Chapter 9 of When I Was Your Age 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 IX
Chapter 9 of When I Was Your Age is here in full — 129 sentences across 26 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
OUR TEACHERS. I do not know why we had so many teachers. No doubt it was partly because we were very troublesome children. But I think it was also partly owing to the fact that our father was constantly overrun by needy foreigners seeking employment. He was a philanthropist; he had been abroad, and spoke foreign languages,--that was enough!
Chapter 9 of When I Was Your Age 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 state of being employed or having a job
From this reading “But I think it was also partly owing to the fact that our father was constantly overrun by needy foreigners seeking employment.”
plural of “foreigner” — a person who comes from a foreign country; someone who does not owe allegiance to your country
From this reading “But I think it was also partly owing to the fact that our father was constantly overrun by needy foreigners seeking employment.”
plural of “language” — a systematic means of communicating by the use of sounds or conventional symbols
From this reading “He was a philanthropist; he had been abroad, and spoke foreign languages,--that was enough!”
poor enough to need help from others
From this reading “But I think it was also partly owing to the fact that our father was constantly overrun by needy foreigners seeking employment.”
invade in great numbers
From this reading “But I think it was also partly owing to the fact that our father was constantly overrun by needy foreigners seeking employment.”
someone who makes charitable donations intended to increase human well-being
From this reading “He was a philanthropist; he had been abroad, and spoke foreign languages,--that was enough!”
plural of “teacher” — a person whose occupation is teaching
From this reading “OUR TEACHERS.”
causing difficulty or annoyance
From this reading “No doubt it was partly because we were very troublesome children.”
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.
In this reading “But I think it was also partly owing to the fact that our father was constantly overrun by needy foreigners seeking employment.”
In this reading “He was a philanthropist; he had been abroad, and spoke foreign languages,--that was enough!”
In this reading “But I think it was also partly owing to the fact that our father was constantly overrun by needy foreigners seeking employment.”
In this reading “I do not know why we had so many teachers.”
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 He was a philanthropist; he had been abroad, and spoke foreign languages,--that was enough!
to or in a foreign country
From this reading He was a philanthropist; he had been abroad, and spoke foreign languages,--that was enough!
in addition
From this reading But I think it was also partly owing to the fact that our father was constantly overrun by needy foreigners seeking employment.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He was a philanthropist; he had been abroad, and spoke foreign languages,--that was enough!
for the reason that
From this reading No doubt it was partly because we were very troublesome children.
the past participle of “be”
From this reading He was a philanthropist; he had been abroad, and spoke foreign languages,--that was enough!
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But I think it was also partly owing to the fact that our father was constantly overrun by needy foreigners seeking employment.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading But I think it was also partly owing to the fact that our father was constantly overrun by needy foreigners seeking employment.
plural of “child” — a young person of either sex
From this reading No doubt it was partly because we were very troublesome children.
without variation or change, in every case
From this reading But I think it was also partly owing to the fact that our father was constantly overrun by needy foreigners seeking employment.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading I do not know why we had so many teachers.
the state of being unsure of something
From this reading No doubt it was partly because we were very troublesome children.
the state of being employed or having a job
From this reading But I think it was also partly owing to the fact that our father was constantly overrun by needy foreigners seeking employment.
an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose
From this reading He was a philanthropist; he had been abroad, and spoke foreign languages,--that was enough!
a piece of information about circumstances that exist or events that have occurred
From this reading But I think it was also partly owing to the fact that our father was constantly overrun by needy foreigners seeking employment.
a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)
From this reading But I think it was also partly owing to the fact that our father was constantly overrun by needy foreigners seeking employment.
of concern to or concerning the affairs of other nations (other than your own)
From this reading He was a philanthropist; he had been abroad, and spoke foreign languages,--that was enough!
plural of “foreigner” — a person who comes from a foreign country; someone who does not owe allegiance to your country
From this reading But I think it was also partly owing to the fact that our father was constantly overrun by needy foreigners seeking employment.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading I do not know why we had so many teachers.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He was a philanthropist; he had been abroad, and spoke foreign languages,--that was enough!
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I do not know why we had so many teachers.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading No doubt it was partly because we were very troublesome children.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading I do not know why we had so many teachers.
plural of “language” — a systematic means of communicating by the use of sounds or conventional symbols
From this reading He was a philanthropist; he had been abroad, and spoke foreign languages,--that was enough!
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number
From this reading I do not know why we had so many teachers.
poor enough to need help from others
From this reading But I think it was also partly owing to the fact that our father was constantly overrun by needy foreigners seeking employment.
not any; not one
From this reading No doubt it was partly because we were very troublesome children.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading I do not know why we had so many teachers.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading OUR TEACHERS.
invade in great numbers
From this reading But I think it was also partly owing to the fact that our father was constantly overrun by needy foreigners seeking employment.
owed as a debt
From this reading But I think it was also partly owing to the fact that our father was constantly overrun by needy foreigners seeking employment.
to some extent; in some degree; not wholly
From this reading No doubt it was partly because we were very troublesome children.
someone who makes charitable donations intended to increase human well-being
From this reading He was a philanthropist; he had been abroad, and spoke foreign languages,--that was enough!
the act of searching for something
From this reading But I think it was also partly owing to the fact that our father was constantly overrun by needy foreigners seeking employment.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading I do not know why we had so many teachers.
support consisting of a radial member of a wheel joining the hub to the rim
From this reading He was a philanthropist; he had been abroad, and spoke foreign languages,--that was enough!
plural of “teacher” — a person whose occupation is teaching
From this reading OUR TEACHERS.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading But I think it was also partly owing to the fact that our father was constantly overrun by needy foreigners seeking employment.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading But I think it was also partly owing to the fact that our father was constantly overrun by needy foreigners seeking employment.
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading But I think it was also partly owing to the fact that our father was constantly overrun by needy foreigners seeking employment.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading But I think it was also partly owing to the fact that our father was constantly overrun by needy foreigners seeking employment.
causing difficulty or annoyance
From this reading No doubt it was partly because we were very troublesome children.
precisely as stated
From this reading No doubt it was partly because we were very troublesome children.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading No doubt it was partly because we were very troublesome children.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading I do not know why we had so many teachers.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading No doubt it was partly because we were very troublesome children.
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading I do not know why we had so many teachers.
Chapter 9 of When I Was Your Age by Laura Elizabeth Howe Richards holds 129 sentences, grouped into 26 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 9 holds 129 sentences of When I Was Your Age, unabridged, divided into 26 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 9 of When I Was Your Age by Laura Elizabeth Howe Richards exactly as it stands in the 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 9 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 When I Was Your Age by Laura Elizabeth Howe Richards on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 1469 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #56308 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #56308, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 122 minutes of reading across 294 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through When I Was Your Age section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 11 chapters of When I Was Your Age 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 When I Was Your Age, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
