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Who Was Paul Grayson?
Who Was Paul Grayson?

Chapter IV

Chapter 4 of Who Was Paul Grayson? is here in full — 80 sentences across 16 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/16 · 5 lines
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_WHO WILL TELL?_ AS Benny Mallow hid himself in a barn in the yard into which he had jumped, he had only one distinct thought in his mind: he wished that the Italian had never come to Laketon at all—never come to the United States, in fact.
He wished that the Italians had never heard of such a place as America: if one of the race had to discover it, he need not have gone and let his fellow-countrymen know all about it, so that they should come over with organs and monkeys, and get boys into trouble—boys that weren’t doing a thing to that organ-grinder when he threw a stick at them.
What made the fellow go into the school-yard, anyway?
No one asked him to come.
Now there would be a fuss made, of course; and if there was anything that Benny hated more than all other things, it was a fuss.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Who Was Paul Grayson?

Chapter IV

Chapter 4 of Who Was Paul Grayson? is here in full — 80 sentences across 16 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/16 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
_WHO WILL TELL?_ AS Benny Mallow hid himself in a barn in the yard into which he had jumped, he had only one distinct thought in his mind: he wished that the Italian had never come to Laketon at all—never come to the United States, in fact.
Line 2
He wished that the Italians had never heard of such a place as America: if one of the race had to discover it, he need not have gone and let his fellow-countrymen know all about it, so that they should come over with organs and monkeys, and get boys into trouble—boys that weren’t doing a thing to that organ-grinder when he threw a stick at them.
Line 3
What made the fellow go into the school-yard, anyway?
Line 4
No one asked him to come.
/noʊ wʌn æskt hɪm tuː kʌm/
Line 5
Now there would be a fuss made, of course; and if there was anything that Benny hated more than all other things, it was a fuss.
/naʊ ðer wʊd biː ə fʌs meɪd ʌv kɔːrs ənd ɪf ðer wɑːz ˈeniθɪŋ ðæt ˈbeni ˈheɪtəd mɔːr ðæn ɔːl ˈʌðər θɪŋz ɪt wɑːz ə fʌs/

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.

barn noun US /bɑːrn/

an outlying farm building for storing grain or animal feed and housing farm animals

From this reading “_WHO WILL TELL?_ AS Benny Mallow hid himself in a barn in the yard into which he had jumped, he had only one distinct thought in his mind: he wished that the Italian had never come to Laketon at all—never come to the United States, in fact.”

Benny noun US /ˈbeni/

East Indian annual erect herb; source of sesame seed or benniseed and sesame oil

From this reading “_WHO WILL TELL?_ AS Benny Mallow hid himself in a barn in the yard into which he had jumped, he had only one distinct thought in his mind: he wished that the Italian had never come to Laketon at all—never come to the United States, in fact.”

distinct adjective US /dɪˈstɪŋkt/

(often followed by “from”) not alike; different in nature or quality

From this reading “_WHO WILL TELL?_ AS Benny Mallow hid himself in a barn in the yard into which he had jumped, he had only one distinct thought in his mind: he wished that the Italian had never come to Laketon at all—never come to the United States, in fact.”

fuss verb US /fʌs/

worry unnecessarily or excessively

From this reading “Now there would be a fuss made, of course; and if there was anything that Benny hated more than all other things, it was a fuss.”

Italians noun US /ˌɪˈtæljənz/

plural of “italian” — a native or inhabitant of Italy

From this reading “He wished that the Italians had never heard of such a place as America: if one of the race had to discover it, he need not have gone and let his fellow-countrymen know all about it, so that they should come over with organs and monkeys, and get boys into trouble—boys that weren’t doing a thing to that organ-grinder when he threw a stick at them.”

