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Neighbours on the Green
Neighbours on the Green

Chapter VII

Cover illustration for Neighbours on the Green
Context Illustration Reading 1/66 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Those who saw Dinglewood only after the improvements had been made could scarcely be able to form to themselves any idea of what it was before the Greshams came.
I call them improvements because everybody used the word; but I cannot say I thought the house improved.
It was an old-fashioned red-brick house, nothing to speak of architecturally--in the style of Kensington Palace and Kew, and the rest of those old homely royal houses.
The drawing-room opened its tall narrow windows upon a little terrace, which was very green and grassy, and pleasant.
I should be sorry to undertake to say why it was called Dinglewood.
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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.

Neighbours on the Green

Chapter VII

Reading 1/66 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Those who saw Dinglewood only after the improvements had been made could scarcely be able to form to themselves any idea of what it was before the Greshams came.
Line 2
I call them improvements because everybody used the word; but I cannot say I thought the house improved.
Line 3
It was an old-fashioned red-brick house, nothing to speak of architecturally--in the style of Kensington Palace and Kew, and the rest of those old homely royal houses.
Line 4
The drawing-room opened its tall narrow windows upon a little terrace, which was very green and grassy, and pleasant.
Line 5
I should be sorry to undertake to say why it was called Dinglewood.

Learner Dictionary

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

After preposition US /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading “Those who saw Dinglewood only after the improvements had been made could scarcely be able to form to themselves any idea of what it was before the Greshams came.”

Because conjunction US /bɪˈkɔːz/

for the reason that

From this reading “I call them improvements because everybody used the word; but I cannot say I thought the house improved.”

Been auxiliary verb US /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading “Those who saw Dinglewood only after the improvements had been made could scarcely be able to form to themselves any idea of what it was before the Greshams came.”

Before preposition US /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading “Those who saw Dinglewood only after the improvements had been made could scarcely be able to form to themselves any idea of what it was before the Greshams came.”

Could modal verb US /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading “Those who saw Dinglewood only after the improvements had been made could scarcely be able to form to themselves any idea of what it was before the Greshams came.”

Everybody pronoun US /ˈevribɑːdi/

every person

From this reading “I call them improvements because everybody used the word; but I cannot say I thought the house improved.”

Little noun US /little/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “The drawing-room opened its tall narrow windows upon a little terrace, which was very green and grassy, and pleasant.”

Nothing pronoun US /ˈnʌθɪŋ/

not one thing; not anything

From this reading “It was an old-fashioned red-brick house, nothing to speak of architecturally--in the style of Kensington Palace and Kew, and the rest of those old homely royal houses.”

Pleasant noun US /pleasant/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “The drawing-room opened its tall narrow windows upon a little terrace, which was very green and grassy, and pleasant.”

Rest noun US /rest/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “It was an old-fashioned red-brick house, nothing to speak of architecturally--in the style of Kensington Palace and Kew, and the rest of those old homely royal houses.”

Speak noun US /speak/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “It was an old-fashioned red-brick house, nothing to speak of architecturally--in the style of Kensington Palace and Kew, and the rest of those old homely royal houses.”

Themselves pronoun US /ðemˈselvz/

used when the people doing the action are also its object

From this reading “Those who saw Dinglewood only after the improvements had been made could scarcely be able to form to themselves any idea of what it was before the Greshams came.”

Those determiner US /ðoʊz/

the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known

From this reading “Those who saw Dinglewood only after the improvements had been made could scarcely be able to form to themselves any idea of what it was before the Greshams came.”

Thought noun US /thought/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “I call them improvements because everybody used the word; but I cannot say I thought the house improved.”

Upon preposition US /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading “The drawing-room opened its tall narrow windows upon a little terrace, which was very green and grassy, and pleasant.”

All words in this reading · 77

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 The drawing-room opened its tall narrow windows upon a little terrace, which was very green and grassy, and pleasant.

able

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

From this reading Those who saw Dinglewood only after the improvements had been made could scarcely be able to form to themselves any idea of what it was before the Greshams came.

afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading Those who saw Dinglewood only after the improvements had been made could scarcely be able to form to themselves any idea of what it was before the Greshams came.

andeterminerUS /æn/

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

From this reading It was an old-fashioned red-brick house, nothing to speak of architecturally--in the style of Kensington Palace and Kew, and the rest of those old homely royal houses.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading It was an old-fashioned red-brick house, nothing to speak of architecturally--in the style of Kensington Palace and Kew, and the rest of those old homely royal houses.

any

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

From this reading Those who saw Dinglewood only after the improvements had been made could scarcely be able to form to themselves any idea of what it was before the Greshams came.

