Learn English: How to make Conversation and Small Talk about the Weather

Do people in your country chat about the weather? When you’re making small talk, you can be sure that at some point the weather will be a topic for discussion! In whatever social or business situation you are in, being able to chat about the weather is a great way to break the ice.

Have a look at this helpful lesson on Small Talk and The Weather to help you speak English with confidence

 Objectives

• You will be able to chat and make small talk about the weather
• You will practice using ‘will’, won’t and ‘will question form’ to talk about the weather

 Let’s Get Started

What’s the weather like today?

Look at the table and answer the questions which follow.

WORLD WEATHER

12pm today		°C	12pm tomorrow		°C
Athens	S	18	Athens	C	22
Berlin	R	7	Berlin	R	5
Mumbai	R	31	Mumbai	C	29
Dublin	C	5	Dublin	R	8
Vienna	C	12	Vienna	R	14
Shanghai	S	29	Shanghai	S	26
Lisbon	C	19	Lisbon	S	24
London	R	10	London	S	9
San Francisco	Fg	21	San Francisco	S	17
Cairo	S	40	Cairo	S	35
Rome	Fg	19	Rome	C	18
St Petersburg	Sn	-1	St Petersburg	Fg	2
Stockholm	Sn	3	Stockholm	Sn	-1
Boston	R	12	Boston	C	13
Valetta	C	23	Valetta	S	28

S=sunny      C=cloudy      Fg=foggy      R=rainy      Sn=snowy

1. What is the weather like in San Francisco today?
2. What will the weather be like in San Francisco tomorrow?
3. What is the temperature like in Shanghai today?
4. Will the temperature in Shanghai be higher or lower tomorrow?
5. Is it supposed to be rainy in Dublin tomorrow?
6. Have you heard the forecast for Stockholm tomorrow?

Now look at the table again and ask the class your own questions.

Let’s Practice

Reporting and predicting the weather

1. Read the sentences and fill the gaps with the missing words:

     What’s     there     changeable     looks     with     get     weather     about     will     day

1. Well, here in London it is quite cool and windy today. It is ______ 12°C
2. It ______ be warmer on Sunday. It’ll be around 18°C.
3. ______ the weather like there, Bob?
4. It’s a beautiful ______ here.
5. The ______ is great/awful/terrible today.
6. On Friday it’ll be sunny ______ winds of 10-15mph. (miles per hour)
7. Our forecast says it will ______ worse on Thursday.
8. Maybe ______ will be showers later on.
9. It ______ like it’s going to rain tomorrow.
10. The weather is a bit ______ .

 

2. Look at these phrases and match the pairs to complete the sentences.

 

I think it will be It won’t be cloudy Will the weather I hope there If it rains They say it If it is too hot we I think it will The weather It will be very

will get better when we go home! windy at the coast will stay in the hotel be foggy in the morning will be rain soon will snow tomorrow we won’t go to the barbecue warm and sunny next week get better for next week? and wet in Miami.

 

Let’s Speak

Role Play: Weather reporter

Scan the information on the weather from the BBC website

Answer any questions the trainer may have.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/

 

 

Plenary

What have you learnt this lesson?

What do you need to improve on before the next?

What do you think would be useful to do next lesson for you to progress further?

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