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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 The street in which the lecture hall stood began to wear the air of being a centre of interest some time before the doors of the building were opened.
able
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From this reading People who had not been able to obtain reserved seats wished to arrive early.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading At the outset an audience of sober, religious tendencies had attended them, but after the first one had been delivered other elements had presented themselves.
air
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From this reading The street in which the lecture hall stood began to wear the air of being a centre of interest some time before the doors of the building were opened.
andeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading At the outset an audience of sober, religious tendencies had attended them, but after the first one had been delivered other elements had presented themselves.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading There had been a sprinkling of serious scientific men, a prominent politician or so, some society women whose faces and toilettes were well-known and lavishly described in the newspapers.
arrive
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From this reading People who had not been able to obtain reserved seats wished to arrive early.
AtprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading At the outset an audience of sober, religious tendencies had attended them, but after the first one had been delivered other elements had presented themselves.
attended
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From this reading At the outset an audience of sober, religious tendencies had attended them, but after the first one had been delivered other elements had presented themselves.
audience
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From this reading At the outset an audience of sober, religious tendencies had attended them, but after the first one had been delivered other elements had presented themselves.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading People who had not been able to obtain reserved seats wished to arrive early.
beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/
earlier than; in front of
From this reading The street in which the lecture hall stood began to wear the air of being a centre of interest some time before the doors of the building were opened.
begannounUS /began/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The street in which the lecture hall stood began to wear the air of being a centre of interest some time before the doors of the building were opened.
begun
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From this reading The lectures which had begun by being popular had ended by being fashionable.
beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading The street in which the lecture hall stood began to wear the air of being a centre of interest some time before the doors of the building were opened.
building
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From this reading The street in which the lecture hall stood began to wear the air of being a centre of interest some time before the doors of the building were opened.
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading At the outset an audience of sober, religious tendencies had attended them, but after the first one had been delivered other elements had presented themselves.
byprepositionUS /baɪ/
showing who or what does the action
From this reading The lectures which had begun by being popular had ended by being fashionable.
centre
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From this reading The street in which the lecture hall stood began to wear the air of being a centre of interest some time before the doors of the building were opened.
delivered
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From this reading At the outset an audience of sober, religious tendencies had attended them, but after the first one had been delivered other elements had presented themselves.
described
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From this reading There had been a sprinkling of serious scientific men, a prominent politician or so, some society women whose faces and toilettes were well-known and lavishly described in the newspapers.
doors
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From this reading The street in which the lecture hall stood began to wear the air of being a centre of interest some time before the doors of the building were opened.
early
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From this reading People who had not been able to obtain reserved seats wished to arrive early.
elements
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From this reading At the outset an audience of sober, religious tendencies had attended them, but after the first one had been delivered other elements had presented themselves.
ended
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From this reading The lectures which had begun by being popular had ended by being fashionable.
faces
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From this reading There had been a sprinkling of serious scientific men, a prominent politician or so, some society women whose faces and toilettes were well-known and lavishly described in the newspapers.
fashionable
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From this reading The lectures which had begun by being popular had ended by being fashionable.
firstnounUS /first/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading At the outset an audience of sober, religious tendencies had attended them, but after the first one had been delivered other elements had presented themselves.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading People who had not been able to obtain reserved seats wished to arrive early.
hall
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From this reading The street in which the lecture hall stood began to wear the air of being a centre of interest some time before the doors of the building were opened.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The street in which the lecture hall stood began to wear the air of being a centre of interest some time before the doors of the building were opened.
interest
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From this reading The street in which the lecture hall stood began to wear the air of being a centre of interest some time before the doors of the building were opened.
lavishly
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From this reading There had been a sprinkling of serious scientific men, a prominent politician or so, some society women whose faces and toilettes were well-known and lavishly described in the newspapers.
lecture
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From this reading The street in which the lecture hall stood began to wear the air of being a centre of interest some time before the doors of the building were opened.
lectures
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From this reading The lectures which had begun by being popular had ended by being fashionable.
men
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From this reading There had been a sprinkling of serious scientific men, a prominent politician or so, some society women whose faces and toilettes were well-known and lavishly described in the newspapers.
newspapers
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From this reading There had been a sprinkling of serious scientific men, a prominent politician or so, some society women whose faces and toilettes were well-known and lavishly described in the newspapers.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading People who had not been able to obtain reserved seats wished to arrive early.
obtainverbUS /əbˈteɪn/
to get something, especially through effort
From this reading People who had not been able to obtain reserved seats wished to arrive early.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The street in which the lecture hall stood began to wear the air of being a centre of interest some time before the doors of the building were opened.
onepronounUS /wʌn/
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading At the outset an audience of sober, religious tendencies had attended them, but after the first one had been delivered other elements had presented themselves.
opened
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From this reading The street in which the lecture hall stood began to wear the air of being a centre of interest some time before the doors of the building were opened.
orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading There had been a sprinkling of serious scientific men, a prominent politician or so, some society women whose faces and toilettes were well-known and lavishly described in the newspapers.
other
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At the outset an audience of sober, religious tendencies had attended them, but after the first one had been delivered other elements had presented themselves.
outset
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From this reading At the outset an audience of sober, religious tendencies had attended them, but after the first one had been delivered other elements had presented themselves.