architecturally

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

From this reading It was an old-fashioned red-brick house, nothing to speak of architecturally--in the style of Kensington Palace and Kew, and the rest of those old homely royal houses.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading Those who saw Dinglewood only after the improvements had been made could scarcely be able to form to themselves any idea of what it was before the Greshams came.

becauseconjunctionUS /bɪˈkɔːz/

for the reason that

From this reading I call them improvements because everybody used the word; but I cannot say I thought the house improved.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading Those who saw Dinglewood only after the improvements had been made could scarcely be able to form to themselves any idea of what it was before the Greshams came.

beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading Those who saw Dinglewood only after the improvements had been made could scarcely be able to form to themselves any idea of what it was before the Greshams came.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading I call them improvements because everybody used the word; but I cannot say I thought the house improved.

call

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

From this reading I call them improvements because everybody used the word; but I cannot say I thought the house improved.

called

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

From this reading I should be sorry to undertake to say why it was called Dinglewood.

came

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

From this reading Those who saw Dinglewood only after the improvements had been made could scarcely be able to form to themselves any idea of what it was before the Greshams came.

cannot

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

From this reading I call them improvements because everybody used the word; but I cannot say I thought the house improved.

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading Those who saw Dinglewood only after the improvements had been made could scarcely be able to form to themselves any idea of what it was before the Greshams came.

Dinglewood

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

From this reading Those who saw Dinglewood only after the improvements had been made could scarcely be able to form to themselves any idea of what it was before the Greshams came.

drawing-room

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

From this reading The drawing-room opened its tall narrow windows upon a little terrace, which was very green and grassy, and pleasant.

everybodypronounUS /ˈevribɑːdi/

every person

From this reading I call them improvements because everybody used the word; but I cannot say I thought the house improved.

form

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

From this reading Those who saw Dinglewood only after the improvements had been made could scarcely be able to form to themselves any idea of what it was before the Greshams came.

grassy

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

From this reading The drawing-room opened its tall narrow windows upon a little terrace, which was very green and grassy, and pleasant.

green

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

From this reading The drawing-room opened its tall narrow windows upon a little terrace, which was very green and grassy, and pleasant.

Greshams

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

From this reading Those who saw Dinglewood only after the improvements had been made could scarcely be able to form to themselves any idea of what it was before the Greshams came.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading Those who saw Dinglewood only after the improvements had been made could scarcely be able to form to themselves any idea of what it was before the Greshams came.

homely

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

From this reading It was an old-fashioned red-brick house, nothing to speak of architecturally--in the style of Kensington Palace and Kew, and the rest of those old homely royal houses.

house

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

From this reading I call them improvements because everybody used the word; but I cannot say I thought the house improved.

houses

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

From this reading It was an old-fashioned red-brick house, nothing to speak of architecturally--in the style of Kensington Palace and Kew, and the rest of those old homely royal houses.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading I call them improvements because everybody used the word; but I cannot say I thought the house improved.

idea

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

From this reading Those who saw Dinglewood only after the improvements had been made could scarcely be able to form to themselves any idea of what it was before the Greshams came.

improved

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

From this reading I call them improvements because everybody used the word; but I cannot say I thought the house improved.

improvements

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

From this reading Those who saw Dinglewood only after the improvements had been made could scarcely be able to form to themselves any idea of what it was before the Greshams came.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading It was an old-fashioned red-brick house, nothing to speak of architecturally--in the style of Kensington Palace and Kew, and the rest of those old homely royal houses.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Those who saw Dinglewood only after the improvements had been made could scarcely be able to form to themselves any idea of what it was before the Greshams came.

itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading The drawing-room opened its tall narrow windows upon a little terrace, which was very green and grassy, and pleasant.

Kensington

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

From this reading It was an old-fashioned red-brick house, nothing to speak of architecturally--in the style of Kensington Palace and Kew, and the rest of those old homely royal houses.

Kew

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

From this reading It was an old-fashioned red-brick house, nothing to speak of architecturally--in the style of Kensington Palace and Kew, and the rest of those old homely royal houses.

littlenounUS /little/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading The drawing-room opened its tall narrow windows upon a little terrace, which was very green and grassy, and pleasant.

made

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

From this reading Those who saw Dinglewood only after the improvements had been made could scarcely be able to form to themselves any idea of what it was before the Greshams came.

narrow

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

From this reading The drawing-room opened its tall narrow windows upon a little terrace, which was very green and grassy, and pleasant.

nothingpronounUS /ˈnʌθɪŋ/

not one thing; not anything

From this reading It was an old-fashioned red-brick house, nothing to speak of architecturally--in the style of Kensington Palace and Kew, and the rest of those old homely royal houses.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Those who saw Dinglewood only after the improvements had been made could scarcely be able to form to themselves any idea of what it was before the Greshams came.

old

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

From this reading It was an old-fashioned red-brick house, nothing to speak of architecturally--in the style of Kensington Palace and Kew, and the rest of those old homely royal houses.

old-fashioned

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

From this reading It was an old-fashioned red-brick house, nothing to speak of architecturally--in the style of Kensington Palace and Kew, and the rest of those old homely royal houses.

only

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

From this reading Those who saw Dinglewood only after the improvements had been made could scarcely be able to form to themselves any idea of what it was before the Greshams came.

opened

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

From this reading The drawing-room opened its tall narrow windows upon a little terrace, which was very green and grassy, and pleasant.

