE "This young guest of ours is as smart and as full of pluck as they make them."

thosedeterminerUS /ðoʊz/

the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

tookverbUS /tʊk/

inflected form of “take” — carry out

From this reading "When I saw you walking the deck with our friend of yesterday, I took you for one of the officers."

truthnounUS /truːθ/

a fact that has been verified

twonounUS /tuː/

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

walkingadjectiveUS /ˈwɔːkɪŋ/

close enough to be walked to

From this reading "When I saw you walking the deck with our friend of yesterday, I took you for one of the officers."

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading "And that is what I should like to be," Hal answered briskly.

WhenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading "When I saw you walking the deck with our friend of yesterday, I took you for one of the officers."

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

wordsnounUS /wɜːrdz/

the words that are spoken

yesterdaynounUS /ˈjestərdeɪ/

the day immediately before today

From this reading "When I saw you walking the deck with our friend of yesterday, I took you for one of the officers."

YorknounUS /jɔːrk/

the English royal house (a branch of the Plantagenet line) that reigned from 1461 to 1485; its emblem was a white rose

YoupronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "You look a regular sailor," said Gerald, with a laugh.

youngadjectiveUS /jʌŋ/

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

From this reading A BAPTISM OF FIRE "This young guest of ours is as smart and as full of pluck as they make them."

Chapter 17 of Under the Star-Spangled Banner by F. S. (Frederick Sadleir) Brereton holds 307 sentences, grouped into 62 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 17 of Under the Star-Spangled Banner contain?

Chapter 17 holds 307 sentences of Under the Star-Spangled Banner, unabridged, divided into 62 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 17 of Under the Star-Spangled Banner by F. S. (Frederick Sadleir) Brereton exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 307 sentences, grouped into 62 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.

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Work through the 62 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 62 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.

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Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 17 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.

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Yes. All 5668 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #41425 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

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Project Gutenberg eBook #41425, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

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About 472 minutes of reading across 1134 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in Under the Star-Spangled Banner

Words and structures a reader meets early in Under the Star-Spangled Banner, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Spanish-american: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Under the Star-Spangled Banner; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Captain: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Under the Star-Spangled Banner; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Brereton: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Under the Star-Spangled Banner; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Author: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Under the Star-Spangled Banner; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

Chapter XVII

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