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Your Servant, Sir
Your Servant, Sir

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of Your Servant, Sir is here in full — 354 sentences across 71 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Your Servant, Sir
Context Illustration Reading 1/70 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
_We all know that every android has its little idiosyncrasies.
But what can a civilized human being do about it when his perfect servant drives him crazy?_ The chubby woman glared at the android and dropped her suitcase on the floor.
She turned to her husband and said in an angry, unsteady voice, "I'm leaving."
Her double chin trembled.
"I can't stand the sight of that thing another second."
0:00 / 0:00
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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.

Your Servant, Sir

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of Your Servant, Sir is here in full — 354 sentences across 71 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/70 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
_We all know that every android has its little idiosyncrasies.
/wiː ɔːl noʊ ðæt ˈevəri ˈændrɔɪd hæz ɪts ˈlɪtəl ˌɪdioʊˈsɪnkrəsiːz/
Line 2
But what can a civilized human being do about it when his perfect servant drives him crazy?_ The chubby woman glared at the android and dropped her suitcase on the floor.
/bʌt wʌt kæn ə ˈsɪvəlaɪzd ˈhjuːmən ˈbiːɪŋ duː əˈbaʊt ɪt wen hɪz pərˈfekt ˈsɜːrvənt draɪvz hɪm ˈkreɪzi ðə ˈtʃʌbi ˈwʊmən ɡlerd æt ðə ˈændrɔɪd ənd drɑːpt hɜːr ˈsuːtkeɪs ɑːn ðə flɔːr/
Line 3
She turned to her husband and said in an angry, unsteady voice, "I'm leaving."
Line 4
Her double chin trembled.
/hɜːr ˈdʌbəl tʃɪn ˈtrembəld/
Line 5
"I can't stand the sight of that thing another second."

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.

android noun US /ˈændrɔɪd/

an automaton that resembles a human being

From this reading “_We all know that every android has its little idiosyncrasies.”

chubby adjective US /ˈtʃʌbi/

sufficiently fat so as to have a pleasing fullness of figure

From this reading “But what can a civilized human being do about it when his perfect servant drives him crazy?_ The chubby woman glared at the android and dropped her suitcase on the floor.”

civilized adjective US /ˈsɪvəlaɪzd/

having a high state of culture and development both social and technological

From this reading “But what can a civilized human being do about it when his perfect servant drives him crazy?_ The chubby woman glared at the android and dropped her suitcase on the floor.”

drives noun US /draɪvz/

plural of “drive” — the act of applying force to propel something

From this reading “But what can a civilized human being do about it when his perfect servant drives him crazy?_ The chubby woman glared at the android and dropped her suitcase on the floor.”

glared verb US /ɡlerd/

past form of “glare” — look at with a fixed gaze

From this reading “But what can a civilized human being do about it when his perfect servant drives him crazy?_ The chubby woman glared at the android and dropped her suitcase on the floor.”

idiosyncrasies noun US /ˌɪdioʊˈsɪnkrəsiːz/

plural of “idiosyncrasy” — a behavioral attribute that is distinctive and peculiar to an individual

From this reading “_We all know that every android has its little idiosyncrasies.”

suitcase noun US /ˈsuːtkeɪs/

a portable rectangular container for carrying clothes

From this reading “But what can a civilized human being do about it when his perfect servant drives him crazy?_ The chubby woman glared at the android and dropped her suitcase on the floor.”

unsteady adjective US /ənˈstedi/

subject to change or variation

From this reading “She turned to her husband and said in an angry, unsteady voice, "I'm leaving."”

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.

double chin verb + noun

a fold of fatty tissue under the chin

In this reading “Her double chin trembled.”

unsteady voice adjective + noun

In this reading “She turned to her husband and said in an angry, unsteady voice, "I'm leaving."”

on the floor preposition + article + noun counted as “on … floor”

In this reading “But what can a civilized human being do about it when his perfect servant drives him crazy?_ The chubby woman glared at the android and dropped her suitcase on the floor.”

All words in this reading · 61

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 But what can a civilized human being do about it when his perfect servant drives him crazy?_ The chubby woman glared at the android and dropped her suitcase on the floor.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading But what can a civilized human being do about it when his perfect servant drives him crazy?_ The chubby woman glared at the android and dropped her suitcase on the floor.

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 _We all know that every android has its little idiosyncrasies.

andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading She turned to her husband and said in an angry, unsteady voice, "I'm leaving."

