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Front Lines
Front Lines

Chapter II

Cover illustration for Front Lines
Context Illustration Reading 1/82 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
A minute later two khaki figures emerged from a torn thicket of tree stumps and branches a dozen yards beyond the trench where he lay, and ran on across towards the denser wood into which the Germans had retreated.
One was an officer, and close on their heels came half a dozen, a dozen, a score of men, all following close and pressing on to the wood and opening out as they went.
One came to the edge of the trench where the machine-guns had been, and the Corporal with an effort lifted and waved an arm and shouted hoarsely to him.
But even as he did so he realised how futile his shout was, how impossible it was for it to carry even the few yards in the pandemonium of noise that raved about them.
But he shouted again, and yet again, and felt bitter disappointment as the man without noticing turned and moved along the trench, peering down into it.
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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.

Front Lines

Chapter II

Reading 1/82 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
A minute later two khaki figures emerged from a torn thicket of tree stumps and branches a dozen yards beyond the trench where he lay, and ran on across towards the denser wood into which the Germans had retreated.
Line 2
One was an officer, and close on their heels came half a dozen, a dozen, a score of men, all following close and pressing on to the wood and opening out as they went.
Line 3
One came to the edge of the trench where the machine-guns had been, and the Corporal with an effort lifted and waved an arm and shouted hoarsely to him.
Line 4
But even as he did so he realised how futile his shout was, how impossible it was for it to carry even the few yards in the pandemonium of noise that raved about them.
Line 5
But he shouted again, and yet again, and felt bitter disappointment as the man without noticing turned and moved along the trench, peering down into it.

Learner Dictionary

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

About preposition US /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading “But even as he did so he realised how futile his shout was, how impossible it was for it to carry even the few yards in the pandemonium of noise that raved about them.”

Across preposition US /əˈkrɔːs/

from one side of something to the other

From this reading “A minute later two khaki figures emerged from a torn thicket of tree stumps and branches a dozen yards beyond the trench where he lay, and ran on across towards the denser wood into which the Germans had retreated.”

Again noun US /again/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “But he shouted again, and yet again, and felt bitter disappointment as the man without noticing turned and moved along the trench, peering down into it.”

Along preposition US /əˈlɔːŋ/

following the length of something from one end toward the other

From this reading “But he shouted again, and yet again, and felt bitter disappointment as the man without noticing turned and moved along the trench, peering down into it.”

Been auxiliary verb US /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading “One came to the edge of the trench where the machine-guns had been, and the Corporal with an effort lifted and waved an arm and shouted hoarsely to him.”

Beyond preposition US /bɪˈɑːnd/

on the far side of; further than

From this reading “A minute later two khaki figures emerged from a torn thicket of tree stumps and branches a dozen yards beyond the trench where he lay, and ran on across towards the denser wood into which the Germans had retreated.”

Disappointment noun US /ˈdisappointment/

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

From this reading “But he shouted again, and yet again, and felt bitter disappointment as the man without noticing turned and moved along the trench, peering down into it.”

Even noun US /even/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “But even as he did so he realised how futile his shout was, how impossible it was for it to carry even the few yards in the pandemonium of noise that raved about them.”

Half noun US /half/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “One was an officer, and close on their heels came half a dozen, a dozen, a score of men, all following close and pressing on to the wood and opening out as they went.”

One pronoun US /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading “One was an officer, and close on their heels came half a dozen, a dozen, a score of men, all following close and pressing on to the wood and opening out as they went.”

Peering verb US /ˈpɪrɪŋ/

looking closely or carefully

From this reading “But he shouted again, and yet again, and felt bitter disappointment as the man without noticing turned and moved along the trench, peering down into it.”

Score noun US /score/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “One was an officer, and close on their heels came half a dozen, a dozen, a score of men, all following close and pressing on to the wood and opening out as they went.”

Shouted noun US /shouted/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “One came to the edge of the trench where the machine-guns had been, and the Corporal with an effort lifted and waved an arm and shouted hoarsely to him.”

Thicket noun US /ˈθɪkɪt/

a dense group of bushes or small trees

From this reading “A minute later two khaki figures emerged from a torn thicket of tree stumps and branches a dozen yards beyond the trench where he lay, and ran on across towards the denser wood into which the Germans had retreated.”

