YouTube would like to know and that's what  we're doing in this Learners' Question.

So, advice with a 'c' is an  uncountable noun - that's a d v i c e  

and notice the 's' sound - advice. It means  an opinion, recommendation or suggestion  

by someone that you should do something in a  certain situation. It's commonly followed by  

the prepositions 'about' or 'on' For example, you  need my advice about 'advice' - see what I did!  

Advice strongly collocates with the verbs 'give'  and 'take'. You can give advice or you can take  

someone's advice. For example, my friend gave me  some relationship advice but I thought it was bad  

so I didn't take it. You can do something  on someone's advice. For example,  

on my father's advice, I became a teacher  but I really wanted to be a lion tamer.

It can be followed by an infinitive verb.  For example, John! Look out for that lion!

My advice is to call a doctor  first thing in the morning.  

And, of course, as an uncountable noun, we can  make it countable by using 'a piece'. A piece  

of advice. I have three pieces of advice for  you: brush floss and use mouthwash every day!

Okay, this is a good time for me to remind  you about the Learners' Questions playlist!  

All your favorite Learners' Questions in  one easy to access place! Just click on  

the link and you'll go straight through to  our YouTube playlist! Who knows - maybe your  

question has already been answered! And if  you have a question for Learners' Questions,  

you can email us on learning.english@bbc.co.uk  - and don't forget at the end of this video  

there is a full summary slide with all  of the information that i've mentioned!

'Advise' is a regular verb - that's a d v  i s e and notice the 'z' sound -advise. It  

basically means give advice - in other words, give  someone your opinion, suggestion or recommendation  

as to what they should do in a certain situation.  Its prepositions are 'on' or 'about'. So, now I'll  

advise you on 'advise'. Second time! I did it  again! You can advise something. For example,  

when working with lions I advise fear - lots of  fear! You can advise someone to do something.

For example, my father advised me to choose a  different career. You can advise someone against  

doing something. For example, in the cage,  I advise against making any sudden movement.

Finally, you can advise that. For example,  

circus masters everywhere advise that people stop  disturbing lions - they recommend trying gorillas  

instead! Thank you very much for your question,  Shahnaz. I hope you found the answer useful! If  

anyone else out there has a question for  Learners' Questions, you can email us on  

learning.english at bbc.co.uk. I'll see you  next time on Learners Questions. Bye, guys.

What's the difference between 'fault', 'flaw'  and 'weakness'? That's what Helen wants to know  

and that's what we're doing  on this Learners Questions!

'Fault' is a noun which means a  mistake or problem in something.  

We commonly refer to technical faults, mechanical  faults and electrical faults when talking about  

machinery or computers. For example, the  train was delayed due to a mechanical fault.  

Fault can also be used to talk about who is to  blame for a mistake. You will often hear people  

say: it's your fault, it's his fault, it's her  fault or it wasn't my fault. For example, it is  

completely my fault that this video is so awesome.  I do not apologize. Finally, 'fault' can be used  

in reference to what we believe is a negative part  of somebody's personality or character. But don't  

judge anybody too harshly because remember we  all have our faults. Except me! Now for the noun  

'flaw'. 'Flaw' is a mark or a blemish which spoils  something's appearance. For example, this copy of  

the book has a tiny printing flaw on the cover  which makes it very rare and very valuable.

A flaw can also be a minor fault or weakness  in something making it less valuable or less  

effective and this is particularly common with  thinking or reasoning words, We can talk about a  

flaw in an idea, a flaw in an argument, a flaw in  a concept, a flaw in a design. For example, it's a  

nice idea but it has a serious flaw in it. Finally  we can talk about a flaw in someone's character  

or a character flaw. For example, my only  character flaw is that I'm very short-tempered.

Okay let's stop for a second so i can tell you  about the Learners' Questions playlist - every  

episode of learners questions is already there  for you and if you have a question maybe the  

answer is there already. So go and have a look. If  you have a question for Learners Questions you can  

email us on learning.english@bbc.co.uk and don't  forget at the end of the video there is a full  

summary slide. Now let's talk about the noun  'weakness' which is an area of something that  

lacks resilience or strength. For example,  vampires have several weaknesses: garlic,  

sunlight, religious iconography  or a stake through the heart.

