The Time Machine
by H. G. Wells
- English
- Medium level
- 2 h 42 min to read
- Science fiction
- Classics
About The Time Machine
The Time Machine by H. G. Wells is a medium read in English (science fiction, classics). It takes about 2 h 42 min at 200 words per minute, a comfortable pace for language learners. The book is in the public domain and comes from Project Gutenberg.
When you open it, the text is downloaded once and saved in your browser, so you can keep reading offline and your progress stays on your device.
Main characters in The Time Machine
A scientist known as the Time Traveller builds a machine and travels to the year 802,701. There he finds the gentle Eloi living above ground and the sinister Morlocks living below, and he has to fight to get his machine back and return home.
The Time Traveller
The inventor who builds the machine and tells the story to his dinner guests.
Weena
A young Eloi woman whom the Time Traveller rescues and who becomes his companion.
The Eloi
The small, gentle, carefree people of the future who live on the surface.
The Morlocks
Pale, ape-like creatures who live underground and prey on the Eloi.
The narrator
One of the Time Traveller's guests, who retells the account.
Questions about The Time Machine
- How many words are in The Time Machine?
- The Time Machine by H. G. Wells has about 32,000 words. At 200 words per minute, a comfortable pace for language learners, it takes about 2 h 42 min to read.
- Who are the main characters in The Time Machine?
- The main characters are The Time Traveller, Weena, The Eloi, The Morlocks and The narrator.
- Can I read The Time Machine for free?
- Yes. The Time Machine is in the public domain, and you can read it free in English on PolyglotReader with inline translation, word lookup and audio.
The Time Machine is more than a book: it is a language-learning tool
Most people learn a language from lessons and word lists that have nothing to do with what they enjoy. Here you learn from a real story. You read The Time Machine in English, and every step that helps you understand and remember it is one tap away. The words you meet in the book are the words you practise.
- Read
- Look up
- Listen
- Save
- Practise
- Inline translation
Stay in the original text and check the meaning only when you need to.
- Word lookup
A dictionary entry gives you ten meanings. A contextual lookup gives you the one that fits.
- Audio narration
Hear how the text sounds while your eyes follow the words.
- B1 simplification
Read the book you want now, at a level you can follow, and move up to the original later.
- Flashcards
Practise the words you actually met, in the books you actually chose.
- Word games
Test yourself on the exact sentences you just read.
- My Dictionary
One searchable list of every word you chose to keep, with the meaning you picked.
- Daily goal
A small target you meet every day beats a long session you never get round to.
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Play word games with The Time Machine
Reading shows you the words, games make you use them. Press Play in the reading toolbar and PolyglotReader builds short games from the English page you are on, so you practise the vocabulary of The Time Machine itself.
Fill the blanks
One word is hidden in a sentence from the page. Pick the right one from four choices.
Type the word
Type the hidden word. The first letter is shown, and Say it lets you hear the word.
Unscramble
The words of a sentence are shuffled. Tap them back into the right order.
Games are made in your browser from the book text, with points, streaks and stars. How the word games work
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