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adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading During Sanc’s absence I worked industriously, bettering his instructions by renting two rooms a day and making the duplicate keys.
absence
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From this reading During Sanc’s absence I worked industriously, bettering his instructions by renting two rooms a day and making the duplicate keys.
adventure
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From this reading With an old suit on and a dollar or two in silver I loved to go to the sailors’ boarding houses where seafaring men, brawny, brown, and tattooed, speaking all languages, ate, drank, fought, sang their strange sea songs, and told tales of hardship and adventure on all the seas.
all
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From this reading With an old suit on and a dollar or two in silver I loved to go to the sailors’ boarding houses where seafaring men, brawny, brown, and tattooed, speaking all languages, ate, drank, fought, sang their strange sea songs, and told tales of hardship and adventure on all the seas.
andeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading With an old suit on and a dollar or two in silver I loved to go to the sailors’ boarding houses where seafaring men, brawny, brown, and tattooed, speaking all languages, ate, drank, fought, sang their strange sea songs, and told tales of hardship and adventure on all the seas.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading During Sanc’s absence I worked industriously, bettering his instructions by renting two rooms a day and making the duplicate keys.
aroundprepositionUS /ərˈaʊnd/
surrounding, or on every side of, something
From this reading My days were well filled with work, renting two rooms, making two keys, trying to get my room money refunded and visiting the safety box twice a day, sometimes following a depositor out and around the streets to see what he did with his money.
ate
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From this reading With an old suit on and a dollar or two in silver I loved to go to the sailors’ boarding houses where seafaring men, brawny, brown, and tattooed, speaking all languages, ate, drank, fought, sang their strange sea songs, and told tales of hardship and adventure on all the seas.
away
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From this reading In most instances the clerks returned my money when I told them I was called away and could not occupy the rooms.
Barbary
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From this reading My evenings were my own and I spent them on the Barbary Coast or the water front.
bettering
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From this reading During Sanc’s absence I worked industriously, bettering his instructions by renting two rooms a day and making the duplicate keys.
boarding
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From this reading With an old suit on and a dollar or two in silver I loved to go to the sailors’ boarding houses where seafaring men, brawny, brown, and tattooed, speaking all languages, ate, drank, fought, sang their strange sea songs, and told tales of hardship and adventure on all the seas.
box
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From this reading My days were well filled with work, renting two rooms, making two keys, trying to get my room money refunded and visiting the safety box twice a day, sometimes following a depositor out and around the streets to see what he did with his money.
brawny
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From this reading With an old suit on and a dollar or two in silver I loved to go to the sailors’ boarding houses where seafaring men, brawny, brown, and tattooed, speaking all languages, ate, drank, fought, sang their strange sea songs, and told tales of hardship and adventure on all the seas.
brown
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From this reading With an old suit on and a dollar or two in silver I loved to go to the sailors’ boarding houses where seafaring men, brawny, brown, and tattooed, speaking all languages, ate, drank, fought, sang their strange sea songs, and told tales of hardship and adventure on all the seas.
byprepositionUS /baɪ/
showing who or what does the action
From this reading During Sanc’s absence I worked industriously, bettering his instructions by renting two rooms a day and making the duplicate keys.
called
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From this reading In most instances the clerks returned my money when I told them I was called away and could not occupy the rooms.
clerks
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From this reading In most instances the clerks returned my money when I told them I was called away and could not occupy the rooms.
Coast
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From this reading My evenings were my own and I spent them on the Barbary Coast or the water front.
couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading In most instances the clerks returned my money when I told them I was called away and could not occupy the rooms.
day
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From this reading During Sanc’s absence I worked industriously, bettering his instructions by renting two rooms a day and making the duplicate keys.
days
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From this reading My days were well filled with work, renting two rooms, making two keys, trying to get my room money refunded and visiting the safety box twice a day, sometimes following a depositor out and around the streets to see what he did with his money.
depositor
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From this reading My days were well filled with work, renting two rooms, making two keys, trying to get my room money refunded and visiting the safety box twice a day, sometimes following a depositor out and around the streets to see what he did with his money.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading My days were well filled with work, renting two rooms, making two keys, trying to get my room money refunded and visiting the safety box twice a day, sometimes following a depositor out and around the streets to see what he did with his money.
dollar
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From this reading With an old suit on and a dollar or two in silver I loved to go to the sailors’ boarding houses where seafaring men, brawny, brown, and tattooed, speaking all languages, ate, drank, fought, sang their strange sea songs, and told tales of hardship and adventure on all the seas.
drank
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From this reading With an old suit on and a dollar or two in silver I loved to go to the sailors’ boarding houses where seafaring men, brawny, brown, and tattooed, speaking all languages, ate, drank, fought, sang their strange sea songs, and told tales of hardship and adventure on all the seas.
duplicate
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From this reading During Sanc’s absence I worked industriously, bettering his instructions by renting two rooms a day and making the duplicate keys.