Mallow noun US /ˈmæloʊ/

any of various plants of the family Malvaceae

From this reading “_WHO WILL TELL?_ AS Benny Mallow hid himself in a barn in the yard into which he had jumped, he had only one distinct thought in his mind: he wished that the Italian had never come to Laketon at all—never come to the United States, in fact.”

monkeys noun US /ˈmʌŋkiz/

plural of “monkey” — any of various long-tailed primates (excluding the prosimians)

From this reading “He wished that the Italians had never heard of such a place as America: if one of the race had to discover it, he need not have gone and let his fellow-countrymen know all about it, so that they should come over with organs and monkeys, and get boys into trouble—boys that weren’t doing a thing to that organ-grinder when he threw a stick at them.”

organs noun US /ˈɔːrɡənz/

edible viscera of a butchered animal

From this reading “He wished that the Italians had never heard of such a place as America: if one of the race had to discover it, he need not have gone and let his fellow-countrymen know all about it, so that they should come over with organs and monkeys, and get boys into trouble—boys that weren’t doing a thing to that organ-grinder when he threw a stick at them.”

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.

never heard adverb + adjective

In this reading “He wished that the Italians had never heard of such a place as America: if one of the race had to discover it, he need not have gone and let his fellow-countrymen know all about it, so that they should come over with organs and monkeys, and get boys into trouble—boys that weren’t doing a thing to that organ-grinder when he threw a stick at them.”

other things adjective + noun

In this reading “Now there would be a fuss made, of course; and if there was anything that Benny hated more than all other things, it was a fuss.”

of course preposition + noun

as might be expected

In this reading “Now there would be a fuss made, of course; and if there was anything that Benny hated more than all other things, it was a fuss.”

in fact preposition + noun

in reality or actuality

In this reading “_WHO WILL TELL?_ AS Benny Mallow hid himself in a barn in the yard into which he had jumped, he had only one distinct thought in his mind: he wished that the Italian had never come to Laketon at all—never come to the United States, in fact.”

go into verb + particle

to come or go into

In this reading “What made the fellow go into the school-yard, anyway?”

into trouble preposition + noun

In this reading “He wished that the Italians had never heard of such a place as America: if one of the race had to discover it, he need not have gone and let his fellow-countrymen know all about it, so that they should come over with organs and monkeys, and get boys into trouble—boys that weren’t doing a thing to that organ-grinder when he threw a stick at them.”

come over verb + particle

communicate the intended meaning or impression

In this reading “He wished that the Italians had never heard of such a place as America: if one of the race had to discover it, he need not have gone and let his fellow-countrymen know all about it, so that they should come over with organs and monkeys, and get boys into trouble—boys that weren’t doing a thing to that organ-grinder when he threw a stick at them.”

in a barn preposition + article + noun counted as “in … barn”

In this reading “_WHO WILL TELL?_ AS Benny Mallow hid himself in a barn in the yard into which he had jumped, he had only one distinct thought in his mind: he wished that the Italian had never come to Laketon at all—never come to the United States, in fact.”

All words in this reading · 95

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.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading _WHO WILL TELL?_ AS Benny Mallow hid himself in a barn in the yard into which he had jumped, he had only one distinct thought in his mind: he wished that the Italian had never come to Laketon at all—never come to the United States, in fact.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading He wished that the Italians had never heard of such a place as America: if one of the race had to discover it, he need not have gone and let his fellow-countrymen know all about it, so that they should come over with organs and monkeys, and get boys into trouble—boys that weren’t doing a thing to that organ-grinder when he threw a stick at them.

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading _WHO WILL TELL?_ AS Benny Mallow hid himself in a barn in the yard into which he had jumped, he had only one distinct thought in his mind: he wished that the Italian had never come to Laketon at all—never come to the United States, in fact.

AmericanounUS /əˈmerəkə/

North American republic containing 50 states - 48 conterminous states in North America plus Alaska in northwest North America and the Hawaiian Islands in the Pacific Ocean; achieved independence in 1776

From this reading He wished that the Italians had never heard of such a place as America: if one of the race had to discover it, he need not have gone and let his fellow-countrymen know all about it, so that they should come over with organs and monkeys, and get boys into trouble—boys that weren’t doing a thing to that organ-grinder when he threw a stick at them.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading He wished that the Italians had never heard of such a place as America: if one of the race had to discover it, he need not have gone and let his fellow-countrymen know all about it, so that they should come over with organs and monkeys, and get boys into trouble—boys that weren’t doing a thing to that organ-grinder when he threw a stick at them.

anythingpronounUS /ˈeniθɪŋ/

any thing at all

From this reading Now there would be a fuss made, of course; and if there was anything that Benny hated more than all other things, it was a fuss.

anywayadverbUS /ˈeniweɪ/

used to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement

From this reading What made the fellow go into the school-yard, anyway?

ASconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading _WHO WILL TELL?_ AS Benny Mallow hid himself in a barn in the yard into which he had jumped, he had only one distinct thought in his mind: he wished that the Italian had never come to Laketon at all—never come to the United States, in fact.

askedverbUS /æskt/

past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody

From this reading No one asked him to come.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading _WHO WILL TELL?_ AS Benny Mallow hid himself in a barn in the yard into which he had jumped, he had only one distinct thought in his mind: he wished that the Italian had never come to Laketon at all—never come to the United States, in fact.

barnnounUS /bɑːrn/

an outlying farm building for storing grain or animal feed and housing farm animals

From this reading _WHO WILL TELL?_ AS Benny Mallow hid himself in a barn in the yard into which he had jumped, he had only one distinct thought in his mind: he wished that the Italian had never come to Laketon at all—never come to the United States, in fact.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading Now there would be a fuss made, of course; and if there was anything that Benny hated more than all other things, it was a fuss.

BennynounUS /ˈbeni/

East Indian annual erect herb; source of sesame seed or benniseed and sesame oil

From this reading _WHO WILL TELL?_ AS Benny Mallow hid himself in a barn in the yard into which he had jumped, he had only one distinct thought in his mind: he wished that the Italian had never come to Laketon at all—never come to the United States, in fact.

boysnounUS /bɔɪz/

plural of “boy” — a youthful male person

From this reading He wished that the Italians had never heard of such a place as America: if one of the race had to discover it, he need not have gone and let his fellow-countrymen know all about it, so that they should come over with organs and monkeys, and get boys into trouble—boys that weren’t doing a thing to that organ-grinder when he threw a stick at them.

comeverbUS /kʌm/

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

From this reading _WHO WILL TELL?_ AS Benny Mallow hid himself in a barn in the yard into which he had jumped, he had only one distinct thought in his mind: he wished that the Italian had never come to Laketon at all—never come to the United States, in fact.

coursenounUS /kɔːrs/

education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings

From this reading Now there would be a fuss made, of course; and if there was anything that Benny hated more than all other things, it was a fuss.

discoververbUS /dɪˈskʌvər/

discover or determine the existence, presence, or fact of

From this reading He wished that the Italians had never heard of such a place as America: if one of the race had to discover it, he need not have gone and let his fellow-countrymen know all about it, so that they should come over with organs and monkeys, and get boys into trouble—boys that weren’t doing a thing to that organ-grinder when he threw a stick at them.

distinctadjectiveUS /dɪˈstɪŋkt/

(often followed by “from”) not alike; different in nature or quality

From this reading _WHO WILL TELL?_ AS Benny Mallow hid himself in a barn in the yard into which he had jumped, he had only one distinct thought in his mind: he wished that the Italian had never come to Laketon at all—never come to the United States, in fact.

doingverbUS /ˈduːɪŋ/

-ing form of “do” — engage in

From this reading He wished that the Italians had never heard of such a place as America: if one of the race had to discover it, he need not have gone and let his fellow-countrymen know all about it, so that they should come over with organs and monkeys, and get boys into trouble—boys that weren’t doing a thing to that organ-grinder when he threw a stick at them.

factnounUS /fækt/

a piece of information about circumstances that exist or events that have occurred

From this reading _WHO WILL TELL?_ AS Benny Mallow hid himself in a barn in the yard into which he had jumped, he had only one distinct thought in his mind: he wished that the Italian had never come to Laketon at all—never come to the United States, in fact.

fellownounUS /ˈfeloʊ/

a boy or man

From this reading What made the fellow go into the school-yard, anyway?

