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Adam Bede
Adam Bede

Chapter XXIX · Arthur’s Return

Cover illustration for Adam Bede
Context Illustration Reading 1/19 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
When Arthur Donnithorne landed at Liverpool and read the letter from his Aunt Lydia, briefly announcing his grand-father’s death, his first feeling was, “Poor Grandfather!
I wish I could have got to him to be with him when he died.
He might have felt or wished something at the last that I shall never know now.
It was a lonely death.”
It is impossible to say that his grief was deeper than that.
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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.

Adam Bede

Chapter XXIX · Arthur’s Return

Reading 1/19 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
When Arthur Donnithorne landed at Liverpool and read the letter from his Aunt Lydia, briefly announcing his grand-father’s death, his first feeling was, “Poor Grandfather!
Line 2
I wish I could have got to him to be with him when he died.
Line 3
He might have felt or wished something at the last that I shall never know now.
Line 4
It was a lonely death.”
Line 5
It is impossible to say that his grief was deeper than that.

Learner Dictionary

Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, audio, and collocations from this reading.

Could modal verb US /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading “I wish I could have got to him to be with him when he died.”

Feeling noun US /ˈfeeling/

a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage

From this reading “When Arthur Donnithorne landed at Liverpool and read the letter from his Aunt Lydia, briefly announcing his grand-father’s death, his first feeling was, “Poor Grandfather!”

First noun US /first/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “When Arthur Donnithorne landed at Liverpool and read the letter from his Aunt Lydia, briefly announcing his grand-father’s death, his first feeling was, “Poor Grandfather!”

Have auxiliary verb US /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading “I wish I could have got to him to be with him when he died.”

Know noun US /know/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “He might have felt or wished something at the last that I shall never know now.”

Last noun US /last/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “He might have felt or wished something at the last that I shall never know now.”

Might modal verb US /maɪt/

used to say something is possible but not certain

From this reading “He might have felt or wished something at the last that I shall never know now.”

Never noun US /never/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “He might have felt or wished something at the last that I shall never know now.”

Poor noun US /poor/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “When Arthur Donnithorne landed at Liverpool and read the letter from his Aunt Lydia, briefly announcing his grand-father’s death, his first feeling was, “Poor Grandfather!”

Shall modal verb US /ʃæl/

used with I and we for the future, or to offer and suggest

From this reading “He might have felt or wished something at the last that I shall never know now.”

Something pronoun US /ˈsʌmθɪŋ/

a thing, without saying which

From this reading “He might have felt or wished something at the last that I shall never know now.”

All words in this reading · 54

Every word is available to listen to. 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 It was a lonely death.”

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading When Arthur Donnithorne landed at Liverpool and read the letter from his Aunt Lydia, briefly announcing his grand-father’s death, his first feeling was, “Poor Grandfather!

announcing

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

From this reading When Arthur Donnithorne landed at Liverpool and read the letter from his Aunt Lydia, briefly announcing his grand-father’s death, his first feeling was, “Poor Grandfather!

Arthur

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

From this reading When Arthur Donnithorne landed at Liverpool and read the letter from his Aunt Lydia, briefly announcing his grand-father’s death, his first feeling was, “Poor Grandfather!

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading When Arthur Donnithorne landed at Liverpool and read the letter from his Aunt Lydia, briefly announcing his grand-father’s death, his first feeling was, “Poor Grandfather!

Aunt

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

From this reading When Arthur Donnithorne landed at Liverpool and read the letter from his Aunt Lydia, briefly announcing his grand-father’s death, his first feeling was, “Poor Grandfather!

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading I wish I could have got to him to be with him when he died.

briefly

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

From this reading When Arthur Donnithorne landed at Liverpool and read the letter from his Aunt Lydia, briefly announcing his grand-father’s death, his first feeling was, “Poor Grandfather!

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading I wish I could have got to him to be with him when he died.

death

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

From this reading When Arthur Donnithorne landed at Liverpool and read the letter from his Aunt Lydia, briefly announcing his grand-father’s death, his first feeling was, “Poor Grandfather!

deeper

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

From this reading It is impossible to say that his grief was deeper than that.

died

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

From this reading I wish I could have got to him to be with him when he died.

Donnithorne

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

From this reading When Arthur Donnithorne landed at Liverpool and read the letter from his Aunt Lydia, briefly announcing his grand-father’s death, his first feeling was, “Poor Grandfather!

feelingnounUS /ˈfeeling/

a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage

From this reading When Arthur Donnithorne landed at Liverpool and read the letter from his Aunt Lydia, briefly announcing his grand-father’s death, his first feeling was, “Poor Grandfather!

felt

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

From this reading He might have felt or wished something at the last that I shall never know now.

firstnounUS /first/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading When Arthur Donnithorne landed at Liverpool and read the letter from his Aunt Lydia, briefly announcing his grand-father’s death, his first feeling was, “Poor Grandfather!

