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Tom Ossington's Ghost
Tom Ossington's Ghost

Chapter V

Cover illustration for Tom Ossington's Ghost
Context Illustration Reading 1/20 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
A REPRESENTATIVE OF LAW AND ORDER The next morning, information was given to a passing policeman of the events of the night, and in the course of the day an officer came round from the local station to learn particulars.
Madge received him in solitary state; she had refused Ella's offer to stop away from business to keep her company, declaring that for that day, at any rate, she would be safe from undesirable intruders.
The officer was a plain-clothes man, middle-aged, imperfectly educated, with the stolid, matter-of-fact, rather stupid-looking countenance which one is apt to find an attribute of the detective of fact, rather than fiction.
"You say you didn't see him?"
"I saw the back of him."
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Tom Ossington's Ghost

Chapter V

Reading 1/20 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
A REPRESENTATIVE OF LAW AND ORDER The next morning, information was given to a passing policeman of the events of the night, and in the course of the day an officer came round from the local station to learn particulars.
Line 2
Madge received him in solitary state; she had refused Ella's offer to stop away from business to keep her company, declaring that for that day, at any rate, she would be safe from undesirable intruders.
Line 3
The officer was a plain-clothes man, middle-aged, imperfectly educated, with the stolid, matter-of-fact, rather stupid-looking countenance which one is apt to find an attribute of the detective of fact, rather than fiction.
Line 4
"You say you didn't see him?"
Line 5
"I saw the back of him."

Learner Dictionary

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

Course noun US /course/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “A REPRESENTATIVE OF LAW AND ORDER The next morning, information was given to a passing policeman of the events of the night, and in the course of the day an officer came round from the local station to learn particulars.”

Morning noun US /morning/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “A REPRESENTATIVE OF LAW AND ORDER The next morning, information was given to a passing policeman of the events of the night, and in the course of the day an officer came round from the local station to learn particulars.”

Next noun US /next/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “A REPRESENTATIVE OF LAW AND ORDER The next morning, information was given to a passing policeman of the events of the night, and in the course of the day an officer came round from the local station to learn particulars.”

One pronoun US /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading “The officer was a plain-clothes man, middle-aged, imperfectly educated, with the stolid, matter-of-fact, rather stupid-looking countenance which one is apt to find an attribute of the detective of fact, rather than fiction.”

ORDER noun US /order/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “A REPRESENTATIVE OF LAW AND ORDER The next morning, information was given to a passing policeman of the events of the night, and in the course of the day an officer came round from the local station to learn particulars.”

Would modal verb US /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading “Madge received him in solitary state; she had refused Ella's offer to stop away from business to keep her company, declaring that for that day, at any rate, she would be safe from undesirable intruders.”

All words in this reading · 84

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 A REPRESENTATIVE OF LAW AND ORDER The next morning, information was given to a passing policeman of the events of the night, and in the course of the day an officer came round from the local station to learn particulars.

andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading A REPRESENTATIVE OF LAW AND ORDER The next morning, information was given to a passing policeman of the events of the night, and in the course of the day an officer came round from the local station to learn particulars.

ANDconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading A REPRESENTATIVE OF LAW AND ORDER The next morning, information was given to a passing policeman of the events of the night, and in the course of the day an officer came round from the local station to learn particulars.

any

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

From this reading Madge received him in solitary state; she had refused Ella's offer to stop away from business to keep her company, declaring that for that day, at any rate, she would be safe from undesirable intruders.

apt

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

From this reading The officer was a plain-clothes man, middle-aged, imperfectly educated, with the stolid, matter-of-fact, rather stupid-looking countenance which one is apt to find an attribute of the detective of fact, rather than fiction.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Madge received him in solitary state; she had refused Ella's offer to stop away from business to keep her company, declaring that for that day, at any rate, she would be safe from undesirable intruders.

attribute

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

From this reading The officer was a plain-clothes man, middle-aged, imperfectly educated, with the stolid, matter-of-fact, rather stupid-looking countenance which one is apt to find an attribute of the detective of fact, rather than fiction.

away

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

From this reading Madge received him in solitary state; she had refused Ella's offer to stop away from business to keep her company, declaring that for that day, at any rate, she would be safe from undesirable intruders.

back

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

From this reading "I saw the back of him."

