The Most Useful Weather Expressions
2022-06-17
LRC
TXT
大字
小字
滚动
全页
1Hello. This week on Everyday Grammar, we are talking about common expressions linked to weather.
2We got the idea for the show from an email sent by a Learning English fan in Myanmar.
3Thin Ya Thaw asked, "Could you tell me the most useful expressions in your daily life?
4This helps me a lot in learning English.
5I want to know natural English to communicate with others."
6We agree - natural, or conversational, English is a great goal.
7Thank you Thin Ya Thaw for the excellent study subject.
8There are thousands of expressions people can and do use in their daily lives.
9Today, we are going to look at some expressions common to discussions of weather.
10So let's put on our sun block, pick up our umbrella, or put on our snowshoes and talk about the conditions in the great outdoors!
11In parts of the United States weather conditions can change very quickly.
12You might wake up in the morning to sunny skies and mild temperatures.
13A few hours later, it could be very hot and humid.
14Clouds might form, developing into a thunderstorm as the night continues.
15The weather is a major consideration when we make plans.
16We might not want to play baseball in the park in heavy rain, for example! Or travel to Alaska in the deep of winter!
17Let's start with several kinds of questions that we use to raise the subject of weather.
18What is it like outside?
19What's the weather today?
20The structure we use here is what + auxiliary verb or helping verb (be, do, or have) + subject (+ main verb)
21In the first question, the subject "it" refers to the weather.
22The answer might be:
23It's raining.
24Or...
25It is extremely hot.
26Or...
27It is sunny but starting to snow.
28"How" is another common question word linked to climate discussion.
29How's the weather?
30"How" acts like a wh-question even though it does not begin with a "wh."
31This structure is similar to the other two questions.
32But, when you use "how," you are more likely to get an opinion than an objective observation as an answer.
33For example, someone might answer:
34It's nice out.
35Or...
36It's nasty out there.
37Our next "wh-question" is another "how" question.
38How hot is it outside?
39Or...
40How cold is it?
41Here we are asking about the intensity of weather conditions.
42The answer to these questions calls for an adverb, adjective or an exact number.
43For example, we could respond with:
44It's really hot outside!
45Or...
46It is freezing!
47Or...
48It's 81 degrees outside today.
49We can also ask yes/no questions about the weather.
50For example, we could ask questions like:
51Is it humid out?
52Or...
53Is it raining?
54Or...
55Do I need a coat?
56That last question is about the clothing one should wear to be protected from the weather.
57The answer will suggest what the weather is like.
58If a coat is needed, it is probably cool or cold outside.
59The "yes/no" question form is very different from wh-questions. We form "yes/no" questions with an auxiliary or helping verb (be, do, or have) + subject + main verb.
60The answer could be a simple yes or no.
61But, commonly, additional information is also provided, like here:
62Should I put on my rubber boots to go to the store?
63No. It is sunny skies for the rest of the day!
64Today we learned some common question and answer phrases that we can use to talk about the weather in our daily lives.
65"Wh-words" and "how" questions can be used to talk generally or to ask opinions about the weather.
66"How" questions are more often used to ask about the intensity of the weather.
67Now it is your turn! What other weather expressions, questions, or answers do you know and use in English?
68Let us know in the comments below or write to us at learningenglish@voanews.com.
69I'm Faith Pirlo.
70And I'm Caty Weaver.
1Hello. This week on Everyday Grammar, we are talking about common expressions linked to weather. We got the idea for the show from an email sent by a Learning English fan in Myanmar. 2Thin Ya Thaw asked, "Could you tell me the most useful expressions in your daily life? This helps me a lot in learning English. I want to know natural English to communicate with others." 3We agree - natural, or conversational, English is a great goal. Thank you Thin Ya Thaw for the excellent study subject. 4There are thousands of expressions people can and do use in their daily lives. Today, we are going to look at some expressions common to discussions of weather. 5So let's put on our sun block, pick up our umbrella, or put on our snowshoes and talk about the conditions in the great outdoors! 6The weather in our daily lives 7In parts of the United States weather conditions can change very quickly. You might wake up in the morning to sunny skies and mild temperatures. A few hours later, it could be very hot and humid. Clouds might form, developing into a thunderstorm as the night continues. 8The weather is a major consideration when we make plans. We might not want to play baseball in the park in heavy rain, for example! Or travel to Alaska in the deep of winter! 9Let's start with several kinds of questions that we use to raise the subject of weather. 10Wh-questions and how 11What is it like outside? 12What's the weather today? 13The structure we use here is what + auxiliary verb or helping verb (be, do, or have) + subject (+ main verb) 14In the first question, the subject "it" refers to the weather. 15The answer might be: 16It's raining. 17Or... 18It is extremely hot. 19Or... 20It is sunny but starting to snow. 21"How" is another common question word linked to climate discussion. 22How's the weather? 23"How" acts like a wh-question even though it does not begin with a "wh." This structure is similar to the other two questions. But, when you use "how," you are more likely to get an opinion than an objective observation as an answer. 24For example, someone might answer: 25It's nice out. 26Or... 27It's nasty out there. 28Our next "wh-question" is another "how" question. 29How hot is it outside? 30Or... 31How cold is it? 32Here we are asking about the intensity of weather conditions. 33The answer to these questions calls for an adverb, adjective or an exact number. 34For example, we could respond with: 35It's really hot outside! 36Or... 37It is freezing! 38Or... 39It's 81 degrees outside today. 40Yes/no question 41We can also ask yes/no questions about the weather. 42For example, we could ask questions like: 43Is it humid out? 44Or... 45Is it raining? 46Or... 47Do I need a coat? 48That last question is about the clothing one should wear to be protected from the weather. The answer will suggest what the weather is like. If a coat is needed, it is probably cool or cold outside. 49The "yes/no" question form is very different from wh-questions. We form "yes/no" questions with an auxiliary or helping verb (be, do, or have) + subject + main verb. 50The answer could be a simple yes or no. But, commonly, additional information is also provided, like here: 51Should I put on my rubber boots to go to the store? 52No. It is sunny skies for the rest of the day! 53Closing thoughts 54Today we learned some common question and answer phrases that we can use to talk about the weather in our daily lives. "Wh-words" and "how" questions can be used to talk generally or to ask opinions about the weather. "How" questions are more often used to ask about the intensity of the weather. 55Now it is your turn! What other weather expressions, questions, or answers do you know and use in English? Let us know in the comments below or write to us at learningenglish@voanews.com. 56I'm Faith Pirlo. 57And I'm Caty Weaver. 58Faith Pirlo wrote this report for VOA Learning English. 59_____________________________________________________________ 60Words in This Story 61conversational - adj. relating to or suggesting informal talk; relating to or suggesting a discussion 62mild - adj. gentle in nature or behavior 63humid - adj. containing enough water or water particles to make one feel hot and slightly wet 64thunderstorm - n. a large storm with thunder, lightning, and lots of rain 65nasty - adj. unpleasant and unkind 66intensity - n. the quality of state of being intense