Like 'fault' and 'flaw', a 'weakness' can  be something that makes something else less  

attractive or less effective. For example, in  my opinion, the weakness of texting is that  

it doesn't communicate body language which is  so important. Finally like 'fault' and 'flaw',  

'weakness' can also be used to describe a  problem in someone's character. For example,  

their love of money is a  worrying weakness in my opinion.  

Thank you very much for your question  Helen. I hope I answered it for you.  

If you have a question for Learners Questions you  can email us on learning.english.bbc.co.dot.uk  

and don't forget as soon as I finish this  there is a full summary slide. Thank you very  

much for joining me and I will see you next  time on Learners Questions. Bye everybody!

What's the difference between the  verbs 'lie' and 'lay'? That's why  

Alejandra emailed us and that's what we're  talking about on this Learners' Question.

Okay, our first verb is 'lie'. The past tense  is 'lay' and the past participle is 'lain'.  

'Lie' means to move into a horizontal or flat  position as you would do if you were going to bed.  

For example, if you don't feel well lie on  the bed. The verb 'lie' also means be in a  

particular place. If something lies somewhere,  it is somewhere. For example, the clothes lay  

all over the floor or my home lies five miles  east of London. In this way, using lie for place  

we can talk about where blame or responsibility  lies. Blame or responsibility lies with someone.

So, for example, the blame lies with him but as a  manager the responsibility lies with you. In the  

same way, and formally speaking now, you can use  'lie' to talk about the place where a person is  

buried. For example, Charles Darwin and Isaac  Newton lie in Westminster Abbey. Okay, now let's  

talk about the verb 'lie'. The past tense of which  is 'lied' and the past participle of which is  

'lied'. When you lie you speak falsely. You lie to  someone about something or about doing something.  

For example, he lied to his teacher about doing  his homework so he didn't get in trouble. Naughty!  

Unfortunately, lying is a pretty common occurrence  and as a result we have lots of fixed phrases that  

you can use to talk about it. So you can lie your  way into something, you can lie your way out of  

something, you can tell a bare-faced lie, you can  lie through your teeth or to emphasize that you're  

telling the truth you can say no word of a lie.  Okay, let's stop for a second so I can tell you  

all about the Learners Questions playlist! Yes,  all of your favorite Learners Questions in one  

easy to use place! Just click the link  and you'll be taken straight through!  

Who knows? Maybe your question is already there  and the answer is waiting for you to pick it up  

and if you have a question for  Learners' Questions, you can email us on  

learning.english@bbc.co.uk. And don't forget -  immediately after I finish speaking there is a  

full summary slide with all the information you  need to know on it! So make sure to check it out!

Now let's talk about the verb 'lay'. The past  tense of which is 'laid' and the past participle  

is 'laid'. When you lay something, you put  it down in a horizontal or flat position,  

often carefully. For example,  I laid the baby in her cot.  

There you go. Do not confuse this when you lie,  you put yourself in a flat or horizontal position.  

When you lay something, you put it in a flat or  horizontal position. For example, I laid the baby  

on the bed and then I lay next to the baby to  sleep. Because lay means put something down,  

we can talk about laying things like carpet  or railway track or in a metaphorical way  

we can lay a dead person to rest. So, for  example, Isaac Newton and Charles Darwin  

were laid to rest in Westminster Abbey. The  verb lay can also mean prepare. We talk about  

laying the table for dinner or laying a place for  someone. For example, Mom, how many places do I  

need to lay at the table for lunch? You can talk  about laying a fire - that's where you make a fire  

ready to burn or we can talk about laying a trap.  For example, the hunter laid three traps in the  

hopes of catching some dinner. And, of course any  animal which can push an egg out of its body lays  

that egg. Thank you very much for your email,  Alejandra. I hope we answered your question.  

