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Great Expectations
Great Expectations

Chapter LVI

Chapter 56, section 1: He lay in prison very ill, during the whole interval between his committal for trial and the coming round of the Sessions. He had broken two ribs, they had wounded one of his lungs
Context Illustration Reading 1/19 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
He lay in prison very ill, during the whole interval between his committal for trial and the coming round of the Sessions.
He had broken two ribs, they had wounded one of his lungs, and he breathed with great pain and difficulty, which increased daily.
It was a consequence of his hurt that he spoke so low as to be scarcely audible; therefore he spoke very little.
But he was ever ready to listen to me; and it became the first duty of my life to say to him, and read to him, what I knew he ought to hear.
Being far too ill to remain in the common prison, he was removed, after the first day or so, into the infirmary.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Great Expectations

Chapter LVI

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

Line 1
He lay in prison very ill, during the whole interval between his committal for trial and the coming round of the Sessions.
Line 2
He had broken two ribs, they had wounded one of his lungs, and he breathed with great pain and difficulty, which increased daily.
Line 3
It was a consequence of his hurt that he spoke so low as to be scarcely audible; therefore he spoke very little.
Line 4
But he was ever ready to listen to me; and it became the first duty of my life to say to him, and read to him, what I knew he ought to hear.
Line 5
Being far too ill to remain in the common prison, he was removed, after the first day or so, into the infirmary.

Learner Dictionary

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

prison noun US /ˈprɪzən/

a correctional institution where persons are confined while on trial or for punishment

From this reading “He lay in prison very ill, during the whole interval between his committal for trial and the coming round of the Sessions.”

Collocations
He layA source-grounded phrase from this reading.
lay inA source-grounded phrase from this reading.
All words in this reading · 81

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 consequence of his hurt that he spoke so low as to be scarcely audible; therefore he spoke very little.

afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading Being far too ill to remain in the common prison, he was removed, after the first day or so, into the infirmary.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading He lay in prison very ill, during the whole interval between his committal for trial and the coming round of the Sessions.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading It was a consequence of his hurt that he spoke so low as to be scarcely audible; therefore he spoke very little.

audible

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

From this reading It was a consequence of his hurt that he spoke so low as to be scarcely audible; therefore he spoke very little.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading It was a consequence of his hurt that he spoke so low as to be scarcely audible; therefore he spoke very little.

became

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

From this reading But he was ever ready to listen to me; and it became the first duty of my life to say to him, and read to him, what I knew he ought to hear.

Beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/

the -ing form of “be”

From this reading Being far too ill to remain in the common prison, he was removed, after the first day or so, into the infirmary.

betweenprepositionUS /bɪˈtwiːn/

in the space, time, or range separating two things

From this reading He lay in prison very ill, during the whole interval between his committal for trial and the coming round of the Sessions.

breathed

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

From this reading He had broken two ribs, they had wounded one of his lungs, and he breathed with great pain and difficulty, which increased daily.

brokennounUS /broken/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading He had broken two ribs, they had wounded one of his lungs, and he breathed with great pain and difficulty, which increased daily.

ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading But he was ever ready to listen to me; and it became the first duty of my life to say to him, and read to him, what I knew he ought to hear.

coming

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

From this reading He lay in prison very ill, during the whole interval between his committal for trial and the coming round of the Sessions.

committal

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

From this reading He lay in prison very ill, during the whole interval between his committal for trial and the coming round of the Sessions.

common

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

From this reading Being far too ill to remain in the common prison, he was removed, after the first day or so, into the infirmary.

consequence

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

From this reading It was a consequence of his hurt that he spoke so low as to be scarcely audible; therefore he spoke very little.

daily

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

From this reading He had broken two ribs, they had wounded one of his lungs, and he breathed with great pain and difficulty, which increased daily.

day

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

From this reading Being far too ill to remain in the common prison, he was removed, after the first day or so, into the infirmary.

