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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 hands of the office clock were pointing to half after two, on a certain September night, when Burns came into his office, alone.
affairs
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From this reading All that could be expected had been done by the kind-hearted Cynthia, who comprehended, by signs she knew well and had been watching for several days, that affairs were going wrong with her employer.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading The hands of the office clock were pointing to half after two, on a certain September night, when Burns came into his office, alone.
All
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From this reading All that could be expected had been done by the kind-hearted Cynthia, who comprehended, by signs she knew well and had been watching for several days, that affairs were going wrong with her employer.
alonenounUS /alone/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The hands of the office clock were pointing to half after two, on a certain September night, when Burns came into his office, alone.
andeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading A big leather easy-chair, its arms worn with much use, had been pulled into an inviting position before the fireplace, and the night-light by the desk was burning, as usual.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The fire in the office fireplace, kept bright until nearly midnight, when his housekeeper had given up waiting for him and gone to bed, had burned to a few smouldering lumps of cannel-slag.
arms
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From this reading A big leather easy-chair, its arms worn with much use, had been pulled into an inviting position before the fireplace, and the night-light by the desk was burning, as usual.
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading A big leather easy-chair, its arms worn with much use, had been pulled into an inviting position before the fireplace, and the night-light by the desk was burning, as usual.
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading All that could be expected had been done by the kind-hearted Cynthia, who comprehended, by signs she knew well and had been watching for several days, that affairs were going wrong with her employer.
bed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The fire in the office fireplace, kept bright until nearly midnight, when his housekeeper had given up waiting for him and gone to bed, had burned to a few smouldering lumps of cannel-slag.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading A big leather easy-chair, its arms worn with much use, had been pulled into an inviting position before the fireplace, and the night-light by the desk was burning, as usual.
beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/
earlier than; in front of
From this reading A big leather easy-chair, its arms worn with much use, had been pulled into an inviting position before the fireplace, and the night-light by the desk was burning, as usual.
big
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From this reading A big leather easy-chair, its arms worn with much use, had been pulled into an inviting position before the fireplace, and the night-light by the desk was burning, as usual.
bright
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From this reading The fire in the office fireplace, kept bright until nearly midnight, when his housekeeper had given up waiting for him and gone to bed, had burned to a few smouldering lumps of cannel-slag.
burned
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The fire in the office fireplace, kept bright until nearly midnight, when his housekeeper had given up waiting for him and gone to bed, had burned to a few smouldering lumps of cannel-slag.
burning
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From this reading A big leather easy-chair, its arms worn with much use, had been pulled into an inviting position before the fireplace, and the night-light by the desk was burning, as usual.
Burns
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From this reading The hands of the office clock were pointing to half after two, on a certain September night, when Burns came into his office, alone.
ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But he needed more than could be given him by things inanimate--needed it woefully.
byprepositionUS /baɪ/
showing who or what does the action
From this reading A big leather easy-chair, its arms worn with much use, had been pulled into an inviting position before the fireplace, and the night-light by the desk was burning, as usual.
came
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From this reading The hands of the office clock were pointing to half after two, on a certain September night, when Burns came into his office, alone.
cannel-slag
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From this reading The fire in the office fireplace, kept bright until nearly midnight, when his housekeeper had given up waiting for him and gone to bed, had burned to a few smouldering lumps of cannel-slag.
certain
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From this reading The hands of the office clock were pointing to half after two, on a certain September night, when Burns came into his office, alone.
clock
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From this reading The hands of the office clock were pointing to half after two, on a certain September night, when Burns came into his office, alone.
comprehended
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From this reading All that could be expected had been done by the kind-hearted Cynthia, who comprehended, by signs she knew well and had been watching for several days, that affairs were going wrong with her employer.
couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading All that could be expected had been done by the kind-hearted Cynthia, who comprehended, by signs she knew well and had been watching for several days, that affairs were going wrong with her employer.
Cynthia
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From this reading All that could be expected had been done by the kind-hearted Cynthia, who comprehended, by signs she knew well and had been watching for several days, that affairs were going wrong with her employer.
days
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From this reading All that could be expected had been done by the kind-hearted Cynthia, who comprehended, by signs she knew well and had been watching for several days, that affairs were going wrong with her employer.
desk
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A big leather easy-chair, its arms worn with much use, had been pulled into an inviting position before the fireplace, and the night-light by the desk was burning, as usual.
donenounUS /done/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading All that could be expected had been done by the kind-hearted Cynthia, who comprehended, by signs she knew well and had been watching for several days, that affairs were going wrong with her employer.
easy-chair
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A big leather easy-chair, its arms worn with much use, had been pulled into an inviting position before the fireplace, and the night-light by the desk was burning, as usual.
employer
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading All that could be expected had been done by the kind-hearted Cynthia, who comprehended, by signs she knew well and had been watching for several days, that affairs were going wrong with her employer.
