Exercise 1
Choose the correct word to complete each sentence about weather, nature, and the environment.
Example: It is very _____ today. You need an umbrella. (rainy / sunny / windy)
Answer: It is very rainy today. You need an umbrella.
Weather, Nature and the Environment
Do you talk about the weather every day? Most people do! In English, the weather is one of the most common topics of conversation. We also talk about nature – the world around us, including animals, plants, rivers, and forests – and the environment – the air, water, and land we all share.
In this lesson, you will learn useful vocabulary to describe the weather, talk about natural places, and say simple things about the environment. These words will help you in everyday conversations, on holiday, and when reading or listening to the news.
A Short Situation
Mia and Tom are planning a weekend trip to the countryside. Read their conversation:
"What's the weather going to be like on Saturday?" Mia asked.
"It might be cloudy in the morning, but sunny in the afternoon," said Tom.
"I hope it doesn't rain. I want to walk by the river and see the forest."
"Me too. Let's bring a jacket just in case. The temperature can drop quickly near the mountains."
Notice the weather and nature words in bold in the conversation above. Let's explore all of these words – and many more – in detail below.
Key Vocabulary & Meaning Breakdown
1. Weather Words
| Word / Phrase | Part of Speech & Meaning | Example Sentence | Collocations / Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| sunny | adjective – bright with a lot of sunshine | It was a sunny day, so we had a picnic in the park. | a sunny day, sunny weather, sunny afternoon |
| cloudy | adjective – with many clouds in the sky | The sky was cloudy all morning, but it didn't rain. | cloudy skies, a cloudy day, partly cloudy |
| rainy | adjective – with a lot of rain | I don't like rainy days because I get wet. | a rainy day, rainy season, rainy weather |
| windy | adjective – with a lot of wind | It was very windy at the beach, so my hat flew away. | a windy day, strong wind, windy conditions |
| snowy | adjective – with a lot of snow | The mountains were snowy and beautiful in winter. | snowy weather, a snowy landscape, snowy roads |
| foggy | adjective – with a lot of fog (thick cloud close to the ground) | It was foggy this morning, so I drove slowly. | a foggy morning, foggy weather, thick fog |
| stormy | adjective – with heavy rain, strong wind, and sometimes thunder | The sea was stormy, so the boats stayed in the harbour. | a stormy night, stormy weather, stormy sea |
| temperature | noun – how hot or cold something is, measured in degrees | The temperature today is 22 degrees Celsius. | high/low temperature, temperature drops/rises |
| degree | noun – a unit for measuring temperature | It is minus five degrees outside. Put on a coat! | degrees Celsius, degrees Fahrenheit |
| forecast | noun – a prediction of what the weather will be like | According to the weather forecast, it will snow tomorrow. | weather forecast, the forecast says… |
| shower | noun – a short period of rain | There might be a few showers in the afternoon, but it won't rain all day. | heavy/light shower, a shower of rain |
| thunder | noun – the loud noise in the sky during a storm | I heard thunder last night and then the storm started. | thunder and lightning, a clap of thunder |
| lightning | noun – a bright flash of light in the sky during a storm | We saw lightning in the distance before the rain started. | thunder and lightning, a flash of lightning |
| humid | adjective – warm and with a lot of moisture in the air; it feels sticky | August is very humid here. I always feel sweaty. | hot and humid, humid climate, humid weather |
| freezing | adjective – extremely cold | It was freezing last night – the temperature dropped to minus ten. | freezing cold, freezing temperatures, it's freezing outside |
2. Nature Words
| Word / Phrase | Part of Speech & Meaning | Example Sentence | Collocations / Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| forest | noun – a large area of land covered with trees | We walked through a beautiful forest and saw many birds. | tropical forest, a walk in the forest, forest path |
| river | noun – a large natural stream of water that flows to the sea | We went fishing in the river near our village. | a river bank, along the river, a wide/deep river |
| mountain | noun – a very high area of land | We could see snow on top of the mountain. | climb a mountain, mountain top, mountain village |
| lake | noun – a large area of water surrounded by land | We swam in the lake on a hot summer day. | by the lake, a lake view, swim in a lake |
| ocean | noun – a very large area of salt water | The Pacific Ocean is the largest ocean in the world. | the ocean floor, across the ocean, ocean water |
| beach | noun – an area of sand or stones next to the sea | We spent the afternoon on the beach building sandcastles. | on the beach, a sandy beach, go to the beach |
| island | noun – a piece of land completely surrounded by water | We took a boat to a small island off the coast. | a tropical island, live on an island, island holiday |
