Category Archives: Grammar

The Ramble Before Christmas [966] Listen & Learn English with Luke

Here is a super-long seasonal rambling episode to listen to while wrapping presents, finishing some last-minute gift shopping, or (if you don’t celebrate Christmas) just doing whatever you normally do in December. It’s long, but the more you listen, the more it will help your English 💪🎅.

I chat to you about LEPster listening habits in 2025 (Spotify Wrapped) 🎧, funny messages and emails from listeners📧, bits of grammar & vocab teaching ✍️, ChatGPT’s questionable teaching skills 🤖🤔, AI hallucinations, dreaming in English, responses to recent episodes, twelve jokes in the Comedy Corner, more funny comments from my daughter 👧, and another dramatic Hollywood-style action movie screenplay 🎥 Plus it all finishes with a vocabulary quiz covering the whole episode. Think of this as a Christmas stocking full of English practice, complete with cosy log-fire sounds 🔥 in the background.

[DOWNLOAD AUDIO]

https://youtu.be/cZITWG6fgaU

Get the PDF with all my notes, the vocabualry quiz and vocabulary list 👇

LEP Premium – 20% off this December and January 👇


Luke on Other People’s Podcasts recently 👇

How to learn English with my podcast [959]

People keep asking me in comments, “How can I learn English with your podcast?” so in this episode I am answering that question as simply, directly and efficiently as possible. Expect advice about improving your English across the 4 skills of listening, reading, speaking and writing, and the language systems of grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation and discourse management. PDF available.

[DOWNLOAD AUDIO]

Get the PDF with all my notes 👇


Let’s take a REAL C1 English Test (CAE Use of English) [955]

In episode 949 I did an online test which claimed to be for C1 level, but let’s be honest – it was more like an intermediate level, the questions were rubbish and it was ultimately a useless scam. This time I’m taking a proper C1 English test – the Use of English section from a Cambridge CAE exam. Let’s see what is required to pass this, and what bits of English you can learn from it.

[DOWNLOAD AUDIO]

https://youtu.be/4y-SZq7glN8?si=1A6MDu04_i_dhxTJ

What is the pass mark for this test?

I forgot to add that the pass mark is 60% for this test, which means you must get a minimum of about 22/36 in the Use of English section (that’s 14 lost points). Could you do it? Bear in mind that this is only a part of the whole test, and you’d need to get at least 60% across all 4 sections (also including listening, writing and speaking).

Get the PDF here 👇


Questions of English & Listener Comments / Bits & Bobs 4 [951]

Dealing with some questions from listeners about pronunciation, grammar and vocabulary, namely how to know when ‘d is had or would (in writing and pronunciation), the curious origins of the word podcast and a vocabulary lesson about the word cast including various collocations and phrases which include this morpheme (that means a part of a word, not some kind of shape-shifting alien). More groundbreaking and genre-defying content to grace your earphones, and not boring grammar stuff at all, not even a little bit, no, no way, not here.

[DOWNLOAD AUDIO]

https://youtu.be/8gp_MhXr8uQ?si=3l_BLSqnnd6Ry3bT


Let’s Take a C1 Grammar Test – and critique it [949]

In this episode I take a typical multiple choice grammar test that you can find online, explain the answer to each question and give mini grammar lessons along the way. I also discuss what makes a good test of your English, and what good and bad level tests do. Learn more about grammar, and about how to check your language level.

[DOWNLOAD AUDIO]

https://youtu.be/zXx-LmeChtA?si=XKkHNVAcjzoVz1hM

Get the episode PDF with all the test questions 👇


Funny English Errors, Corrected [945]

Sometimes it is fine to laugh at the mistakes that we make in English (I do it in French) and so in this episode let’s look at some English errors that are unintentionally hilarious. I will correct the errors, explain what is funny, and there is a lot of vocabulary to learn in the process. PDF available with vocabulary list and memory questions.

[DOWNLOAD AUDIO]

Get the episode PDF with notes, vocabulary list and memory questions👇


Listen & Learn English with Luke / This is SOMETHING! [944]

In this episode I take you on a big rambling journey through all sorts of English-learning goodness (and nonsense). We start by pondering what makes a good podcast title 👀 is it clever, clickbait, or just clear? I reveal a monumental tectonic shift in the way I am titling my episodes. Then it’s into the Grammar Zone 📘 with an in-depth look at English narrative tenses. Then I reveal LukeGlish.com 📺 a custom search tool that lets you explore my entire podcast content by words and phrases. And, there’s the Comedy Corner 😂 where I break down some English jokes and wordplay, dissecting the frog.

[DOWNLOAD AUDIO]

https://youtu.be/wdtl7FhYHZI?si=VC0D3u8kCtrZ9ioX

Get the PDF Transcript 👇


936. How AI Can Boost Your English with LEP (feat. Alastair Budge)

In this episode, I’m joined by Alastair Budge from Leonardo English to explore how you can use AI tools like ChatGPT to boost your English, especially when combined with podcasts. We go through specific, practical ways to actively engage with podcast content using AI — improving your listening, vocabulary, grammar, writing, and even speaking. Alastair shares a set of very useful prompts and techniques you can try out straight away, and we discuss the pros and cons of using AI for language learning. There’s also a bit of fun as I try chatting with an AI version of myself. Download the free PDF in the show notes for all the prompts and ideas we mentioned, plus a full transcript.

[DOWNLOAD AUDIO]

https://youtu.be/68ECoRwRkrA?si=bo2w6O2j1lSmNXYO

Get the PDF with all prompts, and a full episode transcript 👇


935. Terrible Traffic Jams & Self-Driving Cars (Topic & Vocabulary)

This episode is all about the exciting topic of driving, getting stuck in traffic jams, the future of our roads and how self-driving cars might be the solution 🚗. What is so annoying about traffic jams? Why do they even happen in the first place? Have you seen your first self-driving car yet? Will they solve our driving problems, or not? The episode is full of anecdotes, analysis, opinions and plenty of vocabulary. PDF available.

[DOWNLOAD AUDIO]

https://youtu.be/exEVFQdtEuw?si=qZGZNK_cskLAbC5p

Get the PDF here with transcript, vocabulary list & vocabulary quiz.

934. Sign Language is Fascinating (with Siobhan Dodd)

Have you ever wondered about sign language, how it works and if it is similar to other languages like English? In this conversation I speak to Siobhan Dodd who is a sign language interpreter between English and BSL (British Sign Language). Siobhan is an enthusiastic and entertaining guest and we have a great chat about the nature of sign language, the challenges & opportunities faced by the deaf community today, and some of Siobhan’s memorable interpreting experiences, such as working at the Glastonbury music festival.

[DOWNLOAD AUDIO]

https://youtu.be/OwOdynFdDYg?si=qTmovnRK3oQKm66L

Get the episode transcript here 👇

Siobhan’s Links