Towards preposition US /təˈwɔːrdz/

in the direction of

From this reading “A minute later two khaki figures emerged from a torn thicket of tree stumps and branches a dozen yards beyond the trench where he lay, and ran on across towards the denser wood into which the Germans had retreated.”

Went noun US /went/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “One was an officer, and close on their heels came half a dozen, a dozen, a score of men, all following close and pressing on to the wood and opening out as they went.”

Without preposition US /wɪˈθaʊt/

not having, not using, or not accompanied by

From this reading “But he shouted again, and yet again, and felt bitter disappointment as the man without noticing turned and moved along the trench, peering down into it.”

Yet conjunction US /jet/

but in spite of that

From this reading “But he shouted again, and yet again, and felt bitter disappointment as the man without noticing turned and moved along the trench, peering down into it.”

All words in this reading · 100

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 A minute later two khaki figures emerged from a torn thicket of tree stumps and branches a dozen yards beyond the trench where he lay, and ran on across towards the denser wood into which the Germans had retreated.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading But even as he did so he realised how futile his shout was, how impossible it was for it to carry even the few yards in the pandemonium of noise that raved about them.

acrossprepositionUS /əˈkrɔːs/

from one side of something to the other

From this reading A minute later two khaki figures emerged from a torn thicket of tree stumps and branches a dozen yards beyond the trench where he lay, and ran on across towards the denser wood into which the Germans had retreated.

againnounUS /again/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading But he shouted again, and yet again, and felt bitter disappointment as the man without noticing turned and moved along the trench, peering down into it.

all

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

From this reading One was an officer, and close on their heels came half a dozen, a dozen, a score of men, all following close and pressing on to the wood and opening out as they went.

alongprepositionUS /əˈlɔːŋ/

following the length of something from one end toward the other

From this reading But he shouted again, and yet again, and felt bitter disappointment as the man without noticing turned and moved along the trench, peering down into it.

andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading One was an officer, and close on their heels came half a dozen, a dozen, a score of men, all following close and pressing on to the wood and opening out as they went.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading A minute later two khaki figures emerged from a torn thicket of tree stumps and branches a dozen yards beyond the trench where he lay, and ran on across towards the denser wood into which the Germans had retreated.

arm

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

From this reading One came to the edge of the trench where the machine-guns had been, and the Corporal with an effort lifted and waved an arm and shouted hoarsely to him.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading One was an officer, and close on their heels came half a dozen, a dozen, a score of men, all following close and pressing on to the wood and opening out as they went.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading One came to the edge of the trench where the machine-guns had been, and the Corporal with an effort lifted and waved an arm and shouted hoarsely to him.

beyondprepositionUS /bɪˈɑːnd/

on the far side of; further than

From this reading A minute later two khaki figures emerged from a torn thicket of tree stumps and branches a dozen yards beyond the trench where he lay, and ran on across towards the denser wood into which the Germans had retreated.

bitter

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

From this reading But he shouted again, and yet again, and felt bitter disappointment as the man without noticing turned and moved along the trench, peering down into it.

branches

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

From this reading A minute later two khaki figures emerged from a torn thicket of tree stumps and branches a dozen yards beyond the trench where he lay, and ran on across towards the denser wood into which the Germans had retreated.

ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading But even as he did so he realised how futile his shout was, how impossible it was for it to carry even the few yards in the pandemonium of noise that raved about them.

came

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

From this reading One was an officer, and close on their heels came half a dozen, a dozen, a score of men, all following close and pressing on to the wood and opening out as they went.

carry

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

From this reading But even as he did so he realised how futile his shout was, how impossible it was for it to carry even the few yards in the pandemonium of noise that raved about them.

close

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

From this reading One was an officer, and close on their heels came half a dozen, a dozen, a score of men, all following close and pressing on to the wood and opening out as they went.

