Chapter 18 of Washington Square is here in full — 201 sentences across 41 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XVIII
Chapter 18 of Washington Square is here in full — 201 sentences across 41 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
“Resignation to what?” “To a change of—of our plans.” “My plans have not changed!” said Catherine, with a little laugh. “Ah, but Mr. Townsend’s have,” her aunt answered very gently. “What do you mean?”
Chapter 18 of Washington Square is here in full — 201 sentences across 41 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/40 · 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 sister of your father or mother; the wife of your uncle
From this reading ““Ah, but Mr. Townsend’s have,” her aunt answered very gently.”
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 ““My plans have not changed!” said Catherine, with a little laugh.”
made or become different in nature or form
From this reading ““My plans have not changed!” said Catherine, with a little laugh.”
in a gradual manner
From this reading ““Ah, but Mr. Townsend’s have,” her aunt answered very gently.”
the sound of laughing
From this reading ““My plans have not changed!” said Catherine, with a little laugh.”
plural of “plan” — a series of steps to be carried out or goals to be accomplished
From this reading ““To a change of—of our plans.””
acceptance of despair
From this reading ““Resignation to what?””
possessive form of “townsend” — United States social reformer who proposed an old-age pension sponsored by the federal government; his plan was a precursor to Social Security (1867-1960)
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 “To a change of—of our plans.”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Ah, but Mr. Townsend’s have,” her aunt answered very gently.
past form of “answer” — react verbally
From this reading “Ah, but Mr. Townsend’s have,” her aunt answered very gently.
the sister of your father or mother; the wife of your uncle
From this reading “Ah, but Mr. Townsend’s have,” her aunt answered very gently.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading “Ah, but Mr. Townsend’s have,” her aunt answered very gently.
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 “My plans have not changed!” said Catherine, with a little laugh.
cause to change; make different; cause a transformation
From this reading “To a change of—of our plans.”
made or become different in nature or form
From this reading “My plans have not changed!” said Catherine, with a little laugh.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading “What do you mean?”
in a gradual manner
From this reading “Ah, but Mr. Townsend’s have,” her aunt answered very gently.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading “My plans have not changed!” said Catherine, with a little laugh.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading “Ah, but Mr. Townsend’s have,” her aunt answered very gently.
the sound of laughing
From this reading “My plans have not changed!” said Catherine, with a little laugh.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading “My plans have not changed!” said Catherine, with a little laugh.
mean or intend to express or convey
From this reading “What do you mean?”
a form of address for a man
From this reading “Ah, but Mr. Townsend’s have,” her aunt answered very gently.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading “My plans have not changed!” said Catherine, with a little laugh.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading “My plans have not changed!” said Catherine, with a little laugh.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading “To a change of—of our plans.”
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading “To a change of—of our plans.”
plural of “plan” — a series of steps to be carried out or goals to be accomplished
From this reading “To a change of—of our plans.”
acceptance of despair
From this reading “Resignation to what?”
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “My plans have not changed!” said Catherine, with a little laugh.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading “Resignation to what?”
possessive form of “townsend” — United States social reformer who proposed an old-age pension sponsored by the federal government; his plan was a precursor to Social Security (1867-1960)
From this reading “Ah, but Mr. Townsend’s have,” her aunt answered very gently.
precisely as stated
From this reading “Ah, but Mr. Townsend’s have,” her aunt answered very gently.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading “Resignation to what?”
in the company of; together with
From this reading “My plans have not changed!” said Catherine, with a little laugh.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “What do you mean?”
Chapter 18 of Washington Square by Henry James holds 201 sentences, grouped into 41 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 18 holds 201 sentences of Washington Square, unabridged, divided into 41 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 18 of Washington Square by Henry James exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 201 sentences, grouped into 41 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 41 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 41 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 18 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.