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading But what can a civilized human being do about it when his perfect servant drives him crazy?_ The chubby woman glared at the android and dropped her suitcase on the floor.

androidnounUS /ˈændrɔɪd/

an automaton that resembles a human being

From this reading _We all know that every android has its little idiosyncrasies.

angryadjectiveUS /ˈæŋɡri/

feeling or showing anger

From this reading She turned to her husband and said in an angry, unsteady voice, "I'm leaving."

anotherdeterminerUS /əˈnʌðər/

one more of the same kind, or a different one

From this reading "I can't stand the sight of that thing another second."

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading But what can a civilized human being do about it when his perfect servant drives him crazy?_ The chubby woman glared at the android and dropped her suitcase on the floor.

beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/

the -ing form of “be”

From this reading But what can a civilized human being do about it when his perfect servant drives him crazy?_ The chubby woman glared at the android and dropped her suitcase on the floor.

ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading But what can a civilized human being do about it when his perfect servant drives him crazy?_ The chubby woman glared at the android and dropped her suitcase on the floor.

canmodal verbUS /kæn/

to be able to, or to be allowed to

From this reading But what can a civilized human being do about it when his perfect servant drives him crazy?_ The chubby woman glared at the android and dropped her suitcase on the floor.

can't

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

From this reading "I can't stand the sight of that thing another second."

chinnounUS /tʃɪn/

the protruding part of the lower jaw

From this reading Her double chin trembled.

chubbyadjectiveUS /ˈtʃʌbi/

sufficiently fat so as to have a pleasing fullness of figure

From this reading But what can a civilized human being do about it when his perfect servant drives him crazy?_ The chubby woman glared at the android and dropped her suitcase on the floor.

civilizedadjectiveUS /ˈsɪvəlaɪzd/

having a high state of culture and development both social and technological

From this reading But what can a civilized human being do about it when his perfect servant drives him crazy?_ The chubby woman glared at the android and dropped her suitcase on the floor.

crazyadjectiveUS /ˈkreɪzi/

affected with madness or insanity

From this reading But what can a civilized human being do about it when his perfect servant drives him crazy?_ The chubby woman glared at the android and dropped her suitcase on the floor.

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading But what can a civilized human being do about it when his perfect servant drives him crazy?_ The chubby woman glared at the android and dropped her suitcase on the floor.

doubleverbUS /ˈdʌbəl/

increase twofold

From this reading Her double chin trembled.

drivesnounUS /draɪvz/

plural of “drive” — the act of applying force to propel something

From this reading But what can a civilized human being do about it when his perfect servant drives him crazy?_ The chubby woman glared at the android and dropped her suitcase on the floor.

droppedverbUS /drɑːpt/

inflected form of “drop” — let fall to the ground

From this reading But what can a civilized human being do about it when his perfect servant drives him crazy?_ The chubby woman glared at the android and dropped her suitcase on the floor.

everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/

all the members of a group, with none left out

From this reading _We all know that every android has its little idiosyncrasies.

floornounUS /flɔːr/

the inside lower horizontal surface (as of a room, hallway, tent, or other structure)

From this reading But what can a civilized human being do about it when his perfect servant drives him crazy?_ The chubby woman glared at the android and dropped her suitcase on the floor.

glaredverbUS /ɡlerd/

past form of “glare” — look at with a fixed gaze

From this reading But what can a civilized human being do about it when his perfect servant drives him crazy?_ The chubby woman glared at the android and dropped her suitcase on the floor.

hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/

the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading _We all know that every android has its little idiosyncrasies.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading But what can a civilized human being do about it when his perfect servant drives him crazy?_ The chubby woman glared at the android and dropped her suitcase on the floor.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading But what can a civilized human being do about it when his perfect servant drives him crazy?_ The chubby woman glared at the android and dropped her suitcase on the floor.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading But what can a civilized human being do about it when his perfect servant drives him crazy?_ The chubby woman glared at the android and dropped her suitcase on the floor.

humanadjectiveUS /ˈhjuːmən/

characteristic of humanity

From this reading But what can a civilized human being do about it when his perfect servant drives him crazy?_ The chubby woman glared at the android and dropped her suitcase on the floor.

husbandnounUS /ˈhʌzbənd/

a married man; a woman's partner in marriage

From this reading She turned to her husband and said in an angry, unsteady voice, "I'm leaving."

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading "I can't stand the sight of that thing another second."

I'm

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

From this reading She turned to her husband and said in an angry, unsteady voice, "I'm leaving."

idiosyncrasiesnounUS /ˌɪdioʊˈsɪnkrəsiːz/

plural of “idiosyncrasy” — a behavioral attribute that is distinctive and peculiar to an individual

From this reading _We all know that every android has its little idiosyncrasies.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading She turned to her husband and said in an angry, unsteady voice, "I'm leaving."