expected
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading All that could be expected had been done by the kind-hearted Cynthia, who comprehended, by signs she knew well and had been watching for several days, that affairs were going wrong with her employer.
few
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The fire in the office fireplace, kept bright until nearly midnight, when his housekeeper had given up waiting for him and gone to bed, had burned to a few smouldering lumps of cannel-slag.
fire
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The fire in the office fireplace, kept bright until nearly midnight, when his housekeeper had given up waiting for him and gone to bed, had burned to a few smouldering lumps of cannel-slag.
fireplace
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The fire in the office fireplace, kept bright until nearly midnight, when his housekeeper had given up waiting for him and gone to bed, had burned to a few smouldering lumps of cannel-slag.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading The fire in the office fireplace, kept bright until nearly midnight, when his housekeeper had given up waiting for him and gone to bed, had burned to a few smouldering lumps of cannel-slag.
given
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From this reading The fire in the office fireplace, kept bright until nearly midnight, when his housekeeper had given up waiting for him and gone to bed, had burned to a few smouldering lumps of cannel-slag.
going
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading All that could be expected had been done by the kind-hearted Cynthia, who comprehended, by signs she knew well and had been watching for several days, that affairs were going wrong with her employer.
gone
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The fire in the office fireplace, kept bright until nearly midnight, when his housekeeper had given up waiting for him and gone to bed, had burned to a few smouldering lumps of cannel-slag.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The fire in the office fireplace, kept bright until nearly midnight, when his housekeeper had given up waiting for him and gone to bed, had burned to a few smouldering lumps of cannel-slag.
halfnounUS /half/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The hands of the office clock were pointing to half after two, on a certain September night, when Burns came into his office, alone.
handsplural nounUS /hændz/
members of a ship’s crew
From this reading The hands of the office clock were pointing to half after two, on a certain September night, when Burns came into his office, alone.
hepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading But he needed more than could be given him by things inanimate--needed it woefully.
herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading All that could be expected had been done by the kind-hearted Cynthia, who comprehended, by signs she knew well and had been watching for several days, that affairs were going wrong with her employer.
himpronounUS /hɪm/
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading The fire in the office fireplace, kept bright until nearly midnight, when his housekeeper had given up waiting for him and gone to bed, had burned to a few smouldering lumps of cannel-slag.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading The hands of the office clock were pointing to half after two, on a certain September night, when Burns came into his office, alone.
housekeeper
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The fire in the office fireplace, kept bright until nearly midnight, when his housekeeper had given up waiting for him and gone to bed, had burned to a few smouldering lumps of cannel-slag.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The fire in the office fireplace, kept bright until nearly midnight, when his housekeeper had given up waiting for him and gone to bed, had burned to a few smouldering lumps of cannel-slag.
inanimate
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But he needed more than could be given him by things inanimate--needed it woefully.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading The hands of the office clock were pointing to half after two, on a certain September night, when Burns came into his office, alone.
inviting
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A big leather easy-chair, its arms worn with much use, had been pulled into an inviting position before the fireplace, and the night-light by the desk was burning, as usual.
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading But he needed more than could be given him by things inanimate--needed it woefully.
itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading A big leather easy-chair, its arms worn with much use, had been pulled into an inviting position before the fireplace, and the night-light by the desk was burning, as usual.
kept
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The fire in the office fireplace, kept bright until nearly midnight, when his housekeeper had given up waiting for him and gone to bed, had burned to a few smouldering lumps of cannel-slag.
kind-hearted
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading All that could be expected had been done by the kind-hearted Cynthia, who comprehended, by signs she knew well and had been watching for several days, that affairs were going wrong with her employer.
knew
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading All that could be expected had been done by the kind-hearted Cynthia, who comprehended, by signs she knew well and had been watching for several days, that affairs were going wrong with her employer.
leather
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A big leather easy-chair, its arms worn with much use, had been pulled into an inviting position before the fireplace, and the night-light by the desk was burning, as usual.
lumps
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The fire in the office fireplace, kept bright until nearly midnight, when his housekeeper had given up waiting for him and gone to bed, had burned to a few smouldering lumps of cannel-slag.
midnight
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The fire in the office fireplace, kept bright until nearly midnight, when his housekeeper had given up waiting for him and gone to bed, had burned to a few smouldering lumps of cannel-slag.
more
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But he needed more than could be given him by things inanimate--needed it woefully.
much
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A big leather easy-chair, its arms worn with much use, had been pulled into an inviting position before the fireplace, and the night-light by the desk was burning, as usual.
nearly
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The fire in the office fireplace, kept bright until nearly midnight, when his housekeeper had given up waiting for him and gone to bed, had burned to a few smouldering lumps of cannel-slag.