difficulty

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

From this reading He had broken two ribs, they had wounded one of his lungs, and he breathed with great pain and difficulty, which increased daily.

duringprepositionUS /ˈdʊrɪŋ/

all through a period, or at some point within it

From this reading He lay in prison very ill, during the whole interval between his committal for trial and the coming round of the Sessions.

dutynounUS /ˈduːti/

a responsibility that must be carried out

From this reading But he was ever ready to listen to me; and it became the first duty of my life to say to him, and read to him, what I knew he ought to hear.

evernounUS /ever/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading But he was ever ready to listen to me; and it became the first duty of my life to say to him, and read to him, what I knew he ought to hear.

far

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

From this reading Being far too ill to remain in the common prison, he was removed, after the first day or so, into the infirmary.

firstnounUS /first/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading But he was ever ready to listen to me; and it became the first duty of my life to say to him, and read to him, what I knew he ought to hear.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading He lay in prison very ill, during the whole interval between his committal for trial and the coming round of the Sessions.

greatnounUS /great/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading He had broken two ribs, they had wounded one of his lungs, and he breathed with great pain and difficulty, which increased daily.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading He had broken two ribs, they had wounded one of his lungs, and he breathed with great pain and difficulty, which increased daily.

HepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading He lay in prison very ill, during the whole interval between his committal for trial and the coming round of the Sessions.

hearnounUS /hear/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading But he was ever ready to listen to me; and it became the first duty of my life to say to him, and read to him, what I knew he ought to hear.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading But he was ever ready to listen to me; and it became the first duty of my life to say to him, and read to him, what I knew he ought to hear.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading He lay in prison very ill, during the whole interval between his committal for trial and the coming round of the Sessions.

hurt

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

From this reading It was a consequence of his hurt that he spoke so low as to be scarcely audible; therefore he spoke very little.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading But he was ever ready to listen to me; and it became the first duty of my life to say to him, and read to him, what I knew he ought to hear.

ill

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

From this reading He lay in prison very ill, during the whole interval between his committal for trial and the coming round of the Sessions.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading He lay in prison very ill, during the whole interval between his committal for trial and the coming round of the Sessions.

increased

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

From this reading He had broken two ribs, they had wounded one of his lungs, and he breathed with great pain and difficulty, which increased daily.

infirmary

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

From this reading Being far too ill to remain in the common prison, he was removed, after the first day or so, into the infirmary.

interval

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

From this reading He lay in prison very ill, during the whole interval between his committal for trial and the coming round of the Sessions.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading Being far too ill to remain in the common prison, he was removed, after the first day or so, into the infirmary.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It was a consequence of his hurt that he spoke so low as to be scarcely audible; therefore he spoke very little.

knew

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

From this reading But he was ever ready to listen to me; and it became the first duty of my life to say to him, and read to him, what I knew he ought to hear.

lay

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

From this reading He lay in prison very ill, during the whole interval between his committal for trial and the coming round of the Sessions.

lifenounUS /life/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading But he was ever ready to listen to me; and it became the first duty of my life to say to him, and read to him, what I knew he ought to hear.

listen

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

From this reading But he was ever ready to listen to me; and it became the first duty of my life to say to him, and read to him, what I knew he ought to hear.

littlenounUS /little/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading It was a consequence of his hurt that he spoke so low as to be scarcely audible; therefore he spoke very little.

low

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

From this reading It was a consequence of his hurt that he spoke so low as to be scarcely audible; therefore he spoke very little.

lungs

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

From this reading He had broken two ribs, they had wounded one of his lungs, and he breathed with great pain and difficulty, which increased daily.

mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading But he was ever ready to listen to me; and it became the first duty of my life to say to him, and read to him, what I knew he ought to hear.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading But he was ever ready to listen to me; and it became the first duty of my life to say to him, and read to him, what I knew he ought to hear.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading He lay in prison very ill, during the whole interval between his committal for trial and the coming round of the Sessions.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading He had broken two ribs, they had wounded one of his lungs, and he breathed with great pain and difficulty, which increased daily.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading Being far too ill to remain in the common prison, he was removed, after the first day or so, into the infirmary.