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading Madge received him in solitary state; she had refused Ella's offer to stop away from business to keep her company, declaring that for that day, at any rate, she would be safe from undesirable intruders.

business

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

From this reading Madge received him in solitary state; she had refused Ella's offer to stop away from business to keep her company, declaring that for that day, at any rate, she would be safe from undesirable intruders.

came

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

From this reading A REPRESENTATIVE OF LAW AND ORDER The next morning, information was given to a passing policeman of the events of the night, and in the course of the day an officer came round from the local station to learn particulars.

company

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

From this reading Madge received him in solitary state; she had refused Ella's offer to stop away from business to keep her company, declaring that for that day, at any rate, she would be safe from undesirable intruders.

countenance

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

From this reading The officer was a plain-clothes man, middle-aged, imperfectly educated, with the stolid, matter-of-fact, rather stupid-looking countenance which one is apt to find an attribute of the detective of fact, rather than fiction.

coursenounUS /course/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading A REPRESENTATIVE OF LAW AND ORDER The next morning, information was given to a passing policeman of the events of the night, and in the course of the day an officer came round from the local station to learn particulars.

day

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

From this reading A REPRESENTATIVE OF LAW AND ORDER The next morning, information was given to a passing policeman of the events of the night, and in the course of the day an officer came round from the local station to learn particulars.

declaring

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

From this reading Madge received him in solitary state; she had refused Ella's offer to stop away from business to keep her company, declaring that for that day, at any rate, she would be safe from undesirable intruders.

detective

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

From this reading The officer was a plain-clothes man, middle-aged, imperfectly educated, with the stolid, matter-of-fact, rather stupid-looking countenance which one is apt to find an attribute of the detective of fact, rather than fiction.

didn't

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

From this reading "You say you didn't see him?"

educated

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

From this reading The officer was a plain-clothes man, middle-aged, imperfectly educated, with the stolid, matter-of-fact, rather stupid-looking countenance which one is apt to find an attribute of the detective of fact, rather than fiction.

Ella's

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

From this reading Madge received him in solitary state; she had refused Ella's offer to stop away from business to keep her company, declaring that for that day, at any rate, she would be safe from undesirable intruders.

events

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

From this reading A REPRESENTATIVE OF LAW AND ORDER The next morning, information was given to a passing policeman of the events of the night, and in the course of the day an officer came round from the local station to learn particulars.

fact

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

From this reading The officer was a plain-clothes man, middle-aged, imperfectly educated, with the stolid, matter-of-fact, rather stupid-looking countenance which one is apt to find an attribute of the detective of fact, rather than fiction.

fiction

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

From this reading The officer was a plain-clothes man, middle-aged, imperfectly educated, with the stolid, matter-of-fact, rather stupid-looking countenance which one is apt to find an attribute of the detective of fact, rather than fiction.

find

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

From this reading The officer was a plain-clothes man, middle-aged, imperfectly educated, with the stolid, matter-of-fact, rather stupid-looking countenance which one is apt to find an attribute of the detective of fact, rather than fiction.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading Madge received him in solitary state; she had refused Ella's offer to stop away from business to keep her company, declaring that for that day, at any rate, she would be safe from undesirable intruders.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading A REPRESENTATIVE OF LAW AND ORDER The next morning, information was given to a passing policeman of the events of the night, and in the course of the day an officer came round from the local station to learn particulars.

given

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

From this reading A REPRESENTATIVE OF LAW AND ORDER The next morning, information was given to a passing policeman of the events of the night, and in the course of the day an officer came round from the local station to learn particulars.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading Madge received him in solitary state; she had refused Ella's offer to stop away from business to keep her company, declaring that for that day, at any rate, she would be safe from undesirable intruders.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading Madge received him in solitary state; she had refused Ella's offer to stop away from business to keep her company, declaring that for that day, at any rate, she would be safe from undesirable intruders.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading Madge received him in solitary state; she had refused Ella's offer to stop away from business to keep her company, declaring that for that day, at any rate, she would be safe from undesirable intruders.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading "I saw the back of him."

imperfectly

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

From this reading The officer was a plain-clothes man, middle-aged, imperfectly educated, with the stolid, matter-of-fact, rather stupid-looking countenance which one is apt to find an attribute of the detective of fact, rather than fiction.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading A REPRESENTATIVE OF LAW AND ORDER The next morning, information was given to a passing policeman of the events of the night, and in the course of the day an officer came round from the local station to learn particulars.

information

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

From this reading A REPRESENTATIVE OF LAW AND ORDER The next morning, information was given to a passing policeman of the events of the night, and in the course of the day an officer came round from the local station to learn particulars.

intruders

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

From this reading Madge received him in solitary state; she had refused Ella's offer to stop away from business to keep her company, declaring that for that day, at any rate, she would be safe from undesirable intruders.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading The officer was a plain-clothes man, middle-aged, imperfectly educated, with the stolid, matter-of-fact, rather stupid-looking countenance which one is apt to find an attribute of the detective of fact, rather than fiction.

keep

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

From this reading Madge received him in solitary state; she had refused Ella's offer to stop away from business to keep her company, declaring that for that day, at any rate, she would be safe from undesirable intruders.

