Warm-up
Weather and Seasons
Rain, wind, sun and snow: what we hear, feel and smell
Today’s grammar
Talk first
- What is the weather like today?
- What is your favourite season?
- Do you like rain?
After this lesson you will be able to...
- Describe the weather using sounds, smells and feelings.
- Ask and answer “What’s the weather like?”
- Use the zero conditional for general truths.
- Talk about favourite seasons.
Vocabulary
Words to learn
| rain | дощ I love the sound of rain. |
| wind | вітер The wind is strong today. |
| snow | сніг Snow is cold and soft. |
| a storm | буря There was a big storm last night. |
| sunny | сонячний It is sunny and warm today. |
| cloudy | хмарний It’s a bit cloudy this morning. |
| a season | пора року Autumn is my favourite season. |
| temperature | температура The temperature is minus five. |
Grammar
Describing the weather
We use “it” for the weather: It is sunny. It is raining. It is cold. We ask: What’s the weather like? How’s the weather today? What’s the temperature?
Use adjectives (sunny, windy, cold) with “it is”, and verbs (rain, snow) in the continuous: It is raining. It’s snowing. We can also use “a lot”: It rains a lot in autumn.
| It is cold and windy today. |
| It’s raining right now. |
| What’s the weather like in your city? |
| It snows a lot here in winter. |
Zero conditional
We use the zero conditional for things that are always true. Structure: If + present simple, present simple. If it rains, the streets are wet. If you heat ice, it melts.
It can also describe habits: If it is cold, I wear a warm scarf. If it rains, I stay at home and listen to music. We can change the order: I stay at home if it rains.
| If it rains, I take an umbrella. |
| If it is very cold, I wear a thick coat. |
| If you heat water, it boils. |
| I feel happy if the sun shines. |
Comparing seasons
To compare, we use -er than for short adjectives (colder than) and more… than for long ones (more beautiful than). For the best: the coldest, the most beautiful.
Winter is colder than autumn. Summer is the hottest season. Spring is more pleasant than winter for me.
| Winter is colder than autumn. |
| Summer is the hottest season. |
| Spring is more beautiful than winter. |
| This is the coldest day of the year. |
Speaking
Easy — warm up your speaking
- What is the weather like today?
- Is it hot or cold?
- Do you like rain?
- What is your favourite season?
- Do you like snow?
- Is it windy today?
- What do you wear when it is cold?
- Do you take an umbrella when it rains?
- Does it rain a lot in your city?
- Do you like hot weather?
- Is it sunny in the morning?
- Do you hear the wind at night?
Medium — say more
- How does rain sound? How does it smell?
- What do you do if it rains all day?
- What do you do on a sunny day?
- Tell me about a big storm you remember.
- What do you like about winter?
- What is your favourite season, and why?
- How do you feel in hot weather?
- How can you tell the weather without looking outside?
- What do you eat when it is cold?
- What do you wear when it is windy?
- What do you do if it snows?
- What smells tell you that spring has come?
Deeper — explain and give reasons
- How does the weather affect our mood?
- Is climate change a problem in your country? Why?
- Which season is the best for you? Explain.
- How are the seasons different in your country and other countries?
- How can people stay safe in a storm?
- Do you think weather forecasts are useful? Why or why not?
- How can we protect nature from changing weather?
- If you could live in any climate, where would you live?
More questions
- What’s the weather like in the morning?
- How do you know it is raining?
- Do you like autumn or spring more?
- What do you do if it is very hot?
- Is winter colder than autumn in your city?
- What is the hottest month in your country?
- If you hear thunder, what do you do?
- What is the coldest day of the year?
- What do you drink when it is cold?
- Do you like walking in the rain?
- Does your mood change when it is cloudy?
- What do you listen to on a rainy day?
Opinions and what-ifs
- Do you think people talk too much about the weather?
- Would you rather live in a hot place or a cold place?
- What if it never rained?
- Is rain good or bad? Why?
- Which is better: a sunny day or a snowy day?
- Would you like to live in a place with four seasons?
- Is it important to watch the weather forecast?
- What advice would you give to someone who hates winter?