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When Polly Was Eighteen
When Polly Was Eighteen

Chapter XXI

Chapter 21 of When Polly Was Eighteen is here in full — 210 sentences across 42 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for When Polly Was Eighteen
Context Illustration Reading 1/42 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
TEN LITTLE GIRLS AND SARDIS MERRIFIELD Polly and Lilith did not go to Overlook the next morning.
What was the use, Polly said.
The expected guest might have been so delayed that he could not come for several days.
He would doubtless telegraph.
And Lilith agreed with her.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

When Polly Was Eighteen

Chapter XXI

Chapter 21 of When Polly Was Eighteen is here in full — 210 sentences across 42 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/42 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
TEN LITTLE GIRLSAND SARDIS MERRIFIELD Polly and Lilith did not go to Overlook the next morning.
Line 2
What was the use, Polly said.
Line 3
The expected guest might have been so delayed that he could not come for several days.
/ðə ɪkˈspektəd ɡest maɪt hæv bɪn soʊ dɪˈleɪd ðæt hiː kʊd nɑːt kʌm fɔːr ˈsevrəl deɪz/
Line 4
He would doubtless telegraph.
/hiː wʊd ˈdaʊtləs ˈteləɡræf/
Line 5
And Lilith agreed with her.
/ənd ˈlɪlɪθ əˈɡriːd wɪð hɜːr/

Learner Dictionary

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.

agreed adjective US /əˈɡriːd/

united by being of the same opinion

From this reading “And Lilith agreed with her.”

delayed adjective US /dɪˈleɪd/

not as far along as normal in development

From this reading “The expected guest might have been so delayed that he could not come for several days.”

doubtless adverb US /ˈdaʊtləs/

without doubt; certainly

From this reading “He would doubtless telegraph.”

expected adjective US /ɪkˈspektəd/

considered likely or probable to happen or arrive

From this reading “The expected guest might have been so delayed that he could not come for several days.”

guest noun US /ɡest/

a visitor to whom hospitality is extended

From this reading “The expected guest might have been so delayed that he could not come for several days.”

Lilith noun US /ˈlɪlɪθ/

in ancient Semitic folklore: a female demon who attacks children

From this reading ““TEN LITTLE GIRLS” AND SARDIS MERRIFIELD Polly and Lilith did not go to Overlook the next morning.”

Overlook verb US /ˈoʊvərlʊk/

look past, fail to notice

From this reading ““TEN LITTLE GIRLS” AND SARDIS MERRIFIELD Polly and Lilith did not go to Overlook the next morning.”

telegraph noun US /ˈteləɡræf/

apparatus used to communicate at a distance over a wire (usually in Morse code)

From this reading “He would doubtless telegraph.”

Word partnerships in these lines

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.

next morning adjective + noun

In this reading ““TEN LITTLE GIRLS” AND SARDIS MERRIFIELD Polly and Lilith did not go to Overlook the next morning.”

several days adjective + noun

In this reading “The expected guest might have been so delayed that he could not come for several days.”

LITTLE GIRLS adjective + noun counted as “little girl”

a youthful female person

In this reading ““TEN LITTLE GIRLS” AND SARDIS MERRIFIELD Polly and Lilith did not go to Overlook the next morning.”

expected guest adjective + noun

In this reading “The expected guest might have been so delayed that he could not come for several days.”

All words in this reading · 40

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.

agreedadjectiveUS /əˈɡriːd/

united by being of the same opinion

From this reading And Lilith agreed with her.

ANDconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading “TEN LITTLE GIRLS” AND SARDIS MERRIFIELD Polly and Lilith did not go to Overlook the next morning.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading The expected guest might have been so delayed that he could not come for several days.

comeverbUS /kʌm/

move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading The expected guest might have been so delayed that he could not come for several days.

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading The expected guest might have been so delayed that he could not come for several days.

daysnounUS /deɪz/

the time during which someone's life continues

From this reading The expected guest might have been so delayed that he could not come for several days.

delayedadjectiveUS /dɪˈleɪd/

not as far along as normal in development

From this reading The expected guest might have been so delayed that he could not come for several days.

didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading “TEN LITTLE GIRLS” AND SARDIS MERRIFIELD Polly and Lilith did not go to Overlook the next morning.

doubtlessadverbUS /ˈdaʊtləs/

without doubt; certainly

From this reading He would doubtless telegraph.

expectedadjectiveUS /ɪkˈspektəd/

considered likely or probable to happen or arrive

From this reading The expected guest might have been so delayed that he could not come for several days.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading The expected guest might have been so delayed that he could not come for several days.

