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alonenounUS /alone/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading It was warm and cloudy, and when he left the train he found himself alone on the unlighted platform.
andeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading He told himself, when the train had rumbled away, that it would be easy for an assassin to stand behind the little tool-house, the closed restaurant, or the railway blacksmith's shop and fire upon him.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading It was warm and cloudy, and when he left the train he found himself alone on the unlighted platform.
assassin
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He told himself, when the train had rumbled away, that it would be easy for an assassin to stand behind the little tool-house, the closed restaurant, or the railway blacksmith's shop and fire upon him.
ATprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading |AT twelve o'clock at night, two days later, Hoag returned to Grayson.
away
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From this reading He told himself, when the train had rumbled away, that it would be easy for an assassin to stand behind the little tool-house, the closed restaurant, or the railway blacksmith's shop and fire upon him.
bag
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading So, clutching his bag in his cold fingers, he walked swiftly up to the Square.
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading He told himself, when the train had rumbled away, that it would be easy for an assassin to stand behind the little tool-house, the closed restaurant, or the railway blacksmith's shop and fire upon him.
behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/
at or toward the back of something
From this reading He told himself, when the train had rumbled away, that it would be easy for an assassin to stand behind the little tool-house, the closed restaurant, or the railway blacksmith's shop and fire upon him.
blacksmith's
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From this reading He told himself, when the train had rumbled away, that it would be easy for an assassin to stand behind the little tool-house, the closed restaurant, or the railway blacksmith's shop and fire upon him.
closed
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From this reading He told himself, when the train had rumbled away, that it would be easy for an assassin to stand behind the little tool-house, the closed restaurant, or the railway blacksmith's shop and fire upon him.
cloudy
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was warm and cloudy, and when he left the train he found himself alone on the unlighted platform.
clutching
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From this reading So, clutching his bag in his cold fingers, he walked swiftly up to the Square.
cold
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From this reading So, clutching his bag in his cold fingers, he walked swiftly up to the Square.
days
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From this reading |AT twelve o'clock at night, two days later, Hoag returned to Grayson.
easy
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From this reading He told himself, when the train had rumbled away, that it would be easy for an assassin to stand behind the little tool-house, the closed restaurant, or the railway blacksmith's shop and fire upon him.
felt
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading No one was in sight, and yet he felt insecure.
fingers
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading So, clutching his bag in his cold fingers, he walked swiftly up to the Square.
fire
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He told himself, when the train had rumbled away, that it would be easy for an assassin to stand behind the little tool-house, the closed restaurant, or the railway blacksmith's shop and fire upon him.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading He told himself, when the train had rumbled away, that it would be easy for an assassin to stand behind the little tool-house, the closed restaurant, or the railway blacksmith's shop and fire upon him.
foundnounUS /found/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading It was warm and cloudy, and when he left the train he found himself alone on the unlighted platform.
Grayson
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading |AT twelve o'clock at night, two days later, Hoag returned to Grayson.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading He told himself, when the train had rumbled away, that it would be easy for an assassin to stand behind the little tool-house, the closed restaurant, or the railway blacksmith's shop and fire upon him.
hepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading It was warm and cloudy, and when he left the train he found himself alone on the unlighted platform.
himpronounUS /hɪm/
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading He told himself, when the train had rumbled away, that it would be easy for an assassin to stand behind the little tool-house, the closed restaurant, or the railway blacksmith's shop and fire upon him.
himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading It was warm and cloudy, and when he left the train he found himself alone on the unlighted platform.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading So, clutching his bag in his cold fingers, he walked swiftly up to the Square.
Hoag
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading |AT twelve o'clock at night, two days later, Hoag returned to Grayson.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading No one was in sight, and yet he felt insecure.
insecure
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading No one was in sight, and yet he felt insecure.
ItpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was warm and cloudy, and when he left the train he found himself alone on the unlighted platform.
later
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading |AT twelve o'clock at night, two days later, Hoag returned to Grayson.
leftnounUS /left/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading It was warm and cloudy, and when he left the train he found himself alone on the unlighted platform.
littlenounUS /little/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading He told himself, when the train had rumbled away, that it would be easy for an assassin to stand behind the little tool-house, the closed restaurant, or the railway blacksmith's shop and fire upon him.
night
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading |AT twelve o'clock at night, two days later, Hoag returned to Grayson.
