Chapter 5 of Valerie is here in full — 412 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter V
Chapter 5 of Valerie is here in full — 412 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"Why, Lionel, it would be very foolish for you to give up such a good situation. You have such unusual wages: twenty pounds a year, is it not?" "Yes, Miss Valerie. I should not get half that in another situation, but that is one reason why I am going to leave. Why should she give me twenty pounds a year.
Chapter 5 of Valerie is here in full — 412 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.
devoid of good sense or judgment
From this reading “"Why, Lionel, it would be very foolish for you to give up such a good situation.”
plural of “pound” — 16 ounces avoirdupois
From this reading “You have such unusual wages: twenty pounds a year, is it not?"”
a rational motive for a belief or action
From this reading “I should not get half that in another situation, but that is one reason why I am going to leave.”
the general state of things; the combination of circumstances at a given time
From this reading “"Why, Lionel, it would be very foolish for you to give up such a good situation.”
the cardinal number that is the sum of nineteen and one
From this reading “You have such unusual wages: twenty pounds a year, is it not?"”
not usual or common or ordinary
From this reading “You have such unusual wages: twenty pounds a year, is it not?"”
a recompense for worthy acts or retribution for wrongdoing
From this reading “You have such unusual wages: twenty pounds a year, is it not?"”
a period of time containing 365 (or 366) days
From this reading “You have such unusual wages: twenty pounds a year, is it not?"”
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 "Why, Lionel, it would be very foolish for you to give up such a good situation.
the form of “be” used with “I”
From this reading I should not get half that in another situation, but that is one reason why I am going to leave.
one more of the same kind, or a different one
From this reading I should not get half that in another situation, but that is one reason why I am going to leave.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading "Why, Lionel, it would be very foolish for you to give up such a good situation.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading I should not get half that in another situation, but that is one reason why I am going to leave.
devoid of good sense or judgment
From this reading "Why, Lionel, it would be very foolish for you to give up such a good situation.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading "Why, Lionel, it would be very foolish for you to give up such a good situation.
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading I should not get half that in another situation, but that is one reason why I am going to leave.
cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading "Why, Lionel, it would be very foolish for you to give up such a good situation.
the act of departing
From this reading I should not get half that in another situation, but that is one reason why I am going to leave.
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading "Why, Lionel, it would be very foolish for you to give up such a good situation.
consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity
From this reading I should not get half that in another situation, but that is one reason why I am going to leave.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading You have such unusual wages: twenty pounds a year, is it not?"
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I should not get half that in another situation, but that is one reason why I am going to leave.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading I should not get half that in another situation, but that is one reason why I am going to leave.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading You have such unusual wages: twenty pounds a year, is it not?"
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "Why, Lionel, it would be very foolish for you to give up such a good situation.
go away from a place
From this reading I should not get half that in another situation, but that is one reason why I am going to leave.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Why, Lionel, it would be very foolish for you to give up such a good situation.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Why should she give me twenty pounds a year.
fail to perceive or to catch with the senses or the mind
From this reading "Yes, Miss Valerie.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading You have such unusual wages: twenty pounds a year, is it not?"
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading I should not get half that in another situation, but that is one reason why I am going to leave.
plural of “pound” — 16 ounces avoirdupois
From this reading You have such unusual wages: twenty pounds a year, is it not?"
a rational motive for a belief or action
From this reading I should not get half that in another situation, but that is one reason why I am going to leave.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Why should she give me twenty pounds a year.
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading I should not get half that in another situation, but that is one reason why I am going to leave.
the general state of things; the combination of circumstances at a given time
From this reading "Why, Lionel, it would be very foolish for you to give up such a good situation.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading "Why, Lionel, it would be very foolish for you to give up such a good situation.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading I should not get half that in another situation, but that is one reason why I am going to leave.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "Why, Lionel, it would be very foolish for you to give up such a good situation.
the cardinal number that is the sum of nineteen and one
From this reading You have such unusual wages: twenty pounds a year, is it not?"
not usual or common or ordinary
From this reading You have such unusual wages: twenty pounds a year, is it not?"
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading "Why, Lionel, it would be very foolish for you to give up such a good situation.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Yes, Miss Valerie.
precisely as stated
From this reading "Why, Lionel, it would be very foolish for you to give up such a good situation.
a recompense for worthy acts or retribution for wrongdoing
From this reading You have such unusual wages: twenty pounds a year, is it not?"
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading "Why, Lionel, it would be very foolish for you to give up such a good situation.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading "Why, Lionel, it would be very foolish for you to give up such a good situation.
a period of time containing 365 (or 366) days
From this reading You have such unusual wages: twenty pounds a year, is it not?"
an affirmative
From this reading "Yes, Miss Valerie.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Why, Lionel, it would be very foolish for you to give up such a good situation.
Chapter 5 of Valerie by Frederick Marryat holds 412 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 5 holds 412 sentences of Valerie, unabridged, divided into 83 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 5 of Valerie by Frederick Marryat exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 412 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 5 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 Valerie by Frederick Marryat on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4135 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #23952 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #23952, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 344 minutes of reading across 827 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Valerie section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 10 chapters of Valerie 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 Valerie, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
