Learning English

Towards Advanced Course – R=Reading, V=Video

Grammar

Vocabulary

Pronunciation

Unit 1

V Masterclass
Non-defining relative clauses

R Grammar reference
Relative clauses

V News Review
Welcome to Jupiter! – probe, orbit, spacecraft, hostile, core

V Lingohack
Chilcot Iraq report published; people killed for defending their land; Juno space probe successs – on such a scale, judgement, on record, loggers, orbiting

V X uses of Y: Treasure Island
9 uses of 'time' – a long time, in no time, only a matter of time, at times, as time goes by, at one time or another, time after time, in no time, time-consuming

V Tim's Pronunciation Workshop
Assimilation of /t/ and /p/

Unit 2

V Masterclass
5 ways to talk about the future – be + full infinitive, be due + full infinitive, be + sure/bound + full infinitive, on the verge of/ on the brink of, present tense with future meaning

R Grammar reference
Future forms

V News Review
A new prime minister for Britain – set to, to become, follow in someone's footsteps, take the reins

V Lingohack
The UK has a new PM; train crash investigation in Italy; Indian state introduces 'fat tax' – pressing, scene, malnutrition, so-called

V X uses of Y: Oliver Twist
7 uses of 'light' – light, shed light on, out like a light, in the light of, brings to light

V Tim's Pronunciation Workshop
Linking /r/

Unit 3

V Masterclass
Using the present to talk about the past

R Grammar reference
Uses of the present

V News Review
Are these speeches similar – plagiarise, rip off, a rip-off, bear a striking similarity

V Lingohack
Trump seals nomination; IOC to take legal advice on Russia; hottest ever June is recorded – candidate, damning, trend

V X uses of Y: The Rue Morgue
9 uses of 'run' – make your blood run cold, run, running, run up against (something), runs through, running through (his head), run the risk of, runs away, runs after

V Tim's Pronunciation Workshop
Twinning or germination with /s/

Unit 4

V Masterclass
Linking words of contrast – however, although, despite/in spite of, while,

R Grammar referenceLinking
words of contrast

V News Review
The smell of chickens – repel, something/someone repels you, deter, a pun, steer clear of

V Lingohack
Hillary Clinton makes history; thousands flee California wildfires; cloned animals aging no differently – breaking through, eluded, blazes, prematurely

V X uses of Y: Little Red Riding Hood
9 uses of 'cut' – cut out, to cut a long story short, cut (someone) short, shortcut, cut to the chase, cutting down, woodcutters, cut (someone/something) up, cutbacks

V Tim's Pronunciation Workshop
Elision of /t/

Unit 5

V Masterclass
Stative verbs in continuous form – have, want, love

R Grammar reference
Stative verbs in the continuous form

V News Review
Water pollution at the Rio Olympics – alarmingly, filthy, sewage, teeming with, unfazed, favela

V Lingohack
Obama says Trump unfit to be president; Singapore scientists create cyborg beetle; scans reveal how teenage brain develops – questioned, remotely, insight

V X uses of Y: Pride and Prejudice
11 uses of 'look' – looking for, has the looks, the look of, looks on, looks like, looking to, looks as if, looks over, look down on, look up, look forward to

V Tim's Pronunciation Workshop
Intrusive /r/

Unit 6

V Masterclass
Infinitives of purpose

R Grammar reference
Infinitives of purpose

V News Review
World's longest hunger strike ends –activist, hunger strike, fast, 'iron'

V Lingohack
Michael Phelps swims into Olympic history; scientists find new marine species in Scotland; scary Lucy statue is replaced in the US – wondering, to log, stylish, unveiled

V X uses of Y: Robin Hood
9 uses of 'stand' – stand up for, can’t stand, don’t stand a chance, stand for, stands to lose, won’t stand for, stand out, stands by, stands

V Tim's Pronunciation Workshop
Schwa

Unit 7

V Masterclass
Mixed conditionals

R Grammar reference
Conditionals review

V News Review
Brazil wins a gold medal in athletics – an upset, pull something off, egg somebody on, pandemonium

V Lingohack
British couple ride into Olympic history; scientists discover 400-year-old shark; pigeon race champion banned for life – medal tally, feeds on, cheating

V X uses of Y: Pygmalion
8 uses of 'round' – driving him round the bend, comes round, round and round, round the clock, round, goes round to, in a roundabout kind of way, round off

V Tim's Pronunciation Workshop
Linking /w/

Unit 8

V Masterclass
Using the past to talk about the present and future

R Grammar reference
Using the past to talk about the present or future

V News Review
Olympics closing ceremony – kick off, pass the baton, wrap up

V Lingohack
China opens longest glass bridge; HRT increases risk of cancer; Hindu monk claims to be 120 years old – peer, underestimates, put (something) down