Corporal

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

From this reading One came to the edge of the trench where the machine-guns had been, and the Corporal with an effort lifted and waved an arm and shouted hoarsely to him.

denser

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

From this reading A minute later two khaki figures emerged from a torn thicket of tree stumps and branches a dozen yards beyond the trench where he lay, and ran on across towards the denser wood into which the Germans had retreated.

didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

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

From this reading But even as he did so he realised how futile his shout was, how impossible it was for it to carry even the few yards in the pandemonium of noise that raved about them.

disappointmentnounUS /ˈdisappointment/

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

From this reading But he shouted again, and yet again, and felt bitter disappointment as the man without noticing turned and moved along the trench, peering down into it.

down

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

From this reading But he shouted again, and yet again, and felt bitter disappointment as the man without noticing turned and moved along the trench, peering down into it.

dozen

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

From this reading A minute later two khaki figures emerged from a torn thicket of tree stumps and branches a dozen yards beyond the trench where he lay, and ran on across towards the denser wood into which the Germans had retreated.

edge

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

From this reading One came to the edge of the trench where the machine-guns had been, and the Corporal with an effort lifted and waved an arm and shouted hoarsely to him.

effort

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

From this reading One came to the edge of the trench where the machine-guns had been, and the Corporal with an effort lifted and waved an arm and shouted hoarsely to him.

emerged

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

From this reading A minute later two khaki figures emerged from a torn thicket of tree stumps and branches a dozen yards beyond the trench where he lay, and ran on across towards the denser wood into which the Germans had retreated.

evennounUS /even/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading But even as he did so he realised how futile his shout was, how impossible it was for it to carry even the few yards in the pandemonium of noise that raved about them.

felt

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

From this reading But he shouted again, and yet again, and felt bitter disappointment as the man without noticing turned and moved along the trench, peering down into it.

few

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

From this reading But even as he did so he realised how futile his shout was, how impossible it was for it to carry even the few yards in the pandemonium of noise that raved about them.

figures

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

From this reading A minute later two khaki figures emerged from a torn thicket of tree stumps and branches a dozen yards beyond the trench where he lay, and ran on across towards the denser wood into which the Germans had retreated.

following

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

From this reading One was an officer, and close on their heels came half a dozen, a dozen, a score of men, all following close and pressing on to the wood and opening out as they went.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading But even as he did so he realised how futile his shout was, how impossible it was for it to carry even the few yards in the pandemonium of noise that raved about them.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading A minute later two khaki figures emerged from a torn thicket of tree stumps and branches a dozen yards beyond the trench where he lay, and ran on across towards the denser wood into which the Germans had retreated.

futile

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

From this reading But even as he did so he realised how futile his shout was, how impossible it was for it to carry even the few yards in the pandemonium of noise that raved about them.

Germans

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

From this reading A minute later two khaki figures emerged from a torn thicket of tree stumps and branches a dozen yards beyond the trench where he lay, and ran on across towards the denser wood into which the Germans had retreated.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading A minute later two khaki figures emerged from a torn thicket of tree stumps and branches a dozen yards beyond the trench where he lay, and ran on across towards the denser wood into which the Germans had retreated.

halfnounUS /half/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading One was an officer, and close on their heels came half a dozen, a dozen, a score of men, all following close and pressing on to the wood and opening out as they went.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading A minute later two khaki figures emerged from a torn thicket of tree stumps and branches a dozen yards beyond the trench where he lay, and ran on across towards the denser wood into which the Germans had retreated.

heels

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

From this reading One was an officer, and close on their heels came half a dozen, a dozen, a score of men, all following close and pressing on to the wood and opening out as they went.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading One came to the edge of the trench where the machine-guns had been, and the Corporal with an effort lifted and waved an arm and shouted hoarsely to him.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading But even as he did so he realised how futile his shout was, how impossible it was for it to carry even the few yards in the pandemonium of noise that raved about them.

hoarsely

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

From this reading One came to the edge of the trench where the machine-guns had been, and the Corporal with an effort lifted and waved an arm and shouted hoarsely to him.

how

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

From this reading But even as he did so he realised how futile his shout was, how impossible it was for it to carry even the few yards in the pandemonium of noise that raved about them.

impossible

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

From this reading But even as he did so he realised how futile his shout was, how impossible it was for it to carry even the few yards in the pandemonium of noise that raved about them.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading But even as he did so he realised how futile his shout was, how impossible it was for it to carry even the few yards in the pandemonium of noise that raved about them.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading A minute later two khaki figures emerged from a torn thicket of tree stumps and branches a dozen yards beyond the trench where he lay, and ran on across towards the denser wood into which the Germans had retreated.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading But even as he did so he realised how futile his shout was, how impossible it was for it to carry even the few yards in the pandemonium of noise that raved about them.

khaki

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

From this reading A minute later two khaki figures emerged from a torn thicket of tree stumps and branches a dozen yards beyond the trench where he lay, and ran on across towards the denser wood into which the Germans had retreated.

