Chapter 12 of Washington Square is here in full — 207 sentences across 42 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XII
Chapter 12 of Washington Square is here in full — 207 sentences across 42 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
“He wouldn’t—he couldn’t!” “He would be touched by my fidelity? Is that what you mean? If he is so easily touched, then why should you be afraid of him?” This was much to the point, and Catherine was struck by it.
Chapter 12 of Washington Square is here in full — 207 sentences across 42 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/41 · 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.
filled with fear or apprehension
From this reading “If he is so easily touched, then why should you be afraid of him?””
first wife of Henry VIII; Henry VIII's divorce from her was the initial step of the Reformation in England (1485-1536)
From this reading “This was much to the point, and Catherine was struck by it.”
with ease (“easy” is sometimes used informally for “easily”)
From this reading “If he is so easily touched, then why should you be afraid of him?””
accuracy with which an electronic system reproduces the sound or image of its input signal
From this reading ““He would be touched by my fidelity?”
mean or intend to express or convey
From this reading “Is that what you mean?”
a geometric element that has position but no extension
From this reading “This was much to the point, and Catherine was struck by it.”
(used in combination) affected by something overwhelming
From this reading “This was much to the point, and Catherine was struck by it.”
having come into contact
From this reading ““He would be touched by my fidelity?”
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.
filled with fear or apprehension
From this reading If he is so easily touched, then why should you be afraid of him?”
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading This was much to the point, and Catherine was struck by it.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading “He would be touched by my fidelity?
showing who or what does the action
From this reading “He would be touched by my fidelity?
first wife of Henry VIII; Henry VIII's divorce from her was the initial step of the Reformation in England (1485-1536)
From this reading This was much to the point, and Catherine was struck by it.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “He wouldn’t—he couldn’t!”
with ease (“easy” is sometimes used informally for “easily”)
From this reading If he is so easily touched, then why should you be afraid of him?”
accuracy with which an electronic system reproduces the sound or image of its input signal
From this reading “He would be touched by my fidelity?
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “He wouldn’t—he couldn’t!”
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading If he is so easily touched, then why should you be afraid of him?”
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading If he is so easily touched, then why should you be afraid of him?”
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Is that what you mean?
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading This was much to the point, and Catherine was struck by it.
mean or intend to express or convey
From this reading Is that what you mean?
to a great degree or extent
From this reading This was much to the point, and Catherine was struck by it.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading “He would be touched by my fidelity?
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading If he is so easily touched, then why should you be afraid of him?”
a geometric element that has position but no extension
From this reading This was much to the point, and Catherine was struck by it.
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading If he is so easily touched, then why should you be afraid of him?”
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading If he is so easily touched, then why should you be afraid of him?”
(used in combination) affected by something overwhelming
From this reading This was much to the point, and Catherine was struck by it.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Is that what you mean?
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading This was much to the point, and Catherine was struck by it.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading If he is so easily touched, then why should you be afraid of him?”
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading This was much to the point, and Catherine was struck by it.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading This was much to the point, and Catherine was struck by it.
having come into contact
From this reading “He would be touched by my fidelity?
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading This was much to the point, and Catherine was struck by it.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading Is that what you mean?
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading If he is so easily touched, then why should you be afraid of him?”
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading “He would be touched by my fidelity?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “He wouldn’t—he couldn’t!”
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading Is that what you mean?
Chapter 12 of Washington Square by Henry James holds 207 sentences, grouped into 42 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 12 holds 207 sentences of Washington Square, unabridged, divided into 42 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 12 of Washington Square by Henry James exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 207 sentences, grouped into 42 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 42 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 42 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 12 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 Washington Square by Henry James on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3988 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #2870 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #2870, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 332 minutes of reading across 798 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Washington Square section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 20 chapters of Washington Square 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 Washington Square, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
