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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 “I knew you wanted to be alone, Nan, but there’s a matter I must speak to you about, and I thought it best to do it at once.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading “I knew you wanted to be alone, Nan, but there’s a matter I must speak to you about, and I thought it best to do it at once.
alonenounUS /alone/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “I knew you wanted to be alone, Nan, but there’s a matter I must speak to you about, and I thought it best to do it at once.
andeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading SHADOWS Nan lay on her bed, fully dressed, on the evening of the day of the funeral, listening to the sounds of the street with an uncomfortable sense of strangeness and isolation.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading SHADOWS Nan lay on her bed, fully dressed, on the evening of the day of the funeral, listening to the sounds of the street with an uncomfortable sense of strangeness and isolation.
appeared
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From this reading She appeared before him startlingly wan and white in her black gown.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading “I knew you wanted to be alone, Nan, but there’s a matter I must speak to you about, and I thought it best to do it at once.
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading “I knew you wanted to be alone, Nan, but there’s a matter I must speak to you about, and I thought it best to do it at once.
bearing
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From this reading The faint tinkle of the bell roused her and the maid came up bearing Eaton’s card.
bed
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From this reading SHADOWS Nan lay on her bed, fully dressed, on the evening of the day of the funeral, listening to the sounds of the street with an uncomfortable sense of strangeness and isolation.
beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/
earlier than; in front of
From this reading She appeared before him startlingly wan and white in her black gown.
bell
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From this reading The faint tinkle of the bell roused her and the maid came up bearing Eaton’s card.
best
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From this reading “I knew you wanted to be alone, Nan, but there’s a matter I must speak to you about, and I thought it best to do it at once.
black
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From this reading She appeared before him startlingly wan and white in her black gown.
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading She had told the girl to excuse her to callers, but Eaton sent word that he wished particularly to see her.
callers
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From this reading She had told the girl to excuse her to callers, but Eaton sent word that he wished particularly to see her.
came
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From this reading The faint tinkle of the bell roused her and the maid came up bearing Eaton’s card.
card
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From this reading The faint tinkle of the bell roused her and the maid came up bearing Eaton’s card.
day
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From this reading SHADOWS Nan lay on her bed, fully dressed, on the evening of the day of the funeral, listening to the sounds of the street with an uncomfortable sense of strangeness and isolation.
doauxiliary verbUS /duː/
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading “I knew you wanted to be alone, Nan, but there’s a matter I must speak to you about, and I thought it best to do it at once.
dressed
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From this reading SHADOWS Nan lay on her bed, fully dressed, on the evening of the day of the funeral, listening to the sounds of the street with an uncomfortable sense of strangeness and isolation.
Eaton
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From this reading She had told the girl to excuse her to callers, but Eaton sent word that he wished particularly to see her.
Eaton's
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From this reading The faint tinkle of the bell roused her and the maid came up bearing Eaton’s card.
evening
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From this reading SHADOWS Nan lay on her bed, fully dressed, on the evening of the day of the funeral, listening to the sounds of the street with an uncomfortable sense of strangeness and isolation.
excuse
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From this reading She had told the girl to excuse her to callers, but Eaton sent word that he wished particularly to see her.
faint
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From this reading The faint tinkle of the bell roused her and the maid came up bearing Eaton’s card.
fully
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From this reading SHADOWS Nan lay on her bed, fully dressed, on the evening of the day of the funeral, listening to the sounds of the street with an uncomfortable sense of strangeness and isolation.
funeral
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From this reading SHADOWS Nan lay on her bed, fully dressed, on the evening of the day of the funeral, listening to the sounds of the street with an uncomfortable sense of strangeness and isolation.
girl
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From this reading She had told the girl to excuse her to callers, but Eaton sent word that he wished particularly to see her.
gown
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From this reading She appeared before him startlingly wan and white in her black gown.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading She had told the girl to excuse her to callers, but Eaton sent word that he wished particularly to see her.
hepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She had told the girl to excuse her to callers, but Eaton sent word that he wished particularly to see her.
herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading SHADOWS Nan lay on her bed, fully dressed, on the evening of the day of the funeral, listening to the sounds of the street with an uncomfortable sense of strangeness and isolation.
himpronounUS /hɪm/
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading She appeared before him startlingly wan and white in her black gown.
IpronounUS /aɪ/
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “I knew you wanted to be alone, Nan, but there’s a matter I must speak to you about, and I thought it best to do it at once.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading She appeared before him startlingly wan and white in her black gown.
isolation
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From this reading SHADOWS Nan lay on her bed, fully dressed, on the evening of the day of the funeral, listening to the sounds of the street with an uncomfortable sense of strangeness and isolation.
