Complete classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
Elsie Venner
Elsie Venner

Chapter XX · From Without and from Within

Cover illustration for Elsie Venner
Context Illustration Reading 1/26 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
There were not wanting people who accused Dudley VENNER of weakness and bad judgment in his treatment of his daughter.
Some were of opinion that the great mistake was in not “breaking her will” when she was a little child.
There was nothing the matter with her, they said, but that she had been spoiled by indulgence.
If they had had the charge of her, they'd have brought her down.
She'd got the upperhand of her father now; but if he'd only taken hold of her in season!
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Elsie Venner

Chapter XX · From Without and from Within

Reading 1/26 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
There were not wanting people who accused Dudley VENNER of weakness and bad judgment in his treatment of his daughter.
Line 2
Some were of opinion that the great mistake was in not “breaking her will” when she was a little child.
Line 3
There was nothing the matter with her, they said, but that she had been spoiled by indulgence.
Line 4
If they had had the charge of her, they'd have brought her down.
Line 5
She'd got the upperhand of her father now; but if he'd only taken hold of her in season!

Learner Dictionary

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

Been auxiliary verb US /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading “There was nothing the matter with her, they said, but that she had been spoiled by indulgence.”

Brought noun US /ˈbrought/

a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage

From this reading “If they had had the charge of her, they'd have brought her down.”

Great noun US /great/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “Some were of opinion that the great mistake was in not “breaking her will” when she was a little child.”

Have auxiliary verb US /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading “If they had had the charge of her, they'd have brought her down.”

Little noun US /little/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “Some were of opinion that the great mistake was in not “breaking her will” when she was a little child.”

Nothing pronoun US /ˈnʌθɪŋ/

not one thing; not anything

From this reading “There was nothing the matter with her, they said, but that she had been spoiled by indulgence.”

Spoiled adjective US /spɔɪld/

given too much comfort or indulgence

From this reading “There was nothing the matter with her, they said, but that she had been spoiled by indulgence.”

Weakness noun US /ˈwiːknəs/

a lack of physical strength

From this reading “There were not wanting people who accused Dudley VENNER of weakness and bad judgment in his treatment of his daughter.”

All words in this reading · 60

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 Some were of opinion that the great mistake was in not “breaking her will” when she was a little child.

accused

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

From this reading There were not wanting people who accused Dudley VENNER of weakness and bad judgment in his treatment of his daughter.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading There were not wanting people who accused Dudley VENNER of weakness and bad judgment in his treatment of his daughter.

bad

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

From this reading There were not wanting people who accused Dudley VENNER of weakness and bad judgment in his treatment of his daughter.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading There was nothing the matter with her, they said, but that she had been spoiled by indulgence.

breaking

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

From this reading Some were of opinion that the great mistake was in not “breaking her will” when she was a little child.

broughtnounUS /ˈbrought/

a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage

From this reading If they had had the charge of her, they'd have brought her down.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading There was nothing the matter with her, they said, but that she had been spoiled by indulgence.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading There was nothing the matter with her, they said, but that she had been spoiled by indulgence.

charge

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

From this reading If they had had the charge of her, they'd have brought her down.

child

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

From this reading Some were of opinion that the great mistake was in not “breaking her will” when she was a little child.

daughter

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

From this reading There were not wanting people who accused Dudley VENNER of weakness and bad judgment in his treatment of his daughter.

down

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

From this reading If they had had the charge of her, they'd have brought her down.

Dudley

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

From this reading There were not wanting people who accused Dudley VENNER of weakness and bad judgment in his treatment of his daughter.

father

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

From this reading She'd got the upperhand of her father now; but if he'd only taken hold of her in season!

got

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

From this reading She'd got the upperhand of her father now; but if he'd only taken hold of her in season!

greatnounUS /great/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading Some were of opinion that the great mistake was in not “breaking her will” when she was a little child.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading There was nothing the matter with her, they said, but that she had been spoiled by indulgence.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading If they had had the charge of her, they'd have brought her down.

he'd

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

From this reading She'd got the upperhand of her father now; but if he'd only taken hold of her in season!

