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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 They gathered around him as he sat on the cushioned fender, a cup of tea in one hand and a plateful of buttered toast by his side.
admit
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Yesterday, I must admit, things looked black, and the tragedy to poor young Norgate made us all miserable."
afternoonnounUS /ˈafternoon/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading "I should have said things looked worse," one of the men declared, throwing down an afternoon paper.
afternoons
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Mr. Selingman's influence over his fellows had never been more marked than on that gloomiest of all afternoons.
all
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Mr. Selingman's influence over his fellows had never been more marked than on that gloomiest of all afternoons.
andeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading "I should have said things looked worse," one of the men declared, throwing down an afternoon paper.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading They gathered around him as he sat on the cushioned fender, a cup of tea in one hand and a plateful of buttered toast by his side.
aroundprepositionUS /ərˈaʊnd/
surrounding, or on every side of, something
From this reading They gathered around him as he sat on the cushioned fender, a cup of tea in one hand and a plateful of buttered toast by his side.
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading They gathered around him as he sat on the cushioned fender, a cup of tea in one hand and a plateful of buttered toast by his side.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Mr. Selingman's influence over his fellows had never been more marked than on that gloomiest of all afternoons.
black
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Yesterday, I must admit, things looked black, and the tragedy to poor young Norgate made us all miserable."
bring
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "To-day," he proclaimed, "I bring good news.
buttered
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They gathered around him as he sat on the cushioned fender, a cup of tea in one hand and a plateful of buttered toast by his side.
byprepositionUS /baɪ/
showing who or what does the action
From this reading They gathered around him as he sat on the cushioned fender, a cup of tea in one hand and a plateful of buttered toast by his side.
cup
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They gathered around him as he sat on the cushioned fender, a cup of tea in one hand and a plateful of buttered toast by his side.
cushioned
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They gathered around him as he sat on the cushioned fender, a cup of tea in one hand and a plateful of buttered toast by his side.
declared
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I should have said things looked worse," one of the men declared, throwing down an afternoon paper.
down
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I should have said things looked worse," one of the men declared, throwing down an afternoon paper.
fellows
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Mr. Selingman's influence over his fellows had never been more marked than on that gloomiest of all afternoons.
fender
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They gathered around him as he sat on the cushioned fender, a cup of tea in one hand and a plateful of buttered toast by his side.
gathered
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They gathered around him as he sat on the cushioned fender, a cup of tea in one hand and a plateful of buttered toast by his side.
gloomiest
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Mr. Selingman's influence over his fellows had never been more marked than on that gloomiest of all afternoons.
goodnounUS /good/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading "To-day," he proclaimed, "I bring good news.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Mr. Selingman's influence over his fellows had never been more marked than on that gloomiest of all afternoons.
hand
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They gathered around him as he sat on the cushioned fender, a cup of tea in one hand and a plateful of buttered toast by his side.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading "I should have said things looked worse," one of the men declared, throwing down an afternoon paper.
hepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They gathered around him as he sat on the cushioned fender, a cup of tea in one hand and a plateful of buttered toast by his side.
himpronounUS /hɪm/
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading They gathered around him as he sat on the cushioned fender, a cup of tea in one hand and a plateful of buttered toast by his side.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Mr. Selingman's influence over his fellows had never been more marked than on that gloomiest of all afternoons.
IpronounUS /aɪ/
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "To-day," he proclaimed, "I bring good news.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading They gathered around him as he sat on the cushioned fender, a cup of tea in one hand and a plateful of buttered toast by his side.
influence
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Mr. Selingman's influence over his fellows had never been more marked than on that gloomiest of all afternoons.
lookednounUS /looked/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Yesterday, I must admit, things looked black, and the tragedy to poor young Norgate made us all miserable."
made
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Yesterday, I must admit, things looked black, and the tragedy to poor young Norgate made us all miserable."
marked
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Mr. Selingman's influence over his fellows had never been more marked than on that gloomiest of all afternoons.
men
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I should have said things looked worse," one of the men declared, throwing down an afternoon paper.
miserable
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Yesterday, I must admit, things looked black, and the tragedy to poor young Norgate made us all miserable."
more
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Mr. Selingman's influence over his fellows had never been more marked than on that gloomiest of all afternoons.
