Chapter 3 of Write It Right is here in full — 467 sentences across 94 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter III
Chapter 3 of Write It Right is here in full — 467 sentences across 94 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
_Possess_ for _Have_. "To possess knowledge is to possess power." Possess is lacking in naturalness and unduly emphasizes the concept of ownership. _Practically_ for _Virtually_. This error is very common.
Chapter 3 of Write It Right is here in full — 467 sentences across 94 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/93 · 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.
an abstract or general idea inferred or derived from specific instances
From this reading “Possess is lacking in naturalness and unduly emphasizes the concept of ownership.”
third-person singular of “emphasize” — to stress, single out as important
From this reading “Possess is lacking in naturalness and unduly emphasizes the concept of ownership.”
a wrong action attributable to bad judgment or ignorance or inattention
From this reading “This error is very common.”
inadequate in amount or degree
From this reading “Possess is lacking in naturalness and unduly emphasizes the concept of ownership.”
the relation of an owner to the thing possessed; possession with the right to transfer possession to others
From this reading “Possess is lacking in naturalness and unduly emphasizes the concept of ownership.”
almost; nearly
to an undue degree
From this reading “Possess is lacking in naturalness and unduly emphasizes the concept of ownership.”
in essence or effect but not in fact
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 to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Possess is lacking in naturalness and unduly emphasizes the concept of ownership.
belonging to or participated in by a community as a whole; public
From this reading This error is very common.
an abstract or general idea inferred or derived from specific instances
From this reading Possess is lacking in naturalness and unduly emphasizes the concept of ownership.
third-person singular of “emphasize” — to stress, single out as important
From this reading Possess is lacking in naturalness and unduly emphasizes the concept of ownership.
a wrong action attributable to bad judgment or ignorance or inattention
From this reading This error is very common.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading _Possess_ for _Have_.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading _Possess_ for _Have_.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Possess is lacking in naturalness and unduly emphasizes the concept of ownership.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "To possess knowledge is to possess power."
the psychological result of perception and learning and reasoning
From this reading "To possess knowledge is to possess power."
inadequate in amount or degree
From this reading Possess is lacking in naturalness and unduly emphasizes the concept of ownership.
the quality of being natural or based on natural principles
From this reading Possess is lacking in naturalness and unduly emphasizes the concept of ownership.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Possess is lacking in naturalness and unduly emphasizes the concept of ownership.
the relation of an owner to the thing possessed; possession with the right to transfer possession to others
From this reading Possess is lacking in naturalness and unduly emphasizes the concept of ownership.
have as an attribute, knowledge, or skill
From this reading _Possess_ for _Have_.
possession of controlling influence
From this reading "To possess knowledge is to possess power."
almost; nearly
From this reading _Practically_ for _Virtually_.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Possess is lacking in naturalness and unduly emphasizes the concept of ownership.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading This error is very common.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "To possess knowledge is to possess power."
to an undue degree
From this reading Possess is lacking in naturalness and unduly emphasizes the concept of ownership.
precisely as stated
From this reading This error is very common.
in essence or effect but not in fact
From this reading _Practically_ for _Virtually_.
Chapter 3 of Write It Right by Ambrose Bierce holds 467 sentences, grouped into 94 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 3 holds 467 sentences of Write It Right, unabridged, divided into 94 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 3 of Write It Right by Ambrose Bierce exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 467 sentences, grouped into 94 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 94 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 94 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 3 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 Write It Right by Ambrose Bierce on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 1411 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #12474 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #12474, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 117 minutes of reading across 283 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Write It Right section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 3 chapters of Write It Right 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 Write It Right, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