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading Some were of opinion that the great mistake was in not “breaking her will” when she was a little child.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading There were not wanting people who accused Dudley VENNER of weakness and bad judgment in his treatment of his daughter.

hold

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

From this reading She'd got the upperhand of her father now; but if he'd only taken hold of her in season!

IfconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading If they had had the charge of her, they'd have brought her down.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading There were not wanting people who accused Dudley VENNER of weakness and bad judgment in his treatment of his daughter.

indulgence

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

From this reading There was nothing the matter with her, they said, but that she had been spoiled by indulgence.

judgment

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

From this reading There were not wanting people who accused Dudley VENNER of weakness and bad judgment in his treatment of his daughter.

littlenounUS /little/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading Some were of opinion that the great mistake was in not “breaking her will” when she was a little child.

matter

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

From this reading There was nothing the matter with her, they said, but that she had been spoiled by indulgence.

mistake

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

From this reading Some were of opinion that the great mistake was in not “breaking her will” when she was a little child.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading There were not wanting people who accused Dudley VENNER of weakness and bad judgment in his treatment of his daughter.

nothingpronounUS /ˈnʌθɪŋ/

not one thing; not anything

From this reading There was nothing the matter with her, they said, but that she had been spoiled by indulgence.

now

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

From this reading She'd got the upperhand of her father now; but if he'd only taken hold of her in season!

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading There were not wanting people who accused Dudley VENNER of weakness and bad judgment in his treatment of his daughter.

only

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

From this reading She'd got the upperhand of her father now; but if he'd only taken hold of her in season!

opinion

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

From this reading Some were of opinion that the great mistake was in not “breaking her will” when she was a little child.

people

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

From this reading There were not wanting people who accused Dudley VENNER of weakness and bad judgment in his treatment of his daughter.

said

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

From this reading There was nothing the matter with her, they said, but that she had been spoiled by indulgence.

season

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

From this reading She'd got the upperhand of her father now; but if he'd only taken hold of her in season!

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Some were of opinion that the great mistake was in not “breaking her will” when she was a little child.

She'd

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

From this reading She'd got the upperhand of her father now; but if he'd only taken hold of her in season!

Some

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

From this reading Some were of opinion that the great mistake was in not “breaking her will” when she was a little child.

spoiledadjectiveUS /spɔɪld/

given too much comfort or indulgence

From this reading There was nothing the matter with her, they said, but that she had been spoiled by indulgence.

taken

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

From this reading She'd got the upperhand of her father now; but if he'd only taken hold of her in season!

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Some were of opinion that the great mistake was in not “breaking her will” when she was a little child.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Some were of opinion that the great mistake was in not “breaking her will” when she was a little child.

There

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

From this reading There were not wanting people who accused Dudley VENNER of weakness and bad judgment in his treatment of his daughter.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

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

From this reading There was nothing the matter with her, they said, but that she had been spoiled by indulgence.

they'd

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

From this reading If they had had the charge of her, they'd have brought her down.

treatment

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

From this reading There were not wanting people who accused Dudley VENNER of weakness and bad judgment in his treatment of his daughter.

upperhand

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

From this reading She'd got the upperhand of her father now; but if he'd only taken hold of her in season!

VENNER

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

From this reading There were not wanting people who accused Dudley VENNER of weakness and bad judgment in his treatment of his daughter.

wanting

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

From this reading There were not wanting people who accused Dudley VENNER of weakness and bad judgment in his treatment of his daughter.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Some were of opinion that the great mistake was in not “breaking her will” when she was a little child.

weaknessnounUS /ˈwiːknəs/

a lack of physical strength

From this reading There were not wanting people who accused Dudley VENNER of weakness and bad judgment in his treatment of his daughter.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading There were not wanting people who accused Dudley VENNER of weakness and bad judgment in his treatment of his daughter.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading Some were of opinion that the great mistake was in not “breaking her will” when she was a little child.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading There were not wanting people who accused Dudley VENNER of weakness and bad judgment in his treatment of his daughter.

willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading Some were of opinion that the great mistake was in not “breaking her will” when she was a little child.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading There was nothing the matter with her, they said, but that she had been spoiled by indulgence.