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Celibates
Celibates

Chapter XV

Cover illustration for Celibates
Context Illustration Reading 1/81 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
'And then?'
'I don't know.
Even if I did give you up, I don't see what would be gained.
All I could do would be to ask you not to come to the house any more.'
'That is nonsense.'
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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.

Celibates

Chapter XV

Reading 1/81 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
'And then?'
Line 2
'I don't know.
Line 3
Even if I did give you up, I don't see what would be gained.
Line 4
All I could do would be to ask you not to come to the house any more.'
Line 5
'That is nonsense.'

Learner Dictionary

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

Come noun US /come/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “All I could do would be to ask you not to come to the house any more.'”

Could modal verb US /kʊd/

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

From this reading “All I could do would be to ask you not to come to the house any more.'”

Even noun US /even/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “Even if I did give you up, I don't see what would be gained.”

Know noun US /know/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “'I don't know.”

Would modal verb US /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading “Even if I did give you up, I don't see what would be gained.”

All words in this reading · 30

Every word is available to listen to. Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.

All

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

From this reading All I could do would be to ask you not to come to the house any more.'

AndconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading 'And then?'

any

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

From this reading All I could do would be to ask you not to come to the house any more.'

ask

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

From this reading All I could do would be to ask you not to come to the house any more.'

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading Even if I did give you up, I don't see what would be gained.

comenounUS /come/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading All I could do would be to ask you not to come to the house any more.'

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

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

From this reading All I could do would be to ask you not to come to the house any more.'

didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading Even if I did give you up, I don't see what would be gained.

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading All I could do would be to ask you not to come to the house any more.'

don't

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

From this reading 'I don't know.

EvennounUS /even/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading Even if I did give you up, I don't see what would be gained.

gained

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

From this reading Even if I did give you up, I don't see what would be gained.

give

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

From this reading Even if I did give you up, I don't see what would be gained.

house

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

From this reading All I could do would be to ask you not to come to the house any more.'

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading 'I don't know.

ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading Even if I did give you up, I don't see what would be gained.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading 'That is nonsense.'

knownounUS /know/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading 'I don't know.

more

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

From this reading All I could do would be to ask you not to come to the house any more.'

nonsense

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

From this reading 'That is nonsense.'

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading All I could do would be to ask you not to come to the house any more.'

see

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

From this reading Even if I did give you up, I don't see what would be gained.

ThatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading 'That is nonsense.'

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading All I could do would be to ask you not to come to the house any more.'

then

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

From this reading 'And then?'

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading All I could do would be to ask you not to come to the house any more.'

up

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

From this reading Even if I did give you up, I don't see what would be gained.

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading Even if I did give you up, I don't see what would be gained.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading Even if I did give you up, I don't see what would be gained.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading Even if I did give you up, I don't see what would be gained.