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The Reason Why
The Reason Why

Chapter IV

Cover illustration for The Reason Why
Context Illustration Reading 1/37 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Then Lord Tancred left the house in Park Lane he did not go on to the supper party at the Savoy he had promised to attend.
That sort of affair had bored him, now for several years.
Instead, he drove straight back to his rooms in St. James' Street, and, getting comfortably into his pet chair, he steadily set himself to think.
He had acted upon a mad impulse; he knew that and did not argue with himself about it, or regret it.
Some force stronger than anything he had hitherto known had compelled him to come to the decision.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Reason Why

Chapter IV

Reading 1/37 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Then Lord Tancred left the house in Park Lane he did not go on to the supper party at the Savoy he had promised to attend.
Line 2
That sort of affair had bored him, now for several years.
Line 3
Instead, he drove straight back to his rooms in St. James' Street, and, getting comfortably into his pet chair, he steadily set himself to think.
Line 4
He had acted upon a mad impulse; he knew that and did not argue with himself about it, or regret it.
Line 5
Some force stronger than anything he had hitherto known had compelled him to come to the decision.

Learner Dictionary

Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, audio, and collocations from this reading.

About preposition US /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading “He had acted upon a mad impulse; he knew that and did not argue with himself about it, or regret it.”

Anything pronoun US /ˈeniθɪŋ/

any thing at all

From this reading “Some force stronger than anything he had hitherto known had compelled him to come to the decision.”

Come noun US /come/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “Some force stronger than anything he had hitherto known had compelled him to come to the decision.”

Himself pronoun US /hɪmˈself/

used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object

From this reading “Instead, he drove straight back to his rooms in St. James' Street, and, getting comfortably into his pet chair, he steadily set himself to think.”

Impulse noun US /ˈɪmpʌls/

a sudden strong desire to act

From this reading “He had acted upon a mad impulse; he knew that and did not argue with himself about it, or regret it.”

Left noun US /left/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “Then Lord Tancred left the house in Park Lane he did not go on to the supper party at the Savoy he had promised to attend.”

Party noun US /party/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “Then Lord Tancred left the house in Park Lane he did not go on to the supper party at the Savoy he had promised to attend.”

Several noun US /ˈseveral/

a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage

From this reading “That sort of affair had bored him, now for several years.”

Think noun US /think/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “Instead, he drove straight back to his rooms in St. James' Street, and, getting comfortably into his pet chair, he steadily set himself to think.”

Upon preposition US /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading “He had acted upon a mad impulse; he knew that and did not argue with himself about it, or regret it.”

All words in this reading · 73

Every word is available to listen to. Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading He had acted upon a mad impulse; he knew that and did not argue with himself about it, or regret it.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading He had acted upon a mad impulse; he knew that and did not argue with himself about it, or regret it.

acted

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading He had acted upon a mad impulse; he knew that and did not argue with himself about it, or regret it.

affair

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading That sort of affair had bored him, now for several years.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading Instead, he drove straight back to his rooms in St. James' Street, and, getting comfortably into his pet chair, he steadily set himself to think.

anythingpronounUS /ˈeniθɪŋ/

any thing at all

From this reading Some force stronger than anything he had hitherto known had compelled him to come to the decision.

argue

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading He had acted upon a mad impulse; he knew that and did not argue with himself about it, or regret it.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Then Lord Tancred left the house in Park Lane he did not go on to the supper party at the Savoy he had promised to attend.

attend

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Then Lord Tancred left the house in Park Lane he did not go on to the supper party at the Savoy he had promised to attend.

back

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Instead, he drove straight back to his rooms in St. James' Street, and, getting comfortably into his pet chair, he steadily set himself to think.

bored

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading That sort of affair had bored him, now for several years.

chair

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Instead, he drove straight back to his rooms in St. James' Street, and, getting comfortably into his pet chair, he steadily set himself to think.

comenounUS /come/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading Some force stronger than anything he had hitherto known had compelled him to come to the decision.

comfortably

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Instead, he drove straight back to his rooms in St. James' Street, and, getting comfortably into his pet chair, he steadily set himself to think.

compelled

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Some force stronger than anything he had hitherto known had compelled him to come to the decision.

decision

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Some force stronger than anything he had hitherto known had compelled him to come to the decision.

didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading Then Lord Tancred left the house in Park Lane he did not go on to the supper party at the Savoy he had promised to attend.

drove

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Instead, he drove straight back to his rooms in St. James' Street, and, getting comfortably into his pet chair, he steadily set himself to think.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading That sort of affair had bored him, now for several years.

force

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Some force stronger than anything he had hitherto known had compelled him to come to the decision.

getting

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Instead, he drove straight back to his rooms in St. James' Street, and, getting comfortably into his pet chair, he steadily set himself to think.

go

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Then Lord Tancred left the house in Park Lane he did not go on to the supper party at the Savoy he had promised to attend.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading Then Lord Tancred left the house in Park Lane he did not go on to the supper party at the Savoy he had promised to attend.

hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Then Lord Tancred left the house in Park Lane he did not go on to the supper party at the Savoy he had promised to attend.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading That sort of affair had bored him, now for several years.

himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/

used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object

From this reading Instead, he drove straight back to his rooms in St. James' Street, and, getting comfortably into his pet chair, he steadily set himself to think.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading Instead, he drove straight back to his rooms in St. James' Street, and, getting comfortably into his pet chair, he steadily set himself to think.

hitherto

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Some force stronger than anything he had hitherto known had compelled him to come to the decision.

house

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Then Lord Tancred left the house in Park Lane he did not go on to the supper party at the Savoy he had promised to attend.

impulsenounUS /ˈɪmpʌls/

a sudden strong desire to act

From this reading He had acted upon a mad impulse; he knew that and did not argue with himself about it, or regret it.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading Then Lord Tancred left the house in Park Lane he did not go on to the supper party at the Savoy he had promised to attend.

