Small talk about the weather
Start an easy conversation about the weather and keep it going with a simple question.
The scene
You are waiting for a bus next to a neighbor. It has been raining all week, and today the sun is finally out.
- Speaker A
- Neighbor at the bus stop
- Speaker B
- You
Your goals
- Start small talk with a comment about the weather
- Agree and add a little information
- Ask a follow-up question to continue
Key vocabulary
Press the speaker to hear each word or phrase.
sunny
with a lot of sunshine
It's so sunny today.
finally
after a long time of waiting
The rain finally stopped.
forecast
what the weather is expected to be
The forecast says rain tomorrow.
chilly
a little cold
It's a bit chilly this morning.
to make a change
to be different from usual, in a nice way
Sunshine makes a nice change.
humid
warm and wet in the air
It's really humid in summer here.
Useful phrases
Lovely day, isn't it?
Starting a conversation about nice weather
It makes a nice change.
Saying something different is welcome
Did you see the forecast?
Asking about the weather to come
I hope it stays like this.
Expressing a wish about the weather
Any plans for the weekend?
Moving from the weather to another topic
Practice studio: speak the dialogue
Pick your role and press Start. Your partner's lines are read aloud; then say your line into the microphone (or type it) and see which words you got right.
Neighbor at the bus stop
Lovely day, isn't it?
You
Yes, it's beautiful! It makes a nice change after all that rain.
Neighbor at the bus stop
I know. It rained every day last week.
You
It did. I hope it stays sunny for the weekend.
Neighbor at the bus stop
Me too. Did you see the forecast?
You
Yes, I think it says sunny but a bit chilly on Saturday.
Neighbor at the bus stop
That's not bad. Chilly is fine if it's dry.
You
Exactly. Do you have any plans for the weekend?
Neighbor at the bus stop
We might go to the beach if it's warm enough. How about you?
You
I want to go for a long walk in the park.
You speak 5 lines as You; Neighbor at the bus stop is read aloud for you.
Speech recognition is done by your browser (in Chrome and Edge this uses the browser maker's online service). Nothing is stored by AltFTool.
Your turn: speak freely
Answer out loud in your own words. There is no score here: aim for full sentences and fewer filler words.
1. Describe today's weather where you are in two sentences.
2. Start a conversation with a stranger using a comment about the weather.
3. Say what you like to do when the weather is nice.
Quick quiz
Choose an answer to see if you are right and why.
0 of 4 answered
Common mistakes
Avoid:
Today is very sun.Say: It's very sunny today.
Use the adjective 'sunny', and start with 'It's' for weather.
Avoid:
Is raining.Say: It's raining.
English needs 'it' as the subject for weather.
Avoid:
The weather is very well.Say: The weather is very nice.
'Well' is an adverb; use an adjective like 'nice' or 'good'.
Tips
- Use a tag question like 'isn't it?' to invite the other person to agree.
- Agree and add one small detail, so the other person has something to answer.
- After two or three lines, ask a question to move to a new topic.
Questions about this lesson
How do you start small talk in English?
Comment on something you both can see, like the weather: 'Lovely day, isn't it?' Then ask a simple question.
How do you say 'it's cold' in different ways?
Try 'It's a bit chilly', 'It's freezing' (very cold) or 'It's cool' (pleasantly cold).
Finish the lesson
Finish the practice studio and the quiz and this lesson is marked complete for you.
Next lesson: Making plans with a friend
All social & small talk lessonsAll beginner lessonsTalkNLearn home