Vocabulary and speaking
Pre-intermediate to upper intermediate level (A2-B2)

This week summer arrived. Now the temperature around Oxford is about 28 C. Of course you might not think that this is very hot but for most people here it’s hot enough. The maximum ever temperature in Oxford was 35 C.

Because Britain is an island close to the Atlantic, the weather can change very frequently so people often talk about how hot or cold it’s going to get or the chances of rain.

This is my temperature guide for the Oxford area (people in the north of Britain may have a different feeling!).

23 C: It’s quite hot.
26 C It’s hot.
29 C It’s very hot. It’s really hot.
31 C It’s so hot. It’s boiling (almost a negative meaning).
33 C It’s too hot (remember ‘too’ has a negative meaning). It’s unbearable. It’s unbelievably hot. I’m dying.

Even though every language has some fixed expressions, speaking a language is not like using a phrase book. Having a variety of words to use is part of the fun!