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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 The one thing she was bent upon was neither to think nor to feel these past days, weeks, and months, not to think or to feel at all closer than a year ago.
againnounUS /again/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading She could bring back, she could recompose, she could live again, though with much subtle difference, where she had lived before.
ago
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The one thing she was bent upon was neither to think nor to feel these past days, weeks, and months, not to think or to feel at all closer than a year ago.
all
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From this reading The one thing she was bent upon was neither to think nor to feel these past days, weeks, and months, not to think or to feel at all closer than a year ago.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading ESCAPE JOAN sat on the edge of her straw bed, with her arms around her knees and her eyes upon the blank wall.
arms
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From this reading ESCAPE JOAN sat on the edge of her straw bed, with her arms around her knees and her eyes upon the blank wall.
aroundprepositionUS /ərˈaʊnd/
surrounding, or on every side of, something
From this reading ESCAPE JOAN sat on the edge of her straw bed, with her arms around her knees and her eyes upon the blank wall.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading The one thing she was bent upon was neither to think nor to feel these past days, weeks, and months, not to think or to feel at all closer than a year ago.
back
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From this reading She could bring back, she could recompose, she could live again, though with much subtle difference, where she had lived before.
bed
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From this reading ESCAPE JOAN sat on the edge of her straw bed, with her arms around her knees and her eyes upon the blank wall.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading For something to do she had been plaiting straws, making braids of many strands and laying them beside her in squares and triangles and crosses.
beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/
earlier than; in front of
From this reading She could bring back, she could recompose, she could live again, though with much subtle difference, where she had lived before.
bent
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The one thing she was bent upon was neither to think nor to feel these past days, weeks, and months, not to think or to feel at all closer than a year ago.
besideprepositionUS /bɪˈsaɪd/
next to; at the side of
From this reading For something to do she had been plaiting straws, making braids of many strands and laying them beside her in squares and triangles and crosses.
blank
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From this reading ESCAPE JOAN sat on the edge of her straw bed, with her arms around her knees and her eyes upon the blank wall.
braids
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From this reading For something to do she had been plaiting straws, making braids of many strands and laying them beside her in squares and triangles and crosses.
bring
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From this reading She could bring back, she could recompose, she could live again, though with much subtle difference, where she had lived before.
closer
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From this reading The one thing she was bent upon was neither to think nor to feel these past days, weeks, and months, not to think or to feel at all closer than a year ago.
couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading She could bring back, she could recompose, she could live again, though with much subtle difference, where she had lived before.
crosses
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From this reading For something to do she had been plaiting straws, making braids of many strands and laying them beside her in squares and triangles and crosses.
days
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From this reading The one thing she was bent upon was neither to think nor to feel these past days, weeks, and months, not to think or to feel at all closer than a year ago.
determinedly
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From this reading That had palled, and now she was determinedly using the inner vision.
difference
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From this reading She could bring back, she could recompose, she could live again, though with much subtle difference, where she had lived before.
doauxiliary verbUS /duː/
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading For something to do she had been plaiting straws, making braids of many strands and laying them beside her in squares and triangles and crosses.
edge
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From this reading ESCAPE JOAN sat on the edge of her straw bed, with her arms around her knees and her eyes upon the blank wall.
ESCAPE
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From this reading ESCAPE JOAN sat on the edge of her straw bed, with her arms around her knees and her eyes upon the blank wall.
eyes
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From this reading ESCAPE JOAN sat on the edge of her straw bed, with her arms around her knees and her eyes upon the blank wall.
feel
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The one thing she was bent upon was neither to think nor to feel these past days, weeks, and months, not to think or to feel at all closer than a year ago.
ForprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading For something to do she had been plaiting straws, making braids of many strands and laying them beside her in squares and triangles and crosses.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading For something to do she had been plaiting straws, making braids of many strands and laying them beside her in squares and triangles and crosses.
herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading ESCAPE JOAN sat on the edge of her straw bed, with her arms around her knees and her eyes upon the blank wall.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading For something to do she had been plaiting straws, making braids of many strands and laying them beside her in squares and triangles and crosses.
inner
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From this reading That had palled, and now she was determinedly using the inner vision.
JOAN
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From this reading ESCAPE JOAN sat on the edge of her straw bed, with her arms around her knees and her eyes upon the blank wall.
knees
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From this reading ESCAPE JOAN sat on the edge of her straw bed, with her arms around her knees and her eyes upon the blank wall.
laying
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From this reading For something to do she had been plaiting straws, making braids of many strands and laying them beside her in squares and triangles and crosses.
live
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She could bring back, she could recompose, she could live again, though with much subtle difference, where she had lived before.
lived
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She could bring back, she could recompose, she could live again, though with much subtle difference, where she had lived before.
making
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading For something to do she had been plaiting straws, making braids of many strands and laying them beside her in squares and triangles and crosses.
many
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading For something to do she had been plaiting straws, making braids of many strands and laying them beside her in squares and triangles and crosses.