later

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

From this reading A minute later two khaki figures emerged from a torn thicket of tree stumps and branches a dozen yards beyond the trench where he lay, and ran on across towards the denser wood into which the Germans had retreated.

lay

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

From this reading A minute later two khaki figures emerged from a torn thicket of tree stumps and branches a dozen yards beyond the trench where he lay, and ran on across towards the denser wood into which the Germans had retreated.

lifted

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

From this reading One came to the edge of the trench where the machine-guns had been, and the Corporal with an effort lifted and waved an arm and shouted hoarsely to him.

machine-guns

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

From this reading One came to the edge of the trench where the machine-guns had been, and the Corporal with an effort lifted and waved an arm and shouted hoarsely to him.

man

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

From this reading But he shouted again, and yet again, and felt bitter disappointment as the man without noticing turned and moved along the trench, peering down into it.

men

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

From this reading One was an officer, and close on their heels came half a dozen, a dozen, a score of men, all following close and pressing on to the wood and opening out as they went.

minute

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

From this reading A minute later two khaki figures emerged from a torn thicket of tree stumps and branches a dozen yards beyond the trench where he lay, and ran on across towards the denser wood into which the Germans had retreated.

moved

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

From this reading But he shouted again, and yet again, and felt bitter disappointment as the man without noticing turned and moved along the trench, peering down into it.

noise

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

From this reading But even as he did so he realised how futile his shout was, how impossible it was for it to carry even the few yards in the pandemonium of noise that raved about them.

noticing

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

From this reading But he shouted again, and yet again, and felt bitter disappointment as the man without noticing turned and moved along the trench, peering down into it.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading A minute later two khaki figures emerged from a torn thicket of tree stumps and branches a dozen yards beyond the trench where he lay, and ran on across towards the denser wood into which the Germans had retreated.

officer

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

From this reading One was an officer, and close on their heels came half a dozen, a dozen, a score of men, all following close and pressing on to the wood and opening out as they went.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading A minute later two khaki figures emerged from a torn thicket of tree stumps and branches a dozen yards beyond the trench where he lay, and ran on across towards the denser wood into which the Germans had retreated.

OnepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading One was an officer, and close on their heels came half a dozen, a dozen, a score of men, all following close and pressing on to the wood and opening out as they went.

opening

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

From this reading One was an officer, and close on their heels came half a dozen, a dozen, a score of men, all following close and pressing on to the wood and opening out as they went.

out

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

From this reading One was an officer, and close on their heels came half a dozen, a dozen, a score of men, all following close and pressing on to the wood and opening out as they went.

pandemonium

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

From this reading But even as he did so he realised how futile his shout was, how impossible it was for it to carry even the few yards in the pandemonium of noise that raved about them.

peeringverbUS /ˈpɪrɪŋ/

looking closely or carefully

From this reading But he shouted again, and yet again, and felt bitter disappointment as the man without noticing turned and moved along the trench, peering down into it.

pressing

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

From this reading One was an officer, and close on their heels came half a dozen, a dozen, a score of men, all following close and pressing on to the wood and opening out as they went.

ran

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

From this reading A minute later two khaki figures emerged from a torn thicket of tree stumps and branches a dozen yards beyond the trench where he lay, and ran on across towards the denser wood into which the Germans had retreated.

raved

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

From this reading But even as he did so he realised how futile his shout was, how impossible it was for it to carry even the few yards in the pandemonium of noise that raved about them.

realised

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

From this reading But even as he did so he realised how futile his shout was, how impossible it was for it to carry even the few yards in the pandemonium of noise that raved about them.

retreated

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

From this reading A minute later two khaki figures emerged from a torn thicket of tree stumps and branches a dozen yards beyond the trench where he lay, and ran on across towards the denser wood into which the Germans had retreated.

scorenounUS /score/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading One was an officer, and close on their heels came half a dozen, a dozen, a score of men, all following close and pressing on to the wood and opening out as they went.

shout

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

From this reading But even as he did so he realised how futile his shout was, how impossible it was for it to carry even the few yards in the pandemonium of noise that raved about them.

shoutednounUS /shouted/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading One came to the edge of the trench where the machine-guns had been, and the Corporal with an effort lifted and waved an arm and shouted hoarsely to him.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading But even as he did so he realised how futile his shout was, how impossible it was for it to carry even the few yards in the pandemonium of noise that raved about them.