LAW

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

From this reading A REPRESENTATIVE OF LAW AND ORDER The next morning, information was given to a passing policeman of the events of the night, and in the course of the day an officer came round from the local station to learn particulars.

learn

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

From this reading A REPRESENTATIVE OF LAW AND ORDER The next morning, information was given to a passing policeman of the events of the night, and in the course of the day an officer came round from the local station to learn particulars.

local

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

From this reading A REPRESENTATIVE OF LAW AND ORDER The next morning, information was given to a passing policeman of the events of the night, and in the course of the day an officer came round from the local station to learn particulars.

Madge

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

From this reading Madge received him in solitary state; she had refused Ella's offer to stop away from business to keep her company, declaring that for that day, at any rate, she would be safe from undesirable intruders.

man

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

From this reading The officer was a plain-clothes man, middle-aged, imperfectly educated, with the stolid, matter-of-fact, rather stupid-looking countenance which one is apt to find an attribute of the detective of fact, rather than fiction.

matter-of-fact

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

From this reading The officer was a plain-clothes man, middle-aged, imperfectly educated, with the stolid, matter-of-fact, rather stupid-looking countenance which one is apt to find an attribute of the detective of fact, rather than fiction.

middle-aged

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

From this reading The officer was a plain-clothes man, middle-aged, imperfectly educated, with the stolid, matter-of-fact, rather stupid-looking countenance which one is apt to find an attribute of the detective of fact, rather than fiction.

morningnounUS /morning/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading A REPRESENTATIVE OF LAW AND ORDER The next morning, information was given to a passing policeman of the events of the night, and in the course of the day an officer came round from the local station to learn particulars.

nextnounUS /next/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading A REPRESENTATIVE OF LAW AND ORDER The next morning, information was given to a passing policeman of the events of the night, and in the course of the day an officer came round from the local station to learn particulars.

night

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

From this reading A REPRESENTATIVE OF LAW AND ORDER The next morning, information was given to a passing policeman of the events of the night, and in the course of the day an officer came round from the local station to learn particulars.

OFprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading A REPRESENTATIVE OF LAW AND ORDER The next morning, information was given to a passing policeman of the events of the night, and in the course of the day an officer came round from the local station to learn particulars.

offer

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

From this reading Madge received him in solitary state; she had refused Ella's offer to stop away from business to keep her company, declaring that for that day, at any rate, she would be safe from undesirable intruders.

officer

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

From this reading A REPRESENTATIVE OF LAW AND ORDER The next morning, information was given to a passing policeman of the events of the night, and in the course of the day an officer came round from the local station to learn particulars.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading The officer was a plain-clothes man, middle-aged, imperfectly educated, with the stolid, matter-of-fact, rather stupid-looking countenance which one is apt to find an attribute of the detective of fact, rather than fiction.

ORDERnounUS /order/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading A REPRESENTATIVE OF LAW AND ORDER The next morning, information was given to a passing policeman of the events of the night, and in the course of the day an officer came round from the local station to learn particulars.

particulars

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

From this reading A REPRESENTATIVE OF LAW AND ORDER The next morning, information was given to a passing policeman of the events of the night, and in the course of the day an officer came round from the local station to learn particulars.

passing

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

From this reading A REPRESENTATIVE OF LAW AND ORDER The next morning, information was given to a passing policeman of the events of the night, and in the course of the day an officer came round from the local station to learn particulars.

plain-clothes

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

From this reading The officer was a plain-clothes man, middle-aged, imperfectly educated, with the stolid, matter-of-fact, rather stupid-looking countenance which one is apt to find an attribute of the detective of fact, rather than fiction.

policeman

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

From this reading A REPRESENTATIVE OF LAW AND ORDER The next morning, information was given to a passing policeman of the events of the night, and in the course of the day an officer came round from the local station to learn particulars.