Palace

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

From this reading It was an old-fashioned red-brick house, nothing to speak of architecturally--in the style of Kensington Palace and Kew, and the rest of those old homely royal houses.

pleasantnounUS /pleasant/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading The drawing-room opened its tall narrow windows upon a little terrace, which was very green and grassy, and pleasant.

red-brick

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

From this reading It was an old-fashioned red-brick house, nothing to speak of architecturally--in the style of Kensington Palace and Kew, and the rest of those old homely royal houses.

restnounUS /rest/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading It was an old-fashioned red-brick house, nothing to speak of architecturally--in the style of Kensington Palace and Kew, and the rest of those old homely royal houses.

royal

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

From this reading It was an old-fashioned red-brick house, nothing to speak of architecturally--in the style of Kensington Palace and Kew, and the rest of those old homely royal houses.

saw

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

From this reading Those who saw Dinglewood only after the improvements had been made could scarcely be able to form to themselves any idea of what it was before the Greshams came.

say

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

From this reading I call them improvements because everybody used the word; but I cannot say I thought the house improved.

scarcely

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

From this reading Those who saw Dinglewood only after the improvements had been made could scarcely be able to form to themselves any idea of what it was before the Greshams came.

shouldmodal verbUS /ʃʊd/

used to say what is right, expected, or advisable

From this reading I should be sorry to undertake to say why it was called Dinglewood.

sorry

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

From this reading I should be sorry to undertake to say why it was called Dinglewood.

speak

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

From this reading It was an old-fashioned red-brick house, nothing to speak of architecturally--in the style of Kensington Palace and Kew, and the rest of those old homely royal houses.

style

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

From this reading It was an old-fashioned red-brick house, nothing to speak of architecturally--in the style of Kensington Palace and Kew, and the rest of those old homely royal houses.

tall

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

From this reading The drawing-room opened its tall narrow windows upon a little terrace, which was very green and grassy, and pleasant.

terrace

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

From this reading The drawing-room opened its tall narrow windows upon a little terrace, which was very green and grassy, and pleasant.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Those who saw Dinglewood only after the improvements had been made could scarcely be able to form to themselves any idea of what it was before the Greshams came.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading I call them improvements because everybody used the word; but I cannot say I thought the house improved.

themselvespronounUS /ðemˈselvz/

used when the people doing the action are also its object

From this reading Those who saw Dinglewood only after the improvements had been made could scarcely be able to form to themselves any idea of what it was before the Greshams came.

ThosedeterminerUS /ðoʊz/

the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known

From this reading Those who saw Dinglewood only after the improvements had been made could scarcely be able to form to themselves any idea of what it was before the Greshams came.

thoughtnounUS /thought/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading I call them improvements because everybody used the word; but I cannot say I thought the house improved.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Those who saw Dinglewood only after the improvements had been made could scarcely be able to form to themselves any idea of what it was before the Greshams came.

undertake

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

From this reading I should be sorry to undertake to say why it was called Dinglewood.

uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading The drawing-room opened its tall narrow windows upon a little terrace, which was very green and grassy, and pleasant.

used

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

From this reading I call them improvements because everybody used the word; but I cannot say I thought the house improved.

very

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

From this reading The drawing-room opened its tall narrow windows upon a little terrace, which was very green and grassy, and pleasant.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Those who saw Dinglewood only after the improvements had been made could scarcely be able to form to themselves any idea of what it was before the Greshams came.

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading Those who saw Dinglewood only after the improvements had been made could scarcely be able to form to themselves any idea of what it was before the Greshams came.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading The drawing-room opened its tall narrow windows upon a little terrace, which was very green and grassy, and pleasant.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading Those who saw Dinglewood only after the improvements had been made could scarcely be able to form to themselves any idea of what it was before the Greshams came.

why

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

From this reading I should be sorry to undertake to say why it was called Dinglewood.

windows

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

From this reading The drawing-room opened its tall narrow windows upon a little terrace, which was very green and grassy, and pleasant.

word

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

From this reading I call them improvements because everybody used the word; but I cannot say I thought the house improved.