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Commenting on the Weather

Both the driver and the rider might make a polite remark about the current weather, such as rain, sunshine, or temperature, as a common icebreaker.

Dialogue

Listen and follow along with the conversation

1
James (Male)
Good morning! Wow, it's really coming down out there, isn't it?
2
Emily (Female)
Good morning! It really is! I wasn't expecting it to be this heavy today.
3
James (Male)
Me neither. The forecast said light showers, but this feels more like a storm. Glad you're keeping dry in here.
4
Emily (Female)
Definitely. It makes me want to just stay home with a hot cup of tea. It's a proper British weather day!
5
James (Male)
Haha, you're right. At least it's not too cold, though. Just wet.
6
Emily (Female)
Yeah, that's true. Better than freezing rain, for sure. Thank you for picking me up in this weather.
7
James (Male)
No problem at all! Part of the job. Just trying to be careful on the roads with the visibility like this.

Vocabulary

Essential words and phrases from the dialogue

coming down

An idiom meaning raining heavily, like 'it's really coming down out there' to describe strong rain.

heavy

Describes intense rain or something strong, as in 'heavy rain' when it's pouring a lot.

forecast

A prediction of future weather from a weather report, like 'the forecast said light showers.'

showers

Light rain that comes and goes, often used in weather talks like 'light showers' for mild rain.

storm

A severe weather event with heavy rain or wind, contrasting with light rain, as in 'this feels more like a storm.'

visibility

How clearly you can see in bad weather, like low visibility in rain, important for driving safety.

freezing rain

Rain that freezes on contact, making things icy and dangerous, worse than regular rain.

Key Sentences

Important phrases to remember and practice

Wow, it's really coming down out there, isn't it?

This is a casual way to start talking about heavy rain; the tag question 'isn't it?' invites agreement and makes conversation polite and engaging for small talk.

I wasn't expecting it to be this heavy today.

Use this to express surprise about unexpected weather; 'wasn't expecting' is past continuous for something anticipated but not happening as planned, useful in daily chats.

The forecast said light showers, but this feels more like a storm.

This contrasts expected weather with reality; 'but' shows difference, great for discussing forecasts and building rapport in rides.

Glad you're keeping dry in here.

A polite way to show concern for comfort; 'keeping dry' means staying out of the rain, common in British English for weather talks to be friendly.

It makes me want to just stay home with a hot cup of tea.

Expresses a wish due to weather; 'makes me want to' shows cause and effect, ideal for sharing feelings in casual conversations about bad weather.

It's a proper British weather day!

'Proper' means typical or classic here; this humorous phrase refers to rainy UK weather, useful for cultural small talk with a light tone.

Thank you for picking me up in this weather.

Shows gratitude in tough conditions; polite and direct, use it to thank service providers like drivers during bad weather for positive interaction.