V X uses of Y: Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde
9 uses of 'sound' – sound out, by the sound of it, sounds, doesn’t like the sound of (something, not a sight or sound of (someone), sounds strange, sound, sounds as though, sounds like

V Tim's Pronunciation Workshop
Assimilation of /n/ followed by /p/

Unit 9

V Masterclass
Gerund or infinitive – stop, regret and go on

R Grammar reference
Verb patterns – gerunds or infinitives

V News Review
Migrant rescue – flee, some, hub, sorties, rickety

V Lingohack
World's largest protected area created off Hawaii; new Earth-like planet discovered; goodbye Cookie: pink cockatoo dies at 83 – marine reserve, orbiting, mourning

V X uses of Y: Romeo and Juliet
8 uses of 'break' – break the news, break off, break into, break up, breaks down, break her promise, breaking, breaks her heart

V Tim's Pronunciation Workshop
Elision of /d/

Unit 10

V Masterclass
Future continuous

R Grammar reference
Future continuous

V News Review
Major problem with world's oceans – underestimated, livelihoods, soaring, plummeting, staggering, bear the brunt of

V Lingohack
Two billion 'at risk of Zika in Africa and Asia'; first face transplant patient dies in France; rare white whale filmed in Australia – outbreaks, passed away, spotted

V X uses of Y: Frankenstein
10 uses of 'make' – makes, has made a name for himself, to make matters worse, makes for, make a start, makes his blood boil, makes up his mind, make of, makes time

V Tim’s Pronunciation Workshop
Pronunciation of 'nd'

Unit 11

V Masterclass
Native speaker 'mistakes'

R Grammar reference
Native speaker 'mistakes' – past participles, me, splitting infinitives

V News Review
Hillary Clinton's illness – hold/keep/play your cards close to your chest, come clean, big deal, not that big a deal, bout, bat away

V Lingohack
EU not at risk after Brexit; US athletes' medical files hacked; human ancestor mystery solved – address, leaked, cracked

V X uses of Y: Hansel and Gretel
13 uses of 'turn' – take a turn for the worse, turns out, turns a blind eye, turning, turn back, turn of events, turn up, turns into, turns, turn her nose up, turned, in turn

V Tim's Pronunciation Workshop
Pronunciation of 'have to'

Unit 12

V Masterclass
Giving emphasis

R Grammar reference
Adding emphasis – 'it' cleft sentences

V News Review
World's largest telescope – giant/massive/gigantic, extraterrestrial, eavesdrop

V Lingohack
Benefits of statins underestimated; 'Brangelina' is no more; karaoke star Ted, 80, lands record deal – potential, saddened, sensation

V X uses of Y: The Snow Queen
9 uses of 'stick' – stick up for, sticks, stick with, stick by, stick, stuck, can’t stick, stick together

V Tim's Pronunciation Workshop
Pronunciation of 'and'

Unit 13

V Masterclass
More native speaker 'mistakes'

R Grammar reference
More native speaker 'mistakes' – innit, there/their/they're, what as a relative pronoun

V News Review
Trump vs Clinton: first US presidential TV debate – to clash, head-to-head, to lose your cool

V Lingohack
Former Israel President Shimon Peres dies; button batteries risk to children; the farmer who paints sheep – forging, injuries, novel

V X uses of Y: Far from the Madding Crowd
11 uses of 'set' – set, set their sights on, dead set against, sets off, set out, sets him off, setback, set, set on, sets on, all set

V Tim's Pronunciation Workshop
Pronunciation of 'was' and 'were'

Unit 14

V Masterclass
Giving emphasis using 'what'

R Grammar reference
Adding emphasis – 'what' cleft sentences

V News Review
Colombia's peace vote – common ground, pick yourself up, scramble

V Lingohack
Rubbish threat to Machu Picchu; Prince Harry on HIV awareness campaign; David Bowie's collection on show – inability, deadline, stigma, auctioned

V X uses of Y: The Piper of Hamelin
12 uses of 'pay' – pay up, pays a heavy price, pay attention, pay, pay off, pay handsomely, pay in cash, be in the pay of, pay, pay day, pay, without paying a penny

V Tim's Pronunciation Workshop
Consonant-vowel linking

Unit 15

V Masterclass
Future in the past

R Grammar reference
The future in the past

V News Review
A problem with Samsung Galaxy Note 7 – a burning issue, burn a hole in (someone’s accounts), money burns a hole in my pocket, it burnt a hole in my pocket, come/be under fire

V Lingohack
Is Russia hacking the US election?; the end of Samsung's Galaxy Note 7; the zoo where chimps 'learn to be chimps' – destabilise, appetite, limiting the damage, nudge

