Chapter I
Chapter 1
Chapter 1 of You Never Can Tell is here in full — 286 sentences across 58 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
PHILIP (anticipating him). Our appearance? DOLLY. Our manners? VALENTINE (ad misericordiam).
You Never Can Tell
Chapter I · Chapter 1
Chapter 1 of You Never Can Tell is here in full — 286 sentences across 58 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
English subtitles · tap any word to listen
1 / 5
PHILIP
(anticipating
him).
Our
appearance?
DOLLY.
Our
manners?
VALENTINE
(ad
misericordiam).
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
You Never Can Tell
Chapter I · Chapter 1
Chapter 1 of You Never Can Tell is here in full — 286 sentences across 58 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/57 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
Line 1
PHILIP
(anticipating
him).
/ˈfɪləp ænˈtɪsəpeɪtɪŋ hɪm/
Line 2
Our
appearance?
/ˈaʊər əˈpɪrəns/
Line 3
DOLLY.
/ˈdɑːli/
Line 4
Our
manners?
/ˈaʊər ˈmænərz/
Line 5
VALENTINE
(ad
misericordiam).
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.
anticipating
verb
US /ænˈtɪsəpeɪtɪŋ/
-ing form of “anticipate” — regard something as probable or likely
From this reading “PHILIP (anticipating him).”
appearance
noun
US /əˈpɪrəns/
outward or visible aspect of a person or thing
From this reading “Our appearance?”
dolly
noun
US /ˈdɑːli/
conveyance consisting of a wheeled support on which a camera can be mounted
From this reading “DOLLY.”
manners
noun
US /ˈmænərz/
social deportment
From this reading “Our manners?”
philip
noun
US /ˈfɪləp/
Englishman and husband of Elizabeth II (born 1921)
From this reading “PHILIP (anticipating him).”
valentine
noun
US /ˈvæləntaɪn/
a sweetheart chosen to receive a greeting on Saint Valentine's Day
From this reading “VALENTINE (ad misericordiam).”
All words in this reading · 10
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.
adnounUS /æd/
a public promotion of some product or service
From this reading VALENTINE (ad misericordiam).
anticipatingverbUS /ænˈtɪsəpeɪtɪŋ/
-ing form of “anticipate” — regard something as probable or likely
From this reading PHILIP (anticipating him).
appearancenounUS /əˈpɪrəns/
outward or visible aspect of a person or thing
From this reading Our appearance?
DOLLYnounUS /ˈdɑːli/
conveyance consisting of a wheeled support on which a camera can be mounted
From this reading DOLLY.
himpronounUS /hɪm/
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading PHILIP (anticipating him).
mannersnounUS /ˈmænərz/
social deportment
From this reading Our manners?
misericordiam
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading VALENTINE (ad misericordiam).
OurdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading Our appearance?
PHILIPnounUS /ˈfɪləp/
Englishman and husband of Elizabeth II (born 1921)
From this reading PHILIP (anticipating him).
VALENTINEnounUS /ˈvæləntaɪn/
a sweetheart chosen to receive a greeting on Saint Valentine's Day
From this reading VALENTINE (ad misericordiam).
Chapter 1 of You Never Can Tell by Bernard Shaw holds 286 sentences, grouped into 58 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 1 of You Never Can Tell contain?
Chapter 1 holds 286 sentences of You Never Can Tell, unabridged, divided into 58 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of You Never Can Tell by Bernard Shaw exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 286 sentences, grouped into 58 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 1 of You Never Can Tell?
Work through the 58 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 58 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 1 be read aloud to me?
Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 1 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 You Never Can Tell
Common questions about reading You Never Can Tell by Bernard Shaw on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Is this the complete text of You Never Can Tell?
Yes. All 1127 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #2175 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Which edition of You Never Can Tell is used?
Project Gutenberg eBook #2175, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
How long does You Never Can Tell take to read?
About 93 minutes of reading across 226 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to read You Never Can Tell section by section
How to work through You Never Can Tell section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
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Open a chapter
Choose one of the 4 chapters of You Never Can Tell to begin.
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Read one section
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
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Listen and tap
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Vocabulary met early in You Never Can Tell
Words and structures a reader meets early in You Never Can Tell, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
- Philip
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of You Never Can Tell; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Anticipating
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of You Never Can Tell; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Appearance
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of You Never Can Tell; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Dolly
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of You Never Can Tell; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.