fellow-countrymen

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

From this reading He wished that the Italians had never heard of such a place as America: if one of the race had to discover it, he need not have gone and let his fellow-countrymen know all about it, so that they should come over with organs and monkeys, and get boys into trouble—boys that weren’t doing a thing to that organ-grinder when he threw a stick at them.

fussverbUS /fʌs/

worry unnecessarily or excessively

From this reading Now there would be a fuss made, of course; and if there was anything that Benny hated more than all other things, it was a fuss.

getverbUS /ɡet/

come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

From this reading He wished that the Italians had never heard of such a place as America: if one of the race had to discover it, he need not have gone and let his fellow-countrymen know all about it, so that they should come over with organs and monkeys, and get boys into trouble—boys that weren’t doing a thing to that organ-grinder when he threw a stick at them.

goverbUS /ɡoʊ/

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

From this reading What made the fellow go into the school-yard, anyway?

goneadjectiveUS /ɡɔːn/

destroyed or killed

From this reading He wished that the Italians had never heard of such a place as America: if one of the race had to discover it, he need not have gone and let his fellow-countrymen know all about it, so that they should come over with organs and monkeys, and get boys into trouble—boys that weren’t doing a thing to that organ-grinder when he threw a stick at them.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading _WHO WILL TELL?_ AS Benny Mallow hid himself in a barn in the yard into which he had jumped, he had only one distinct thought in his mind: he wished that the Italian had never come to Laketon at all—never come to the United States, in fact.

hatedadjectiveUS /ˈheɪtəd/

treated with dislike or contempt

From this reading Now there would be a fuss made, of course; and if there was anything that Benny hated more than all other things, it was a fuss.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading He wished that the Italians had never heard of such a place as America: if one of the race had to discover it, he need not have gone and let his fellow-countrymen know all about it, so that they should come over with organs and monkeys, and get boys into trouble—boys that weren’t doing a thing to that organ-grinder when he threw a stick at them.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading _WHO WILL TELL?_ AS Benny Mallow hid himself in a barn in the yard into which he had jumped, he had only one distinct thought in his mind: he wished that the Italian had never come to Laketon at all—never come to the United States, in fact.

heardadjectiveUS /hɜːrd/

detected or perceived by the sense of hearing

From this reading He wished that the Italians had never heard of such a place as America: if one of the race had to discover it, he need not have gone and let his fellow-countrymen know all about it, so that they should come over with organs and monkeys, and get boys into trouble—boys that weren’t doing a thing to that organ-grinder when he threw a stick at them.

hidverbUS /hɪd/

inflected form of “hide” — prevent from being seen or discovered

From this reading _WHO WILL TELL?_ AS Benny Mallow hid himself in a barn in the yard into which he had jumped, he had only one distinct thought in his mind: he wished that the Italian had never come to Laketon at all—never come to the United States, in fact.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading No one asked him to come.

himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/

used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object

From this reading _WHO WILL TELL?_ AS Benny Mallow hid himself in a barn in the yard into which he had jumped, he had only one distinct thought in his mind: he wished that the Italian had never come to Laketon at all—never come to the United States, in fact.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading _WHO WILL TELL?_ AS Benny Mallow hid himself in a barn in the yard into which he had jumped, he had only one distinct thought in his mind: he wished that the Italian had never come to Laketon at all—never come to the United States, in fact.

ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading He wished that the Italians had never heard of such a place as America: if one of the race had to discover it, he need not have gone and let his fellow-countrymen know all about it, so that they should come over with organs and monkeys, and get boys into trouble—boys that weren’t doing a thing to that organ-grinder when he threw a stick at them.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading _WHO WILL TELL?_ AS Benny Mallow hid himself in a barn in the yard into which he had jumped, he had only one distinct thought in his mind: he wished that the Italian had never come to Laketon at all—never come to the United States, in fact.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading _WHO WILL TELL?_ AS Benny Mallow hid himself in a barn in the yard into which he had jumped, he had only one distinct thought in his mind: he wished that the Italian had never come to Laketon at all—never come to the United States, in fact.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading He wished that the Italians had never heard of such a place as America: if one of the race had to discover it, he need not have gone and let his fellow-countrymen know all about it, so that they should come over with organs and monkeys, and get boys into trouble—boys that weren’t doing a thing to that organ-grinder when he threw a stick at them.