DuringprepositionUS /ˈdʊrɪŋ/
all through a period, or at some point within it
From this reading During Sanc’s absence I worked industriously, bettering his instructions by renting two rooms a day and making the duplicate keys.
evenings
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From this reading My evenings were my own and I spent them on the Barbary Coast or the water front.
filled
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From this reading My days were well filled with work, renting two rooms, making two keys, trying to get my room money refunded and visiting the safety box twice a day, sometimes following a depositor out and around the streets to see what he did with his money.
following
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From this reading My days were well filled with work, renting two rooms, making two keys, trying to get my room money refunded and visiting the safety box twice a day, sometimes following a depositor out and around the streets to see what he did with his money.
fought
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From this reading With an old suit on and a dollar or two in silver I loved to go to the sailors’ boarding houses where seafaring men, brawny, brown, and tattooed, speaking all languages, ate, drank, fought, sang their strange sea songs, and told tales of hardship and adventure on all the seas.
front
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From this reading My evenings were my own and I spent them on the Barbary Coast or the water front.
get
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From this reading My days were well filled with work, renting two rooms, making two keys, trying to get my room money refunded and visiting the safety box twice a day, sometimes following a depositor out and around the streets to see what he did with his money.
go
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From this reading With an old suit on and a dollar or two in silver I loved to go to the sailors’ boarding houses where seafaring men, brawny, brown, and tattooed, speaking all languages, ate, drank, fought, sang their strange sea songs, and told tales of hardship and adventure on all the seas.
hardship
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From this reading With an old suit on and a dollar or two in silver I loved to go to the sailors’ boarding houses where seafaring men, brawny, brown, and tattooed, speaking all languages, ate, drank, fought, sang their strange sea songs, and told tales of hardship and adventure on all the seas.
hepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading My days were well filled with work, renting two rooms, making two keys, trying to get my room money refunded and visiting the safety box twice a day, sometimes following a depositor out and around the streets to see what he did with his money.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading During Sanc’s absence I worked industriously, bettering his instructions by renting two rooms a day and making the duplicate keys.
houses
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From this reading With an old suit on and a dollar or two in silver I loved to go to the sailors’ boarding houses where seafaring men, brawny, brown, and tattooed, speaking all languages, ate, drank, fought, sang their strange sea songs, and told tales of hardship and adventure on all the seas.
IpronounUS /aɪ/
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading During Sanc’s absence I worked industriously, bettering his instructions by renting two rooms a day and making the duplicate keys.
InprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading In most instances the clerks returned my money when I told them I was called away and could not occupy the rooms.
industriously
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From this reading During Sanc’s absence I worked industriously, bettering his instructions by renting two rooms a day and making the duplicate keys.
instances
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From this reading In most instances the clerks returned my money when I told them I was called away and could not occupy the rooms.
instructions
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From this reading During Sanc’s absence I worked industriously, bettering his instructions by renting two rooms a day and making the duplicate keys.
keys
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From this reading During Sanc’s absence I worked industriously, bettering his instructions by renting two rooms a day and making the duplicate keys.
languages
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From this reading With an old suit on and a dollar or two in silver I loved to go to the sailors’ boarding houses where seafaring men, brawny, brown, and tattooed, speaking all languages, ate, drank, fought, sang their strange sea songs, and told tales of hardship and adventure on all the seas.
loved
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From this reading With an old suit on and a dollar or two in silver I loved to go to the sailors’ boarding houses where seafaring men, brawny, brown, and tattooed, speaking all languages, ate, drank, fought, sang their strange sea songs, and told tales of hardship and adventure on all the seas.
making
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From this reading During Sanc’s absence I worked industriously, bettering his instructions by renting two rooms a day and making the duplicate keys.
men
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From this reading With an old suit on and a dollar or two in silver I loved to go to the sailors’ boarding houses where seafaring men, brawny, brown, and tattooed, speaking all languages, ate, drank, fought, sang their strange sea songs, and told tales of hardship and adventure on all the seas.
money
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From this reading In most instances the clerks returned my money when I told them I was called away and could not occupy the rooms.
most
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From this reading In most instances the clerks returned my money when I told them I was called away and could not occupy the rooms.
mydeterminerUS /maɪ/
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading In most instances the clerks returned my money when I told them I was called away and could not occupy the rooms.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading In most instances the clerks returned my money when I told them I was called away and could not occupy the rooms.
