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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 And yet, in the vagueness of his mind, he had never imaginatively realised that a house was made with hands, and hands that could err.
andeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading When the house began to `go up,' Edwin lived in an ecstasy of contemplation.
AndconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading And yet, in the vagueness of his mind, he had never imaginatively realised that a house was made with hands, and hands that could err.
beam
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He had seen houses go up before; he knew that houses were constructed brick by brick, beam by beam, lath by lath, tile by tile; he knew that they did not build themselves.
beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/
earlier than; in front of
From this reading He had seen houses go up before; he knew that houses were constructed brick by brick, beam by beam, lath by lath, tile by tile; he knew that they did not build themselves.
begannounUS /began/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading When the house began to `go up,' Edwin lived in an ecstasy of contemplation.
brick
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He had seen houses go up before; he knew that houses were constructed brick by brick, beam by beam, lath by lath, tile by tile; he knew that they did not build themselves.
build
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He had seen houses go up before; he knew that houses were constructed brick by brick, beam by beam, lath by lath, tile by tile; he knew that they did not build themselves.
byprepositionUS /baɪ/
showing who or what does the action
From this reading He had seen houses go up before; he knew that houses were constructed brick by brick, beam by beam, lath by lath, tile by tile; he knew that they did not build themselves.
constructed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He had seen houses go up before; he knew that houses were constructed brick by brick, beam by beam, lath by lath, tile by tile; he knew that they did not build themselves.
contemplation
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When the house began to `go up,' Edwin lived in an ecstasy of contemplation.
couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading And yet, in the vagueness of his mind, he had never imaginatively realised that a house was made with hands, and hands that could err.
deliberateness
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I say with deliberateness an `ecstasy.'
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading He had seen houses go up before; he knew that houses were constructed brick by brick, beam by beam, lath by lath, tile by tile; he knew that they did not build themselves.
ecstasy
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When the house began to `go up,' Edwin lived in an ecstasy of contemplation.
Edwin
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From this reading When the house began to `go up,' Edwin lived in an ecstasy of contemplation.
err
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From this reading And yet, in the vagueness of his mind, he had never imaginatively realised that a house was made with hands, and hands that could err.
FOUR
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ------------------------------------------------------------------------ FOUR.
go
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When the house began to `go up,' Edwin lived in an ecstasy of contemplation.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading He had seen houses go up before; he knew that houses were constructed brick by brick, beam by beam, lath by lath, tile by tile; he knew that they did not build themselves.
handsplural nounUS /hændz/
members of a ship’s crew
From this reading And yet, in the vagueness of his mind, he had never imaginatively realised that a house was made with hands, and hands that could err.
HepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He had seen houses go up before; he knew that houses were constructed brick by brick, beam by beam, lath by lath, tile by tile; he knew that they did not build themselves.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading And yet, in the vagueness of his mind, he had never imaginatively realised that a house was made with hands, and hands that could err.
house
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When the house began to `go up,' Edwin lived in an ecstasy of contemplation.
houses
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He had seen houses go up before; he knew that houses were constructed brick by brick, beam by beam, lath by lath, tile by tile; he knew that they did not build themselves.
IpronounUS /aɪ/
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I say with deliberateness an `ecstasy.'
imaginatively
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And yet, in the vagueness of his mind, he had never imaginatively realised that a house was made with hands, and hands that could err.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading When the house began to `go up,' Edwin lived in an ecstasy of contemplation.
knew
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He had seen houses go up before; he knew that houses were constructed brick by brick, beam by beam, lath by lath, tile by tile; he knew that they did not build themselves.
lath
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He had seen houses go up before; he knew that houses were constructed brick by brick, beam by beam, lath by lath, tile by tile; he knew that they did not build themselves.
lived
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When the house began to `go up,' Edwin lived in an ecstasy of contemplation.
made
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And yet, in the vagueness of his mind, he had never imaginatively realised that a house was made with hands, and hands that could err.
mindnounUS /mind/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading And yet, in the vagueness of his mind, he had never imaginatively realised that a house was made with hands, and hands that could err.
nevernounUS /never/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading And yet, in the vagueness of his mind, he had never imaginatively realised that a house was made with hands, and hands that could err.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading He had seen houses go up before; he knew that houses were constructed brick by brick, beam by beam, lath by lath, tile by tile; he knew that they did not build themselves.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading When the house began to `go up,' Edwin lived in an ecstasy of contemplation.
realised
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And yet, in the vagueness of his mind, he had never imaginatively realised that a house was made with hands, and hands that could err.
say
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I say with deliberateness an `ecstasy.'
seen
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He had seen houses go up before; he knew that houses were constructed brick by brick, beam by beam, lath by lath, tile by tile; he knew that they did not build themselves.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading He had seen houses go up before; he knew that houses were constructed brick by brick, beam by beam, lath by lath, tile by tile; he knew that they did not build themselves.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading When the house began to `go up,' Edwin lived in an ecstasy of contemplation.
themselvespronounUS /ðemˈselvz/
used when the people doing the action are also its object
From this reading He had seen houses go up before; he knew that houses were constructed brick by brick, beam by beam, lath by lath, tile by tile; he knew that they did not build themselves.
theypronounUS /ðeɪ/
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He had seen houses go up before; he knew that houses were constructed brick by brick, beam by beam, lath by lath, tile by tile; he knew that they did not build themselves.
tile
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He had seen houses go up before; he knew that houses were constructed brick by brick, beam by beam, lath by lath, tile by tile; he knew that they did not build themselves.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading When the house began to `go up,' Edwin lived in an ecstasy of contemplation.
up
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When the house began to `go up,' Edwin lived in an ecstasy of contemplation.
vagueness
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And yet, in the vagueness of his mind, he had never imaginatively realised that a house was made with hands, and hands that could err.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading And yet, in the vagueness of his mind, he had never imaginatively realised that a house was made with hands, and hands that could err.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading He had seen houses go up before; he knew that houses were constructed brick by brick, beam by beam, lath by lath, tile by tile; he knew that they did not build themselves.
WhenconjunctionUS /wen/
at the time that
From this reading When the house began to `go up,' Edwin lived in an ecstasy of contemplation.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading I say with deliberateness an `ecstasy.'
yetconjunctionUS /jet/
but in spite of that
From this reading And yet, in the vagueness of his mind, he had never imaginatively realised that a house was made with hands, and hands that could err.