ItaliannounUS /ˌɪˈtæljən/

a native or inhabitant of Italy

From this reading _WHO WILL TELL?_ AS Benny Mallow hid himself in a barn in the yard into which he had jumped, he had only one distinct thought in his mind: he wished that the Italian had never come to Laketon at all—never come to the United States, in fact.

ItaliansnounUS /ˌɪˈtæljənz/

plural of “italian” — a native or inhabitant of Italy

From this reading He wished that the Italians had never heard of such a place as America: if one of the race had to discover it, he need not have gone and let his fellow-countrymen know all about it, so that they should come over with organs and monkeys, and get boys into trouble—boys that weren’t doing a thing to that organ-grinder when he threw a stick at them.

jumpedverbUS /dʒʌmpt/

past form of “jump” — move forward by leaps and bounds

From this reading _WHO WILL TELL?_ AS Benny Mallow hid himself in a barn in the yard into which he had jumped, he had only one distinct thought in his mind: he wished that the Italian had never come to Laketon at all—never come to the United States, in fact.

knowverbUS /noʊ/

be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading He wished that the Italians had never heard of such a place as America: if one of the race had to discover it, he need not have gone and let his fellow-countrymen know all about it, so that they should come over with organs and monkeys, and get boys into trouble—boys that weren’t doing a thing to that organ-grinder when he threw a stick at them.

Laketon

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

From this reading _WHO WILL TELL?_ AS Benny Mallow hid himself in a barn in the yard into which he had jumped, he had only one distinct thought in his mind: he wished that the Italian had never come to Laketon at all—never come to the United States, in fact.

letauxiliary verbUS /let/

used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker

From this reading He wished that the Italians had never heard of such a place as America: if one of the race had to discover it, he need not have gone and let his fellow-countrymen know all about it, so that they should come over with organs and monkeys, and get boys into trouble—boys that weren’t doing a thing to that organ-grinder when he threw a stick at them.

madeadjectiveUS /meɪd/

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading What made the fellow go into the school-yard, anyway?

MallownounUS /ˈmæloʊ/

any of various plants of the family Malvaceae

From this reading _WHO WILL TELL?_ AS Benny Mallow hid himself in a barn in the yard into which he had jumped, he had only one distinct thought in his mind: he wished that the Italian had never come to Laketon at all—never come to the United States, in fact.

mindnounUS /maɪnd/

The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.

From this reading _WHO WILL TELL?_ AS Benny Mallow hid himself in a barn in the yard into which he had jumped, he had only one distinct thought in his mind: he wished that the Italian had never come to Laketon at all—never come to the United States, in fact.

monkeysnounUS /ˈmʌŋkiz/

plural of “monkey” — any of various long-tailed primates (excluding the prosimians)

From this reading He wished that the Italians had never heard of such a place as America: if one of the race had to discover it, he need not have gone and let his fellow-countrymen know all about it, so that they should come over with organs and monkeys, and get boys into trouble—boys that weren’t doing a thing to that organ-grinder when he threw a stick at them.

moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading Now there would be a fuss made, of course; and if there was anything that Benny hated more than all other things, it was a fuss.

neednounUS /niːd/

a condition requiring relief

From this reading He wished that the Italians had never heard of such a place as America: if one of the race had to discover it, he need not have gone and let his fellow-countrymen know all about it, so that they should come over with organs and monkeys, and get boys into trouble—boys that weren’t doing a thing to that organ-grinder when he threw a stick at them.

neveradverbUS /ˈnevər/

not ever; at no time in the past or future

From this reading _WHO WILL TELL?_ AS Benny Mallow hid himself in a barn in the yard into which he had jumped, he had only one distinct thought in his mind: he wished that the Italian had never come to Laketon at all—never come to the United States, in fact.

NodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading No one asked him to come.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading He wished that the Italians had never heard of such a place as America: if one of the race had to discover it, he need not have gone and let his fellow-countrymen know all about it, so that they should come over with organs and monkeys, and get boys into trouble—boys that weren’t doing a thing to that organ-grinder when he threw a stick at them.

NowadverbUS /naʊ/

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading Now there would be a fuss made, of course; and if there was anything that Benny hated more than all other things, it was a fuss.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading He wished that the Italians had never heard of such a place as America: if one of the race had to discover it, he need not have gone and let his fellow-countrymen know all about it, so that they should come over with organs and monkeys, and get boys into trouble—boys that weren’t doing a thing to that organ-grinder when he threw a stick at them.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading _WHO WILL TELL?_ AS Benny Mallow hid himself in a barn in the yard into which he had jumped, he had only one distinct thought in his mind: he wished that the Italian had never come to Laketon at all—never come to the United States, in fact.

onlyadverbUS /ˈoʊnli/

and nothing more

From this reading _WHO WILL TELL?_ AS Benny Mallow hid himself in a barn in the yard into which he had jumped, he had only one distinct thought in his mind: he wished that the Italian had never come to Laketon at all—never come to the United States, in fact.

organ-grindernoun

a street musician who plays a hand organ or hurdy-gurdy

From this reading He wished that the Italians had never heard of such a place as America: if one of the race had to discover it, he need not have gone and let his fellow-countrymen know all about it, so that they should come over with organs and monkeys, and get boys into trouble—boys that weren’t doing a thing to that organ-grinder when he threw a stick at them.

organsnounUS /ˈɔːrɡənz/

edible viscera of a butchered animal

From this reading He wished that the Italians had never heard of such a place as America: if one of the race had to discover it, he need not have gone and let his fellow-countrymen know all about it, so that they should come over with organs and monkeys, and get boys into trouble—boys that weren’t doing a thing to that organ-grinder when he threw a stick at them.

otheradjectiveUS /ˈʌðər/

not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied

From this reading Now there would be a fuss made, of course; and if there was anything that Benny hated more than all other things, it was a fuss.

overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/

above and across; more than

From this reading He wished that the Italians had never heard of such a place as America: if one of the race had to discover it, he need not have gone and let his fellow-countrymen know all about it, so that they should come over with organs and monkeys, and get boys into trouble—boys that weren’t doing a thing to that organ-grinder when he threw a stick at them.

placenounUS /pleɪs/

a point located with respect to surface features of some region

From this reading He wished that the Italians had never heard of such a place as America: if one of the race had to discover it, he need not have gone and let his fellow-countrymen know all about it, so that they should come over with organs and monkeys, and get boys into trouble—boys that weren’t doing a thing to that organ-grinder when he threw a stick at them.

racenounUS /reɪs/

any competition

From this reading He wished that the Italians had never heard of such a place as America: if one of the race had to discover it, he need not have gone and let his fellow-countrymen know all about it, so that they should come over with organs and monkeys, and get boys into trouble—boys that weren’t doing a thing to that organ-grinder when he threw a stick at them.

school-yard

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

From this reading What made the fellow go into the school-yard, anyway?

shouldmodal verbUS /ʃʊd/

used to say what is right, expected, or advisable

From this reading He wished that the Italians had never heard of such a place as America: if one of the race had to discover it, he need not have gone and let his fellow-countrymen know all about it, so that they should come over with organs and monkeys, and get boys into trouble—boys that weren’t doing a thing to that organ-grinder when he threw a stick at them.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading He wished that the Italians had never heard of such a place as America: if one of the race had to discover it, he need not have gone and let his fellow-countrymen know all about it, so that they should come over with organs and monkeys, and get boys into trouble—boys that weren’t doing a thing to that organ-grinder when he threw a stick at them.

