Describe weather and location

Printable paper with separate answer pages Step-by-step lessons

Original teaching practice. Read one pattern, cover its model and try the questions before checking the separate answer section. Examples adapted from Chinese Grammar Wiki (AllSet Learning, CC BY-NC-SA) retain the course-reference provenance.

Describe weather and location

Say what the weather is like and where a place is.

Before you start: Recall place names and simple at / in在zài location statements. cold冷lěng means cold, to warm up热rè means hot and to rain下雨xià yǔ means rain; use the supplied gloss for side旁边páng biān, beside.

Build the meaning

For an ordinary description, say today今天jīn tiāndegree / adjective linker很hěncold冷lěng, today is cold. degree / adjective linker很hěn often supports a neutral adjective description; it does not always mean strongly “very”.

A place expression can use at / in在zài: school学校xué xiàoat / in在zàihospital医院yī yuànside旁边páng biān, the school is beside the hospital. The adjective pattern and location pattern do different jobs.

Weather and place: 怎么样 and 哪里 take the answer's slot

Work through a decision

Read today今天jīn tiāndegree / adjective linker很hěncold冷lěng，school学校xué xiàoat / in在zàihospital医院yī yuànside旁边páng biān – it is cold today; the school is beside the hospital. The first clause describes weather. The second uses school学校xué xiào as the place being located and hospital医院yī yuàn as the reference place. To answer school学校xué xiàoat / in在zàiwhere哪里nǎ lǐ, use at / in在zàihospital医院yī yuànside旁边páng biān. The message supplies no road distance or walking time.

Compare: today今天jīn tiāndegree / adjective linker很hěncold冷lěng is an ordinary adjective description; school学校xué xiàoat / in在zàihospital医院yī yuànside旁边páng biān locates a place. Do not insert to be / is是shì into the cold description just because English uses is, or replace at / in在zài with to be / is是shì to locate the school. Other constructions with to be / is是shì exist; this contrast concerns these ordinary frames.

Useful words in context

cold冷lěng lěng – cold. today今天jīn tiāndegree / adjective linker很hěncold冷lěng。
to warm up热rè rè – hot. today今天jīn tiāndegree / adjective linker很hěnto warm up热rè。
to rain下雨xià yǔ xià yǔ – rain. today今天jīn tiānto rain下雨xià yǔ。
side旁边páng biān pángbiān – beside. school学校xué xiàoat / in在zàihospital医院yī yuànside旁边páng biān。
where哪里nǎ lǐ nǎlǐ – where. school学校xué xiàoat / in在zàiwhere哪里nǎ lǐ？

Listen before reading the script

Ask a partner to read the listening script from the answer section while you keep it covered. Then attempt the listening question. If you work alone without audio, use the script for reading practice; it is not a listening test.

Read a different account

today今天jīn tiāndegree / adjective linker很hěncold冷lěng，still / also还háito rain下雨xià yǔ。林安不去lín ān bù qùpark (for public recreation)公园gōng yuán。she / her她tāto go去qùschool学校xué xiào。school学校xué xiàoat / in在zàihospital医院yī yuànside旁边páng biān。

Try the reading question before checking the English meaning in the answer section.

Speak with a partner

Describe today’s weather. Ask a partner where a fictional school is and answer with side旁边páng biān.

Check the distinction: For the ordinary adjective description use today今天jīn tiāndegree / adjective linker很hěncold冷lěng. Do not insert to be / is是shì just because English says is cold.

Learn step by step · Practise and review.

Practice without the models

Choose a pattern, cover its teaching examples, and attempt its questions. Use the labels to find feedback in the separate key.

Describe weather and location

0401.1 Listening. Where is the park in the recording?

A. Inside the school
B. Beside the hospital
C. Beside the school

0401.2 Reading. Why does the text describe an unpleasant outdoor day?

A. It is cold and raining
B. The school is closed
C. It is hot

0401.3 Complete “The school is beside the hospital”: school学校xué xiào…………hospital医院yī yuànside旁边páng biān。

0401.4 Match each word with its meaning in this unit.

1. cold冷lěng
1. to warm up热rè
1. to rain下雨xià yǔ
1. side旁边páng biān
1. where哪里nǎ lǐ
A. beside
B. where
C. rain
D. hot
E. cold

0401.5 Write one weather sentence and one location sentence using a different place order.

Write or say your own response before reading the key.

