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 The sultan was silent for a moment: then he asked, ‘Where were you when the bird came?’
all
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And the youth answered, ‘The dates have all been eaten by some bird: there is not one left.’
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Then he went straight to his father, and found him sitting in his verandah with his five sons round him; and the lad bowed his head.
answerednounUS /ˈanswered/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading And the youth answered, ‘The dates have all been eaten by some bird: there is not one left.’
askednounUS /asked/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The sultan was silent for a moment: then he asked, ‘Where were you when the bird came?’
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading And the youth answered, ‘The dates have all been eaten by some bird: there is not one left.’
bird
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And the youth answered, ‘The dates have all been eaten by some bird: there is not one left.’
bowed
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From this reading Then he went straight to his father, and found him sitting in his verandah with his five sons round him; and the lad bowed his head.
byprepositionUS /baɪ/
showing who or what does the action
From this reading And the youth answered, ‘The dates have all been eaten by some bird: there is not one left.’
came
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The sultan was silent for a moment: then he asked, ‘Where were you when the bird came?’
cocks
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The lad answered: ‘I watched the date tree till the cocks were crowing and it was getting light; then I lay down for a little, and I slept.
crowing
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The lad answered: ‘I watched the date tree till the cocks were crowing and it was getting light; then I lay down for a little, and I slept.
date
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The lad answered: ‘I watched the date tree till the cocks were crowing and it was getting light; then I lay down for a little, and I slept.
dates
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And the youth answered, ‘The dates have all been eaten by some bird: there is not one left.’
down
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The lad answered: ‘I watched the date tree till the cocks were crowing and it was getting light; then I lay down for a little, and I slept.
eaten
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And the youth answered, ‘The dates have all been eaten by some bird: there is not one left.’
father
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then he went straight to his father, and found him sitting in his verandah with his five sons round him; and the lad bowed his head.
five
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then he went straight to his father, and found him sitting in his verandah with his five sons round him; and the lad bowed his head.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading The sultan was silent for a moment: then he asked, ‘Where were you when the bird came?’
foundnounUS /found/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Then he went straight to his father, and found him sitting in his verandah with his five sons round him; and the lad bowed his head.
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading ‘Give me the news from the garden,’ said the sultan.
garden
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ‘Give me the news from the garden,’ said the sultan.
getting
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The lad answered: ‘I watched the date tree till the cocks were crowing and it was getting light; then I lay down for a little, and I slept.
Give
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ‘Give me the news from the garden,’ said the sultan.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading And the youth answered, ‘The dates have all been eaten by some bird: there is not one left.’
hepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Then he went straight to his father, and found him sitting in his verandah with his five sons round him; and the lad bowed his head.
head
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then he went straight to his father, and found him sitting in his verandah with his five sons round him; and the lad bowed his head.
himpronounUS /hɪm/
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Then he went straight to his father, and found him sitting in his verandah with his five sons round him; and the lad bowed his head.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Then he went straight to his father, and found him sitting in his verandah with his five sons round him; and the lad bowed his head.
IpronounUS /aɪ/
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading The lad answered: ‘I watched the date tree till the cocks were crowing and it was getting light; then I lay down for a little, and I slept.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Then he went straight to his father, and found him sitting in his verandah with his five sons round him; and the lad bowed his head.
isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading And the youth answered, ‘The dates have all been eaten by some bird: there is not one left.’
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading The lad answered: ‘I watched the date tree till the cocks were crowing and it was getting light; then I lay down for a little, and I slept.
lad
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then he went straight to his father, and found him sitting in his verandah with his five sons round him; and the lad bowed his head.
lay
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The lad answered: ‘I watched the date tree till the cocks were crowing and it was getting light; then I lay down for a little, and I slept.
leftnounUS /left/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading And the youth answered, ‘The dates have all been eaten by some bird: there is not one left.’
light
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The lad answered: ‘I watched the date tree till the cocks were crowing and it was getting light; then I lay down for a little, and I slept.
littlenounUS /little/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The lad answered: ‘I watched the date tree till the cocks were crowing and it was getting light; then I lay down for a little, and I slept.
mepronounUS /miː/
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading ‘Give me the news from the garden,’ said the sultan.
moment
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The sultan was silent for a moment: then he asked, ‘Where were you when the bird came?’
news
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ‘Give me the news from the garden,’ said the sultan.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading And the youth answered, ‘The dates have all been eaten by some bird: there is not one left.’
onepronounUS /wʌn/
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading And the youth answered, ‘The dates have all been eaten by some bird: there is not one left.’
round
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then he went straight to his father, and found him sitting in his verandah with his five sons round him; and the lad bowed his head.
said
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ‘Give me the news from the garden,’ said the sultan.
silent
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The sultan was silent for a moment: then he asked, ‘Where were you when the bird came?’
sitting
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then he went straight to his father, and found him sitting in his verandah with his five sons round him; and the lad bowed his head.
slept
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The lad answered: ‘I watched the date tree till the cocks were crowing and it was getting light; then I lay down for a little, and I slept.
some
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And the youth answered, ‘The dates have all been eaten by some bird: there is not one left.’
sons
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then he went straight to his father, and found him sitting in his verandah with his five sons round him; and the lad bowed his head.
straight
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then he went straight to his father, and found him sitting in his verandah with his five sons round him; and the lad bowed his head.
sultannounUS /ˈsʌl.tən/
A noble monarch or supreme sovereign ruler of an Islamic country or empire.
From this reading ‘Give me the news from the garden,’ said the sultan.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Then he went straight to his father, and found him sitting in his verandah with his five sons round him; and the lad bowed his head.
Then
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then he went straight to his father, and found him sitting in his verandah with his five sons round him; and the lad bowed his head.
there
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And the youth answered, ‘The dates have all been eaten by some bird: there is not one left.’
tillprepositionUS /tɪl/
up to a particular time
From this reading The lad answered: ‘I watched the date tree till the cocks were crowing and it was getting light; then I lay down for a little, and I slept.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Then he went straight to his father, and found him sitting in his verandah with his five sons round him; and the lad bowed his head.
tree
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The lad answered: ‘I watched the date tree till the cocks were crowing and it was getting light; then I lay down for a little, and I slept.
verandah
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then he went straight to his father, and found him sitting in his verandah with his five sons round him; and the lad bowed his head.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The sultan was silent for a moment: then he asked, ‘Where were you when the bird came?’
watched
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The lad answered: ‘I watched the date tree till the cocks were crowing and it was getting light; then I lay down for a little, and I slept.
wentnounUS /went/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Then he went straight to his father, and found him sitting in his verandah with his five sons round him; and the lad bowed his head.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The sultan was silent for a moment: then he asked, ‘Where were you when the bird came?’
whenconjunctionUS /wen/
at the time that
From this reading The sultan was silent for a moment: then he asked, ‘Where were you when the bird came?’
WhereconjunctionUS /wer/
in or at the place that
From this reading The sultan was silent for a moment: then he asked, ‘Where were you when the bird came?’
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading Then he went straight to his father, and found him sitting in his verandah with his five sons round him; and the lad bowed his head.
youpronounUS /juː/
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading The sultan was silent for a moment: then he asked, ‘Where were you when the bird came?’
youth
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And the youth answered, ‘The dates have all been eaten by some bird: there is not one left.’