StatesnounUS /steɪts/

plural of “state” — the territory occupied by one of the constituent administrative districts of a nation

From this reading _WHO WILL TELL?_ AS Benny Mallow hid himself in a barn in the yard into which he had jumped, he had only one distinct thought in his mind: he wished that the Italian had never come to Laketon at all—never come to the United States, in fact.

stickverbUS /stɪk/

put, fix, force, or implant

From this reading He wished that the Italians had never heard of such a place as America: if one of the race had to discover it, he need not have gone and let his fellow-countrymen know all about it, so that they should come over with organs and monkeys, and get boys into trouble—boys that weren’t doing a thing to that organ-grinder when he threw a stick at them.

suchdeterminerUS /sʌtʃ/

of the kind already mentioned

From this reading He wished that the Italians had never heard of such a place as America: if one of the race had to discover it, he need not have gone and let his fellow-countrymen know all about it, so that they should come over with organs and monkeys, and get boys into trouble—boys that weren’t doing a thing to that organ-grinder when he threw a stick at them.

TELLverbUS /tel/

express in words

From this reading _WHO WILL TELL?_ AS Benny Mallow hid himself in a barn in the yard into which he had jumped, he had only one distinct thought in his mind: he wished that the Italian had never come to Laketon at all—never come to the United States, in fact.

thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading Now there would be a fuss made, of course; and if there was anything that Benny hated more than all other things, it was a fuss.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading _WHO WILL TELL?_ AS Benny Mallow hid himself in a barn in the yard into which he had jumped, he had only one distinct thought in his mind: he wished that the Italian had never come to Laketon at all—never come to the United States, in fact.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading _WHO WILL TELL?_ AS Benny Mallow hid himself in a barn in the yard into which he had jumped, he had only one distinct thought in his mind: he wished that the Italian had never come to Laketon at all—never come to the United States, in fact.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading He wished that the Italians had never heard of such a place as America: if one of the race had to discover it, he need not have gone and let his fellow-countrymen know all about it, so that they should come over with organs and monkeys, and get boys into trouble—boys that weren’t doing a thing to that organ-grinder when he threw a stick at them.

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading Now there would be a fuss made, of course; and if there was anything that Benny hated more than all other things, it was a fuss.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading He wished that the Italians had never heard of such a place as America: if one of the race had to discover it, he need not have gone and let his fellow-countrymen know all about it, so that they should come over with organs and monkeys, and get boys into trouble—boys that weren’t doing a thing to that organ-grinder when he threw a stick at them.

thingnounUS /θɪŋ/

a special situation

From this reading He wished that the Italians had never heard of such a place as America: if one of the race had to discover it, he need not have gone and let his fellow-countrymen know all about it, so that they should come over with organs and monkeys, and get boys into trouble—boys that weren’t doing a thing to that organ-grinder when he threw a stick at them.

thingsnounUS /θɪŋz/

any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)

From this reading Now there would be a fuss made, of course; and if there was anything that Benny hated more than all other things, it was a fuss.

thoughtnounUS /θɔːt/

the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about

From this reading _WHO WILL TELL?_ AS Benny Mallow hid himself in a barn in the yard into which he had jumped, he had only one distinct thought in his mind: he wished that the Italian had never come to Laketon at all—never come to the United States, in fact.

threwverbUS /θruː/

inflected form of “throw” — propel through the air

From this reading He wished that the Italians had never heard of such a place as America: if one of the race had to discover it, he need not have gone and let his fellow-countrymen know all about it, so that they should come over with organs and monkeys, and get boys into trouble—boys that weren’t doing a thing to that organ-grinder when he threw a stick at them.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading _WHO WILL TELL?_ AS Benny Mallow hid himself in a barn in the yard into which he had jumped, he had only one distinct thought in his mind: he wished that the Italian had never come to Laketon at all—never come to the United States, in fact.

troublenounUS /ˈtrʌbəl/

a source of difficulty

From this reading He wished that the Italians had never heard of such a place as America: if one of the race had to discover it, he need not have gone and let his fellow-countrymen know all about it, so that they should come over with organs and monkeys, and get boys into trouble—boys that weren’t doing a thing to that organ-grinder when he threw a stick at them.

