English Learning for Beginners: Weather Words

Dialogue

Current Situation

Talking about the weather is one of the most common topics in English conversations. Whether you’re meeting someone new, making small talk with a neighbor, or planning your day, discussing the weather is a natural part of daily life. Knowing basic weather words allows you to express your observations, understand forecasts, and plan activities effectively. From sunny days perfect for a walk to rainy afternoons best spent indoors, understanding weather vocabulary helps you connect with others and navigate your environment.

Key Phrases

• What’s the weather like?: A common question to ask about the current weather.
  What’s the weather like in your city today?
• How’s the weather?: Another way to ask about the weather.
  How’s the weather where you are? Is it raining?
• It’s sunny: The sun is shining brightly.
  It’s sunny, perfect for the beach!
• It’s raining: Water is falling from the sky.
  Don’t forget your umbrella, it’s raining outside.
• It’s snowing: Snow is falling.
  Look! It’s snowing, everything is white.
• It’s windy: The wind is blowing strongly.
  It’s very windy, hold onto your hat!
• It’s foggy: There is thick mist, making it hard to see.
  Be careful driving, it’s foggy this morning.
• It’s hot / It’s cold: Refers to the temperature being high or low.
  It’s so hot, I need an ice cream! / It’s cold, wear a warm jacket.
• Partly cloudy: The sky has both clouds and sunshine.
  It’s partly cloudy, so we might see the sun later.
• Chance of rain: There is a possibility that it will rain.
  The forecast says there’s a chance of rain this afternoon.
• Thunderstorms: A storm with thunder and lightning.
  We heard the news, there will be thunderstorms tonight.

Grammar Points

1. Using “It’s” for Weather

We often use “It’s” (short for “It is”) to talk about the weather. We combine “It is” with an adjective or a verb ending in -ing.

• It’s + adjective: For example, “It’s sunny,” “It’s cold,” “It’s hot,” “It’s windy.”
  It’s hot today, let’s go swimming.
• It’s + verb-ing: For example, “It’s raining,” “It’s snowing,” “It’s hailing.”
  It’s raining, so I need an umbrella.

2. Asking About the Weather

To ask about the weather, we commonly use these two phrases:

• “What’s the weather like?”: This asks for a description of the weather.
  “What’s the weather like in London?” “It’s cloudy and cool.”
• “How’s the weather?”: This is a shorter, more casual way to ask the same thing.
  “How’s the weather?” “It’s beautiful, a perfect sunny day!”

3. Talking About Future Weather (Forecast)

When we talk about what the weather will be like in the future, we often use “The forecast says…” or “It’s going to be…”

• The forecast says…: Used to report information from a weather prediction.
  The forecast says it will be sunny tomorrow.
• It’s going to be…: Used to express a future prediction or plan.
  It’s going to be cold this evening.
• There’s a chance of…: Used when there’s a possibility of a certain weather condition.
  There’s a chance of snow later this week.

Practice Exercises

Exercise 1: Fill in the Blanks

Complete the sentences with the best weather word from the dialogue or key phrases.

1. When the sky is blue and bright, it’s __________.
2. If water is falling from the sky, it’s __________.
3. When the air moves strongly and makes things blow around, it’s __________.
4. When you can’t see far because of thick mist, it’s __________.
5. If the temperature is very high, you might say it’s __________.

Scroll down for answers!

Exercise 2: Choose the Correct Word

Select the correct weather word to complete each sentence.

1. The forecast says it will be (snowing / hot) tomorrow, so bring your winter coat.
2. Let’s play outside! It’s (raining / sunny) today.
3. I heard thunder, so there might be (thunderstorms / foggy) later.

Scroll down for answers!

Exercise 3: Answer the Questions

Answer these questions about weather in your own words.

1. What kind of weather do you like best?
2. What do you usually wear when it’s cold?

Answers

Exercise 1: Fill in the Blanks

1. When the sky is blue and bright, it’s sunny.
2. If water is falling from the sky, it’s raining.
3. When the air moves strongly and makes things blow around, it’s windy.
4. When you can’t see far because of thick mist, it’s foggy.
5. If the temperature is very high, you might say it’s hot.

Exercise 2: Choose the Correct Word

1. The forecast says it will be snowing tomorrow, so bring your winter coat.
2. Let’s play outside! It’s sunny today.
3. I heard thunder, so there might be thunderstorms later.

Exercise 3: Answer the Questions

(Answers will vary, here are some examples)

1. I like sunny and warm weather best.
2. When it’s cold, I usually wear a warm jacket, a hat, and gloves.