Hello everyone,

We are in the middle of tests and it is another rainy day. Actually, English has a lot of different ways to talk about rain. Here are a few of them:

It is drizzling outside.” This is for light rain. If you are not outside for a long time you might not even use an umbrella. You will be “damp” in this rain.

“I was caught in a downpour,” or “I was caught in a shower.” No, you are not taking a shower in your house, but this is a quick rain that catches people by surprise. You will be “wet” in this rain. You also sometimes say “It is raining on and off,” which means it will rain a little bit at a time all day.

“It’s really coming down out there,” or “It’s pouring.” This is for heavy rain. If you don’t have your umbrella you will be “soaked,” or completely wet.

What about “It is raining cats and dogs”? You sometimes see this in textbooks… but nobody says that in daily life these days. It is a good reminder that language is always changing, and what we study must change with it!

Good luck in your last two days,

Allen.