Episode notes
Have you fixed anything recently? Phil fixed his garden gate and Becca fixed her bike. Listen to Pippa and Neil talking about fixing problems and grammar guru Georgie explaining how to use 'itself', 'by itself', 'in itself' and other reflexive pronouns for emphasis. Read along with the transcript and practise using the worksheet: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/learning-english-grammar/260317 And try our most popular podcast series, 6 Minute English. Learn about the world and learn interesting vocabulary here:…
Learning English Grammar
by BBC Radio · English · Learning
Practise your English grammar with these short programmes. Each week we explore a new piece of grammar you need to improve your English. Hear how grammar is used in everyday situations, and test what you’ve learnt with games and quizzes. Find more at bbclearningenglish.com Follow us at…
More from Learning English Grammar
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29 Sep 2026 · 10 min
Stories from the past
Phil attended a party on a boat on the River Thames and Pippa had a student radio show while she was studying at university. Learn how to use different tenses to tell stories from the past. Have you signed up to our newsletter yet?! Get weekly tips and updates by signing up here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/send/u178220599 To practise what you've learnt in this episode, don't forget to try the free quiz, or read along with the transcript: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/learning-english-grammar/260310 Follow us on social media @bbclearningenglish
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22 Sep 2026 · 9 min
An interesting sight
George thought he was witnessing a crime and Phil thought a town in India was quiet until he came across an exciting festival. Neil and Pippa, and our grammar guru, Georgie teach you to use 'seem', 'it was as if' and 'it was as though' when you see something happening and you're not sure what's going on. Have you signed up to our email newsletter yet? If not, what are you waiting for?! Get weekly tips from your favourite presenters: https://www.bbc.co.uk/send/u178220599 Get a free worksheet for this episode here:…
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15 Sep 2026 · 6 min
Making suggestions
Do you know how to make suggestions in English? Learn how to use 'let's', 'might I suggest', 'got to' and the past continuous to make suggestions sound more polite. Listen to Neil and Becca make suggestions for a new programme, and Phil, Pippa and grammar guru Georgie walk you through the language. Get a free worksheet and transcript to help you get more from this episode: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/learning-english-grammar/260224 Get weekly updates and tips for improving your English here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/send/u178220599 And check out our new website…
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8 Sep 2026 · 8 min
Favourite things
Learn about adjective order and adjective phrases. An old, black guitar or a black, old guitar? Believe it or not, one sounds much more natural. We have some general rules about adjective order in a sentence. Learn about it with grammar guru Georgie and presenters Phil and Pippa. Find a transcript and worksheet at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/learning-english-grammar/260217 Want to boost your skills in English? Visit our skills page here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/skills Get our latest programmes. Subscribe to our free email newsletter…
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1 Sep 2026 · 10 min
Doing stressful things
What's more stressful? Learning to drive or learning a new language? Listen to Pippa and Phil talking about stressful things and grammar guru Georgie explaining how to make comparative and superlative sentences. As always, get your free worksheet, quiz and transcript for this episode here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/learning-english-grammar/260210 Sign up to our weekly newsletter! Your favourite presenters write you an email with tips and resources to help you improve your English: https://www.bbc.co.uk/send/u178220599 - also feel free to respond! We read…
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25 Aug 2026 · 7 min
What have you been up to?
Why has Phil been doing lots of washing this week? Neil and Beth tell us what they've been up to recently, and our grammar guru Georgie teaches us about the present perfect simple and present perfect continuous tenses. Find a full transcript for this episode and a worksheet: ✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/features/learning-english-grammar/260203 Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter to get weekly tips, podcasts and videos to help you learn: ✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/send/u178220599
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21 Aug 2026 · 7 min
Using services
Sometimes we need people to do things for us. Beth and Neil talk about mechanics, hairdressers, doctors and opticians and grammar guru Georgie explains the causative. TRANSCRIPT AND WORKSHEET: Find a full transcript for this episode and a worksheet ✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/features/learning-english-grammar/260127 BEATING SPEAKING ANXIETY: ✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/beating_speaking_anxiety FIND BBC LEARNING ENGLISH HERE: Visit our website ✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish Follow us ✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/followus LIKE…
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18 Aug 2026 · 8 min
Film genres
What kinds of films do you like? Neil and Beth talk about film genres and grammar guru Georgie explains the quantifiers, 'both', 'every', 'all', 'most', 'all' and 'any'. TRANSCRIPT AND WORKSHEET: Find a full transcript for this episode and a worksheet ✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/features/learning-english-grammar/260120 BEATING SPEAKING ANXIETY: ✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/beating_speaking_anxiety FIND BBC LEARNING ENGLISH HERE: Visit our website ✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish Follow us ✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/followus LIKE…
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11 Aug 2026 · 8 min
First dates
Was Pippa's date with her friend a success? Neil and Beth talk about dates and teach some phrasal verbs like 'get on', 'hit it off' and 'settle down', with grammar guru Georgie. TRANSCRIPT AND WORKSHEET: Find a full transcript for this episode and a worksheet ✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/features/learning-english-grammar/260113 THE READING ROOM: ✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/features/the_reading_room FIND BBC LEARNING ENGLISH HERE: Visit our website ✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish Follow us ✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/followus LIKE PODCASTS? Try…
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4 Aug 2026 · 9 min
A stolen guitar
What possession was stolen from Neil, and who stole it? Neil and Pippa talk about crime, and Beth and Phil discuss the passive, e.g. 'was stolen', with our grammar guru Georgie. TRANSCRIPT AND WORKSHEET: Find a full transcript for this episode and a worksheet ✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/features/learning-english-grammar/260106 Practise your reading, listening, speaking and writing skills here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/skills And don't forget to sign up to our free weekly newsletter! Hear from your favourite presenters and get our best learning tips to…
