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Profiles

Chapter XII

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Context Illustration Reading 1/21 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
THERE was a time when our church had no choir, but gloried in the fact that we had congregational singing.
At least the conservative fathers gloried in it; but the aggressive young people grumbled much.
And certainly the most gentle spirit might have found some occasion for grumbling.
If the thing had been named "congregational drawling" instead of "singing," perhaps it would have been as correct.
Our church was large, and the leader, a dear old man who had led the singing from time immemorial, until his ears had deafened and his voice cracked in the service, was unable to keep the scattered elements of his army in order.
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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.

Profiles

Chapter XII

Reading 1/21 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
THERE was a time when our church had no choir, but gloried in the fact that we had congregational singing.
Line 2
At least the conservative fathers gloried in it; but the aggressive young people grumbled much.
Line 3
And certainly the most gentle spirit might have found some occasion for grumbling.
Line 4
If the thing had been named "congregational drawling" instead of "singing," perhaps it would have been as correct.
Line 5
Our church was large, and the leader, a dear old man who had led the singing from time immemorial, until his ears had deafened and his voice cracked in the service, was unable to keep the scattered elements of his army in order.

Learner Dictionary

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

Been auxiliary verb US /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading “If the thing had been named "congregational drawling" instead of "singing," perhaps it would have been as correct.”

Found noun US /found/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “And certainly the most gentle spirit might have found some occasion for grumbling.”

Have auxiliary verb US /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading “And certainly the most gentle spirit might have found some occasion for grumbling.”

Least noun US /least/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “At least the conservative fathers gloried in it; but the aggressive young people grumbled much.”

Might modal verb US /maɪt/

used to say something is possible but not certain

From this reading “And certainly the most gentle spirit might have found some occasion for grumbling.”

Order noun US /order/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “Our church was large, and the leader, a dear old man who had led the singing from time immemorial, until his ears had deafened and his voice cracked in the service, was unable to keep the scattered elements of his army in order.”

Perhaps noun US /perhaps/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “If the thing had been named "congregational drawling" instead of "singing," perhaps it would have been as correct.”

Thing noun US /thing/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “If the thing had been named "congregational drawling" instead of "singing," perhaps it would have been as correct.”

Time noun US /time/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “THERE was a time when our church had no choir, but gloried in the fact that we had congregational singing.”

Until preposition US /ənˈtɪl/

up to a particular time

From this reading “Our church was large, and the leader, a dear old man who had led the singing from time immemorial, until his ears had deafened and his voice cracked in the service, was unable to keep the scattered elements of his army in order.”

Would modal verb US /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading “If the thing had been named "congregational drawling" instead of "singing," perhaps it would have been as correct.”

All words in this reading · 75

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 THERE was a time when our church had no choir, but gloried in the fact that we had congregational singing.

aggressive

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

From this reading At least the conservative fathers gloried in it; but the aggressive young people grumbled much.

AndconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading And certainly the most gentle spirit might have found some occasion for grumbling.

army

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

From this reading Our church was large, and the leader, a dear old man who had led the singing from time immemorial, until his ears had deafened and his voice cracked in the service, was unable to keep the scattered elements of his army in order.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading If the thing had been named "congregational drawling" instead of "singing," perhaps it would have been as correct.

AtprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading At least the conservative fathers gloried in it; but the aggressive young people grumbled much.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading If the thing had been named "congregational drawling" instead of "singing," perhaps it would have been as correct.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading THERE was a time when our church had no choir, but gloried in the fact that we had congregational singing.

certainly

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

From this reading And certainly the most gentle spirit might have found some occasion for grumbling.

choir

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

From this reading THERE was a time when our church had no choir, but gloried in the fact that we had congregational singing.

church

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

From this reading THERE was a time when our church had no choir, but gloried in the fact that we had congregational singing.

congregational

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

From this reading THERE was a time when our church had no choir, but gloried in the fact that we had congregational singing.

conservative

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

From this reading At least the conservative fathers gloried in it; but the aggressive young people grumbled much.

