Pride and Prejudice
By Jane Austen
Adapted for English Learners by Mark Yager
Chapter 1
A Rich Young Man Arrives
Mrs. Bennet had five daughters, and she wanted all of them to marry wealthy men.
She often worried about their futures. In England at that time, marriage was one of the main ways for a young woman to have a comfortable and financially secure life. Mrs. Bennet believed that finding suitable husbands for her daughters was one of her most important responsibilities.
Her husband, Mr. Bennet, did not seem nearly as worried.
One morning, Mrs. Bennet heard some exciting news.
"My dear Mr. Bennet," she said, "have you heard that Netherfield Park has finally been rented?"
Mr. Bennet was sitting quietly and reading a book.
"No," he answered.
"Well, it has!" Mrs. Bennet said. "Mrs. Long told me everything."
Mr. Bennet continued reading.
"Don't you want to know who has rented it?" his wife asked.
"You clearly want to tell me," Mr. Bennet replied. "So please, continue."
Mrs. Bennet was too excited to notice his humor.
"His name is Mr. Bingley. He is a young man from the north of England, and he is very rich! He has an income of four or five thousand pounds a year. Isn't that wonderful?"
"Very wonderful. But why is this important to us?"
"Why?" Mrs. Bennet repeated in surprise. "Because he might marry one of our daughters!"
Mr. Bennet looked up from his book.
"Has he told you that he wants to marry one of them?"
"Of course not! He hasn't even met them yet. But he is young, rich, and unmarried. Naturally, he will want a wife."
"And you believe that wife should be one of our daughters?"
"Exactly!"
Mr. Bennet smiled a little.
"Then perhaps you should visit him."
"I cannot visit him first!" Mrs. Bennet cried. "You must go and meet him. Then we can invite him to our home, and he can meet our daughters."
"But why should I visit him? Our daughters are all very beautiful. I'm sure he will discover that without my help."
Mrs. Bennet shook her head.
"You don't understand how important this is! Think about Jane. She is so beautiful. Perhaps Mr. Bingley will fall in love with her."
"Yes, Jane is lovely," Mr. Bennet agreed. "But Elizabeth has something special. She is the cleverest of our daughters."
"Elizabeth!" Mrs. Bennet said. "I don't know why you always prefer Elizabeth. She is not as beautiful as Jane, and she is certainly not as gentle."
"Perhaps," Mr. Bennet answered. "But Elizabeth has a quick mind. I enjoy talking to her."
Mrs. Bennet sighed.
"You enjoy making me angry! You never think about my feelings."
"My dear," Mr. Bennet replied, "I have respected your feelings for more than twenty years. Surely I can continue."
Mrs. Bennet did not find this funny.
She thought about Mr. Bingley again. A wealthy young man was moving into their neighborhood. This was a wonderful opportunity for her family, but her husband seemed completely uninterested.
"Please promise me that you will visit him," she said.
"I make no promises," Mr. Bennet answered.
Mrs. Bennet stood up and walked toward the door.
"I don't know what will happen to our daughters if you refuse to help them!"
Mr. Bennet returned to his book.
He said nothing more, but there was a small smile on his face.
Mrs. Bennet did not know it yet, but her husband was already planning to visit Mr. Bingley.
And that visit would be the beginning of many changes for the Bennet family.
Reading Comprehension
Choose the best answer.
1. Why is Mrs. Bennet excited about Mr. Bingley?
A. He is a famous writer.
B. He is wealthy and unmarried.
C. He has invited the family to dinner.
2. Which daughter does Mr. Bennet consider the cleverest?
A. Jane
B. Elizabeth
C. Mary
3. What does Mrs. Bennet want her husband to do?
A. Visit Mr. Bingley
B. Buy Netherfield Park
C. Write a letter to Mrs. Long
4. What does Mrs. Bennet not know at the end of the chapter?
A. Mr. Bingley is rich.
B. Mr. Bennet is already planning to visit Mr. Bingley.
C. Elizabeth is Mr. Bennet's daughter.
5. Why does Mr. Bennet ask whether Mr. Bingley wants to marry one of his daughters?
A. He believes Mr. Bingley has already chosen a wife.
B. He wants to make a joke about his wife's excitement.
C. He does not want his daughters to marry.
6. What can we understand about Mr. and Mrs. Bennet's personalities?
A. They have exactly the same opinions.
B. Mrs. Bennet worries about marriage, while Mr. Bennet enjoys humor and teasing.
C. Neither of them cares about their daughters.
Think and Talk
Practice speaking or writing in complete sentences. Try to use vocabulary from the chapter.