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading “I knew you wanted to be alone, Nan, but there’s a matter I must speak to you about, and I thought it best to do it at once.
knew
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From this reading “I knew you wanted to be alone, Nan, but there’s a matter I must speak to you about, and I thought it best to do it at once.
lay
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading SHADOWS Nan lay on her bed, fully dressed, on the evening of the day of the funeral, listening to the sounds of the street with an uncomfortable sense of strangeness and isolation.
listening
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From this reading SHADOWS Nan lay on her bed, fully dressed, on the evening of the day of the funeral, listening to the sounds of the street with an uncomfortable sense of strangeness and isolation.
maid
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From this reading The faint tinkle of the bell roused her and the maid came up bearing Eaton’s card.
matter
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From this reading “I knew you wanted to be alone, Nan, but there’s a matter I must speak to you about, and I thought it best to do it at once.
mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading “I knew you wanted to be alone, Nan, but there’s a matter I must speak to you about, and I thought it best to do it at once.
Nan
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading SHADOWS Nan lay on her bed, fully dressed, on the evening of the day of the funeral, listening to the sounds of the street with an uncomfortable sense of strangeness and isolation.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading SHADOWS Nan lay on her bed, fully dressed, on the evening of the day of the funeral, listening to the sounds of the street with an uncomfortable sense of strangeness and isolation.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading SHADOWS Nan lay on her bed, fully dressed, on the evening of the day of the funeral, listening to the sounds of the street with an uncomfortable sense of strangeness and isolation.
once
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “I knew you wanted to be alone, Nan, but there’s a matter I must speak to you about, and I thought it best to do it at once.
particularly
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From this reading She had told the girl to excuse her to callers, but Eaton sent word that he wished particularly to see her.
roused
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The faint tinkle of the bell roused her and the maid came up bearing Eaton’s card.
see
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From this reading She had told the girl to excuse her to callers, but Eaton sent word that he wished particularly to see her.
sense
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From this reading SHADOWS Nan lay on her bed, fully dressed, on the evening of the day of the funeral, listening to the sounds of the street with an uncomfortable sense of strangeness and isolation.
sent
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From this reading She had told the girl to excuse her to callers, but Eaton sent word that he wished particularly to see her.
SHADOWS
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From this reading SHADOWS Nan lay on her bed, fully dressed, on the evening of the day of the funeral, listening to the sounds of the street with an uncomfortable sense of strangeness and isolation.
ShepronounUS /ʃiː/
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She had told the girl to excuse her to callers, but Eaton sent word that he wished particularly to see her.
sounds
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From this reading SHADOWS Nan lay on her bed, fully dressed, on the evening of the day of the funeral, listening to the sounds of the street with an uncomfortable sense of strangeness and isolation.
speak
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From this reading “I knew you wanted to be alone, Nan, but there’s a matter I must speak to you about, and I thought it best to do it at once.
startlingly
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From this reading She appeared before him startlingly wan and white in her black gown.
strangeness
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading SHADOWS Nan lay on her bed, fully dressed, on the evening of the day of the funeral, listening to the sounds of the street with an uncomfortable sense of strangeness and isolation.
street
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading SHADOWS Nan lay on her bed, fully dressed, on the evening of the day of the funeral, listening to the sounds of the street with an uncomfortable sense of strangeness and isolation.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading She had told the girl to excuse her to callers, but Eaton sent word that he wished particularly to see her.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading SHADOWS Nan lay on her bed, fully dressed, on the evening of the day of the funeral, listening to the sounds of the street with an uncomfortable sense of strangeness and isolation.
there's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “I knew you wanted to be alone, Nan, but there’s a matter I must speak to you about, and I thought it best to do it at once.
thoughtnounUS /thought/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “I knew you wanted to be alone, Nan, but there’s a matter I must speak to you about, and I thought it best to do it at once.
tinkle
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The faint tinkle of the bell roused her and the maid came up bearing Eaton’s card.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading SHADOWS Nan lay on her bed, fully dressed, on the evening of the day of the funeral, listening to the sounds of the street with an uncomfortable sense of strangeness and isolation.
toldnounUS /told/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading She had told the girl to excuse her to callers, but Eaton sent word that he wished particularly to see her.
uncomfortable
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading SHADOWS Nan lay on her bed, fully dressed, on the evening of the day of the funeral, listening to the sounds of the street with an uncomfortable sense of strangeness and isolation.
up
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The faint tinkle of the bell roused her and the maid came up bearing Eaton’s card.
wan
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She appeared before him startlingly wan and white in her black gown.
wanted
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “I knew you wanted to be alone, Nan, but there’s a matter I must speak to you about, and I thought it best to do it at once.
white
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She appeared before him startlingly wan and white in her black gown.
wished
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She had told the girl to excuse her to callers, but Eaton sent word that he wished particularly to see her.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading SHADOWS Nan lay on her bed, fully dressed, on the evening of the day of the funeral, listening to the sounds of the street with an uncomfortable sense of strangeness and isolation.
word
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She had told the girl to excuse her to callers, but Eaton sent word that he wished particularly to see her.
youpronounUS /juː/
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “I knew you wanted to be alone, Nan, but there’s a matter I must speak to you about, and I thought it best to do it at once.
