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1887
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From this reading His father was an Alsatian who came to England in the ’sixties, married a respectable English girl of unexceptional antecedents, and died, after a wholesome and uneventful life (devoted, I understand, chiefly to the laying of parquet flooring), in 1887.
adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Gottfried Plattner is, in spite of his name, a freeborn Englishman.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading His father was an Alsatian who came to England in the ’sixties, married a respectable English girl of unexceptional antecedents, and died, after a wholesome and uneventful life (devoted, I understand, chiefly to the laying of parquet flooring), in 1887.
age
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From this reading Gottfried’s age is seven-and-twenty.
Alsatian
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From this reading His father was an Alsatian who came to England in the ’sixties, married a respectable English girl of unexceptional antecedents, and died, after a wholesome and uneventful life (devoted, I understand, chiefly to the laying of parquet flooring), in 1887.
andeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading His father was an Alsatian who came to England in the ’sixties, married a respectable English girl of unexceptional antecedents, and died, after a wholesome and uneventful life (devoted, I understand, chiefly to the laying of parquet flooring), in 1887.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading His father was an Alsatian who came to England in the ’sixties, married a respectable English girl of unexceptional antecedents, and died, after a wholesome and uneventful life (devoted, I understand, chiefly to the laying of parquet flooring), in 1887.
antecedents
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From this reading His father was an Alsatian who came to England in the ’sixties, married a respectable English girl of unexceptional antecedents, and died, after a wholesome and uneventful life (devoted, I understand, chiefly to the laying of parquet flooring), in 1887.
any
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From this reading To the casual observer he is singularly like any other Modern Languages Master in any other small private school.
byprepositionUS /baɪ/
showing who or what does the action
From this reading He is, by virtue of his heritage of three languages, Modern Languages Master in a small private school in the south of England.
came
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From this reading His father was an Alsatian who came to England in the ’sixties, married a respectable English girl of unexceptional antecedents, and died, after a wholesome and uneventful life (devoted, I understand, chiefly to the laying of parquet flooring), in 1887.
casual
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From this reading To the casual observer he is singularly like any other Modern Languages Master in any other small private school.
chiefly
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From this reading His father was an Alsatian who came to England in the ’sixties, married a respectable English girl of unexceptional antecedents, and died, after a wholesome and uneventful life (devoted, I understand, chiefly to the laying of parquet flooring), in 1887.
devoted
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From this reading His father was an Alsatian who came to England in the ’sixties, married a respectable English girl of unexceptional antecedents, and died, after a wholesome and uneventful life (devoted, I understand, chiefly to the laying of parquet flooring), in 1887.
died
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From this reading His father was an Alsatian who came to England in the ’sixties, married a respectable English girl of unexceptional antecedents, and died, after a wholesome and uneventful life (devoted, I understand, chiefly to the laying of parquet flooring), in 1887.
England
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From this reading His father was an Alsatian who came to England in the ’sixties, married a respectable English girl of unexceptional antecedents, and died, after a wholesome and uneventful life (devoted, I understand, chiefly to the laying of parquet flooring), in 1887.
English
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From this reading His father was an Alsatian who came to England in the ’sixties, married a respectable English girl of unexceptional antecedents, and died, after a wholesome and uneventful life (devoted, I understand, chiefly to the laying of parquet flooring), in 1887.
Englishman
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From this reading Gottfried Plattner is, in spite of his name, a freeborn Englishman.
father
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From this reading His father was an Alsatian who came to England in the ’sixties, married a respectable English girl of unexceptional antecedents, and died, after a wholesome and uneventful life (devoted, I understand, chiefly to the laying of parquet flooring), in 1887.
flooring
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From this reading His father was an Alsatian who came to England in the ’sixties, married a respectable English girl of unexceptional antecedents, and died, after a wholesome and uneventful life (devoted, I understand, chiefly to the laying of parquet flooring), in 1887.
freeborn
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From this reading Gottfried Plattner is, in spite of his name, a freeborn Englishman.
girl
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From this reading His father was an Alsatian who came to England in the ’sixties, married a respectable English girl of unexceptional antecedents, and died, after a wholesome and uneventful life (devoted, I understand, chiefly to the laying of parquet flooring), in 1887.
Gottfried
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From this reading Gottfried Plattner is, in spite of his name, a freeborn Englishman.
Gottfried's
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From this reading Gottfried’s age is seven-and-twenty.
HepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He is, by virtue of his heritage of three languages, Modern Languages Master in a small private school in the south of England.
heritage
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From this reading He is, by virtue of his heritage of three languages, Modern Languages Master in a small private school in the south of England.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Gottfried Plattner is, in spite of his name, a freeborn Englishman.