rate

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

From this reading Madge received him in solitary state; she had refused Ella's offer to stop away from business to keep her company, declaring that for that day, at any rate, she would be safe from undesirable intruders.

rather

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

From this reading The officer was a plain-clothes man, middle-aged, imperfectly educated, with the stolid, matter-of-fact, rather stupid-looking countenance which one is apt to find an attribute of the detective of fact, rather than fiction.

received

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

From this reading Madge received him in solitary state; she had refused Ella's offer to stop away from business to keep her company, declaring that for that day, at any rate, she would be safe from undesirable intruders.

refused

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

From this reading Madge received him in solitary state; she had refused Ella's offer to stop away from business to keep her company, declaring that for that day, at any rate, she would be safe from undesirable intruders.

REPRESENTATIVE

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

From this reading A REPRESENTATIVE OF LAW AND ORDER The next morning, information was given to a passing policeman of the events of the night, and in the course of the day an officer came round from the local station to learn particulars.

round

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

From this reading A REPRESENTATIVE OF LAW AND ORDER The next morning, information was given to a passing policeman of the events of the night, and in the course of the day an officer came round from the local station to learn particulars.

safe

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

From this reading Madge received him in solitary state; she had refused Ella's offer to stop away from business to keep her company, declaring that for that day, at any rate, she would be safe from undesirable intruders.

saw

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

From this reading "I saw the back of him."

say

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

From this reading "You say you didn't see him?"

see

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

From this reading "You say you didn't see him?"

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Madge received him in solitary state; she had refused Ella's offer to stop away from business to keep her company, declaring that for that day, at any rate, she would be safe from undesirable intruders.

solitary

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

From this reading Madge received him in solitary state; she had refused Ella's offer to stop away from business to keep her company, declaring that for that day, at any rate, she would be safe from undesirable intruders.

state

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

From this reading Madge received him in solitary state; she had refused Ella's offer to stop away from business to keep her company, declaring that for that day, at any rate, she would be safe from undesirable intruders.

station

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

From this reading A REPRESENTATIVE OF LAW AND ORDER The next morning, information was given to a passing policeman of the events of the night, and in the course of the day an officer came round from the local station to learn particulars.

stolid

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

From this reading The officer was a plain-clothes man, middle-aged, imperfectly educated, with the stolid, matter-of-fact, rather stupid-looking countenance which one is apt to find an attribute of the detective of fact, rather than fiction.

stop

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

From this reading Madge received him in solitary state; she had refused Ella's offer to stop away from business to keep her company, declaring that for that day, at any rate, she would be safe from undesirable intruders.

stupid-looking

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

From this reading The officer was a plain-clothes man, middle-aged, imperfectly educated, with the stolid, matter-of-fact, rather stupid-looking countenance which one is apt to find an attribute of the detective of fact, rather than fiction.

thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading The officer was a plain-clothes man, middle-aged, imperfectly educated, with the stolid, matter-of-fact, rather stupid-looking countenance which one is apt to find an attribute of the detective of fact, rather than fiction.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Madge received him in solitary state; she had refused Ella's offer to stop away from business to keep her company, declaring that for that day, at any rate, she would be safe from undesirable intruders.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading A REPRESENTATIVE OF LAW AND ORDER The next morning, information was given to a passing policeman of the events of the night, and in the course of the day an officer came round from the local station to learn particulars.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading A REPRESENTATIVE OF LAW AND ORDER The next morning, information was given to a passing policeman of the events of the night, and in the course of the day an officer came round from the local station to learn particulars.

undesirable

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

From this reading Madge received him in solitary state; she had refused Ella's offer to stop away from business to keep her company, declaring that for that day, at any rate, she would be safe from undesirable intruders.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading A REPRESENTATIVE OF LAW AND ORDER The next morning, information was given to a passing policeman of the events of the night, and in the course of the day an officer came round from the local station to learn particulars.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading The officer was a plain-clothes man, middle-aged, imperfectly educated, with the stolid, matter-of-fact, rather stupid-looking countenance which one is apt to find an attribute of the detective of fact, rather than fiction.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading The officer was a plain-clothes man, middle-aged, imperfectly educated, with the stolid, matter-of-fact, rather stupid-looking countenance which one is apt to find an attribute of the detective of fact, rather than fiction.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading Madge received him in solitary state; she had refused Ella's offer to stop away from business to keep her company, declaring that for that day, at any rate, she would be safe from undesirable intruders.

YoupronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "You say you didn't see him?"