needed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But he needed more than could be given him by things inanimate--needed it woefully.
night
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The hands of the office clock were pointing to half after two, on a certain September night, when Burns came into his office, alone.
night-light
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A big leather easy-chair, its arms worn with much use, had been pulled into an inviting position before the fireplace, and the night-light by the desk was burning, as usual.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The hands of the office clock were pointing to half after two, on a certain September night, when Burns came into his office, alone.
office
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The hands of the office clock were pointing to half after two, on a certain September night, when Burns came into his office, alone.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The hands of the office clock were pointing to half after two, on a certain September night, when Burns came into his office, alone.
pointing
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The hands of the office clock were pointing to half after two, on a certain September night, when Burns came into his office, alone.
position
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A big leather easy-chair, its arms worn with much use, had been pulled into an inviting position before the fireplace, and the night-light by the desk was burning, as usual.
pullednounUS /pulled/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading A big leather easy-chair, its arms worn with much use, had been pulled into an inviting position before the fireplace, and the night-light by the desk was burning, as usual.
September
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The hands of the office clock were pointing to half after two, on a certain September night, when Burns came into his office, alone.
several
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading All that could be expected had been done by the kind-hearted Cynthia, who comprehended, by signs she knew well and had been watching for several days, that affairs were going wrong with her employer.
shepronounUS /ʃiː/
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading All that could be expected had been done by the kind-hearted Cynthia, who comprehended, by signs she knew well and had been watching for several days, that affairs were going wrong with her employer.
signs
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading All that could be expected had been done by the kind-hearted Cynthia, who comprehended, by signs she knew well and had been watching for several days, that affairs were going wrong with her employer.
smouldering
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The fire in the office fireplace, kept bright until nearly midnight, when his housekeeper had given up waiting for him and gone to bed, had burned to a few smouldering lumps of cannel-slag.
thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading But he needed more than could be given him by things inanimate--needed it woefully.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading All that could be expected had been done by the kind-hearted Cynthia, who comprehended, by signs she knew well and had been watching for several days, that affairs were going wrong with her employer.
ThedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The hands of the office clock were pointing to half after two, on a certain September night, when Burns came into his office, alone.
things
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But he needed more than could be given him by things inanimate--needed it woefully.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The hands of the office clock were pointing to half after two, on a certain September night, when Burns came into his office, alone.
two
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The hands of the office clock were pointing to half after two, on a certain September night, when Burns came into his office, alone.
untilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/
up to a particular time
From this reading The fire in the office fireplace, kept bright until nearly midnight, when his housekeeper had given up waiting for him and gone to bed, had burned to a few smouldering lumps of cannel-slag.
up
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The fire in the office fireplace, kept bright until nearly midnight, when his housekeeper had given up waiting for him and gone to bed, had burned to a few smouldering lumps of cannel-slag.
use
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A big leather easy-chair, its arms worn with much use, had been pulled into an inviting position before the fireplace, and the night-light by the desk was burning, as usual.
usual
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A big leather easy-chair, its arms worn with much use, had been pulled into an inviting position before the fireplace, and the night-light by the desk was burning, as usual.
waiting
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The fire in the office fireplace, kept bright until nearly midnight, when his housekeeper had given up waiting for him and gone to bed, had burned to a few smouldering lumps of cannel-slag.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading A big leather easy-chair, its arms worn with much use, had been pulled into an inviting position before the fireplace, and the night-light by the desk was burning, as usual.
watching
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading All that could be expected had been done by the kind-hearted Cynthia, who comprehended, by signs she knew well and had been watching for several days, that affairs were going wrong with her employer.
well
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading All that could be expected had been done by the kind-hearted Cynthia, who comprehended, by signs she knew well and had been watching for several days, that affairs were going wrong with her employer.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The hands of the office clock were pointing to half after two, on a certain September night, when Burns came into his office, alone.
whenconjunctionUS /wen/
at the time that
From this reading The hands of the office clock were pointing to half after two, on a certain September night, when Burns came into his office, alone.
whopronounUS /huː/
which person or people
From this reading All that could be expected had been done by the kind-hearted Cynthia, who comprehended, by signs she knew well and had been watching for several days, that affairs were going wrong with her employer.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading A big leather easy-chair, its arms worn with much use, had been pulled into an inviting position before the fireplace, and the night-light by the desk was burning, as usual.
woefully
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But he needed more than could be given him by things inanimate--needed it woefully.
wornverbUS /wɔːrn/
Damaged or thinned by continuous use.
From this reading A big leather easy-chair, its arms worn with much use, had been pulled into an inviting position before the fireplace, and the night-light by the desk was burning, as usual.
wrong
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading All that could be expected had been done by the kind-hearted Cynthia, who comprehended, by signs she knew well and had been watching for several days, that affairs were going wrong with her employer.