UnitedadjectiveUS /juːˈnaɪtɪd/

characterized by unity; being or joined into a single entity

From this reading _WHO WILL TELL?_ AS Benny Mallow hid himself in a barn in the yard into which he had jumped, he had only one distinct thought in his mind: he wished that the Italian had never come to Laketon at all—never come to the United States, in fact.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Now there would be a fuss made, of course; and if there was anything that Benny hated more than all other things, it was a fuss.

weren't

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

From this reading He wished that the Italians had never heard of such a place as America: if one of the race had to discover it, he need not have gone and let his fellow-countrymen know all about it, so that they should come over with organs and monkeys, and get boys into trouble—boys that weren’t doing a thing to that organ-grinder when he threw a stick at them.

WhatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading What made the fellow go into the school-yard, anyway?

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading He wished that the Italians had never heard of such a place as America: if one of the race had to discover it, he need not have gone and let his fellow-countrymen know all about it, so that they should come over with organs and monkeys, and get boys into trouble—boys that weren’t doing a thing to that organ-grinder when he threw a stick at them.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading _WHO WILL TELL?_ AS Benny Mallow hid himself in a barn in the yard into which he had jumped, he had only one distinct thought in his mind: he wished that the Italian had never come to Laketon at all—never come to the United States, in fact.

WHOpronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading _WHO WILL TELL?_ AS Benny Mallow hid himself in a barn in the yard into which he had jumped, he had only one distinct thought in his mind: he wished that the Italian had never come to Laketon at all—never come to the United States, in fact.

WILLmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading _WHO WILL TELL?_ AS Benny Mallow hid himself in a barn in the yard into which he had jumped, he had only one distinct thought in his mind: he wished that the Italian had never come to Laketon at all—never come to the United States, in fact.

wishedverbUS /wɪʃt/

past form of “wish” — hope for; have a wish

From this reading _WHO WILL TELL?_ AS Benny Mallow hid himself in a barn in the yard into which he had jumped, he had only one distinct thought in his mind: he wished that the Italian had never come to Laketon at all—never come to the United States, in fact.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading He wished that the Italians had never heard of such a place as America: if one of the race had to discover it, he need not have gone and let his fellow-countrymen know all about it, so that they should come over with organs and monkeys, and get boys into trouble—boys that weren’t doing a thing to that organ-grinder when he threw a stick at them.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

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

From this reading Now there would be a fuss made, of course; and if there was anything that Benny hated more than all other things, it was a fuss.

yardnounUS /jɑːrd/

a unit of length equal to 3 feet; defined as 91.44 centimeters; originally taken to be the average length of a stride

From this reading _WHO WILL TELL?_ AS Benny Mallow hid himself in a barn in the yard into which he had jumped, he had only one distinct thought in his mind: he wished that the Italian had never come to Laketon at all—never come to the United States, in fact.

Chapter 4 of Who Was Paul Grayson? by John Habberton holds 80 sentences, grouped into 16 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 4 of Who Was Paul Grayson? contain?

Chapter 4 holds 80 sentences of Who Was Paul Grayson?, unabridged, divided into 16 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 4 of Who Was Paul Grayson? by John Habberton exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 80 sentences, grouped into 16 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 4 of Who Was Paul Grayson??

Work through the 16 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 16 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 4 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 4 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 Who Was Paul Grayson?

Common questions about reading Who Was Paul Grayson? by John Habberton on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Who Was Paul Grayson??

Yes. All 775 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #52644 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Who Was Paul Grayson? is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #52644, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Who Was Paul Grayson? take to read?

About 64 minutes of reading across 155 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Who Was Paul Grayson? section by section

How to work through Who Was Paul Grayson? section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

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  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

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

Vocabulary met early in Who Was Paul Grayson?

Words and structures a reader meets early in Who Was Paul Grayson?, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Pupil
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Who Was Paul Grayson?; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Attended
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Who Was Paul Grayson?; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Morton
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Who Was Paul Grayson?; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Select
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Who Was Paul Grayson?; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.