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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 It was the only opening through which he could get a glimpse of life.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading Surrounded by all those singular and imposing personages, he gazed about him with serious amazement.
age
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading This child, who had been all joy and light on entering this strange world, soon became melancholy, and, what is still more contrary to his age, grave.
all
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From this reading Madame de T.’s salon was all that Marius Pontmercy knew of the world.
amazement
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From this reading Surrounded by all those singular and imposing personages, he gazed about him with serious amazement.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading This opening was sombre, and more cold than warmth, more night than day, came to him through this skylight.
became
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading This child, who had been all joy and light on entering this strange world, soon became melancholy, and, what is still more contrary to his age, grave.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading This child, who had been all joy and light on entering this strange world, soon became melancholy, and, what is still more contrary to his age, grave.
byprepositionUS /baɪ/
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Surrounded by all those singular and imposing personages, he gazed about him with serious amazement.
came
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading This opening was sombre, and more cold than warmth, more night than day, came to him through this skylight.
child
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading This child, who had been all joy and light on entering this strange world, soon became melancholy, and, what is still more contrary to his age, grave.
cold
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading This opening was sombre, and more cold than warmth, more night than day, came to him through this skylight.
contrary
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From this reading This child, who had been all joy and light on entering this strange world, soon became melancholy, and, what is still more contrary to his age, grave.
couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading It was the only opening through which he could get a glimpse of life.
day
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading This opening was sombre, and more cold than warmth, more night than day, came to him through this skylight.
de
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From this reading Madame de T.’s salon was all that Marius Pontmercy knew of the world.
entering
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From this reading This child, who had been all joy and light on entering this strange world, soon became melancholy, and, what is still more contrary to his age, grave.
gazed
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From this reading Surrounded by all those singular and imposing personages, he gazed about him with serious amazement.
get
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From this reading It was the only opening through which he could get a glimpse of life.
glimpse
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From this reading It was the only opening through which he could get a glimpse of life.
grave
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading This child, who had been all joy and light on entering this strange world, soon became melancholy, and, what is still more contrary to his age, grave.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading This child, who had been all joy and light on entering this strange world, soon became melancholy, and, what is still more contrary to his age, grave.
hepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading It was the only opening through which he could get a glimpse of life.
himpronounUS /hɪm/
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading This opening was sombre, and more cold than warmth, more night than day, came to him through this skylight.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading This child, who had been all joy and light on entering this strange world, soon became melancholy, and, what is still more contrary to his age, grave.
imposing
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Surrounded by all those singular and imposing personages, he gazed about him with serious amazement.
isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading This child, who had been all joy and light on entering this strange world, soon became melancholy, and, what is still more contrary to his age, grave.
ItpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was the only opening through which he could get a glimpse of life.
joy
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading This child, who had been all joy and light on entering this strange world, soon became melancholy, and, what is still more contrary to his age, grave.
knew
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Madame de T.’s salon was all that Marius Pontmercy knew of the world.
lifenounUS /life/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading It was the only opening through which he could get a glimpse of life.
light
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading This child, who had been all joy and light on entering this strange world, soon became melancholy, and, what is still more contrary to his age, grave.
Madame
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Madame de T.’s salon was all that Marius Pontmercy knew of the world.
Marius
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Madame de T.’s salon was all that Marius Pontmercy knew of the world.
melancholy
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading This child, who had been all joy and light on entering this strange world, soon became melancholy, and, what is still more contrary to his age, grave.
more
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading This opening was sombre, and more cold than warmth, more night than day, came to him through this skylight.
night
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading This opening was sombre, and more cold than warmth, more night than day, came to him through this skylight.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Madame de T.’s salon was all that Marius Pontmercy knew of the world.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading This child, who had been all joy and light on entering this strange world, soon became melancholy, and, what is still more contrary to his age, grave.
only
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was the only opening through which he could get a glimpse of life.
opening
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was the only opening through which he could get a glimpse of life.
personages
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Surrounded by all those singular and imposing personages, he gazed about him with serious amazement.
Pontmercy
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Madame de T.’s salon was all that Marius Pontmercy knew of the world.
s
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Madame de T.’s salon was all that Marius Pontmercy knew of the world.
salon
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Madame de T.’s salon was all that Marius Pontmercy knew of the world.
serious
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Surrounded by all those singular and imposing personages, he gazed about him with serious amazement.
singular
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Surrounded by all those singular and imposing personages, he gazed about him with serious amazement.
skylight
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading This opening was sombre, and more cold than warmth, more night than day, came to him through this skylight.
sombre
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading This opening was sombre, and more cold than warmth, more night than day, came to him through this skylight.
soon
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading This child, who had been all joy and light on entering this strange world, soon became melancholy, and, what is still more contrary to his age, grave.
stillnounUS /still/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading This child, who had been all joy and light on entering this strange world, soon became melancholy, and, what is still more contrary to his age, grave.
strange
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading This child, who had been all joy and light on entering this strange world, soon became melancholy, and, what is still more contrary to his age, grave.
Surrounded
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Surrounded by all those singular and imposing personages, he gazed about him with serious amazement.
T
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Madame de T.’s salon was all that Marius Pontmercy knew of the world.
thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading This opening was sombre, and more cold than warmth, more night than day, came to him through this skylight.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Madame de T.’s salon was all that Marius Pontmercy knew of the world.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Madame de T.’s salon was all that Marius Pontmercy knew of the world.
ThisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading This opening was sombre, and more cold than warmth, more night than day, came to him through this skylight.
thosedeterminerUS /ðoʊz/
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading Surrounded by all those singular and imposing personages, he gazed about him with serious amazement.
throughnounUS /ˈthrough/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading It was the only opening through which he could get a glimpse of life.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading This opening was sombre, and more cold than warmth, more night than day, came to him through this skylight.
warmth
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading This opening was sombre, and more cold than warmth, more night than day, came to him through this skylight.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Madame de T.’s salon was all that Marius Pontmercy knew of the world.
whatpronounUS /wʌt/
used to ask for information about something
From this reading This child, who had been all joy and light on entering this strange world, soon became melancholy, and, what is still more contrary to his age, grave.
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading It was the only opening through which he could get a glimpse of life.
whopronounUS /huː/
which person or people
From this reading This child, who had been all joy and light on entering this strange world, soon became melancholy, and, what is still more contrary to his age, grave.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading Surrounded by all those singular and imposing personages, he gazed about him with serious amazement.
world
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Madame de T.’s salon was all that Marius Pontmercy knew of the world.
