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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 wind had swept the sky clear, not even a white feather curled there; it was blue—blue as English skies seldom are.
andeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading To the left lay the stables, where she could occasionally hear a horse neigh or stamp an impatient foot.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading LADY BETTY’S TOILET NIGHT and the rain departed together.
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The wind had swept the sky clear, not even a white feather curled there; it was blue—blue as English skies seldom are.
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The wind had swept the sky clear, not even a white feather curled there; it was blue—blue as English skies seldom are.
Betty
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From this reading Lady Betty, opening her own window shutter, looked up and smiled, and then looked down into the courtyard of the inn.
BETTY'S
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From this reading LADY BETTY’S TOILET NIGHT and the rain departed together.
blue
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From this reading The wind had swept the sky clear, not even a white feather curled there; it was blue—blue as English skies seldom are.
clear
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From this reading The wind had swept the sky clear, not even a white feather curled there; it was blue—blue as English skies seldom are.
couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading To the left lay the stables, where she could occasionally hear a horse neigh or stamp an impatient foot.
courtyardnounUS /ˈkɔːrtjɑːrd/
an open area surrounded by the walls of a building
From this reading Lady Betty, opening her own window shutter, looked up and smiled, and then looked down into the courtyard of the inn.
curled
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From this reading The wind had swept the sky clear, not even a white feather curled there; it was blue—blue as English skies seldom are.
departed
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From this reading LADY BETTY’S TOILET NIGHT and the rain departed together.
down
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From this reading Lady Betty, opening her own window shutter, looked up and smiled, and then looked down into the courtyard of the inn.
English
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From this reading The wind had swept the sky clear, not even a white feather curled there; it was blue—blue as English skies seldom are.
evennounUS /even/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The wind had swept the sky clear, not even a white feather curled there; it was blue—blue as English skies seldom are.
feather
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From this reading The wind had swept the sky clear, not even a white feather curled there; it was blue—blue as English skies seldom are.
flagging
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From this reading The waters were subsiding, and the uneven flagging showed muddy, wet and glistening in the sunlight.
footnounUS /foot/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading To the left lay the stables, where she could occasionally hear a horse neigh or stamp an impatient foot.
glistening
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From this reading The waters were subsiding, and the uneven flagging showed muddy, wet and glistening in the sunlight.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The wind had swept the sky clear, not even a white feather curled there; it was blue—blue as English skies seldom are.
hearnounUS /hear/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading To the left lay the stables, where she could occasionally hear a horse neigh or stamp an impatient foot.
herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Lady Betty, opening her own window shutter, looked up and smiled, and then looked down into the courtyard of the inn.
horse
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From this reading To the left lay the stables, where she could occasionally hear a horse neigh or stamp an impatient foot.
impatient
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From this reading To the left lay the stables, where she could occasionally hear a horse neigh or stamp an impatient foot.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The waters were subsiding, and the uneven flagging showed muddy, wet and glistening in the sunlight.
inn
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From this reading Lady Betty, opening her own window shutter, looked up and smiled, and then looked down into the courtyard of the inn.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading Lady Betty, opening her own window shutter, looked up and smiled, and then looked down into the courtyard of the inn.
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading The wind had swept the sky clear, not even a white feather curled there; it was blue—blue as English skies seldom are.
LADY
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From this reading LADY BETTY’S TOILET NIGHT and the rain departed together.
lay
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From this reading To the left lay the stables, where she could occasionally hear a horse neigh or stamp an impatient foot.
leftnounUS /left/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading To the left lay the stables, where she could occasionally hear a horse neigh or stamp an impatient foot.
lookednounUS /looked/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Lady Betty, opening her own window shutter, looked up and smiled, and then looked down into the courtyard of the inn.
muddy
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From this reading The waters were subsiding, and the uneven flagging showed muddy, wet and glistening in the sunlight.
neigh
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From this reading To the left lay the stables, where she could occasionally hear a horse neigh or stamp an impatient foot.