NodeterminerUS /noʊ/
not any; not one
From this reading No one was in sight, and yet he felt insecure.
o'clock
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading |AT twelve o'clock at night, two days later, Hoag returned to Grayson.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading It was warm and cloudy, and when he left the train he found himself alone on the unlighted platform.
onepronounUS /wʌn/
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading No one was in sight, and yet he felt insecure.
orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading He told himself, when the train had rumbled away, that it would be easy for an assassin to stand behind the little tool-house, the closed restaurant, or the railway blacksmith's shop and fire upon him.
platform
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was warm and cloudy, and when he left the train he found himself alone on the unlighted platform.
railway
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He told himself, when the train had rumbled away, that it would be easy for an assassin to stand behind the little tool-house, the closed restaurant, or the railway blacksmith's shop and fire upon him.
restaurant
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He told himself, when the train had rumbled away, that it would be easy for an assassin to stand behind the little tool-house, the closed restaurant, or the railway blacksmith's shop and fire upon him.
returnednounUS /ˈreturned/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading |AT twelve o'clock at night, two days later, Hoag returned to Grayson.
rumbled
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He told himself, when the train had rumbled away, that it would be easy for an assassin to stand behind the little tool-house, the closed restaurant, or the railway blacksmith's shop and fire upon him.
shop
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He told himself, when the train had rumbled away, that it would be easy for an assassin to stand behind the little tool-house, the closed restaurant, or the railway blacksmith's shop and fire upon him.
sight
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading No one was in sight, and yet he felt insecure.
SoconjunctionUS /soʊ/
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading So, clutching his bag in his cold fingers, he walked swiftly up to the Square.
Square
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading So, clutching his bag in his cold fingers, he walked swiftly up to the Square.
stand
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He told himself, when the train had rumbled away, that it would be easy for an assassin to stand behind the little tool-house, the closed restaurant, or the railway blacksmith's shop and fire upon him.
swiftly
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading So, clutching his bag in his cold fingers, he walked swiftly up to the Square.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading He told himself, when the train had rumbled away, that it would be easy for an assassin to stand behind the little tool-house, the closed restaurant, or the railway blacksmith's shop and fire upon him.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading It was warm and cloudy, and when he left the train he found himself alone on the unlighted platform.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading |AT twelve o'clock at night, two days later, Hoag returned to Grayson.
toldnounUS /told/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading He told himself, when the train had rumbled away, that it would be easy for an assassin to stand behind the little tool-house, the closed restaurant, or the railway blacksmith's shop and fire upon him.
tool-house
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He told himself, when the train had rumbled away, that it would be easy for an assassin to stand behind the little tool-house, the closed restaurant, or the railway blacksmith's shop and fire upon him.
train
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was warm and cloudy, and when he left the train he found himself alone on the unlighted platform.
twelve
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading |AT twelve o'clock at night, two days later, Hoag returned to Grayson.
two
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading |AT twelve o'clock at night, two days later, Hoag returned to Grayson.
unlighted
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was warm and cloudy, and when he left the train he found himself alone on the unlighted platform.
up
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading So, clutching his bag in his cold fingers, he walked swiftly up to the Square.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading He told himself, when the train had rumbled away, that it would be easy for an assassin to stand behind the little tool-house, the closed restaurant, or the railway blacksmith's shop and fire upon him.
walked
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading So, clutching his bag in his cold fingers, he walked swiftly up to the Square.
warm
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was warm and cloudy, and when he left the train he found himself alone on the unlighted platform.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was warm and cloudy, and when he left the train he found himself alone on the unlighted platform.
whenconjunctionUS /wen/
at the time that
From this reading It was warm and cloudy, and when he left the train he found himself alone on the unlighted platform.
wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading He told himself, when the train had rumbled away, that it would be easy for an assassin to stand behind the little tool-house, the closed restaurant, or the railway blacksmith's shop and fire upon him.
yetconjunctionUS /jet/
but in spite of that
From this reading No one was in sight, and yet he felt insecure.
