Commenting on the Weather or Environment
People strike up a conversation by remarking on the current weather conditions (too hot, too cold) or the immediate surroundings.
Dialogue
Listen and follow along with the conversation
Vocabulary
Essential words and phrases from the dialogue
warm
Warm means having a comfortably high temperature, not too hot. It's often used to describe indoor spaces or mild weather. For example, in small talk, you can say 'It's warm today' to start a conversation about the environment.
heating
Heating refers to the system that makes a room warmer, like radiators or air conditioners set to warm air. In conversations, people complain about it if it's too strong, such as 'The heating is on too high.'
stuffy
Stuffy describes air that feels hot, humid, and uncomfortable, making it hard to breathe easily. It's common in crowded or poorly ventilated places, like saying 'It feels stuffy in here' during small talk.
freezing
Freezing means extremely cold, often so cold that it feels painful. It's informal and used for outdoor weather, for example, 'It's freezing outside!' to express discomfort.
shivering
Shivering means shaking slightly because you are very cold. It's a physical reaction, and in talk, you might say 'I'm shivering' to describe feeling cold compared to being warm.
absolutely
Absolutely means completely or totally, used to show strong agreement. In casual chats, it emphasizes yes, like 'Absolutely, I agree!' to keep the conversation positive.
Key Sentences
Important phrases to remember and practice
Wow, it's really warm in here, isn't it?
This sentence starts a conversation by commenting on the temperature and uses a tag question 'isn't it?' to invite agreement. It's useful for small talk in lines or queues because it makes the other person respond easily and builds rapport.
Yeah, it is. I think the heating might be a bit too high.
This shows agreement with 'Yeah, it is' and gives an opinion using 'I think' and 'might' for possibility. It's practical for everyday chats as it continues the topic politely without being too direct.
Definitely. I'm already starting to feel a bit stuffy.
'Definitely' strongly agrees, and the sentence describes a personal feeling with 'starting to feel' in present continuous tense. Use this to express discomfort in shared spaces, helping learners practice adverb placement and sensory verbs.
Me too. And with this many people, it's only going to get warmer.
'Me too' agrees quickly, and the second part predicts the future with 'it's only going to get' in future tense. This pattern is common in small talk to add reasons and keep the dialogue flowing naturally.
True. At least we're not waiting outside today. It's freezing out there.
'True' agrees simply, and 'At least' introduces a positive aspect with a comparison. The contraction 'It's freezing out there' is idiomatic for extreme cold. It's useful for balancing complaints with positives in casual conversations.
Oh, absolutely. I heard it might even snow later.
'Oh, absolutely' shows surprise and strong agreement, followed by sharing information with 'I heard' and 'might' for uncertainty. This sentence teaches how to introduce new info in weather talks, making it engaging for listeners.
Really? Well, I guess a little warmth is better than shivering.
'Really?' expresses surprise, and 'I guess' softens an opinion, using a comparative 'better than' to contrast options. It's great for intermediate learners to practice expressing preferences and comparisons in response to news.
You've got a point there.
This idiom means 'You are right' or 'That's a good idea,' used to agree with someone's opinion politely. It's a common phrase in English small talk to end or acknowledge a point without saying much more.