Part 1 — Weather & Seasons
Adjective gradation · "I'm not really a fan of …"
1. Topic & Why It Matters
Weather & Seasons is a friendly Part 1 topic, but it still tests whether you can move beyond basic words like hot, cold, and nice. Good answers usually describe degree, personal preference, daily routine, and mood in two or three natural sentences.
Where marks are commonly dropped:
- Fluency & Coherence — stopping after a simple preference like "I like sunny days."
- Lexical Resource — repeating very hot and very cold instead of using graded adjectives like warm, chilly, freezing, or scorching.
- Grammar — confusing general habits with specific recent weather, especially present simple versus present perfect.
- Pronunciation — unclear vowel sounds in weather, season, humid, and comfortable.
2. Knowledge Points
Adjective gradation: say how strong the weather feels
| Basic idea | Moderate | Strong / extreme |
|---|---|---|
| hot | warm / quite hot | boiling / scorching |
| cold | cool / chilly | freezing / bitterly cold |
| wet | drizzly / rainy | pouring / torrential |
| windy | breezy | blustery / windy enough to be annoying |
| uncomfortable | humid / sticky | stifling / unbearable |
Preference language: softer than "I hate"
Part 1 answers sound more natural when preferences are slightly hedged: "I'm not really a fan of humid weather" sounds smoother than "I hate humidity." You can then add a reason and a small personal detail.
Talk about weather through daily life
- Routine: I usually go for a walk if it is mild in the evening.
- Mood: Grey weather can make me feel a bit sluggish.
- Memory: Last summer was so humid that I barely wanted to leave the house.
3. Vocabulary & Phrase Bank
| # | Expression | Meaning / use |
|---|---|---|
| 01 | mild weather | pleasantly warm or cool, not extreme |
| 02 | a bit chilly | slightly cold, often in the morning or evening |
| 03 | freezing cold | extremely cold |
| 04 | scorching hot | extremely hot, usually sunny |
| 05 | humid and sticky | hot and damp in an uncomfortable way |
| 06 | clear blue skies | sunny weather with no clouds |
| 07 | overcast | grey and cloudy |
| 08 | a light drizzle | weak, fine rain |
| 09 | pouring with rain | raining heavily |
| 10 | a refreshing breeze | pleasant wind that cools you down |
| 11 | changeable weather | weather that shifts quickly |
| 12 | the temperature drops | it becomes colder |
| 13 | the weather clears up | rain or clouds go away |
| 14 | be caught in the rain | be outside when rain starts unexpectedly |
| 15 | dress in layers | wear several pieces of clothing for changing temperatures |
| 16 | feel under the weather | feel slightly ill |
| 17 | not really a fan of … | polite way to say you do not like something |
| 18 | make the most of the sunshine | use sunny weather well |
| 19 | brighten my mood | make me feel happier |
| 20 | stay indoors | remain inside because of bad weather |
| 21 | seasonal change | the shift from one season to another |
| 22 | crisp autumn air | fresh, cool air in autumn |
4. Grammar Patterns
5. Pronunciation Focus
The /e/ sound in "weather"
Do not pronounce weather like whether with a long vowel or like water. The first syllable is short and relaxed: /ˈweðə/. Also keep the th sound soft and voiced.
| Word / phrase | Common error | Target sound |
|---|---|---|
| weather | WEA-ther / water | /ˈweðə/ — short /e/, voiced /ð/ |
| season | see-SON | /ˈsiːzən/ — stress the first syllable |
| humid | hu-MID | /ˈhjuːmɪd/ — stress the first syllable |
| comfortable | com-for-TABLE | /ˈkʌmftəbəl/ or /ˈkʌmfətəbəl/ — reduce the middle |
Rising tone for mild dislike
In "I'm not really a fan of humid weather", keep the tone soft and slightly rising on really. It sounds like a preference, not a complaint.
6. Common Pitfalls
7. Practice Question
"What kind of weather do you like most?"
Follow-up: "Is there any kind of weather you dislike?"
Target length: 4–6 sentences · Target time: 30–45 seconds
8. Model Answer (Band 7.5+)
"Well, I'd say I'm happiest when the weather is mild and bright, you know, when there's a bit of sunshine but it isn't scorching. If the evening is breezy, I tend to go for a walk after dinner, which is something I started doing last spring when I was trying to get away from my laptop more often. I'm not really a fan of humid weather, though, because it makes me feel sticky and a bit sluggish. So, yeah, clear blue skies and a refreshing breeze would be my ideal combination — it just puts me in a better mood."
9. Annotated Commentary
"If the evening is breezy, I tend to go for a walk after dinner, which is something I started doing last spring" — conditional structure + relative clause + past reference.
"puts me in a better mood" is a natural everyday idiom. It fits the weather topic without sounding forced.
"I started doing last spring when I was trying to get away from my laptop" gives a specific reason and makes the answer sound lived-in.
"Well," "I'd say," "you know," and "So, yeah" soften the delivery and make the answer sound spoken rather than memorised.
Link 'bit_of sunshine' and 'get_away'. Keep 'humid' stressed on the first syllable, and pronounce 'weather' with a short /e/ sound.
10. Self-Drill
Shadow-reading line — say this 5 times aloud
"I'm not really a fan of humid weather, because it makes me feel sticky and a bit sluggish."
Focus on: soft rising tone on really, linking bit_of, and clear /ð/ in weather.
Improv prompt — record yourself, no notes
"Do you prefer summer or winter? Why?"
Target: 4+ sentences · Use one graded adjective, one preference phrase, and one personal routine.