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.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/260310Do you use English at work? Try the new series of Office English here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/office-english or search 'Learning English for Work' in your favourite podcast app.Follow us on social media @bbclearningenglish

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.Find a transcript and worksheet at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/learning-english-grammar/260303Want to boost your speaking skills? Try Beating Speaking Anxiety, our series to help fight your fears of speaking English: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/beating_speaking_anxietyGet our latest programmes. Subscribe to our free email newsletter https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/newsletters

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.As always, find a free worksheet, quiz and transcript here: ✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/learning-english-grammar/260224And discover the NEW series of Office English. Topics covering small talk, organising meetings and rules. Find it here: ✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/office-english, or search 'Learning English for Work' in your podcast app.We send a newsletter with our weekly higlights - subscribe here: ✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/newslettersIf you enjoy this podcast, you might like our others! Search 'BBC Learning English' on your favourite podcast app to discover the range.

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/260217Want to boost your speaking skills? Try Beating Speaking Anxiety, our series to help fight your fears of speaking English: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/beating_speaking_anxietyGet our latest programmes. Subscribe to our free email newsletter https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/newsletters

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. TRANSCRIPT AND WORKSHEET: Find a full transcript for this episode and a worksheet ✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/features/learning-english-grammar/260210BEATING SPEAKING ANXIETY: ✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/beating_speaking_anxietyFIND BBC LEARNING ENGLISH HERE: Visit our website ✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish Follow us ✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/followusLIKE PODCASTS? Try some of our other popular podcasts including: ✔️ 6 Minute English ✔️ 6 Minute Vocabulary ✔️ The English We SpeakThey're all available by searching in your podcast app.

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.TRANSCRIPT AND WORKSHEET: Find a full transcript for this episode and a worksheet ✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/features/learning-english-grammar/260203 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 PODCASTS? Try some of our other popular podcasts including: ✔️ 6 Minute English ✔️ 6 Minute Vocabulary ✔️ The English We Speak They're all available by searching in your podcast app.

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/260127BEATING SPEAKING ANXIETY: ✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/beating_speaking_anxietyFIND BBC LEARNING ENGLISH HERE: Visit our website ✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish Follow us ✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/followusLIKE PODCASTS? Try some of our other popular podcasts including: ✔️ 6 Minute English ✔️ 6 Minute Vocabulary ✔️ The English We SpeakThey're all available by searching in your podcast app.

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 PODCASTS? Try some of our other popular podcasts including: ✔️ 6 Minute English ✔️ 6 Minute Vocabulary ✔️ The English We Speak They're all available by searching in your podcast app.

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/260113THE READING ROOM: ✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/features/the_reading_roomFIND BBC LEARNING ENGLISH HERE: Visit our website ✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish Follow us ✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/followusLIKE PODCASTS? Try some of our other popular podcasts including: ✔️ 6 Minute English ✔️ 6 Minute Vocabulary ✔️ The English We SpeakThey're all available by searching in your podcast app.

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/260106THE READING ROOM: ✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/features/the_reading_roomFIND BBC LEARNING ENGLISH HERE: Visit our website ✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish Follow us ✔️ https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/followusLIKE PODCASTS? Try some of our other popular podcasts including: ✔️ 6 Minute English ✔️ 6 Minute Vocabulary ✔️ The English We SpeakThey're all available by searching in your podcast app.