Buckingham Palace
Episode of the series Great Stuff
- Illustrated slideshow (14 images)
- Glossary (10 words)
- Comprehension quiz (17 questions)
- 17 cultural notes


Extract · 30 sThe episode
Buckingham Palace has 775 rooms, but does the King really live there? Two friends find out about the palace, its flag and its famous balcony.
Episode worksheets (2)
- Student sheet In your teacher account
- Teacher sheet In your teacher account
Teaching guide
Objective & content
This A1- Great Stuff Short is a quick dialogue between two speakers about Buckingham Palace. They talk about its 775 rooms and 78 bathrooms, the offices where hundreds of people work, and Clarence House, the smaller house where the King usually lives. They explain how the flag on the roof shows whether the King is at home, when visitors can go inside, and who waves from the balcony on special days such as the King's birthday parade in June. The grammar focus is the present simple and simple questions (how many, can I), with vocabulary for houses and rooms. Learners listen to the audio and answer the in-app questions. One line to notice: "When the King's flag is up, he's there."
Materials & prerequisites
The folder holds the audio, the subtitles and the script, and two printable sheets (PDF): a student sheet for each learner and a teacher sheet with the answer key. Learners should know the numbers, the present simple and the basic words for rooms in a house.
Curriculum alignment
Tagged c3-child-and-wider-environment (cycle 3, 6e). The episode targets CEFR level A1-.
Possible adaptations
- Lower levels: Offer segmented listening and additional visual aids.
- Advanced levels: Encourage an oral summary and a debate in English on the theme.
- Large groups: Organise group work with differentiated roles.
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Unlock the resourceIncluded in the subscriptionTags
- Documentary
- Present simple
- Wh- questions
- Can: permission
- House & home
- British icons
- Sightseeing
- Large numbers
- Royal family
- London
- Child and wider environment
- Listening comprehension
- Vocabulary building
- Cultural awareness