This BBC podcast is supported by the UK.
You get unlimited articles and videos, ad-free podcasts, the BBC News Channel streaming live 24-7, plus hundreds of acclaimed documentaries.
From less than a dollar a week for your first year.
Read, watch and listen to trusted independent journalism and storytelling.
It all starts with a subscription to bbc.com.
Find out more at bbc.com slash unlimited.
Making friends as you get older.
These are all topics you'll discover in The Reading Room, our new series of magazine-style articles on our website.
They each come with highlighted vocabulary, comprehension questions and an audio download.
Learn about the world and improve your reading skills with The Reading Room at bbclearningenglishcom Sian.
You'll never guess what.
What?
You know Geoffrey?
Oh yeah, I think so.
I saw him with a lady in the office and they were talking together and it's a lady that he doesn't work with.
So I think there might be something going on.
Hello and welcome to Learning English Grammar.
I'm Pippa.
And I'm Phil.
And we just heard George and Sian gossiping about an office romance.
We'll hear more of that gossip later.
Now, gossip is when you have casual chats about other people that may or may not be true.
Yes, so we're going to learn some language for speculating.
Modal verbs like may and might.
We're also going to learn a bit about reported speech.
That's when you say what somebody else has said.
First, Phil, do you have any juicy gossip for me?
Oh Pippa, have I got some juicy gossip for you, but I'm afraid it's so good that I can't possibly tell you on this podcast.
Oh, I'm excited to find out what that might be.
I think, is it somebody that we know?
Oh, yes, you definitely know them.
OK, well, I look forward to hearing about that later.
Well, I'm dying to hear what happened with Geoffrey and this mysterious woman in the office.
Let's listen again to George and Sian.
Yes, you'll hear Sian use the phrasal verb chat someone up.
That means to have a flirtatious conversation with someone.
But also pay attention to other language that George and Sian use to share gossip.
You know Geoffrey...
Oh, yeah, I think so.
I saw him with a lady in the office and they were talking together.
And it's a lady that he doesn't work with.
So I think there might be something going on.
Oh, so you think he may have been chatting her up?
Perhaps, yeah.
And he did have a little book of chat-up lines on his desk.
So I think he might have used some of those on her.
Well, there may be a romance in the office.
Have you got any more details?
Well, he asked her if she wanted to go for a coffee.
And she said, I'd love to.
I think they might be going to a cafe to have coffee.
I'm very excited to see what happens next.
OK.
Well, sometimes with gossip we aren't sure whether it's true.
So I heard the modal verbs may and might use quite a lot because they express uncertainty.
I think there might be something going on.
And we heard some reported speech there too.
George said that Geoffrey asked the woman if she wanted to go for a coffee.
OK.
Well, I think it's time we heard from the grammar guru.
Georgie, are you there?
Hello, guys.
Wow, it sounds like a lot has been happening in the office.
George and Sian used may and might in the past, present and future.
Right.
Can you tell us about the grammar, Georgie?
Yes.
You can use may and might followed by a base verb when talking about the present or future.
Like when George says this...
I think they might be going to a cafe.
George isn't sure if they're going to have coffee, so he uses might.
Great, but Georgie, what about the past?
We use may or might plus have plus a past participle.
So Sian asks whether Geoffrey may have been chatting the woman up.
Remember, to chat someone up means to have a flirtatious conversation with someone.
Yeah, and George said Geoffrey may have used his book of chat-up lines.
These are both speculations about the past.
Right, so let's talk about reported speech.
He asked her if she wanted to go for a coffee.
So when we say what someone else has said, we often change the verb tense to a tense one step back in time.
Right, so the original question was probably something like…
Do you want to go for coffee?
Yes, but when George repeats it, he changes want to wanted.
Another example, I am happy.
Pippa, tell everyone what I said.
Georgie said she was happy.
OK, that all sounds good.
But then George used reported speech again, but he didn't change the pronouns or the tense.
What's going on there?
And she said, I'd love to.
Ah, well here, George is making a direct quote.
He's repeating exactly what the mystery woman said.
And that's another way to report speech.
Great.
Thanks, Georgie.
Bye.
Bye.
OK, Phil, we're going to play a game to test what we've learned.
I'm going to tell you about some things that have happened or that I saw, and I want you to speculate using may or might.
And you can play along as you listen.
Try to make up your own speculation using may or might.
Are you ready, Phil?
Yes, yeah, I think so.
OK.
I saw Georgie having a meeting with the bosses.
Ooh, she might be in trouble.
I hope not.
Next one.
My friend has been ignoring my texts for the last few days.
Ooh, she might have had a busy weekend.
That's true.
And also, I saw Beth going into a shop near the office and she looked really secretive.
Ooh, she might be planning a secret Christmas party.
Are you enjoying this podcast?
Email us at learningenglish at bbc.co.uk.
And maybe you can tell us about some gossip you know.
You can also visit our website for a quiz and worksheet for this episode, bbclearningenglish.com.
And that's it.
We've learnt that Geoffrey might be going for coffee with a mystery woman.
And we've learnt two different ways to use reported speech.
Bye for now.
Bye.
At the BBC, we go further so you see clearer.
Through frontline reporting, global stories and local insights, we bring you closer to the world's news as it happens.
And it starts with a subscription to BBCcom, giving you unlimited articles and videos, ad-free podcasts, the BBC News Channel streaming live 24-7, plus hundreds of acclaimed documentaries.
Subscribe to trusted independent journalism and storytelling from the BBC.
Find out more at bbc.com slash join.