| countryside | noun – land outside cities and towns, with fields, forests, and hills | I love walking in the countryside at the weekend. | in the countryside, countryside walk, open countryside |
| field | noun – a flat area of land, usually covered with grass or crops | The farmer grew wheat in the field next to our house. | a green field, a field of flowers, open field |
| hill | noun – a raised area of land, smaller than a mountain | We walked to the top of the hill and had a great view. | up/down a hill, a rolling hill, on top of the hill |
| plant | noun – a living thing that grows in the ground; has leaves, a stem, and roots | She waters the plants in her garden every morning. | water a plant, grow a plant, indoor/outdoor plant |
| animal | noun – a living creature that can move and breathe | My favourite wild animal is the fox. | wild animal, pet animal, farm animal |
| sky | noun – the space above the earth that we see when we look up | The sky was bright blue and there were no clouds. | clear sky, blue sky, the night sky, look at the sky |
| season | noun – one of the four parts of the year: spring, summer, autumn, winter | My favourite season is autumn because of the colourful leaves. | the four seasons, rainy season, growing season |
3. Environment Words
| Word / Phrase | Part of Speech & Meaning | Example Sentence | Collocations / Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| environment | noun – the natural world, including the air, water, land, and all living things | We should all try to protect the environment. | protect the environment, damage the environment, the natural environment |
| pollution | noun – harmful substances in the air, water, or land | Air pollution in big cities can cause health problems. | air pollution, water pollution, cause/reduce pollution |
| recycle | verb – to use old materials again to make new things | We recycle paper, plastic, and glass in our house. | recycle paper/plastic/glass, a recycling bin |
| waste | noun – things that you throw away; rubbish | We need to reduce the amount of waste we produce. | food waste, reduce waste, plastic waste |
| rubbish | noun – things you throw away; (British English for "trash" or "garbage") | Please don't drop rubbish on the street – use a bin. | put out the rubbish, a rubbish bin, drop rubbish |
| energy | noun – power used to make machines work, heat homes, etc. | We save energy by turning off the lights when we leave a room. | save energy, use energy, solar energy, wind energy |
| natural | adjective – coming from nature; not made by people | Honey is a natural product made by bees. | natural resources, natural light, natural environment |
| flood | noun – when a large amount of water covers land that is usually dry | Heavy rain caused a flood in the town centre last week. | a serious flood, cause a flood, flood damage |
| drought | noun – a long period without rain, when the land becomes very dry | The drought damaged many crops and farmers lost money. | a severe drought, cause a drought, drought conditions |
| climate | noun – the typical weather conditions of an area over a long time | The UK has a mild climate with cool summers and wet winters. | warm/cold/tropical climate, climate change |
Collocations & Useful Expressions
Collocations are words that naturally go together in English. Learning them helps you sound more natural when you speak or write.
Weather Collocations
heavy + rain / snow / fog
There was heavy rain last night and the roads were flooded.
strong + wind
A strong wind blew the leaves off the trees.
bright + sunshine / sunlight
We enjoyed the bright sunshine on the beach.
the temperature + drops / rises / reaches
The temperature drops at night in the mountains.
The temperature rose to 35 degrees yesterday.
What's the weather like?
"What's the weather like today?" "It's warm and sunny."
This is the most common way to ask about the weather in British English.
It's + weather adjective
It's sunny. / It's cloudy. / It's windy. / It's freezing.
It + weather verb (rain, snow, blow)
It rained all day. / It snowed last night. / It's blowing outside.
Nature Collocations
climb + a mountain / a hill
We climbed the mountain and stayed at a small hotel at the top.
walk along + the river / the beach / the coast
We walked along the river and watched the boats go by.
go to + the beach / the countryside / the forest
We often go to the countryside at weekends to relax.
in the + countryside / forest / mountains
There is no mobile signal in the mountains.
by the + lake / river / sea / ocean
We sat by the lake and watched the sunset.
Environment Collocations
protect + the environment / nature / wildlife
Governments must protect the environment for future generations.
reduce + pollution / waste / energy use
We can all help reduce pollution by using public transport.
save + energy / water / the planet
Turn off the tap to save water.
recycle + paper / plastic / glass / bottles
Do you recycle plastic bottles in your country?
cause + pollution / floods / damage
Old factories can cause a lot of pollution.