People
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From this reading People who had not been able to obtain reserved seats wished to arrive early.
politician
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From this reading There had been a sprinkling of serious scientific men, a prominent politician or so, some society women whose faces and toilettes were well-known and lavishly described in the newspapers.
popular
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From this reading The lectures which had begun by being popular had ended by being fashionable.
presented
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From this reading At the outset an audience of sober, religious tendencies had attended them, but after the first one had been delivered other elements had presented themselves.
prominent
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From this reading There had been a sprinkling of serious scientific men, a prominent politician or so, some society women whose faces and toilettes were well-known and lavishly described in the newspapers.
religious
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From this reading At the outset an audience of sober, religious tendencies had attended them, but after the first one had been delivered other elements had presented themselves.
reserved
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From this reading People who had not been able to obtain reserved seats wished to arrive early.
scientific
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There had been a sprinkling of serious scientific men, a prominent politician or so, some society women whose faces and toilettes were well-known and lavishly described in the newspapers.
seats
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From this reading People who had not been able to obtain reserved seats wished to arrive early.
serious
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From this reading There had been a sprinkling of serious scientific men, a prominent politician or so, some society women whose faces and toilettes were well-known and lavishly described in the newspapers.
soconjunctionUS /soʊ/
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading There had been a sprinkling of serious scientific men, a prominent politician or so, some society women whose faces and toilettes were well-known and lavishly described in the newspapers.
soberadjectiveUS /ˈsoʊbər/
not affected by alcohol
From this reading At the outset an audience of sober, religious tendencies had attended them, but after the first one had been delivered other elements had presented themselves.
society
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There had been a sprinkling of serious scientific men, a prominent politician or so, some society women whose faces and toilettes were well-known and lavishly described in the newspapers.
some
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From this reading The street in which the lecture hall stood began to wear the air of being a centre of interest some time before the doors of the building were opened.
sprinkling
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From this reading There had been a sprinkling of serious scientific men, a prominent politician or so, some society women whose faces and toilettes were well-known and lavishly described in the newspapers.
stoodnounUS /stood/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The street in which the lecture hall stood began to wear the air of being a centre of interest some time before the doors of the building were opened.
street
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From this reading The street in which the lecture hall stood began to wear the air of being a centre of interest some time before the doors of the building were opened.
tendencies
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From this reading At the outset an audience of sober, religious tendencies had attended them, but after the first one had been delivered other elements had presented themselves.
ThedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The street in which the lecture hall stood began to wear the air of being a centre of interest some time before the doors of the building were opened.
thempronounUS /ðem/
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading At the outset an audience of sober, religious tendencies had attended them, but after the first one had been delivered other elements had presented themselves.
themselvespronounUS /ðemˈselvz/
used when the people doing the action are also its object
From this reading At the outset an audience of sober, religious tendencies had attended them, but after the first one had been delivered other elements had presented themselves.
There
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There had been a sprinkling of serious scientific men, a prominent politician or so, some society women whose faces and toilettes were well-known and lavishly described in the newspapers.
timenounUS /time/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The street in which the lecture hall stood began to wear the air of being a centre of interest some time before the doors of the building were opened.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The street in which the lecture hall stood began to wear the air of being a centre of interest some time before the doors of the building were opened.
toilettes
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There had been a sprinkling of serious scientific men, a prominent politician or so, some society women whose faces and toilettes were well-known and lavishly described in the newspapers.
wear
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From this reading The street in which the lecture hall stood began to wear the air of being a centre of interest some time before the doors of the building were opened.
well-known
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There had been a sprinkling of serious scientific men, a prominent politician or so, some society women whose faces and toilettes were well-known and lavishly described in the newspapers.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The street in which the lecture hall stood began to wear the air of being a centre of interest some time before the doors of the building were opened.
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading The street in which the lecture hall stood began to wear the air of being a centre of interest some time before the doors of the building were opened.
whopronounUS /huː/
which person or people
From this reading People who had not been able to obtain reserved seats wished to arrive early.
whosedeterminerUS /huːz/
belonging to which person
From this reading There had been a sprinkling of serious scientific men, a prominent politician or so, some society women whose faces and toilettes were well-known and lavishly described in the newspapers.
wished
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading People who had not been able to obtain reserved seats wished to arrive early.
women
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There had been a sprinkling of serious scientific men, a prominent politician or so, some society women whose faces and toilettes were well-known and lavishly described in the newspapers.