stumps

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

From this reading A minute later two khaki figures emerged from a torn thicket of tree stumps and branches a dozen yards beyond the trench where he lay, and ran on across towards the denser wood into which the Germans had retreated.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading But even as he did so he realised how futile his shout was, how impossible it was for it to carry even the few yards in the pandemonium of noise that raved about them.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading A minute later two khaki figures emerged from a torn thicket of tree stumps and branches a dozen yards beyond the trench where he lay, and ran on across towards the denser wood into which the Germans had retreated.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading One was an officer, and close on their heels came half a dozen, a dozen, a score of men, all following close and pressing on to the wood and opening out as they went.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading But even as he did so he realised how futile his shout was, how impossible it was for it to carry even the few yards in the pandemonium of noise that raved about them.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

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

From this reading One was an officer, and close on their heels came half a dozen, a dozen, a score of men, all following close and pressing on to the wood and opening out as they went.

thicketnounUS /ˈθɪkɪt/

a dense group of bushes or small trees

From this reading A minute later two khaki figures emerged from a torn thicket of tree stumps and branches a dozen yards beyond the trench where he lay, and ran on across towards the denser wood into which the Germans had retreated.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading One was an officer, and close on their heels came half a dozen, a dozen, a score of men, all following close and pressing on to the wood and opening out as they went.

torn

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

From this reading A minute later two khaki figures emerged from a torn thicket of tree stumps and branches a dozen yards beyond the trench where he lay, and ran on across towards the denser wood into which the Germans had retreated.

towardsprepositionUS /təˈwɔːrdz/

in the direction of

From this reading A minute later two khaki figures emerged from a torn thicket of tree stumps and branches a dozen yards beyond the trench where he lay, and ran on across towards the denser wood into which the Germans had retreated.

tree

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

From this reading A minute later two khaki figures emerged from a torn thicket of tree stumps and branches a dozen yards beyond the trench where he lay, and ran on across towards the denser wood into which the Germans had retreated.

trench

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

From this reading A minute later two khaki figures emerged from a torn thicket of tree stumps and branches a dozen yards beyond the trench where he lay, and ran on across towards the denser wood into which the Germans had retreated.

turned

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

From this reading But he shouted again, and yet again, and felt bitter disappointment as the man without noticing turned and moved along the trench, peering down into it.

two

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

From this reading A minute later two khaki figures emerged from a torn thicket of tree stumps and branches a dozen yards beyond the trench where he lay, and ran on across towards the denser wood into which the Germans had retreated.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading One was an officer, and close on their heels came half a dozen, a dozen, a score of men, all following close and pressing on to the wood and opening out as they went.

waved

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

From this reading One came to the edge of the trench where the machine-guns had been, and the Corporal with an effort lifted and waved an arm and shouted hoarsely to him.

wentnounUS /went/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading One was an officer, and close on their heels came half a dozen, a dozen, a score of men, all following close and pressing on to the wood and opening out as they went.

whereconjunctionUS /wer/

in or at the place that

From this reading A minute later two khaki figures emerged from a torn thicket of tree stumps and branches a dozen yards beyond the trench where he lay, and ran on across towards the denser wood into which the Germans had retreated.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading A minute later two khaki figures emerged from a torn thicket of tree stumps and branches a dozen yards beyond the trench where he lay, and ran on across towards the denser wood into which the Germans had retreated.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading One came to the edge of the trench where the machine-guns had been, and the Corporal with an effort lifted and waved an arm and shouted hoarsely to him.

withoutprepositionUS /wɪˈθaʊt/

not having, not using, or not accompanied by

From this reading But he shouted again, and yet again, and felt bitter disappointment as the man without noticing turned and moved along the trench, peering down into it.

wood

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

From this reading A minute later two khaki figures emerged from a torn thicket of tree stumps and branches a dozen yards beyond the trench where he lay, and ran on across towards the denser wood into which the Germans had retreated.

yards

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

From this reading A minute later two khaki figures emerged from a torn thicket of tree stumps and branches a dozen yards beyond the trench where he lay, and ran on across towards the denser wood into which the Germans had retreated.

yetconjunctionUS /jet/

but in spite of that

From this reading But he shouted again, and yet again, and felt bitter disappointment as the man without noticing turned and moved along the trench, peering down into it.