Chapter 2 of Washington Irving is here in full — 129 sentences across 26 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of Washington Irving is here in full — 129 sentences across 26 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
II. BOYHOOD Washington Irving was born in the city of New York, April 3, 1783. He was the eighth son of William and Sarah Irving, and the youngest of eleven children, three of whom died in infancy. His parents, though of good origin, began life in humble circumstances. His father was born on the island of Shapinska.
Chapter 2 of Washington Irving is here in full — 129 sentences across 26 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/25 · 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.
the month following March and preceding May
From this reading “BOYHOOD Washington Irving was born in the city of New York, April 3, 1783.”
the childhood of a boy
From this reading “BOYHOOD Washington Irving was born in the city of New York, April 3, 1783.”
coming next after the seventh and just before the ninth in position
From this reading “He was the eighth son of William and Sarah Irving, and the youngest of eleven children, three of whom died in infancy.”
the early stage of growth or development
From this reading “He was the eighth son of William and Sarah Irving, and the youngest of eleven children, three of whom died in infancy.”
United States writer remembered for his stories (1783-1859)
From this reading “BOYHOOD Washington Irving was born in the city of New York, April 3, 1783.”
the place where something begins, where it springs into being
From this reading “His parents, though of good origin, began life in humble circumstances.”
(Old Testament) the wife of Abraham and mother of Isaac
From this reading “He was the eighth son of William and Sarah Irving, and the youngest of eleven children, three of whom died in infancy.”
superlative of “young” — (used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading “He was the eighth son of William and Sarah Irving, and the youngest of eleven children, three of whom died in infancy.”
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.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading BOYHOOD Washington Irving was born in the city of New York, April 3, 1783.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading BOYHOOD Washington Irving was born in the city of New York, April 3, 1783.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He was the eighth son of William and Sarah Irving, and the youngest of eleven children, three of whom died in infancy.
the month following March and preceding May
From this reading BOYHOOD Washington Irving was born in the city of New York, April 3, 1783.
inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading His parents, though of good origin, began life in humble circumstances.
brought into existence
From this reading BOYHOOD Washington Irving was born in the city of New York, April 3, 1783.
the childhood of a boy
From this reading BOYHOOD Washington Irving was born in the city of New York, April 3, 1783.
plural of “child” — a young person of either sex
From this reading He was the eighth son of William and Sarah Irving, and the youngest of eleven children, three of whom died in infancy.
your overall circumstances or condition in life (including everything that happens to you)
From this reading His parents, though of good origin, began life in humble circumstances.
a large and densely populated urban area; may include several independent administrative districts
From this reading BOYHOOD Washington Irving was born in the city of New York, April 3, 1783.
past form of “die” — pass from physical life and lose all bodily attributes and functions necessary to sustain life
From this reading He was the eighth son of William and Sarah Irving, and the youngest of eleven children, three of whom died in infancy.
coming next after the seventh and just before the ninth in position
From this reading He was the eighth son of William and Sarah Irving, and the youngest of eleven children, three of whom died in infancy.
being one more than ten
From this reading He was the eighth son of William and Sarah Irving, and the youngest of eleven children, three of whom died in infancy.
a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)
From this reading His father was born on the island of Shapinska.
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading His parents, though of good origin, began life in humble circumstances.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He was the eighth son of William and Sarah Irving, and the youngest of eleven children, three of whom died in infancy.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading His parents, though of good origin, began life in humble circumstances.
low or inferior in station or quality
From this reading His parents, though of good origin, began life in humble circumstances.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading II.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading BOYHOOD Washington Irving was born in the city of New York, April 3, 1783.
the early stage of growth or development
From this reading He was the eighth son of William and Sarah Irving, and the youngest of eleven children, three of whom died in infancy.
United States writer remembered for his stories (1783-1859)
From this reading BOYHOOD Washington Irving was born in the city of New York, April 3, 1783.
a land mass (smaller than a continent) that is surrounded by water
From this reading His father was born on the island of Shapinska.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading His parents, though of good origin, began life in humble circumstances.
not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered
From this reading BOYHOOD Washington Irving was born in the city of New York, April 3, 1783.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading BOYHOOD Washington Irving was born in the city of New York, April 3, 1783.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading His father was born on the island of Shapinska.
the place where something begins, where it springs into being
From this reading His parents, though of good origin, began life in humble circumstances.
plural of “parent” — a father or mother; one who begets or one who gives birth to or nurtures and raises a child; a relative who plays the role of guardian
From this reading His parents, though of good origin, began life in humble circumstances.
(Old Testament) the wife of Abraham and mother of Isaac
From this reading He was the eighth son of William and Sarah Irving, and the youngest of eleven children, three of whom died in infancy.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading His father was born on the island of Shapinska.
a male human offspring
From this reading He was the eighth son of William and Sarah Irving, and the youngest of eleven children, three of whom died in infancy.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading BOYHOOD Washington Irving was born in the city of New York, April 3, 1783.
in spite of the fact that
From this reading His parents, though of good origin, began life in humble circumstances.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading He was the eighth son of William and Sarah Irving, and the youngest of eleven children, three of whom died in infancy.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading BOYHOOD Washington Irving was born in the city of New York, April 3, 1783.
the capital of the United States in the District of Columbia and a tourist mecca; George Washington commissioned Charles L'Enfant to lay out the city in 1791
From this reading BOYHOOD Washington Irving was born in the city of New York, April 3, 1783.
the form of “who” used as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading He was the eighth son of William and Sarah Irving, and the youngest of eleven children, three of whom died in infancy.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He was the eighth son of William and Sarah Irving, and the youngest of eleven children, three of whom died in infancy.
the English royal house (a branch of the Plantagenet line) that reigned from 1461 to 1485; its emblem was a white rose
From this reading BOYHOOD Washington Irving was born in the city of New York, April 3, 1783.
superlative of “young” — (used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading He was the eighth son of William and Sarah Irving, and the youngest of eleven children, three of whom died in infancy.
Chapter 2 of Washington Irving by Charles Dudley Warner holds 129 sentences, grouped into 26 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 2 holds 129 sentences of Washington Irving, unabridged, divided into 26 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of Washington Irving by Charles Dudley Warner exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 129 sentences, grouped into 26 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 26 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 26 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 2 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 2105 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #3101 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #3101, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 175 minutes of reading across 421 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Washington Irving section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 17 chapters of Washington Irving to begin.
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Words and structures a reader meets early in Washington Irving, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