If anybody else out there has a question  for Learners' Questions, you can email us on  

learning.english@bbc.co.uk And don't forget  - there is a full summary slide coming just  

after I finish speaking. I'll see you next  time on Learners' Questions! Bye everybody!

What are the differences between 'peek', 'peak'  and 'pique'. That's what Farshid on YouTube would  

like to know and that's what we're going to  be talking about in this Learners' Question!  

Okay, let's talk about peek - that's p-e-e-k. When  you peek at something you take a quick look at it,  

often sneakily so as not to be seen. For  example, you know when you see someone  

that you really really like but you don't  want them to see you looking at them? Well,  

she peeked at him over her textbook.  

Or, we often talk about peeking at something  or someone peeking over something like a wall.  

You can peek through the curtains and you can  peek into somebody's window. The verb peek also  

means protrude. If something peeks, it can  be partially seen from behind something.  

This paper is peeking from my pocket or how did  you find me? I saw your shoes peeking from under  

the curtain. Now the word 'peak' - p-e-a-k has  lots of meanings because it's applicable in a wide  

range of contexts. It basically means the highest,  strongest or most extreme point of something.  

The highest point in a graph, the tip of a  mountain or the busiest time. For example,  

the peak of this graph shows you shouldn't travel  to the peak of the mountain during peak times.  

Peak is also a verb and it means reach the  highest point - so you can peak a mountain,  

or "I've peaked", said the actor after collecting  his Oscar. Although that means that the only way  

is down! Okay, let's stop for a second so I can  take a breather - because all this explaining is  

tiring work! Why not take the opportunity  while I've paused to leave us a like or give  

us an example sentence in the comments below! We would love to see the language that you've  

learned so far! Remember - if you have a question  for Learners Questions, you can email us on  

learning.english@bbc.co.uk. We would love to hear  from you - and don't forget also that at the end  

of the video there is a summary slide with all the  information printed on it for you to read in your  

own time! Finally, we have pique - p-i-q-u-e. Now,  it's a verb and a noun and it's not very common  

but it's still used in two very nice expressions.  First of all, you can be in a fit of pique.

This means become irritated because someone  has been rude to you or insulted your pride.  

For example, she left the room in a fit  of pique because they insulted her work.  

Secondly, you can pique someone's interest or  curiosity - that means make them interested or  

curious. For example, these new inventions have  really piqued my interest. OK, Farshid on YouTube,  

thank you very much for writing to us.  I hope that has answered your question.  

If you have a question for us on Learners'  Questions, there's the email - you know what it is  

and don't forget there is a summary slide coming  immediately after this. See you next time, guys.

This week's Learners' Question comes from  

Marita in Spain who asks: could you explain the  difference between pop in, pop out and pop round?  

OK, Marita, we'll do our best.

Now these three pieces of language you've chosen  are phrasal verbs - that means they are a verb  

combined with a preposition. In this context, the  verb 'pop' means go somewhere for a short period  

of time. If you pop out, you leave the building  that you are in - possibly your house or your  

office and maybe you're going to run an errand, so  you might collect some milk, post a letter or go  

and have some lunch. For example, I'm just popping  out to get some milk. I'll be back in a minute.  

Pop in has the opposite meaning. This means you go  inside a building for a short period of time, For  

example, oh wait a minute, I need to pop in this  shop and buy some toothpaste. And we also use pop  

in when we visit someone in a very informal way  - so, oh you're home on Saturday, i'll pop in and  

see you. It's in this kind of situation that we  also use pop round - although pop round puts more  

focus on the traveling. So, for example, Sarah,  why won't you pop around and have a cup of tea?  

I haven't seen you in ages! Remember that being  a phrasal verb, we can change the preposition to  

suit the context. Two slightly different examples  would be - I need to pop up on the roof and fix a  

satellite dish, or are you looking for John?  He's just popped downstairs to speak to Tim.  

i hope that answers your question, Marita, thank  you very much for writing to us. If anybody else  

out there has a