Present perfect with "linked to" — used to connect a cause and an effect that is still relevant today. "Ultra-processed foods have been linked to poor health."
"Used to" for past habits — describes something done regularly in the past but no longer true now. "I used to eat a lot of ultra-processed foods."
Conditional "wouldn't" — expresses something unlikely or impossible. "Things that you wouldn't find in your average kitchen."
"It's time to + infinitive" — a natural fixed phrase for announcing the next action. "Pippa, it's time to reveal the answer to my question."
About this video
This episode of BBC Learning English's 6 Minute English focuses on ultra-processed food: what makes a food "ultra-processed" (five or more ingredients, including things like emulsifiers, preservatives, and dyes that you wouldn't find in a normal kitchen), why these foods are so popular, and how worried we should really be about eating them. A highlight is a real clip from BBC World Service's What in the World?, where health reporter Annabel Rackham confesses that chocolate biscuits are her "guilty pleasure" and reassures listeners that "everything in moderation" is the sensible approach. There's also a fun trivia question about when fizzy drinks were invented — the answer, 1772, surprises even the hosts.
For shadowing practice, this episode is excellent material. Phil and Pippa speak at a relaxed, natural British English pace with very clear pronunciation, and the short inserted clips from Annabel and Hannah provide slight variation in voice and rhythm — great for training your ear to different speakers. Sentences are short and well-structured, making it easy to repeat chunks accurately without losing the thread.
This video suits learners at the A2–B1 level. The vocabulary is everyday and food-related, so it feels immediately useful. By shadowing this episode, learners will gain confidence with common British English phrases, pick up natural ways to talk about habits and health, and practise expressing opinions on a relatable everyday topic.
Idioms & expressions
from scratch — to do something from the very beginning, without using anything already made ("cooking a fresh meal from scratch")
guilty pleasure — something you enjoy but feel slightly embarrassed about because you think you shouldn't ("chocolate is my guilty pleasure")
once in a while — occasionally; sometimes but not very often ("Is it OK to have a packet of crisps once in a while?")
from time to time — occasionally; another way of saying once in a while ("is there a way to still enjoy them from time to time?")
everything in moderation — the advice that it is best to avoid having too much of anything ("Everything is fine in moderation")
hungry for more — wanting to learn or experience more of something (used playfully at the end: "if you're hungry for more, head over to our website")