Important Differences & Confusing Words
Weather vs Climate
Weather describes what is happening outside right now or this week. It can change every day.
Climate describes the typical or usual weather conditions of a place over many years.
- ✅ "The weather is rainy today." (happening now)
- ✅ "Spain has a warm, sunny climate." (typical conditions over time)
- ❌ "The climate is rainy today."
Rain vs Shower vs Storm
Rain – general word for water falling from clouds. It can be light or heavy, and short or long.
Shower – a short period of rain. It stops and starts again.
Storm – very bad weather with strong wind, heavy rain, and sometimes thunder and lightning.
- ✅ "There will be some showers this afternoon, but mostly dry."
- ✅ "The storm last night broke some tree branches."
- ✅ "Bring an umbrella – it looks like rain."
Forest vs Wood(s) vs Jungle
Forest – a large area of trees. You can use this word in most situations.
Woods / woodland – a smaller area of trees, usually near towns or villages.
Jungle – a tropical forest with very thick, tall trees and a lot of plants. Found in hot, wet countries.
- ✅ "We had a picnic in the woods near our town." (small, local area)
- ✅ "The Amazon jungle is in South America." (tropical, very large)
- ✅ "The forest fire destroyed thousands of trees." (general)
Ocean vs Sea
Ocean – one of the five very large areas of salt water that cover most of the Earth (e.g. the Atlantic Ocean, the Pacific Ocean).
Sea – a smaller area of salt water, often part of an ocean and near land (e.g. the Mediterranean Sea, the North Sea). In everyday conversation, people also use "sea" to mean the water near the beach.
- ✅ "We sailed across the Atlantic Ocean."
- ✅ "Let's go for a swim in the sea." (at the beach)
Rubbish vs Waste vs Pollution
Rubbish – things you throw away in everyday life; the physical objects you put in a bin.
Waste – a broader word; materials that are left over and not used. Often used in more official or environmental contexts.
Pollution – harmful substances that damage the air, water, or land. It is caused by rubbish, chemicals, fumes, etc.
- ✅ "Please put your rubbish in the bin."
- ✅ "This factory produces a lot of industrial waste."
- ✅ "Car fumes cause air pollution."
Common Mistakes
❌ The weather is sun today.
✅ The weather is sunny today. – Use the adjective sunny, not the noun sun.
❌ It is doing a rain.
✅ It is raining. – Say it is raining, not it is doing a rain. Rain is used as a verb: to rain.
❌ The temperature is very high degrees today.
✅ The temperature is 35 degrees today. – Always give a number with degrees. Don't say "very high degrees".
❌ I went to the forest for make a picnic.
✅ I went to the forest to have a picnic. – Use to + infinitive to say why. We have a picnic, not make a picnic.
❌ There was a very strong rain last night.
✅ There was very heavy rain last night. – We say heavy rain, not strong rain. Use strong for wind: strong wind.
❌ The climate today is terrible.
✅ The weather today is terrible. – Use weather for daily conditions. Climate describes long-term patterns.
❌ We must protect the nature.
✅ We must protect nature. – Do not use "the" before nature when you mean nature in general.
❌ I saw a thunder last night.
✅ I heard thunder last night. – Thunder is a sound, so we hear thunder. We see lightning.
Weather, Nature and the Environment: Quick Summary & Review
Here is a quick summary of the key vocabulary from this lesson:
- Weather adjectives: sunny, cloudy, rainy, windy, snowy, foggy, stormy, humid, freezing
- Weather nouns: rain, shower, storm, thunder, lightning, temperature, degree, forecast
- Nature nouns: forest, river, mountain, lake, ocean, sea, beach, island, countryside, field, hill, sky, plant, animal, season
- Environment nouns: pollution, waste, rubbish, energy, flood, drought, climate
- Environment verbs: recycle, protect, reduce, save, cause
- Key collocations: heavy rain, strong wind, bright sunshine, climb a mountain, walk along the river, protect the environment, save energy, reduce pollution
- Key grammar: It is raining. / It snowed. / The weather is sunny. / The temperature dropped.
Remember: use weather for today's conditions and climate for long-term patterns. Say heavy rain but strong wind. We hear thunder and see lightning. And always say it's raining, not it's doing rain!
Now practise your Weather, Nature and the Environment vocabulary in the exercises below.
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