Podcast
Grammar Challenge
By BBC
30
1.61k
Improve your English grammar with the BBC. Each week we challenge an English language student on an area of the English language such as verb forms, tenses, prepositions and pronunciation. Listen to a short presentation on the topic then try to answer the questions. The programmes are recorded on location in an English language classroom. Each episode lasts for six minutes and is made available every Friday.
Improve your English grammar with the BBC. Each week we challenge an English language student on an area of the English language such as verb forms, tenses, prepositions and pronunciation. Listen to a short presentation on the topic then try to answer the questions. The programmes are recorded on location in an English language classroom. Each episode lasts for six minutes and is made available every Friday.
Grammar challenge: Second conditional 4 Dec 09
Episode in
Grammar Challenge
We look at the second conditional - a way of talking about impossible or unlikely events or situations. Our challenger is Anna Lee from South Korea. We ask Anna to imagine that she could meet anyone in the world... Who will she say she'd like to meet?
06:20
Grammar challenge: To, for, so that 27 Nov 09
Episode in
Grammar Challenge
We look at three ways to talk about the reason for doing something. Our challenger this time is Selman Ozturt from Turkey.
06:20
Grammar challenge: Indirect questions 20 Nov 09
Episode in
Grammar Challenge
There's more than one way to ask a question. Indirect questions are more polite and don't need a change in word order in the main question. Our challenger is Masa from Japan who plays the role of a Tour Rep passing on questions from a rude tourist in a more polite form to a hotel receptionist.
06:20
Grammar challenge: Reported speech 13 Nov 09
Episode in
Grammar Challenge
If someone tells you something and you want to tell another person, can use 'direct speech' or 'reported speech'. Find out the differences in this programme. Our challenger is Dong Jun from South Korea who plays the role of a spy who has to pass on important information about a conversation to his boss.
06:20
Grammar Challenge: Present perfect and past simple 6 Nov 09
Episode in
Grammar Challenge
There are many situations in English when we mix the verb forms which we use. In this programme we look at breaking news with the present perfect and describing the details with the past simple. Our challenger Yasmina from Belgium has to choose the correct forms to use in different situations.
06:30
Grammar Challenge: Future plans 30 Oct 09
Episode in
Grammar Challenge
We learn more about using 'going to' and the present continuous to talk about our future plans - and about the differences between them.
06:21
Grammar Challenge: Still, yet and already 23 Oct 09
Episode in
Grammar Challenge
Our challenger Alessia, from Italy, has to make good sentences using the correct adverbs in the correct places.
06:09
Grammar Challenge: The 'zero' article
Episode in
Grammar Challenge
Sometimes there is no article associated with a noun and this can be called the 'zero' article. In this programme, some simple rules for when not to use an article. We challenge Anastasiya from France... to spot correct and incorrect uses of 'zero' articles.
06:09
Grammar Challenge: 'Going to'
Episode in
Grammar Challenge
There are many ways to talk about the future in English. This time we look at using 'going to' for predicting what is about to happen. In the programme Mehmet from Turkey has a listening challenge.
06:09
Grammar Challenge: Present Perfect Continuous
Episode in
Grammar Challenge
Present perfect continuous is the verb form we use to talk about an activity that's recently stopped or just stopped and that has a connection with now. We challenge Gloria from Brazil to come up with... good explanations for what she has been doing in different situations.
06:09
Grammar Challenge: Indefinite articles
Episode in
Grammar Challenge
We look in a little more detail at the use of the indefinite articles 'a' and 'an', concentrating on four basic rules. Our challenger is Hanibal from Libya.
06:20
Grammar Challenge: Pronunciation: '-ed' endings
Episode in
Grammar Challenge
Regular verbs in the simple past all end in '-ed'. These two small letters can be pronounced in three different ways. We find out what these different pronunciations are and give our challenger Sebast......ian the chance to produce the correct sounds in our role-play.
06:09
Grammar Challenge: For and since
Episode in
Grammar Challenge
We take a look at the words 'for' and 'since' and how they are used to talk about how long something has been happening.
06:20
Grammar Challenge: Definite articles
Episode in
Grammar Challenge
Continuing our look at articles, we focus on the definite article 'the' and look at four different ways it is used. We challenge Diana from Colombia to identify the correct articles to complete our se...ntences.
06:20
Grammar Challenge: Articles - Introduction
Episode in
Grammar Challenge
In the programme we challenge Saleh from Saudi Arabia to spot correct and incorrect uses of definite and indefinite articles.
06:20
Grammar Challenge: Zero Conditional
Episode in
Grammar Challenge
The zero conditional is a form which expresses what always happens if or when a certain action takes place. In the programme we challenge Jelena from Serbia-Montenegro to make correct sentences using ...this grammar.
06:20
Grammar Challenge: Continuous Passives
Episode in
Grammar Challenge
We're continuing our discussion of passives with a look at continuous passives. We challenge Guy from Martinique to come up with correct sentences using this very tricky grammar. How will he do?
06:19
Grammar Challenge: Simple Passives
Episode in
Grammar Challenge
We're looking at simple passives - are they as simple as we would like them to be? We challenge Jin from South Korea to make correct sentences in the passive voice. Are you up for the challenge too?
06:19
Grammar Challenge: Because / because of
Episode in
Grammar Challenge
Do you ever get confused over when to use because and when to use because of? Well, help is at hand in this episode of Grammar Challenge! Taka from Japan is up for the challenge... but are you?
06:12
Grammar Challenge: Have something done
Episode in
Grammar Challenge
Raffaella from Italy gives William a few tips on his new house - using 'have something done' or 'get something done'..
06:16
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