correct

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

From this reading If the thing had been named "congregational drawling" instead of "singing," perhaps it would have been as correct.

cracked

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

From this reading Our church was large, and the leader, a dear old man who had led the singing from time immemorial, until his ears had deafened and his voice cracked in the service, was unable to keep the scattered elements of his army in order.

deafened

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

From this reading Our church was large, and the leader, a dear old man who had led the singing from time immemorial, until his ears had deafened and his voice cracked in the service, was unable to keep the scattered elements of his army in order.

dear

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

From this reading Our church was large, and the leader, a dear old man who had led the singing from time immemorial, until his ears had deafened and his voice cracked in the service, was unable to keep the scattered elements of his army in order.

drawling

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

From this reading If the thing had been named "congregational drawling" instead of "singing," perhaps it would have been as correct.

ears

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

From this reading Our church was large, and the leader, a dear old man who had led the singing from time immemorial, until his ears had deafened and his voice cracked in the service, was unable to keep the scattered elements of his army in order.

elements

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

From this reading Our church was large, and the leader, a dear old man who had led the singing from time immemorial, until his ears had deafened and his voice cracked in the service, was unable to keep the scattered elements of his army in order.

fact

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

From this reading THERE was a time when our church had no choir, but gloried in the fact that we had congregational singing.

fathers

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

From this reading At least the conservative fathers gloried in it; but the aggressive young people grumbled much.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading And certainly the most gentle spirit might have found some occasion for grumbling.

foundnounUS /found/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading And certainly the most gentle spirit might have found some occasion for grumbling.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading Our church was large, and the leader, a dear old man who had led the singing from time immemorial, until his ears had deafened and his voice cracked in the service, was unable to keep the scattered elements of his army in order.

gentle

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

From this reading And certainly the most gentle spirit might have found some occasion for grumbling.

gloried

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

From this reading THERE was a time when our church had no choir, but gloried in the fact that we had congregational singing.

grumbled

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

From this reading At least the conservative fathers gloried in it; but the aggressive young people grumbled much.

grumbling

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

From this reading And certainly the most gentle spirit might have found some occasion for grumbling.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading THERE was a time when our church had no choir, but gloried in the fact that we had congregational singing.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading And certainly the most gentle spirit might have found some occasion for grumbling.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading Our church was large, and the leader, a dear old man who had led the singing from time immemorial, until his ears had deafened and his voice cracked in the service, was unable to keep the scattered elements of his army in order.

IfconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading If the thing had been named "congregational drawling" instead of "singing," perhaps it would have been as correct.

immemorial

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

From this reading Our church was large, and the leader, a dear old man who had led the singing from time immemorial, until his ears had deafened and his voice cracked in the service, was unable to keep the scattered elements of his army in order.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading THERE was a time when our church had no choir, but gloried in the fact that we had congregational singing.

instead

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

From this reading If the thing had been named "congregational drawling" instead of "singing," perhaps it would have been as correct.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading At least the conservative fathers gloried in it; but the aggressive young people grumbled much.

keep

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

From this reading Our church was large, and the leader, a dear old man who had led the singing from time immemorial, until his ears had deafened and his voice cracked in the service, was unable to keep the scattered elements of his army in order.

large

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

From this reading Our church was large, and the leader, a dear old man who had led the singing from time immemorial, until his ears had deafened and his voice cracked in the service, was unable to keep the scattered elements of his army in order.

leader

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

From this reading Our church was large, and the leader, a dear old man who had led the singing from time immemorial, until his ears had deafened and his voice cracked in the service, was unable to keep the scattered elements of his army in order.

leastnounUS /least/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading At least the conservative fathers gloried in it; but the aggressive young people grumbled much.

led

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

From this reading Our church was large, and the leader, a dear old man who had led the singing from time immemorial, until his ears had deafened and his voice cracked in the service, was unable to keep the scattered elements of his army in order.

man

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

From this reading Our church was large, and the leader, a dear old man who had led the singing from time immemorial, until his ears had deafened and his voice cracked in the service, was unable to keep the scattered elements of his army in order.