NIGHT
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From this reading LADY BETTY’S TOILET NIGHT and the rain departed together.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading The wind had swept the sky clear, not even a white feather curled there; it was blue—blue as English skies seldom are.
occasionally
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From this reading To the left lay the stables, where she could occasionally hear a horse neigh or stamp an impatient foot.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Lady Betty, opening her own window shutter, looked up and smiled, and then looked down into the courtyard of the inn.
opening
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From this reading Lady Betty, opening her own window shutter, looked up and smiled, and then looked down into the courtyard of the inn.
orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading To the left lay the stables, where she could occasionally hear a horse neigh or stamp an impatient foot.
own
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Lady Betty, opening her own window shutter, looked up and smiled, and then looked down into the courtyard of the inn.
rain
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading LADY BETTY’S TOILET NIGHT and the rain departed together.
seldom
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From this reading The wind had swept the sky clear, not even a white feather curled there; it was blue—blue as English skies seldom are.
shepronounUS /ʃiː/
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading To the left lay the stables, where she could occasionally hear a horse neigh or stamp an impatient foot.
showed
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From this reading The waters were subsiding, and the uneven flagging showed muddy, wet and glistening in the sunlight.
shutter
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From this reading Lady Betty, opening her own window shutter, looked up and smiled, and then looked down into the courtyard of the inn.
skies
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From this reading The wind had swept the sky clear, not even a white feather curled there; it was blue—blue as English skies seldom are.
sky
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From this reading The wind had swept the sky clear, not even a white feather curled there; it was blue—blue as English skies seldom are.
smiled
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Lady Betty, opening her own window shutter, looked up and smiled, and then looked down into the courtyard of the inn.
stables
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From this reading To the left lay the stables, where she could occasionally hear a horse neigh or stamp an impatient foot.
stamp
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From this reading To the left lay the stables, where she could occasionally hear a horse neigh or stamp an impatient foot.
subsidingadjectiveUS /səbˈsaɪdɪŋ/
becoming less strong or severe
From this reading The waters were subsiding, and the uneven flagging showed muddy, wet and glistening in the sunlight.
sunlight
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From this reading The waters were subsiding, and the uneven flagging showed muddy, wet and glistening in the sunlight.
swept
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From this reading The wind had swept the sky clear, not even a white feather curled there; it was blue—blue as English skies seldom are.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading LADY BETTY’S TOILET NIGHT and the rain departed together.
then
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From this reading Lady Betty, opening her own window shutter, looked up and smiled, and then looked down into the courtyard of the inn.
there
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From this reading The wind had swept the sky clear, not even a white feather curled there; it was blue—blue as English skies seldom are.
ToparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading To the left lay the stables, where she could occasionally hear a horse neigh or stamp an impatient foot.
together
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From this reading LADY BETTY’S TOILET NIGHT and the rain departed together.
TOILET
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From this reading LADY BETTY’S TOILET NIGHT and the rain departed together.
uneven
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The waters were subsiding, and the uneven flagging showed muddy, wet and glistening in the sunlight.
up
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From this reading Lady Betty, opening her own window shutter, looked up and smiled, and then looked down into the courtyard of the inn.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The wind had swept the sky clear, not even a white feather curled there; it was blue—blue as English skies seldom are.
waters
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The waters were subsiding, and the uneven flagging showed muddy, wet and glistening in the sunlight.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The waters were subsiding, and the uneven flagging showed muddy, wet and glistening in the sunlight.
wet
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From this reading The waters were subsiding, and the uneven flagging showed muddy, wet and glistening in the sunlight.
whereconjunctionUS /wer/
in or at the place that
From this reading To the left lay the stables, where she could occasionally hear a horse neigh or stamp an impatient foot.
white
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The wind had swept the sky clear, not even a white feather curled there; it was blue—blue as English skies seldom are.
windnounUS /wind/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The wind had swept the sky clear, not even a white feather curled there; it was blue—blue as English skies seldom are.
window
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Lady Betty, opening her own window shutter, looked up and smiled, and then looked down into the courtyard of the inn.