IpronounUS /aɪ/
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading His father was an Alsatian who came to England in the ’sixties, married a respectable English girl of unexceptional antecedents, and died, after a wholesome and uneventful life (devoted, I understand, chiefly to the laying of parquet flooring), in 1887.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Gottfried Plattner is, in spite of his name, a freeborn Englishman.
isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Gottfried Plattner is, in spite of his name, a freeborn Englishman.
languages
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From this reading He is, by virtue of his heritage of three languages, Modern Languages Master in a small private school in the south of England.
laying
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From this reading His father was an Alsatian who came to England in the ’sixties, married a respectable English girl of unexceptional antecedents, and died, after a wholesome and uneventful life (devoted, I understand, chiefly to the laying of parquet flooring), in 1887.
lifenounUS /life/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading His father was an Alsatian who came to England in the ’sixties, married a respectable English girl of unexceptional antecedents, and died, after a wholesome and uneventful life (devoted, I understand, chiefly to the laying of parquet flooring), in 1887.
like
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From this reading To the casual observer he is singularly like any other Modern Languages Master in any other small private school.
married
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From this reading His father was an Alsatian who came to England in the ’sixties, married a respectable English girl of unexceptional antecedents, and died, after a wholesome and uneventful life (devoted, I understand, chiefly to the laying of parquet flooring), in 1887.
Master
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From this reading He is, by virtue of his heritage of three languages, Modern Languages Master in a small private school in the south of England.
Modern
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From this reading He is, by virtue of his heritage of three languages, Modern Languages Master in a small private school in the south of England.
namenounUS /name/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Gottfried Plattner is, in spite of his name, a freeborn Englishman.
observer
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From this reading To the casual observer he is singularly like any other Modern Languages Master in any other small private school.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Gottfried Plattner is, in spite of his name, a freeborn Englishman.
other
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From this reading To the casual observer he is singularly like any other Modern Languages Master in any other small private school.
parquet
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From this reading His father was an Alsatian who came to England in the ’sixties, married a respectable English girl of unexceptional antecedents, and died, after a wholesome and uneventful life (devoted, I understand, chiefly to the laying of parquet flooring), in 1887.
Plattner
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From this reading Gottfried Plattner is, in spite of his name, a freeborn Englishman.
private
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From this reading He is, by virtue of his heritage of three languages, Modern Languages Master in a small private school in the south of England.
respectable
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From this reading His father was an Alsatian who came to England in the ’sixties, married a respectable English girl of unexceptional antecedents, and died, after a wholesome and uneventful life (devoted, I understand, chiefly to the laying of parquet flooring), in 1887.
school
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From this reading He is, by virtue of his heritage of three languages, Modern Languages Master in a small private school in the south of England.
seven-and-twenty
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From this reading Gottfried’s age is seven-and-twenty.
singularly
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From this reading To the casual observer he is singularly like any other Modern Languages Master in any other small private school.
sixties
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From this reading His father was an Alsatian who came to England in the ’sixties, married a respectable English girl of unexceptional antecedents, and died, after a wholesome and uneventful life (devoted, I understand, chiefly to the laying of parquet flooring), in 1887.
small
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From this reading He is, by virtue of his heritage of three languages, Modern Languages Master in a small private school in the south of England.
south
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From this reading He is, by virtue of his heritage of three languages, Modern Languages Master in a small private school in the south of England.
spite
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From this reading Gottfried Plattner is, in spite of his name, a freeborn Englishman.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading His father was an Alsatian who came to England in the ’sixties, married a respectable English girl of unexceptional antecedents, and died, after a wholesome and uneventful life (devoted, I understand, chiefly to the laying of parquet flooring), in 1887.
three
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From this reading He is, by virtue of his heritage of three languages, Modern Languages Master in a small private school in the south of England.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading His father was an Alsatian who came to England in the ’sixties, married a respectable English girl of unexceptional antecedents, and died, after a wholesome and uneventful life (devoted, I understand, chiefly to the laying of parquet flooring), in 1887.
understandnounUS /understand/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading His father was an Alsatian who came to England in the ’sixties, married a respectable English girl of unexceptional antecedents, and died, after a wholesome and uneventful life (devoted, I understand, chiefly to the laying of parquet flooring), in 1887.
uneventful
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From this reading His father was an Alsatian who came to England in the ’sixties, married a respectable English girl of unexceptional antecedents, and died, after a wholesome and uneventful life (devoted, I understand, chiefly to the laying of parquet flooring), in 1887.
unexceptional
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading His father was an Alsatian who came to England in the ’sixties, married a respectable English girl of unexceptional antecedents, and died, after a wholesome and uneventful life (devoted, I understand, chiefly to the laying of parquet flooring), in 1887.
virtuenounUS /ˈvɝː.tʃuː/
Moral excellence and goodness of character; the highest human attainment in Stoic philosophy.
From this reading He is, by virtue of his heritage of three languages, Modern Languages Master in a small private school in the south of England.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading His father was an Alsatian who came to England in the ’sixties, married a respectable English girl of unexceptional antecedents, and died, after a wholesome and uneventful life (devoted, I understand, chiefly to the laying of parquet flooring), in 1887.
whopronounUS /huː/
which person or people
From this reading His father was an Alsatian who came to England in the ’sixties, married a respectable English girl of unexceptional antecedents, and died, after a wholesome and uneventful life (devoted, I understand, chiefly to the laying of parquet flooring), in 1887.
wholesome
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From this reading His father was an Alsatian who came to England in the ’sixties, married a respectable English girl of unexceptional antecedents, and died, after a wholesome and uneventful life (devoted, I understand, chiefly to the laying of parquet flooring), in 1887.