months
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The one thing she was bent upon was neither to think nor to feel these past days, weeks, and months, not to think or to feel at all closer than a year ago.
much
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She could bring back, she could recompose, she could live again, though with much subtle difference, where she had lived before.
neitherdeterminerUS /ˈniːðər/
not one and not the other of two
From this reading The one thing she was bent upon was neither to think nor to feel these past days, weeks, and months, not to think or to feel at all closer than a year ago.
norconjunctionUS /nɔːr/
and not; used after a negative to add a second negative
From this reading The one thing she was bent upon was neither to think nor to feel these past days, weeks, and months, not to think or to feel at all closer than a year ago.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading The one thing she was bent upon was neither to think nor to feel these past days, weeks, and months, not to think or to feel at all closer than a year ago.
now
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading That had palled, and now she was determinedly using the inner vision.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading ESCAPE JOAN sat on the edge of her straw bed, with her arms around her knees and her eyes upon the blank wall.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading ESCAPE JOAN sat on the edge of her straw bed, with her arms around her knees and her eyes upon the blank wall.
onepronounUS /wʌn/
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading The one thing she was bent upon was neither to think nor to feel these past days, weeks, and months, not to think or to feel at all closer than a year ago.
orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading The one thing she was bent upon was neither to think nor to feel these past days, weeks, and months, not to think or to feel at all closer than a year ago.
palled
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading That had palled, and now she was determinedly using the inner vision.
past
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The one thing she was bent upon was neither to think nor to feel these past days, weeks, and months, not to think or to feel at all closer than a year ago.
plaiting
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading For something to do she had been plaiting straws, making braids of many strands and laying them beside her in squares and triangles and crosses.
recompose
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She could bring back, she could recompose, she could live again, though with much subtle difference, where she had lived before.
sat
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ESCAPE JOAN sat on the edge of her straw bed, with her arms around her knees and her eyes upon the blank wall.
shepronounUS /ʃiː/
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading For something to do she had been plaiting straws, making braids of many strands and laying them beside her in squares and triangles and crosses.
somethingpronounUS /ˈsʌmθɪŋ/
a thing, without saying which
From this reading For something to do she had been plaiting straws, making braids of many strands and laying them beside her in squares and triangles and crosses.
squares
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading For something to do she had been plaiting straws, making braids of many strands and laying them beside her in squares and triangles and crosses.
strands
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading For something to do she had been plaiting straws, making braids of many strands and laying them beside her in squares and triangles and crosses.
straw
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ESCAPE JOAN sat on the edge of her straw bed, with her arms around her knees and her eyes upon the blank wall.
straws
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading For something to do she had been plaiting straws, making braids of many strands and laying them beside her in squares and triangles and crosses.
subtle
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She could bring back, she could recompose, she could live again, though with much subtle difference, where she had lived before.
thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading The one thing she was bent upon was neither to think nor to feel these past days, weeks, and months, not to think or to feel at all closer than a year ago.
ThatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading That had palled, and now she was determinedly using the inner vision.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading ESCAPE JOAN sat on the edge of her straw bed, with her arms around her knees and her eyes upon the blank wall.
thempronounUS /ðem/
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading For something to do she had been plaiting straws, making braids of many strands and laying them beside her in squares and triangles and crosses.
thesedeterminerUS /ðiːz/
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading The one thing she was bent upon was neither to think nor to feel these past days, weeks, and months, not to think or to feel at all closer than a year ago.
thingnounUS /thing/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The one thing she was bent upon was neither to think nor to feel these past days, weeks, and months, not to think or to feel at all closer than a year ago.
thinknounUS /think/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The one thing she was bent upon was neither to think nor to feel these past days, weeks, and months, not to think or to feel at all closer than a year ago.
thoughconjunctionUS /ðoʊ/
in spite of the fact that
From this reading She could bring back, she could recompose, she could live again, though with much subtle difference, where she had lived before.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading For something to do she had been plaiting straws, making braids of many strands and laying them beside her in squares and triangles and crosses.
triangles
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading For something to do she had been plaiting straws, making braids of many strands and laying them beside her in squares and triangles and crosses.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading ESCAPE JOAN sat on the edge of her straw bed, with her arms around her knees and her eyes upon the blank wall.
using
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading That had palled, and now she was determinedly using the inner vision.
vision
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading That had palled, and now she was determinedly using the inner vision.
wall
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ESCAPE JOAN sat on the edge of her straw bed, with her arms around her knees and her eyes upon the blank wall.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading That had palled, and now she was determinedly using the inner vision.
weeks
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The one thing she was bent upon was neither to think nor to feel these past days, weeks, and months, not to think or to feel at all closer than a year ago.
whereconjunctionUS /wer/
in or at the place that
From this reading She could bring back, she could recompose, she could live again, though with much subtle difference, where she had lived before.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading ESCAPE JOAN sat on the edge of her straw bed, with her arms around her knees and her eyes upon the blank wall.
year
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The one thing she was bent upon was neither to think nor to feel these past days, weeks, and months, not to think or to feel at all closer than a year ago.