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading When Arthur Donnithorne landed at Liverpool and read the letter from his Aunt Lydia, briefly announcing his grand-father’s death, his first feeling was, “Poor Grandfather!

got

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

From this reading I wish I could have got to him to be with him when he died.

grand-father's

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

From this reading When Arthur Donnithorne landed at Liverpool and read the letter from his Aunt Lydia, briefly announcing his grand-father’s death, his first feeling was, “Poor Grandfather!

Grandfather

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

From this reading When Arthur Donnithorne landed at Liverpool and read the letter from his Aunt Lydia, briefly announcing his grand-father’s death, his first feeling was, “Poor Grandfather!

grief

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

From this reading It is impossible to say that his grief was deeper than that.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading I wish I could have got to him to be with him when he died.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading I wish I could have got to him to be with him when he died.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading I wish I could have got to him to be with him when he died.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading When Arthur Donnithorne landed at Liverpool and read the letter from his Aunt Lydia, briefly announcing his grand-father’s death, his first feeling was, “Poor Grandfather!

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading I wish I could have got to him to be with him when he died.

impossible

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

From this reading It is impossible to say that his grief was deeper than that.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading It is impossible to say that his grief was deeper than that.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It was a lonely death.”

knownounUS /know/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading He might have felt or wished something at the last that I shall never know now.

landed

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

From this reading When Arthur Donnithorne landed at Liverpool and read the letter from his Aunt Lydia, briefly announcing his grand-father’s death, his first feeling was, “Poor Grandfather!

lastnounUS /last/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading He might have felt or wished something at the last that I shall never know now.

letter

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

From this reading When Arthur Donnithorne landed at Liverpool and read the letter from his Aunt Lydia, briefly announcing his grand-father’s death, his first feeling was, “Poor Grandfather!

Liverpool

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

From this reading When Arthur Donnithorne landed at Liverpool and read the letter from his Aunt Lydia, briefly announcing his grand-father’s death, his first feeling was, “Poor Grandfather!

lonely

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

From this reading It was a lonely death.”

Lydia

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

From this reading When Arthur Donnithorne landed at Liverpool and read the letter from his Aunt Lydia, briefly announcing his grand-father’s death, his first feeling was, “Poor Grandfather!

mightmodal verbUS /maɪt/

used to say something is possible but not certain

From this reading He might have felt or wished something at the last that I shall never know now.

nevernounUS /never/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading He might have felt or wished something at the last that I shall never know now.

now

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

From this reading He might have felt or wished something at the last that I shall never know now.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading He might have felt or wished something at the last that I shall never know now.

PoornounUS /poor/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading When Arthur Donnithorne landed at Liverpool and read the letter from his Aunt Lydia, briefly announcing his grand-father’s death, his first feeling was, “Poor Grandfather!

read

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

From this reading When Arthur Donnithorne landed at Liverpool and read the letter from his Aunt Lydia, briefly announcing his grand-father’s death, his first feeling was, “Poor Grandfather!

say

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

From this reading It is impossible to say that his grief was deeper than that.

shallmodal verbUS /ʃæl/

used with I and we for the future, or to offer and suggest

From this reading He might have felt or wished something at the last that I shall never know now.

somethingpronounUS /ˈsʌmθɪŋ/

a thing, without saying which

From this reading He might have felt or wished something at the last that I shall never know now.

thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading It is impossible to say that his grief was deeper than that.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading He might have felt or wished something at the last that I shall never know now.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading When Arthur Donnithorne landed at Liverpool and read the letter from his Aunt Lydia, briefly announcing his grand-father’s death, his first feeling was, “Poor Grandfather!

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading I wish I could have got to him to be with him when he died.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading When Arthur Donnithorne landed at Liverpool and read the letter from his Aunt Lydia, briefly announcing his grand-father’s death, his first feeling was, “Poor Grandfather!

WhenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading When Arthur Donnithorne landed at Liverpool and read the letter from his Aunt Lydia, briefly announcing his grand-father’s death, his first feeling was, “Poor Grandfather!

wish

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

From this reading I wish I could have got to him to be with him when he died.

wished

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

From this reading He might have felt or wished something at the last that I shall never know now.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading I wish I could have got to him to be with him when he died.