English speakers love to talk about the weather. It is a way of breaking the ice (starting a conversation). People talk about the weather on the phone and in person. Friends and family talk about the weather before they discuss what's new. Co-workers talk about the weather before starting a hard day of work. Even strangers discuss the weather. Learn the proper vocabulary and expressions, and you will find it easy to start a conversation anytime and anywhere with anyone you meet!
Common questions and responses about weather
What's it like out?
It's miserable out.
How's the weather?
It's ten below. (-10 degrees)
Do you have rain?
We haven't had a drop of rain for weeks.
What's the temperature there?
It's 22 degrees Celsius.
It's snowing here, what's it doing there?
It's pouring outside. (raining heavily)
Beautiful day, huh?
We couldn't ask for a better day than this.
What's the weather forecast?
They're calling for blue skies all week.
Common errors
One common mistake learners make when talking about the weather is mixing up the noun, adjective and verb forms of weather words.
Example 1: How's the weather?
It is snow (noun). incorrect
It is snowy (adjective). correct
It is snowing (verb). correct
Example 2: What's it like out?
It is rain (noun). incorrect
It is rainy (adjective). correct
It is raining (verb). correct
Example 3: What's the weather like?
It is sun (noun). incorrect
It is sunny (adjective). correct
The sun is shining (verb). correct
