collocations related to weather
Procedure:
Brainstorm and introduce the idea of collocations:
Ask your students to make a list of 5 words related to weather, such as clouds, rain, wind,
temperatures, etc. Write the word ‘wind’ in the middle of the board so that you have enough
space before and after it.
Using gestures demonstrate the way the wind blows, elicit the verb from the students and write it
to the right of the word ‘wind’:
wind blows
Ask a few additional questions so that more words can be added to the left or to the right of the
word ‘wind’:
How else can the wind sound? (It can whistle/howl)
How does the wind feel? (chilly, strong, gusting)
Keep adding the elicited words around your main word ‘wind’:
wind blows/whistles/howls
chilly, strong, gusting wind
Tell the students that these words collocate, or sound ‘good’ together, and are better remembered
in phrases as they are often used in each other’s company.
Pair work:
Hand out the worksheet. Students find the word that goes well with the words listed (1-15).
Monitor and take the exercise up in the open class.
Group work:
Students choose another weather related word and come up with more ‘company’ words that can
be put before or after the assigned word. Monitor and read out loud the combinations students
wrote.
Student Worksheet: Weather Collocations
• wind
• storm
•
weather
•
thunder
•
fog
•
snow
•
rain
•
lightning
•
air
•
heat
•
cold
•
temperatures
•
clouds
1. ___________can be high, low, average, freezing, or sub-zero.
2. ___________can be rough, gusting, chilly, strong, or rising.
3. ___________can lift, clear, come, or descend.
4. There can be a flash or bolt of ___________.
5. ___________can be good, lovely, settled, extreme, inclement, or severe.
6. There can be a rumble, clap, crack, or roll of ___________.
7. ___________can move, hover, pass, form, gather, or drift.
8. ___________It can be extremely, really, quite, rather, bitterly, or exceptionally .
9. ___________can be light, heavy, pouring, or torrential
10. ___________can be cold, chilly, heavy, moist, or fresh.
11. ___________can fall, blow, accumulate, pile, or melt.
12. ___________A/An can arrive, subside, erupt, or hit.
13. ___________can be scorching, sweltering, or unbearable.