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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 No vestiges of his handiwork showed that either at an early or at a late period had man lived there.
ABANDONED
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ABANDONED It was now exactly seven months since the balloon voyagers had been thrown on Lincoln Island.
andeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading No vestiges of his handiwork showed that either at an early or at a late period had man lived there.
any
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Not only did it now appear to be uninhabited by any but themselves, but the colonists were compelled to believe that it never had been inhabited.
appear
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From this reading Not only did it now appear to be uninhabited by any but themselves, but the colonists were compelled to believe that it never had been inhabited.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading No vestiges of his handiwork showed that either at an early or at a late period had man lived there.
balloon
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From this reading ABANDONED It was now exactly seven months since the balloon voyagers had been thrown on Lincoln Island.
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Not only did it now appear to be uninhabited by any but themselves, but the colonists were compelled to believe that it never had been inhabited.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading ABANDONED It was now exactly seven months since the balloon voyagers had been thrown on Lincoln Island.
beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading During that time, notwithstanding the researches they had made, no human being had been discovered.
believenounUS /ˈbelieve/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading Not only did it now appear to be uninhabited by any but themselves, but the colonists were compelled to believe that it never had been inhabited.
betrayed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading No smoke even had betrayed the presence of man on the surface of the island.
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Not only did it now appear to be uninhabited by any but themselves, but the colonists were compelled to believe that it never had been inhabited.
byprepositionUS /baɪ/
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Not only did it now appear to be uninhabited by any but themselves, but the colonists were compelled to believe that it never had been inhabited.
colonists
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Not only did it now appear to be uninhabited by any but themselves, but the colonists were compelled to believe that it never had been inhabited.
compelled
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Not only did it now appear to be uninhabited by any but themselves, but the colonists were compelled to believe that it never had been inhabited.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading Not only did it now appear to be uninhabited by any but themselves, but the colonists were compelled to believe that it never had been inhabited.
discovered
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading During that time, notwithstanding the researches they had made, no human being had been discovered.
DuringprepositionUS /ˈdʊrɪŋ/
all through a period, or at some point within it
From this reading During that time, notwithstanding the researches they had made, no human being had been discovered.
early
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading No vestiges of his handiwork showed that either at an early or at a late period had man lived there.
eitherdeterminerUS /ˈiːðər/
one or the other of two
From this reading No vestiges of his handiwork showed that either at an early or at a late period had man lived there.
evennounUS /even/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading No smoke even had betrayed the presence of man on the surface of the island.
exactly
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ABANDONED It was now exactly seven months since the balloon voyagers had been thrown on Lincoln Island.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading ABANDONED It was now exactly seven months since the balloon voyagers had been thrown on Lincoln Island.
handiwork
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading No vestiges of his handiwork showed that either at an early or at a late period had man lived there.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading No vestiges of his handiwork showed that either at an early or at a late period had man lived there.
human
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading During that time, notwithstanding the researches they had made, no human being had been discovered.
inhabited
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Not only did it now appear to be uninhabited by any but themselves, but the colonists were compelled to believe that it never had been inhabited.
Island
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ABANDONED It was now exactly seven months since the balloon voyagers had been thrown on Lincoln Island.
ItpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading ABANDONED It was now exactly seven months since the balloon voyagers had been thrown on Lincoln Island.
late
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading No vestiges of his handiwork showed that either at an early or at a late period had man lived there.
Lincoln
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ABANDONED It was now exactly seven months since the balloon voyagers had been thrown on Lincoln Island.
lived
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading No vestiges of his handiwork showed that either at an early or at a late period had man lived there.
made
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading During that time, notwithstanding the researches they had made, no human being had been discovered.
man
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading No smoke even had betrayed the presence of man on the surface of the island.
months
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ABANDONED It was now exactly seven months since the balloon voyagers had been thrown on Lincoln Island.
nevernounUS /never/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Not only did it now appear to be uninhabited by any but themselves, but the colonists were compelled to believe that it never had been inhabited.
nodeterminerUS /noʊ/
not any; not one
From this reading During that time, notwithstanding the researches they had made, no human being had been discovered.
NotadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Not only did it now appear to be uninhabited by any but themselves, but the colonists were compelled to believe that it never had been inhabited.
notwithstanding
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading During that time, notwithstanding the researches they had made, no human being had been discovered.
now
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ABANDONED It was now exactly seven months since the balloon voyagers had been thrown on Lincoln Island.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading No smoke even had betrayed the presence of man on the surface of the island.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading ABANDONED It was now exactly seven months since the balloon voyagers had been thrown on Lincoln Island.
only
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Not only did it now appear to be uninhabited by any but themselves, but the colonists were compelled to believe that it never had been inhabited.
orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading No vestiges of his handiwork showed that either at an early or at a late period had man lived there.
period
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading No vestiges of his handiwork showed that either at an early or at a late period had man lived there.
presence
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading No smoke even had betrayed the presence of man on the surface of the island.
researches
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading During that time, notwithstanding the researches they had made, no human being had been discovered.
seven
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ABANDONED It was now exactly seven months since the balloon voyagers had been thrown on Lincoln Island.
showed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading No vestiges of his handiwork showed that either at an early or at a late period had man lived there.
sinceprepositionUS /sɪns/
from a time in the past until now
From this reading ABANDONED It was now exactly seven months since the balloon voyagers had been thrown on Lincoln Island.
smoke
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading No smoke even had betrayed the presence of man on the surface of the island.
surface
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading No smoke even had betrayed the presence of man on the surface of the island.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading During that time, notwithstanding the researches they had made, no human being had been discovered.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading ABANDONED It was now exactly seven months since the balloon voyagers had been thrown on Lincoln Island.
themselvespronounUS /ðemˈselvz/
used when the people doing the action are also its object
From this reading Not only did it now appear to be uninhabited by any but themselves, but the colonists were compelled to believe that it never had been inhabited.
there
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading No vestiges of his handiwork showed that either at an early or at a late period had man lived there.
theypronounUS /ðeɪ/
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading During that time, notwithstanding the researches they had made, no human being had been discovered.
thrown
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ABANDONED It was now exactly seven months since the balloon voyagers had been thrown on Lincoln Island.
timenounUS /time/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading During that time, notwithstanding the researches they had made, no human being had been discovered.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Not only did it now appear to be uninhabited by any but themselves, but the colonists were compelled to believe that it never had been inhabited.
uninhabited
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Not only did it now appear to be uninhabited by any but themselves, but the colonists were compelled to believe that it never had been inhabited.
vestiges
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading No vestiges of his handiwork showed that either at an early or at a late period had man lived there.
voyagers
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ABANDONED It was now exactly seven months since the balloon voyagers had been thrown on Lincoln Island.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading ABANDONED It was now exactly seven months since the balloon voyagers had been thrown on Lincoln Island.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Not only did it now appear to be uninhabited by any but themselves, but the colonists were compelled to believe that it never had been inhabited.