occupy
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From this reading In most instances the clerks returned my money when I told them I was called away and could not occupy the rooms.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading With an old suit on and a dollar or two in silver I loved to go to the sailors’ boarding houses where seafaring men, brawny, brown, and tattooed, speaking all languages, ate, drank, fought, sang their strange sea songs, and told tales of hardship and adventure on all the seas.
old
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading With an old suit on and a dollar or two in silver I loved to go to the sailors’ boarding houses where seafaring men, brawny, brown, and tattooed, speaking all languages, ate, drank, fought, sang their strange sea songs, and told tales of hardship and adventure on all the seas.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading My evenings were my own and I spent them on the Barbary Coast or the water front.
orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading My evenings were my own and I spent them on the Barbary Coast or the water front.
out
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From this reading My days were well filled with work, renting two rooms, making two keys, trying to get my room money refunded and visiting the safety box twice a day, sometimes following a depositor out and around the streets to see what he did with his money.
own
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From this reading My evenings were my own and I spent them on the Barbary Coast or the water front.
refunded
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From this reading My days were well filled with work, renting two rooms, making two keys, trying to get my room money refunded and visiting the safety box twice a day, sometimes following a depositor out and around the streets to see what he did with his money.
renting
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From this reading During Sanc’s absence I worked industriously, bettering his instructions by renting two rooms a day and making the duplicate keys.
returnednounUS /ˈreturned/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading In most instances the clerks returned my money when I told them I was called away and could not occupy the rooms.
room
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From this reading My days were well filled with work, renting two rooms, making two keys, trying to get my room money refunded and visiting the safety box twice a day, sometimes following a depositor out and around the streets to see what he did with his money.
rooms
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From this reading During Sanc’s absence I worked industriously, bettering his instructions by renting two rooms a day and making the duplicate keys.
safety
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From this reading My days were well filled with work, renting two rooms, making two keys, trying to get my room money refunded and visiting the safety box twice a day, sometimes following a depositor out and around the streets to see what he did with his money.
sailors
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From this reading With an old suit on and a dollar or two in silver I loved to go to the sailors’ boarding houses where seafaring men, brawny, brown, and tattooed, speaking all languages, ate, drank, fought, sang their strange sea songs, and told tales of hardship and adventure on all the seas.
Sanc's
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From this reading During Sanc’s absence I worked industriously, bettering his instructions by renting two rooms a day and making the duplicate keys.
sang
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From this reading With an old suit on and a dollar or two in silver I loved to go to the sailors’ boarding houses where seafaring men, brawny, brown, and tattooed, speaking all languages, ate, drank, fought, sang their strange sea songs, and told tales of hardship and adventure on all the seas.
sea
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading With an old suit on and a dollar or two in silver I loved to go to the sailors’ boarding houses where seafaring men, brawny, brown, and tattooed, speaking all languages, ate, drank, fought, sang their strange sea songs, and told tales of hardship and adventure on all the seas.
seafaringadjectiveUS /ˈsiːferɪŋ/
connected with travelling or working at sea
From this reading With an old suit on and a dollar or two in silver I loved to go to the sailors’ boarding houses where seafaring men, brawny, brown, and tattooed, speaking all languages, ate, drank, fought, sang their strange sea songs, and told tales of hardship and adventure on all the seas.
seas
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From this reading With an old suit on and a dollar or two in silver I loved to go to the sailors’ boarding houses where seafaring men, brawny, brown, and tattooed, speaking all languages, ate, drank, fought, sang their strange sea songs, and told tales of hardship and adventure on all the seas.
see
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading My days were well filled with work, renting two rooms, making two keys, trying to get my room money refunded and visiting the safety box twice a day, sometimes following a depositor out and around the streets to see what he did with his money.
silver
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading With an old suit on and a dollar or two in silver I loved to go to the sailors’ boarding houses where seafaring men, brawny, brown, and tattooed, speaking all languages, ate, drank, fought, sang their strange sea songs, and told tales of hardship and adventure on all the seas.
sometimes
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From this reading My days were well filled with work, renting two rooms, making two keys, trying to get my room money refunded and visiting the safety box twice a day, sometimes following a depositor out and around the streets to see what he did with his money.
songs
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From this reading With an old suit on and a dollar or two in silver I loved to go to the sailors’ boarding houses where seafaring men, brawny, brown, and tattooed, speaking all languages, ate, drank, fought, sang their strange sea songs, and told tales of hardship and adventure on all the seas.
speaking
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From this reading With an old suit on and a dollar or two in silver I loved to go to the sailors’ boarding houses where seafaring men, brawny, brown, and tattooed, speaking all languages, ate, drank, fought, sang their strange sea songs, and told tales of hardship and adventure on all the seas.
