Episode notes
How to give advice using the verb 'try'. Grammar guru Georgie explains. Find a free worksheet, quiz, transcript and a summary for this episode: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/learning-english-grammar/251118 Got exams coming up? Try our skills page, including reading and listening exercises with exam-style questions: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/skills And if you haven't signed up for our newsletter yet, what are you waiting for? https://www.bbc.co.uk/send/u178220599
Podcast
Learning English Grammar
BBC Radio · Learning · English
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…
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21 Jul 2026 · 9 min
Highs and lows
What's the most unusual food you've ever eaten? Or the furthest you've travelled in one day? Beth and Phil answer questions like this and our grammar guru explains how to form and use superlatives. Test yourself with the worksheet on our website and find a full transcript. https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/features/learning-english-grammar/251223 Get our latest programmes. Subscribe to our free email newsletter. https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/newsletters
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14 Jul 2026 · 8 min
Holiday habits
Are you the kind of person who plans a trip last minute? Or do you prefer to build a spreadsheet months in advance? Pippa and Phil talk about what they tend to do when they're planning a trip, and our grammar guru Georgie explains how to use the phrase 'tend to' and modal verbs 'will' and 'might' to talk about usual behaviour. Find a worksheet to test yourself and the transcript of this episode on our website. https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/features/learning-english-grammar/251216 Get our latest programmes. Subscribe to our free email newsletter.…
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7 Jul 2026 · 7 min
Gossip
What language can you use when you're gossiping? Pippa and Phil talk about some office gossip, and our grammar guru Georgie explains language we can use when we're speculating about something which may or may not be true. Learn about reported speech, and how to use 'may' or 'might' to speculate. TRANSCRIPT AND WORKSHEET: Find a full transcript for this episode and a worksheet ✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/features/learning-english-grammar/251209 THE READING ROOM: ✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/features/the_reading_room FIND BBC LEARNING ENGLISH HERE: Visit our website ✔️…
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30 Jun 2026 · 9 min
Learning to cook
What did you know how to cook before you learnt properly? Maybe it was a simple cake, or you could boil an egg and put bread in a toaster! Pippa and Phil talk about how they learnt to cook, and our grammar guru Georgie explains how to use adverbs like 'finally', 'previously' and 'once before' with the past perfect tense. TRANSCRIPT AND WORKSHEET: Find a full transcript for this episode and a worksheet ✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/features/learning-english-grammar/251202 THE Reading ROOM: ✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/features/the_reading_room FIND BBC LEARNING ENGLISH…
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23 Jun 2026 · 8 min
Secrets and surprise
What language can you use when you notice or see something suspicious? Pippa and Phil talk about surprises they've had in their life, and our grammar guru Georgie explains language we can use when we're curious about what's happening. TRANSCRIPT AND WORKSHEET: Find a full transcript for this episode and a worksheet ✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/features/learning-english-grammar/251125 THE LISTENING ROOM: ✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/features/the_listening_room FIND BBC LEARNING ENGLISH HERE: Visit our website ✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish Follow us ✔️…
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9 Jun 2026 · 8 min
Emotions
What does it mean to be on the verge of crying? And what are some other ways we can talk about our emotions? Learn 'make someone do or feel something', 'on the verge of' and 'about to' in this episode, with Pippa, Phil and grammar guru Georgie. TRANSCRIPT AND WORKSHEET Find a full transcript for this episode and a worksheet ✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/learning-english-grammar/251111 THE ENGLISH WE SPEAK: Learn English phrases and expressions here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/features/the-english-we-speak FIND BBC LEARNING ENGLISH HERE: Visit our…
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2 Jun 2026 · 8 min
Asking strangers
How can you ask questions politely? Find out with our grammar guru. TRANSCRIPT AND WORKSHEET Find a full transcript for this episode and a worksheet ✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/features/learning-english-grammar/251104 THE READING ROOM: Practise your reading skills here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/features/the_reading_room THE LISTENING ROOM: Practise your listening skills here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/the_listening_room FIND BBC LEARNING ENGLISH HERE: Visit our website ✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish
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26 May 2026 · 8 min
Describing a job
What's the most interesting job you've ever had? What did you have to do? Neil and Beth talk about the most interesting jobs they've had while grammar guru Georgie explains how to use whose to make relative clauses. TRANSCRIPT AND WORKSHEET Find a full transcript for this episode and a worksheet ✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/features/learning-english-grammar/251028 THE READING ROOM: Practise your reading skills here: 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…
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19 May 2026 · 8 min
Choosing a home
Do you want a house that's a bit, sort of or a lot bigger? Neil and Pippa talk about why they chose to live where they do, while grammar guru Georgie explains how to use 'a bit', 'sort of' and 'a lot' with comparisons, as well as how to compare something to a clause. TRANSCRIPT AND WORKSHEET Find a full transcript for this episode and a worksheet ✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/features/learning-english-grammar/251021 THE READING ROOM: Practise your reading skills here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/features/the_reading_room FIND BBC LEARNING ENGLISH HERE: Visit our website…
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12 May 2026 · 9 min
Things you have to do
Do you have any social obligations? Beth and Neil talk about doing things they don't really want to do and our grammar guru Georgie explains ways to talk about social obligations. Learn to use 'have to', 'be meant to', 'be supposed to' and how to use the second conditional. TRANSCRIPT AND WORKSHEET Find a full transcript for this episode and a worksheet ✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/features/learning-english-grammar/251014 THE READING ROOM: Practise your reading skills here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/features/the_reading_room FIND BBC LEARNING ENGLISH HERE: Visit our…