Mr
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Mr. Selingman's influence over his fellows had never been more marked than on that gloomiest of all afternoons.
mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading Yesterday, I must admit, things looked black, and the tragedy to poor young Norgate made us all miserable."
nevernounUS /never/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Mr. Selingman's influence over his fellows had never been more marked than on that gloomiest of all afternoons.
news
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "To-day," he proclaimed, "I bring good news.
Norgate
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Yesterday, I must admit, things looked black, and the tragedy to poor young Norgate made us all miserable."
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Mr. Selingman's influence over his fellows had never been more marked than on that gloomiest of all afternoons.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Mr. Selingman's influence over his fellows had never been more marked than on that gloomiest of all afternoons.
onepronounUS /wʌn/
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading They gathered around him as he sat on the cushioned fender, a cup of tea in one hand and a plateful of buttered toast by his side.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading Mr. Selingman's influence over his fellows had never been more marked than on that gloomiest of all afternoons.
paper
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I should have said things looked worse," one of the men declared, throwing down an afternoon paper.
plateful
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They gathered around him as he sat on the cushioned fender, a cup of tea in one hand and a plateful of buttered toast by his side.
poornounUS /poor/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Yesterday, I must admit, things looked black, and the tragedy to poor young Norgate made us all miserable."
proclaimed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "To-day," he proclaimed, "I bring good news.
said
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I should have said things looked worse," one of the men declared, throwing down an afternoon paper.
sat
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They gathered around him as he sat on the cushioned fender, a cup of tea in one hand and a plateful of buttered toast by his side.
Selingman's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Mr. Selingman's influence over his fellows had never been more marked than on that gloomiest of all afternoons.
shouldmodal verbUS /ʃʊd/
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading "I should have said things looked worse," one of the men declared, throwing down an afternoon paper.
side
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They gathered around him as he sat on the cushioned fender, a cup of tea in one hand and a plateful of buttered toast by his side.
tea
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They gathered around him as he sat on the cushioned fender, a cup of tea in one hand and a plateful of buttered toast by his side.
thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading Mr. Selingman's influence over his fellows had never been more marked than on that gloomiest of all afternoons.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Mr. Selingman's influence over his fellows had never been more marked than on that gloomiest of all afternoons.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading They gathered around him as he sat on the cushioned fender, a cup of tea in one hand and a plateful of buttered toast by his side.
TheypronounUS /ðeɪ/
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They gathered around him as he sat on the cushioned fender, a cup of tea in one hand and a plateful of buttered toast by his side.
things
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Yesterday, I must admit, things looked black, and the tragedy to poor young Norgate made us all miserable."
throwing
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I should have said things looked worse," one of the men declared, throwing down an afternoon paper.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Yesterday, I must admit, things looked black, and the tragedy to poor young Norgate made us all miserable."
To-day
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "To-day," he proclaimed, "I bring good news.
toast
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They gathered around him as he sat on the cushioned fender, a cup of tea in one hand and a plateful of buttered toast by his side.
tragedy
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Yesterday, I must admit, things looked black, and the tragedy to poor young Norgate made us all miserable."
uspronounUS /ʌs/
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Yesterday, I must admit, things looked black, and the tragedy to poor young Norgate made us all miserable."
worse
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I should have said things looked worse," one of the men declared, throwing down an afternoon paper.
Yesterday
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Yesterday, I must admit, things looked black, and the tragedy to poor young Norgate made us all miserable."
young
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Yesterday, I must admit, things looked black, and the tragedy to poor young Norgate made us all miserable."