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading But what can a civilized human being do about it when his perfect servant drives him crazy?_ The chubby woman glared at the android and dropped her suitcase on the floor.

itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading _We all know that every android has its little idiosyncrasies.

knowverbUS /noʊ/

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

From this reading _We all know that every android has its little idiosyncrasies.

leavingnounUS /ˈliːvɪŋ/

the act of departing

From this reading She turned to her husband and said in an angry, unsteady voice, "I'm leaving."

littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

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

From this reading _We all know that every android has its little idiosyncrasies.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading "I can't stand the sight of that thing another second."

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading But what can a civilized human being do about it when his perfect servant drives him crazy?_ The chubby woman glared at the android and dropped her suitcase on the floor.

perfectadjectiveUS /pərˈfekt/

being complete of its kind and without defect or blemish

From this reading But what can a civilized human being do about it when his perfect servant drives him crazy?_ The chubby woman glared at the android and dropped her suitcase on the floor.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading She turned to her husband and said in an angry, unsteady voice, "I'm leaving."

secondnounUS /ˈsekənd/

1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites

From this reading "I can't stand the sight of that thing another second."

servantnounUS /ˈsɜːrvənt/

a person working in the service of another (especially in the household)

From this reading But what can a civilized human being do about it when his perfect servant drives him crazy?_ The chubby woman glared at the android and dropped her suitcase on the floor.

ShepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading She turned to her husband and said in an angry, unsteady voice, "I'm leaving."

sightnounUS /saɪt/

an instance of visual perception

From this reading "I can't stand the sight of that thing another second."

standverbUS /stænd/

be standing; be upright

From this reading "I can't stand the sight of that thing another second."

suitcasenounUS /ˈsuːtkeɪs/

a portable rectangular container for carrying clothes

From this reading But what can a civilized human being do about it when his perfect servant drives him crazy?_ The chubby woman glared at the android and dropped her suitcase on the floor.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading _We all know that every android has its little idiosyncrasies.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading But what can a civilized human being do about it when his perfect servant drives him crazy?_ The chubby woman glared at the android and dropped her suitcase on the floor.

thingnounUS /θɪŋ/

a special situation

From this reading "I can't stand the sight of that thing another second."

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading She turned to her husband and said in an angry, unsteady voice, "I'm leaving."

trembledverbUS /ˈtrembəld/

past form of “tremble” — move or jerk quickly and involuntarily up and down or sideways

From this reading Her double chin trembled.

turnedadjectiveUS /tɜːrnd/

moved around an axis or center

From this reading She turned to her husband and said in an angry, unsteady voice, "I'm leaving."

unsteadyadjectiveUS /ənˈstedi/

subject to change or variation

From this reading She turned to her husband and said in an angry, unsteady voice, "I'm leaving."

voicenounUS /vɔɪs/

the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech

From this reading She turned to her husband and said in an angry, unsteady voice, "I'm leaving."

WepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading _We all know that every android has its little idiosyncrasies.

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading But what can a civilized human being do about it when his perfect servant drives him crazy?_ The chubby woman glared at the android and dropped her suitcase on the floor.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading But what can a civilized human being do about it when his perfect servant drives him crazy?_ The chubby woman glared at the android and dropped her suitcase on the floor.

womannounUS /ˈwʊmən/

an adult female person (as opposed to a man)

From this reading But what can a civilized human being do about it when his perfect servant drives him crazy?_ The chubby woman glared at the android and dropped her suitcase on the floor.

Chapter 1 of Your Servant, Sir by Sol Boren holds 354 sentences, grouped into 71 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 Your Servant, Sir contain?

Chapter 1 holds 354 sentences of Your Servant, Sir, unabridged, divided into 71 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of Your Servant, Sir by Sol Boren exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 354 sentences, grouped into 71 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 Your Servant, Sir?

Work through the 71 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 71 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 Your Servant, Sir

Common questions about reading Your Servant, Sir by Sol Boren on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Your Servant, Sir?

Yes. All 354 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #59558 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Your Servant, Sir is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #59558, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Your Servant, Sir take to read?

About 29 minutes of reading across 71 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Your Servant, Sir section by section

How to work through Your Servant, Sir section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 1 chapters of Your Servant, Sir to begin.

  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 Your Servant, Sir

Words and structures a reader meets early in Your Servant, Sir, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Every
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Your Servant, Sir; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Android
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Your Servant, Sir; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Little
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Your Servant, Sir; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Idiosyncrasies
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Your Servant, Sir; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.