Instead

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Instead, he drove straight back to his rooms in St. James' Street, and, getting comfortably into his pet chair, he steadily set himself to think.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading Instead, he drove straight back to his rooms in St. James' Street, and, getting comfortably into his pet chair, he steadily set himself to think.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading He had acted upon a mad impulse; he knew that and did not argue with himself about it, or regret it.

James

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Instead, he drove straight back to his rooms in St. James' Street, and, getting comfortably into his pet chair, he steadily set himself to think.

knew

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading He had acted upon a mad impulse; he knew that and did not argue with himself about it, or regret it.

known

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Some force stronger than anything he had hitherto known had compelled him to come to the decision.

Lane

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Then Lord Tancred left the house in Park Lane he did not go on to the supper party at the Savoy he had promised to attend.

leftnounUS /left/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading Then Lord Tancred left the house in Park Lane he did not go on to the supper party at the Savoy he had promised to attend.

Lord

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Then Lord Tancred left the house in Park Lane he did not go on to the supper party at the Savoy he had promised to attend.

mad

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading He had acted upon a mad impulse; he knew that and did not argue with himself about it, or regret it.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Then Lord Tancred left the house in Park Lane he did not go on to the supper party at the Savoy he had promised to attend.

now

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading That sort of affair had bored him, now for several years.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading That sort of affair had bored him, now for several years.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Then Lord Tancred left the house in Park Lane he did not go on to the supper party at the Savoy he had promised to attend.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading He had acted upon a mad impulse; he knew that and did not argue with himself about it, or regret it.

Park

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Then Lord Tancred left the house in Park Lane he did not go on to the supper party at the Savoy he had promised to attend.

partynounUS /party/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading Then Lord Tancred left the house in Park Lane he did not go on to the supper party at the Savoy he had promised to attend.

pet

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Instead, he drove straight back to his rooms in St. James' Street, and, getting comfortably into his pet chair, he steadily set himself to think.

promised

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Then Lord Tancred left the house in Park Lane he did not go on to the supper party at the Savoy he had promised to attend.

regret

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading He had acted upon a mad impulse; he knew that and did not argue with himself about it, or regret it.

rooms

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Instead, he drove straight back to his rooms in St. James' Street, and, getting comfortably into his pet chair, he steadily set himself to think.

Savoy

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Then Lord Tancred left the house in Park Lane he did not go on to the supper party at the Savoy he had promised to attend.

set

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Instead, he drove straight back to his rooms in St. James' Street, and, getting comfortably into his pet chair, he steadily set himself to think.

several

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading That sort of affair had bored him, now for several years.

Some

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Some force stronger than anything he had hitherto known had compelled him to come to the decision.

sort

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading That sort of affair had bored him, now for several years.

St

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Instead, he drove straight back to his rooms in St. James' Street, and, getting comfortably into his pet chair, he steadily set himself to think.

steadily

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Instead, he drove straight back to his rooms in St. James' Street, and, getting comfortably into his pet chair, he steadily set himself to think.

straight

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Instead, he drove straight back to his rooms in St. James' Street, and, getting comfortably into his pet chair, he steadily set himself to think.

Street

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Instead, he drove straight back to his rooms in St. James' Street, and, getting comfortably into his pet chair, he steadily set himself to think.

stronger

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Some force stronger than anything he had hitherto known had compelled him to come to the decision.

supper

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Then Lord Tancred left the house in Park Lane he did not go on to the supper party at the Savoy he had promised to attend.

Tancred

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Then Lord Tancred left the house in Park Lane he did not go on to the supper party at the Savoy he had promised to attend.

thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading Some force stronger than anything he had hitherto known had compelled him to come to the decision.

ThatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading That sort of affair had bored him, now for several years.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading Then Lord Tancred left the house in Park Lane he did not go on to the supper party at the Savoy he had promised to attend.

Then

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Then Lord Tancred left the house in Park Lane he did not go on to the supper party at the Savoy he had promised to attend.

thinknounUS /think/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading Instead, he drove straight back to his rooms in St. James' Street, and, getting comfortably into his pet chair, he steadily set himself to think.

toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading Then Lord Tancred left the house in Park Lane he did not go on to the supper party at the Savoy he had promised to attend.

uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading He had acted upon a mad impulse; he knew that and did not argue with himself about it, or regret it.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading He had acted upon a mad impulse; he knew that and did not argue with himself about it, or regret it.

years

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading That sort of affair had bored him, now for several years.