spent
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading My evenings were my own and I spent them on the Barbary Coast or the water front.
strange
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From this reading With an old suit on and a dollar or two in silver I loved to go to the sailors’ boarding houses where seafaring men, brawny, brown, and tattooed, speaking all languages, ate, drank, fought, sang their strange sea songs, and told tales of hardship and adventure on all the seas.
streets
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading My days were well filled with work, renting two rooms, making two keys, trying to get my room money refunded and visiting the safety box twice a day, sometimes following a depositor out and around the streets to see what he did with his money.
suit
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading With an old suit on and a dollar or two in silver I loved to go to the sailors’ boarding houses where seafaring men, brawny, brown, and tattooed, speaking all languages, ate, drank, fought, sang their strange sea songs, and told tales of hardship and adventure on all the seas.
tales
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading With an old suit on and a dollar or two in silver I loved to go to the sailors’ boarding houses where seafaring men, brawny, brown, and tattooed, speaking all languages, ate, drank, fought, sang their strange sea songs, and told tales of hardship and adventure on all the seas.
tattooed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading With an old suit on and a dollar or two in silver I loved to go to the sailors’ boarding houses where seafaring men, brawny, brown, and tattooed, speaking all languages, ate, drank, fought, sang their strange sea songs, and told tales of hardship and adventure on all the seas.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading During Sanc’s absence I worked industriously, bettering his instructions by renting two rooms a day and making the duplicate keys.
theirdeterminerUS /ðer/
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading With an old suit on and a dollar or two in silver I loved to go to the sailors’ boarding houses where seafaring men, brawny, brown, and tattooed, speaking all languages, ate, drank, fought, sang their strange sea songs, and told tales of hardship and adventure on all the seas.
thempronounUS /ðem/
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading In most instances the clerks returned my money when I told them I was called away and could not occupy the rooms.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading My days were well filled with work, renting two rooms, making two keys, trying to get my room money refunded and visiting the safety box twice a day, sometimes following a depositor out and around the streets to see what he did with his money.
toldnounUS /told/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading In most instances the clerks returned my money when I told them I was called away and could not occupy the rooms.
trying
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From this reading My days were well filled with work, renting two rooms, making two keys, trying to get my room money refunded and visiting the safety box twice a day, sometimes following a depositor out and around the streets to see what he did with his money.
twice
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From this reading My days were well filled with work, renting two rooms, making two keys, trying to get my room money refunded and visiting the safety box twice a day, sometimes following a depositor out and around the streets to see what he did with his money.
two
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading During Sanc’s absence I worked industriously, bettering his instructions by renting two rooms a day and making the duplicate keys.
visiting
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From this reading My days were well filled with work, renting two rooms, making two keys, trying to get my room money refunded and visiting the safety box twice a day, sometimes following a depositor out and around the streets to see what he did with his money.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading In most instances the clerks returned my money when I told them I was called away and could not occupy the rooms.
water
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading My evenings were my own and I spent them on the Barbary Coast or the water front.
well
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading My days were well filled with work, renting two rooms, making two keys, trying to get my room money refunded and visiting the safety box twice a day, sometimes following a depositor out and around the streets to see what he did with his money.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading My days were well filled with work, renting two rooms, making two keys, trying to get my room money refunded and visiting the safety box twice a day, sometimes following a depositor out and around the streets to see what he did with his money.
whatpronounUS /wʌt/
used to ask for information about something
From this reading My days were well filled with work, renting two rooms, making two keys, trying to get my room money refunded and visiting the safety box twice a day, sometimes following a depositor out and around the streets to see what he did with his money.
whenconjunctionUS /wen/
at the time that
From this reading In most instances the clerks returned my money when I told them I was called away and could not occupy the rooms.
whereconjunctionUS /wer/
in or at the place that
From this reading With an old suit on and a dollar or two in silver I loved to go to the sailors’ boarding houses where seafaring men, brawny, brown, and tattooed, speaking all languages, ate, drank, fought, sang their strange sea songs, and told tales of hardship and adventure on all the seas.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading My days were well filled with work, renting two rooms, making two keys, trying to get my room money refunded and visiting the safety box twice a day, sometimes following a depositor out and around the streets to see what he did with his money.
work
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading My days were well filled with work, renting two rooms, making two keys, trying to get my room money refunded and visiting the safety box twice a day, sometimes following a depositor out and around the streets to see what he did with his money.
worked
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading During Sanc’s absence I worked industriously, bettering his instructions by renting two rooms a day and making the duplicate keys.