GIRLSnounUS /ɡɜːrlz/

plural of “girl” — a young female

From this reading “TEN LITTLE GIRLS” AND SARDIS MERRIFIELD Polly and Lilith did not go to Overlook the next morning.

goverbUS /ɡoʊ/

change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading “TEN LITTLE GIRLS” AND SARDIS MERRIFIELD Polly and Lilith did not go to Overlook the next morning.

guestnounUS /ɡest/

a visitor to whom hospitality is extended

From this reading The expected guest might have been so delayed that he could not come for several days.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading The expected guest might have been so delayed that he could not come for several days.

hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading The expected guest might have been so delayed that he could not come for several days.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading And Lilith agreed with her.

LilithnounUS /ˈlɪlɪθ/

in ancient Semitic folklore: a female demon who attacks children

From this reading “TEN LITTLE GIRLS” AND SARDIS MERRIFIELD Polly and Lilith did not go to Overlook the next morning.

LITTLEadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading “TEN LITTLE GIRLS” AND SARDIS MERRIFIELD Polly and Lilith did not go to Overlook the next morning.

MERRIFIELD

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading “TEN LITTLE GIRLS” AND SARDIS MERRIFIELD Polly and Lilith did not go to Overlook the next morning.

mightmodal verbUS /maɪt/

used to say something is possible but not certain

From this reading The expected guest might have been so delayed that he could not come for several days.

morningnounUS /ˈmɔːrnɪŋ/

the time period between dawn and noon

From this reading “TEN LITTLE GIRLS” AND SARDIS MERRIFIELD Polly and Lilith did not go to Overlook the next morning.

nextadjectiveUS /nekst/

immediately following in time or order

From this reading “TEN LITTLE GIRLS” AND SARDIS MERRIFIELD Polly and Lilith did not go to Overlook the next morning.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading “TEN LITTLE GIRLS” AND SARDIS MERRIFIELD Polly and Lilith did not go to Overlook the next morning.

OverlookverbUS /ˈoʊvərlʊk/

look past, fail to notice

From this reading “TEN LITTLE GIRLS” AND SARDIS MERRIFIELD Polly and Lilith did not go to Overlook the next morning.

Polly

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading “TEN LITTLE GIRLS” AND SARDIS MERRIFIELD Polly and Lilith did not go to Overlook the next morning.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading What was the use, Polly said.

SARDISnoun

an ancient Greek city located in the western part of what is now modern Turkey; as the capital of Lydia it was the cultural center of Asia Minor; destroyed by Tamerlane in 1402

From this reading “TEN LITTLE GIRLS” AND SARDIS MERRIFIELD Polly and Lilith did not go to Overlook the next morning.

severaladjectiveUS /ˈsevrəl/

(used with count nouns) of an indefinite number more than 2 or 3 but not many

From this reading The expected guest might have been so delayed that he could not come for several days.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading The expected guest might have been so delayed that he could not come for several days.

telegraphnounUS /ˈteləɡræf/

apparatus used to communicate at a distance over a wire (usually in Morse code)

From this reading He would doubtless telegraph.

TENnounUS /ten/

the cardinal number that is the sum of nine and one; the base of the decimal system

From this reading “TEN LITTLE GIRLS” AND SARDIS MERRIFIELD Polly and Lilith did not go to Overlook the next morning.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading The expected guest might have been so delayed that he could not come for several days.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading “TEN LITTLE GIRLS” AND SARDIS MERRIFIELD Polly and Lilith did not go to Overlook the next morning.

toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading “TEN LITTLE GIRLS” AND SARDIS MERRIFIELD Polly and Lilith did not go to Overlook the next morning.

usenounUS /juːs/

the act of using

From this reading What was the use, Polly said.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading What was the use, Polly said.

WhatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading What was the use, Polly said.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading And Lilith agreed with her.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading He would doubtless telegraph.

Chapter 21 of When Polly Was Eighteen by Emma C. Dowd holds 210 sentences, grouped into 42 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.

What does chapter 21 of When Polly Was Eighteen contain?

Chapter 21 holds 210 sentences of When Polly Was Eighteen, unabridged, divided into 42 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 21 of When Polly Was Eighteen by Emma C. Dowd exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 210 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.

How do I study chapter 21 of When Polly Was Eighteen?

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.

Can chapter 21 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 21 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.

Questions about reading When Polly Was Eighteen

Common questions about reading When Polly Was Eighteen by Emma C. Dowd on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of When Polly Was Eighteen?

Yes. All 4786 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #58512 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of When Polly Was Eighteen is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #58512, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does When Polly Was Eighteen take to read?

About 398 minutes of reading across 958 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read When Polly Was Eighteen section by section

How to work through When Polly Was Eighteen section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

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  2. Read one section

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  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in When Polly Was Eighteen

Words and structures a reader meets early in When Polly Was Eighteen, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Polly
A word that appears in the opening chapter of When Polly Was Eighteen; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Leaned
A word that appears in the opening chapter of When Polly Was Eighteen; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Against
A word that appears in the opening chapter of When Polly Was Eighteen; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Great
A word that appears in the opening chapter of When Polly Was Eighteen; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.