mightmodal verbUS /maɪt/

used to say something is possible but not certain

From this reading And certainly the most gentle spirit might have found some occasion for grumbling.

most

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

From this reading And certainly the most gentle spirit might have found some occasion for grumbling.

much

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

From this reading At least the conservative fathers gloried in it; but the aggressive young people grumbled much.

named

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

From this reading If the thing had been named "congregational drawling" instead of "singing," perhaps it would have been as correct.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading THERE was a time when our church had no choir, but gloried in the fact that we had congregational singing.

occasion

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

From this reading And certainly the most gentle spirit might have found some occasion for grumbling.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading If the thing had been named "congregational drawling" instead of "singing," perhaps it would have been as correct.

old

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

From this reading Our church was large, and the leader, a dear old man who had led the singing from time immemorial, until his ears had deafened and his voice cracked in the service, was unable to keep the scattered elements of his army in order.

ordernounUS /order/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading Our church was large, and the leader, a dear old man who had led the singing from time immemorial, until his ears had deafened and his voice cracked in the service, was unable to keep the scattered elements of his army in order.

ourdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/

belonging to the speaker and others

From this reading THERE was a time when our church had no choir, but gloried in the fact that we had congregational singing.

people

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

From this reading At least the conservative fathers gloried in it; but the aggressive young people grumbled much.

perhaps

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

From this reading If the thing had been named "congregational drawling" instead of "singing," perhaps it would have been as correct.

scattered

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

From this reading Our church was large, and the leader, a dear old man who had led the singing from time immemorial, until his ears had deafened and his voice cracked in the service, was unable to keep the scattered elements of his army in order.

service

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

From this reading Our church was large, and the leader, a dear old man who had led the singing from time immemorial, until his ears had deafened and his voice cracked in the service, was unable to keep the scattered elements of his army in order.

singing

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

From this reading THERE was a time when our church had no choir, but gloried in the fact that we had congregational singing.

some

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

From this reading And certainly the most gentle spirit might have found some occasion for grumbling.

spirit

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

From this reading And certainly the most gentle spirit might have found some occasion for grumbling.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading THERE was a time when our church had no choir, but gloried in the fact that we had congregational singing.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading THERE was a time when our church had no choir, but gloried in the fact that we had congregational singing.

THERE

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

From this reading THERE was a time when our church had no choir, but gloried in the fact that we had congregational singing.

thingnounUS /thing/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading If the thing had been named "congregational drawling" instead of "singing," perhaps it would have been as correct.

timenounUS /time/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading THERE was a time when our church had no choir, but gloried in the fact that we had congregational singing.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Our church was large, and the leader, a dear old man who had led the singing from time immemorial, until his ears had deafened and his voice cracked in the service, was unable to keep the scattered elements of his army in order.

unable

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

From this reading Our church was large, and the leader, a dear old man who had led the singing from time immemorial, until his ears had deafened and his voice cracked in the service, was unable to keep the scattered elements of his army in order.

untilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/

up to a particular time

From this reading Our church was large, and the leader, a dear old man who had led the singing from time immemorial, until his ears had deafened and his voice cracked in the service, was unable to keep the scattered elements of his army in order.

voice

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

From this reading Our church was large, and the leader, a dear old man who had led the singing from time immemorial, until his ears had deafened and his voice cracked in the service, was unable to keep the scattered elements of his army in order.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading THERE was a time when our church had no choir, but gloried in the fact that we had congregational singing.

wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading THERE was a time when our church had no choir, but gloried in the fact that we had congregational singing.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading THERE was a time when our church had no choir, but gloried in the fact that we had congregational singing.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading Our church was large, and the leader, a dear old man who had led the singing from time immemorial, until his ears had deafened and his voice cracked in the service, was unable to keep the scattered elements of his army in order.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading If the thing had been named "congregational drawling" instead of "singing," perhaps it would have been as correct.

young

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

From this reading At least the conservative fathers gloried in it; but the aggressive young people grumbled much.