Maintaining small talk: the weather | Газета «Английский язык» № 20/2000

Maintaining small talk: the weather

“Without the topic of the weather, the English would be without one of the most useful weapons in their conversation. Only the English know just how little meteorological clichйs really mean. Of course, it is all so much mouth music and you can bet that the English man or woman you are talking to is merely marking conversational time and either planning an escape route or a deadly verbal thrust.

In England, if you do not repeat the phrase ‘Lovely day, isn’t it?’ at least two hundred times a day, you’re considered a bit dull. This is an ever-interesting, even thrilling topic, and you must be good at discussing the weather. Learn the following patterns by heart.

For Good Weather

‘Lovely day, isn’t it?’
‘Isn’t it beautiful?’
‘The sun...’
‘Isn’t it gorgeous?’
‘It’s so nice and hot...’
‘Personally, I think
it’s so nice when it’s hot – isn’t it?’

For Bad Weather

‘Nasty day, isn’t it?’
‘Isn’t it dreadful?’
‘The rain... I hate rain...’
‘I don’t like it at all. Do you?’
‘Fancy such a day in July. Rain in the morning, then a bit of sunshine, and then rain, rain, rain, all day long.’
‘I remember exactly the same July day in 1936’
‘Yes, I remember too.’
‘Or was it in 1928?’
‘Yes, it was.’
‘Or in 1939?’

If you are a bit slow in picking things up, learn at least one conversation... Just repeat it and you’ll have a fair chance of passing as a remarkably witty person of sharp intellect, keen observation and extremely pleasant manners”.

After A. Miall and G. Mikes

Using the prompts below write mini dialogues about

structure

1) a tag question introducing the subject
2) comments containing comparisons
3) the tag repeated
4) expectations
5) expressing agreement / disagreement
6) the tag repeated

pattern conversation Hot day it is today, isn’t it/ don’t you think?
Yes, much hotter than last spring, isn’t it?
Yes, it is, isn’t it?
I hope it will last/ keep up, don’t you?
It does make a nice change, doesn’t it?

Submitted by Julia Kuzmenkova