V X uses of Y: Sherlock Holmes and the Hound of the Baskervilles
9 uses of 'dead' – dead, dead certain, deadly danger, the dead of night, stop dead in his tracks, dead silence, stone dead, dead giveaway, dead ringer

V Tim's Pronunciation Workshop
Assimilation of /d/ to /g/

Unit 16

V Masterclass
Discourse markers

R Grammar reference
Discourse markers

V News Review
Dead frog mystery in Peru – endangered species, get to the bottom of, a turn of events, pleas

V Lingohack
Ecuador limits Jullian Assange's internet access; sweet potato helps tackle child malnutrition; work starts on British polar research ship – classified, deficiency, vessel

V X uses of Y: David Copperfield
13 uses of 'take' – takes, taken someone into (your) care, takes the opportunity, take (someone) off to, take refuge, takes pity on, takes an instant dislike to, seems/is taken with, taken advantage of, takes up, take off, take a turn for the worse, take care of

V Tim's Pronunciation Workshop
Pronunciation of 'can'

Unit 17

V Masterclass
Advanced learner mistakes

R Grammar reference
Advanced learner mistakes – word order in Wh- clauses

V News Review
Women and alcohol – out-drinking, wine o’clock, knocking back, boozer

V Lingohack
Heathrow airport expansion approved; time with parents can improve children's autism; dogs are trained as lifeguards – given the green light, severity, charity

V X uses of Y: Orpheus and Eurydice
13 uses of 'long' – all day long, long, before long, last long, a long way off, take long, long gone, as long as I live, no longer, a long shot, at long last, so long as, longed

V Tim's Pronunciation Workshop
Plosives - /d/ /b/ /t/ /p/ /k/ and /g/

Unit 18

V Masterclass
More advanced learners mistakes – go, come, take, bring

R Grammar reference
More advanced learner mistakes

V News Review
The fight against cyber crime – strike back, vow, malicious, cyber, shore up

V Lingohack
Nepal drains dangerous Everest lake; promising signs for new male contraceptive; new home for thousands of baby turtles – airlifted, side effects, released

V X uses of Y: Jamaica Inn
10 uses of 'stay' – stay, stay out of his way, stay on, stay over, stays up, stay away from, stay put, stay out of trouble, stay together

V Tim's Pronunciation Workshop
Pronunciation of 'the'

Unit 19

V Masterclass
Formal and informal English

R Grammar reference
Formal and informal English

V News Review
Trump vs Clinton: US election day – polls, ballot, pitch

V Lingohack
Trump beats Clinton to take White House; India's cinema for the homeless; poetry in a box – storm, shattering the dreams, makeshift, inspired

V X uses of Y: The Princess and the Pea
9 uses of 'sleep' – loses sleep over something, sleeps through it, sleep, sleeping like a baby, get some sleep, falls asleep, didn’t sleep a wink, sleep on it

V Tim's Pronunciation Workshop
Linking /j/

Unit 20

V Masterclass
Subject-verb agreement 1

R Grammar reference
Subject-verb agreement 1 – singular and plurals, no plural, no singular

V News Review
A new world record for the world – sweltering/sizzling/scorching, on course/on track/on pace, make tracks, lose track, go off the beaten track

V Lingohack
India withdraws rupee notes; molecules on your phone reveal your lifestyle; robot sets new Rubik's Cube record – evade tax, traces, solving

V X uses of Y: Moby Dick
9 uses of 'see' – see, you see, see how, wait and see, see sense, sees red, see eye to eye

V Tim's Pronunciation Workshop
Pronunciation of ‘been’

Unit 21

V Masterclass
Subject-verb agreement 2

R Grammar reference
Subject-verb agreement 2 – collective nouns, quantities, amounts, indefinite nouns

V News Review
The end of a partnership – pull the plug on something, scrap/ditch/dump, renounce, a (bath/sink) plug, a plug

V Lingohack
Tracing the origin of Islamic State group's weapons; making UK health tourism pay; building the world's biggest wind farm – a murky world, fell into the hands of, falling well short of, boom

V X uses of Y: The Vampyre
9 uses of 'keep' – keep away from, keep, keeps him company, keep his eyes open, keep (something) a secret, keep his word, a kept woman, keep (something) to himself

V Tim's Pronunciation Workshop
Assimilation of /s/

Unit 22

V Masterclass
Subject-verb agreement 3

R Grammar reference
Subject-verb agreement 3 – and, or, neither, nor, separated subjects and verbs, singular or plural verb with a cleft sentence

V News Review
Uluru rescue – designated, indigenous, sacred

V Lingohack
Football fans hold vigil for team; worst destruction ever for Great Barrier Reef; mission to clean space – mourning, cathartic release, prognosis, advance

V X uses of Y: 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
10 uses of 'get' – getting out of hand, get, gets underway, get to, get away, get worse, get off, get through, getting up to (something)