Marriage and Money
How important is financial security when choosing someone to marry?
Would you prefer to marry someone wealthy or someone who shares your interests and values? Explain your answer.
Family and Personality
How are Mr. Bennet and Mrs. Bennet different?
Why do you think Mr. Bennet enjoys teasing his wife?
Do parents in your country often help their children find husbands or wives?
Your Predictions
What do you think will happen when Mr. Bingley meets the Bennet daughters?
Practice English with AI
Turn your reading into a real English conversation.
You can practice with ChatGPT or another AI conversation assistant. Copy the prompt below as well as the story text for AI reference and begin speaking or typing in English.
Your AI Conversation Prompt
I am learning English at the B1 intermediate level. I have just read Chapter 1, "A Rich Young Man Arrives," from an adapted version of Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.
Please act as my friendly English conversation tutor.
Follow these steps:
First, ask me to summarize what happened in the chapter in my own words.
Ask me questions about the characters and their personalities.
Help me practice these vocabulary words and expressions: wealthy, financially secure, responsibility, income, unmarried, naturally, discover, clever, prefer, and opportunity.
Ask me questions about marriage, family expectations, money, and my own experiences.
Encourage me to explain my opinions and give examples.
At the end, help me review what I learned.
Important instructions:
Ask only one question at a time.
Use natural English appropriate for B1 learners.
Wait for my answer before asking another question.
After each answer, briefly respond to what I said.
Correct important grammar or vocabulary mistakes gently, without interrupting the conversation too much.
Show me a more natural way to express my ideas when helpful.
Encourage me to use new vocabulary in my answers.
If I do not understand a question, explain it using simpler English.
At the end, give me feedback on my vocabulary, grammar, and fluency, along with three suggestions for improvement.
Chapter 1 Writing Challenge
Topic: What Makes a Good Marriage?
Write a short paragraph of 80–120 words.
Consider these questions:
Is money important in a marriage?
What personal qualities matter most?
Should parents help their children choose a husband or wife?
How might your opinions differ from Mrs. Bennet's?
Try to use at least five vocabulary words or expressions from this chapter.
When you finish, you can ask your AI tutor to review your paragraph and suggest improvements while keeping your original ideas.
Practice with a Language Exchange Partner
Connect English to Your Life
You have learned new vocabulary from Chapter 1. Now use that English to talk about your experiences, opinions, relationships, and future.
Your conversation partner does not need to read the story. You can practice these questions with AI before talking with a human language exchange partner.
Part 1: Family and Relationships
Vocabulary: responsibility, prefer, naturally
What responsibilities do parents have toward their children as they become adults? Do these responsibilities change over time?
When making an important life decision, do you prefer to ask your family for advice or decide independently? Why?
Some people naturally enjoy meeting new people, while others prefer spending time with close friends. Which describes you better?
Part 2: Money and Life Choices
Vocabulary: wealthy, financially secure, income
What does being financially secure mean to you? Do you think it is possible to feel financially secure without being wealthy?
If your income suddenly doubled, what would you change about your life? What would you keep the same?
When choosing a career, which is more important to you: earning a high income or doing work you enjoy? Why?
Part 3: Personality and Relationships
Vocabulary: clever, prefer, unmarried
What qualities do you prefer in your closest friends? Which qualities are most important in a husband or wife?
Do you think being clever is more important than being kind? Can you think of someone who has both qualities?
In your culture, do people feel pressure to get married by a certain age? How do people generally view adults who remain unmarried?
Part 4: Opportunities and Discoveries
Vocabulary: opportunity, discover
What is one important opportunity you have had in your life? How did it change your future?
Have you ever discovered something surprising about a person after getting to know them better?
What new opportunities do you hope learning English will create for you?