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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 Wonder how it would do to rig a mosquito netting over us, Tom.”
afraid
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading WILLARD GOES ON STRIKE “I’m afraid,” observed Willard, laying his brush down and straightening some of the kinks from his back, “that there’ll be more gnats and flies on here than paint.
agreed
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From this reading “They are pretty bad, and that’s a fact,” agreed Tom without ceasing the slap-slap of his brush.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading WILLARD GOES ON STRIKE “I’m afraid,” observed Willard, laying his brush down and straightening some of the kinks from his back, “that there’ll be more gnats and flies on here than paint.
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading “They are pretty bad, and that’s a fact,” agreed Tom without ceasing the slap-slap of his brush.
back
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading WILLARD GOES ON STRIKE “I’m afraid,” observed Willard, laying his brush down and straightening some of the kinks from his back, “that there’ll be more gnats and flies on here than paint.
bad
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From this reading “They are pretty bad, and that’s a fact,” agreed Tom without ceasing the slap-slap of his brush.
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading WILLARD GOES ON STRIKE “I’m afraid,” observed Willard, laying his brush down and straightening some of the kinks from his back, “that there’ll be more gnats and flies on here than paint.
beneathprepositionUS /bɪˈniːθ/
Directly under; in or to a lower position than.
From this reading They were in the stable loft, with the swinging doors wide open and the little back yard and garden spread beneath them in the hot sunshine of a mid-June day.
brush
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading WILLARD GOES ON STRIKE “I’m afraid,” observed Willard, laying his brush down and straightening some of the kinks from his back, “that there’ll be more gnats and flies on here than paint.
ceasing
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From this reading “They are pretty bad, and that’s a fact,” agreed Tom without ceasing the slap-slap of his brush.
couplenounUS /ˈkʌpəl/
two people or things considered together
From this reading “I’ve picked off a couple of hundred this morning, I guess.”
day
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They were in the stable loft, with the swinging doors wide open and the little back yard and garden spread beneath them in the hot sunshine of a mid-June day.
doauxiliary verbUS /duː/
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading Wonder how it would do to rig a mosquito netting over us, Tom.”
doors
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They were in the stable loft, with the swinging doors wide open and the little back yard and garden spread beneath them in the hot sunshine of a mid-June day.
down
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading WILLARD GOES ON STRIKE “I’m afraid,” observed Willard, laying his brush down and straightening some of the kinks from his back, “that there’ll be more gnats and flies on here than paint.
fact
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “They are pretty bad, and that’s a fact,” agreed Tom without ceasing the slap-slap of his brush.
flies
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading WILLARD GOES ON STRIKE “I’m afraid,” observed Willard, laying his brush down and straightening some of the kinks from his back, “that there’ll be more gnats and flies on here than paint.
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading WILLARD GOES ON STRIKE “I’m afraid,” observed Willard, laying his brush down and straightening some of the kinks from his back, “that there’ll be more gnats and flies on here than paint.
garden
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They were in the stable loft, with the swinging doors wide open and the little back yard and garden spread beneath them in the hot sunshine of a mid-June day.
gnats
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading WILLARD GOES ON STRIKE “I’m afraid,” observed Willard, laying his brush down and straightening some of the kinks from his back, “that there’ll be more gnats and flies on here than paint.
GOES
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From this reading WILLARD GOES ON STRIKE “I’m afraid,” observed Willard, laying his brush down and straightening some of the kinks from his back, “that there’ll be more gnats and flies on here than paint.
guess
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “I’ve picked off a couple of hundred this morning, I guess.”
herenounUS /here/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading WILLARD GOES ON STRIKE “I’m afraid,” observed Willard, laying his brush down and straightening some of the kinks from his back, “that there’ll be more gnats and flies on here than paint.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading WILLARD GOES ON STRIKE “I’m afraid,” observed Willard, laying his brush down and straightening some of the kinks from his back, “that there’ll be more gnats and flies on here than paint.
hot
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They were in the stable loft, with the swinging doors wide open and the little back yard and garden spread beneath them in the hot sunshine of a mid-June day.
how
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Wonder how it would do to rig a mosquito netting over us, Tom.”
hundred
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “I’ve picked off a couple of hundred this morning, I guess.”
IpronounUS /aɪ/
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “I’ve picked off a couple of hundred this morning, I guess.”
I'm
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading WILLARD GOES ON STRIKE “I’m afraid,” observed Willard, laying his brush down and straightening some of the kinks from his back, “that there’ll be more gnats and flies on here than paint.
I've
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “I’ve picked off a couple of hundred this morning, I guess.”
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading They were in the stable loft, with the swinging doors wide open and the little back yard and garden spread beneath them in the hot sunshine of a mid-June day.
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Wonder how it would do to rig a mosquito netting over us, Tom.”
kinks
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading WILLARD GOES ON STRIKE “I’m afraid,” observed Willard, laying his brush down and straightening some of the kinks from his back, “that there’ll be more gnats and flies on here than paint.
laying
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading WILLARD GOES ON STRIKE “I’m afraid,” observed Willard, laying his brush down and straightening some of the kinks from his back, “that there’ll be more gnats and flies on here than paint.
littlenounUS /little/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading They were in the stable loft, with the swinging doors wide open and the little back yard and garden spread beneath them in the hot sunshine of a mid-June day.
loft
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They were in the stable loft, with the swinging doors wide open and the little back yard and garden spread beneath them in the hot sunshine of a mid-June day.
mid-June
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They were in the stable loft, with the swinging doors wide open and the little back yard and garden spread beneath them in the hot sunshine of a mid-June day.