V Tim's Pronunciation Workshop
Pronunciation of ‘from’

Unit 23

V Masterclass
Uses of 'wish'

R Grammar reference
5 uses of 'wish'

V News Review
Tackling online extremism – fingerprint, team up, pledge

V Lingohack
Caesarian births 'affecting human evolution'; UK ranked 15th for school science education; researchers to uncover secret life of seals – in labour, keeping up, up close

V X uses of Y: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
9 uses of 'come' – come into, coming across as, comes, comes up with, come with, come to the rescue, yet to come, comes to light, come naturally

V Tim's Pronunciation Workshop
Gemination of /t/

Unit 24

V Masterclass
How to soften your English

R Grammar reference
Being polite: how to soften your English

V News Review
Methane threatens global warming efforts – surge, undermining, spiked

V Lingohack
Yemen at 'breaking point'; bus for the homeless; city living for bees – a testament, lived rough, sanctuaries, urban oasis

V X uses of Y: Rumplestiltskin
8 uses of 'cry' – a far cry from, cry, a shoulder to cry on, cries, cry your eyes out, crying out for, for crying out loud, crying out

V Tim's Pronunciation Workshop
Assimilation of /d/ and /j/

Unit 25

V Masterclass
Inversion 1: after negative or limiting adverbs

R Grammar reference
Inversion 1

V News Review
The animals protecting Britain’s Christmas dinners – standing guard, keeping watch, brainchild

V Lingohack
Beijing's 'giant toxic cloud'; Iceland's volcanic powers; a 'virtual wife' for lonely man – cabin feverish (to have cabin fever), harness, holographic, companion

V X uses of Y: Cinderella
12 uses of 'go' – go shopping, go downhill, it goes without saying, go to, go into detail, goes by, to go, go without, touch and go, give it a go, goes, go with

V Tim's Pronunciation Workshop
Assimilation of /d/ to /b/

Unit 26

V Masterclass
Inversion 2

R Grammar reference
Inversion 2 – reduced conditionals, adverbs of place or movement, consequences of an adjective

V News Review
Vinyl records make a comeback – tangible, embraced, record high, turning the tables

V Lingohack
UK develops app with advice on terror attacks; charity offers surplus food to homeless; steepest street into tourist attraction – mock-up, social isolation, daredevils

V X uses of Y: The North Wind and the Sun
10 uses of 'catch' – catching, catch my breath, caught off guard, catches sight of, catch hold of, catch his death, catch up, catch, caught out

V Tim's Pronunciation Workshop
Contracted 'have'

Unit 27

V Masterclass
Discourse markers 2

R Grammar reference
Discourse markers 2 – to tell you the truth, I mean, you see, in other words, at the end of the day, I know, so to speak

V News Review
The World Cup expands – the bulk of, facelift, set to

V Lingohack
Denmark's drug-taking rooms for addicts; dementia rates higher near busy roads, says study; meet the baby red pandas at a US zoo – seedy, urban areas, cubs

V X uses of Y: King Midas
7 uses of 'touch' – touch and go, a touch, touched, touches, a nice touch, gets in touch, sense of touch

V Tim's Pronunciation Workshop
Elision of /h/

Unit 28

V Masterclass
Question tags

R Grammar reference
Question tags

V News Review
Democrats to skip Trump inauguration – boycott, legitimate, swell

V Lingohack
Rising knife crime in UK; giraffes facing 'silent extinction'; meet one of Spain's four female bullfighters

V X uses of Y: Emma
8 uses of 'right' – right, in her own right, right through, has no right, do the right thing, right away

V Tim's Pronunciation Workshop
Assimilation of /t/ followed by /k/

Unit 29

V Masterclass
Participle clauses

R Grammar reference
Participle clauses

V News Review
Can toast cause cancer? – over-, potential, browned off

V Lingohack
Help for UK babies; tempting bird-watchers to Uganda; the secret to Dutch children’s happiness – premature, wholesome, obesity

V X uses of Y: The Island of Dr. Moreau
8 uses of 'with' – travelling with, with, with bated breath, live with, with his bare hands, with the aid of

V Tim's Pronunciation Workshop
Assimilation of /t/ followed by /j/

Unit 30

V Masterclass
Aspect

R Grammar reference
Aspect – simple, continuous, perfect

V News Review
Trump dismisses US attorney general over immigration ban – sack/fire, defying, betrayal

V Lingohack
British MPs to investigate 'fake news'; more babies than expected affected by Zika virus; unusual job vacancy in Austria – outrageous, looking into, hermit

V X uses of Y: Macbeth
12 uses of 'out' – out, set out, out of, out of his mind, get out, find out, sets out, gives out, left out

V Tim's Pronunciation Workshop
Summary