oughtmodal verbUS /ɔːt/

used with “to” to say what is right or advisable

From this reading But he was ever ready to listen to me; and it became the first duty of my life to say to him, and read to him, what I knew he ought to hear.

pain

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

From this reading He had broken two ribs, they had wounded one of his lungs, and he breathed with great pain and difficulty, which increased daily.

prisonnounUS /ˈprɪzən/

a correctional institution where persons are confined while on trial or for punishment

From this reading He lay in prison very ill, during the whole interval between his committal for trial and the coming round of the Sessions.

read

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

From this reading But he was ever ready to listen to me; and it became the first duty of my life to say to him, and read to him, what I knew he ought to hear.

ready

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

From this reading But he was ever ready to listen to me; and it became the first duty of my life to say to him, and read to him, what I knew he ought to hear.

remain

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

From this reading Being far too ill to remain in the common prison, he was removed, after the first day or so, into the infirmary.

removed

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

From this reading Being far too ill to remain in the common prison, he was removed, after the first day or so, into the infirmary.

ribs

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

From this reading He had broken two ribs, they had wounded one of his lungs, and he breathed with great pain and difficulty, which increased daily.

round

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

From this reading He lay in prison very ill, during the whole interval between his committal for trial and the coming round of the Sessions.

say

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

From this reading But he was ever ready to listen to me; and it became the first duty of my life to say to him, and read to him, what I knew he ought to hear.

scarcely

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

From this reading It was a consequence of his hurt that he spoke so low as to be scarcely audible; therefore he spoke very little.

Sessions

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

From this reading He lay in prison very ill, during the whole interval between his committal for trial and the coming round of the Sessions.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading It was a consequence of his hurt that he spoke so low as to be scarcely audible; therefore he spoke very little.

spoke

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

From this reading It was a consequence of his hurt that he spoke so low as to be scarcely audible; therefore he spoke very little.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading It was a consequence of his hurt that he spoke so low as to be scarcely audible; therefore he spoke very little.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading He lay in prison very ill, during the whole interval between his committal for trial and the coming round of the Sessions.

thereforeadverbUS /ˈðerfɔːr/

for that reason; as a result

From this reading It was a consequence of his hurt that he spoke so low as to be scarcely audible; therefore he spoke very little.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading He had broken two ribs, they had wounded one of his lungs, and he breathed with great pain and difficulty, which increased daily.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading It was a consequence of his hurt that he spoke so low as to be scarcely audible; therefore he spoke very little.

too

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

From this reading Being far too ill to remain in the common prison, he was removed, after the first day or so, into the infirmary.

trial

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

From this reading He lay in prison very ill, during the whole interval between his committal for trial and the coming round of the Sessions.

two

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

From this reading He had broken two ribs, they had wounded one of his lungs, and he breathed with great pain and difficulty, which increased daily.

very

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

From this reading He lay in prison very ill, during the whole interval between his committal for trial and the coming round of the Sessions.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading It was a consequence of his hurt that he spoke so low as to be scarcely audible; therefore he spoke very little.

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading But he was ever ready to listen to me; and it became the first duty of my life to say to him, and read to him, what I knew he ought to hear.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading He had broken two ribs, they had wounded one of his lungs, and he breathed with great pain and difficulty, which increased daily.

whole

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

From this reading He lay in prison very ill, during the whole interval between his committal for trial and the coming round of the Sessions.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading He had broken two ribs, they had wounded one of his lungs, and he breathed with great pain and difficulty, which increased daily.

wounded

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

From this reading He had broken two ribs, they had wounded one of his lungs, and he breathed with great pain and difficulty, which increased daily.