more
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading WILLARD GOES ON STRIKE “I’m afraid,” observed Willard, laying his brush down and straightening some of the kinks from his back, “that there’ll be more gnats and flies on here than paint.
morningnounUS /morning/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “I’ve picked off a couple of hundred this morning, I guess.”
mosquito
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Wonder how it would do to rig a mosquito netting over us, Tom.”
netting
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Wonder how it would do to rig a mosquito netting over us, Tom.”
observed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading WILLARD GOES ON STRIKE “I’m afraid,” observed Willard, laying his brush down and straightening some of the kinks from his back, “that there’ll be more gnats and flies on here than paint.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading WILLARD GOES ON STRIKE “I’m afraid,” observed Willard, laying his brush down and straightening some of the kinks from his back, “that there’ll be more gnats and flies on here than paint.
off
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “I’ve picked off a couple of hundred this morning, I guess.”
ONprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading WILLARD GOES ON STRIKE “I’m afraid,” observed Willard, laying his brush down and straightening some of the kinks from his back, “that there’ll be more gnats and flies on here than paint.
openverbUS /ˈoʊ.pən/
To move from a closed position.
From this reading They were in the stable loft, with the swinging doors wide open and the little back yard and garden spread beneath them in the hot sunshine of a mid-June day.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading Wonder how it would do to rig a mosquito netting over us, Tom.”
paint
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading WILLARD GOES ON STRIKE “I’m afraid,” observed Willard, laying his brush down and straightening some of the kinks from his back, “that there’ll be more gnats and flies on here than paint.
picked
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “I’ve picked off a couple of hundred this morning, I guess.”
pretty
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “They are pretty bad, and that’s a fact,” agreed Tom without ceasing the slap-slap of his brush.
rig
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Wonder how it would do to rig a mosquito netting over us, Tom.”
slap-slap
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “They are pretty bad, and that’s a fact,” agreed Tom without ceasing the slap-slap of his brush.
some
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading WILLARD GOES ON STRIKE “I’m afraid,” observed Willard, laying his brush down and straightening some of the kinks from his back, “that there’ll be more gnats and flies on here than paint.
spread
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They were in the stable loft, with the swinging doors wide open and the little back yard and garden spread beneath them in the hot sunshine of a mid-June day.
stable
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They were in the stable loft, with the swinging doors wide open and the little back yard and garden spread beneath them in the hot sunshine of a mid-June day.
straightening
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading WILLARD GOES ON STRIKE “I’m afraid,” observed Willard, laying his brush down and straightening some of the kinks from his back, “that there’ll be more gnats and flies on here than paint.
STRIKE
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading WILLARD GOES ON STRIKE “I’m afraid,” observed Willard, laying his brush down and straightening some of the kinks from his back, “that there’ll be more gnats and flies on here than paint.
sunshine
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They were in the stable loft, with the swinging doors wide open and the little back yard and garden spread beneath them in the hot sunshine of a mid-June day.
swinging
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They were in the stable loft, with the swinging doors wide open and the little back yard and garden spread beneath them in the hot sunshine of a mid-June day.
thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading WILLARD GOES ON STRIKE “I’m afraid,” observed Willard, laying his brush down and straightening some of the kinks from his back, “that there’ll be more gnats and flies on here than paint.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading WILLARD GOES ON STRIKE “I’m afraid,” observed Willard, laying his brush down and straightening some of the kinks from his back, “that there’ll be more gnats and flies on here than paint.
that's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “They are pretty bad, and that’s a fact,” agreed Tom without ceasing the slap-slap of his brush.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading WILLARD GOES ON STRIKE “I’m afraid,” observed Willard, laying his brush down and straightening some of the kinks from his back, “that there’ll be more gnats and flies on here than paint.
thempronounUS /ðem/
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading They were in the stable loft, with the swinging doors wide open and the little back yard and garden spread beneath them in the hot sunshine of a mid-June day.
there'll
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading WILLARD GOES ON STRIKE “I’m afraid,” observed Willard, laying his brush down and straightening some of the kinks from his back, “that there’ll be more gnats and flies on here than paint.
TheypronounUS /ðeɪ/
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “They are pretty bad, and that’s a fact,” agreed Tom without ceasing the slap-slap of his brush.
thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading “I’ve picked off a couple of hundred this morning, I guess.”
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Wonder how it would do to rig a mosquito netting over us, Tom.”
Tom
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Wonder how it would do to rig a mosquito netting over us, Tom.”
uspronounUS /ʌs/
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Wonder how it would do to rig a mosquito netting over us, Tom.”
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading They were in the stable loft, with the swinging doors wide open and the little back yard and garden spread beneath them in the hot sunshine of a mid-June day.
wide
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They were in the stable loft, with the swinging doors wide open and the little back yard and garden spread beneath them in the hot sunshine of a mid-June day.
WILLARD
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading WILLARD GOES ON STRIKE “I’m afraid,” observed Willard, laying his brush down and straightening some of the kinks from his back, “that there’ll be more gnats and flies on here than paint.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading They were in the stable loft, with the swinging doors wide open and the little back yard and garden spread beneath them in the hot sunshine of a mid-June day.
withoutprepositionUS /wɪˈθaʊt/
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading “They are pretty bad, and that’s a fact,” agreed Tom without ceasing the slap-slap of his brush.
Wonder
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Wonder how it would do to rig a mosquito netting over us, Tom.”
wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading Wonder how it would do to rig a mosquito netting over us, Tom.”
yard
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They were in the stable loft, with the swinging doors wide open and the little back yard and garden spread beneath them in the hot sunshine of a mid-June day.