0401.6 school学校xué xiàoat / in在zàiwhere哪里nǎ lǐ？school学校xué xiào means school and at / in在zàiwhere哪里nǎ lǐ asks where something is. Which reply supplies its location?

A. at / in在zàihospital医院yī yuànside旁边páng biān – beside the hospital
B. today今天jīn tiāndegree / adjective linker很hěncold冷lěng – it is cold today
C. I / me我wǒwant / think / miss想xiǎngrest休息xiū xī – I want to rest

0401.7 today今天jīn tiānto rain下雨xià yǔ，park (for public recreation)公园gōng yuánat / in在zàischool学校xué xiàoside旁边páng biān。today今天jīn tiānto rain下雨xià yǔ means it is raining today; park (for public recreation)公园gōng yuán means park and side旁边páng biān means beside. First locate the clause that answers park (for public recreation)公园gōng yuánat / in在zàiwhere哪里nǎ lǐ – where is the park?

A. at / in在zàihospital医院yī yuànside旁边páng biān – beside the hospital
B. today今天jīn tiānto rain下雨xià yǔ – it is raining today
C. at / in在zàischool学校xué xiàoside旁边páng biān – beside the school

0401.8 Read: today今天jīn tiāndegree / adjective linker很hěnto warm up热rè，不下雨bù xià yǔ。林安在lín ān zàischool学校xué xiào，Wang Li (1900-1986), one of…王力wáng lìat / in在zàihospital医院yī yuàn。hospital医院yī yuàn means hospital. Which statement preserves the account?

A. Lin An is at the hospital; Wang Li is at school.
B. Lin An is at school; the account says it is raining.
C. Lin An is at school; the account says it is not raining.

0401.9 Use Mandarin for the new sentences or dialogue. You may explain your reasoning in English. Invent a short weather report and a location statement about two familiar places. Ask a partner one weather question and one location question, or write the questions and replies. State one practical detail the report leaves unknown, such as travel time.

Write or say your own response before reading the key.

A fresh situation

R1. Interpret and repair. Someone wants to say that a friend is at school and writes he / him他tāto be / is是shìschool学校xué xiào. Repair the location statement.

R2. Use it yourself. Say that it is cold today and that you are at home. Do not imply that degree / adjective linker很hěn must always mean emphatic very.

Write your responses before opening the key. Compare meaning as well as form; a different valid answer need not copy the model.

Open the answers after your attempt

Answers and explanations

Check after your attempt. For open tasks, compare the message and the stated criteria, then revise one detail.

Describe weather and location

0401.1 C. Beside the school

park (for public recreation)公园gōng yuánat / in在zàischool学校xué xiàoside旁边páng biān gives the park’s location.

0401.2 A. It is cold and raining

degree / adjective linker很hěncold冷lěng and to rain下雨xià yǔ describe the day; a school closure is not stated.

0401.3 at / in在zài

at / in在zài introduces the location.

0401.4 1–E: cold冷lěng = cold; 2–D: to warm up热rè = hot; 3–C: to rain下雨xià yǔ = rain; 4–A: side旁边páng biān = beside; 5–B: where哪里nǎ lǐ = where

Use the example sentences to check each word’s meaning in context.

0401.5 One possible response: today今天jīn tiāndegree / adjective linker很hěnto warm up热rè。hospital医院yī yuànat / in在zàischool学校xué xiàoside旁边páng biān。

Check meaning and form:

Use an adjective or weather expression.
Use at / in在zài for location.
Keep the two sentence purposes distinct.

Compare the meaning and structure with the checklist. Your own response may differ from the model.

0401.6 A. at / in在zàihospital医院yī yuànside旁边páng biān – beside the hospital

at / in在zàiwhere哪里nǎ lǐ asks a location, so beside the hospital is relevant. Weather and a wish do not locate the school. Choose by the question’s purpose rather than by a familiar word.

0401.7 C. at / in在zàischool学校xué xiàoside旁边páng biān – beside the school

park (for public recreation)公园gōng yuánat / in在zàischool学校xué xiàoside旁边páng biān gives the park’s location. Rain answers a weather question; the hospital is not in this message. Keep the reference place attached to the right location statement.

0401.8 C. Lin An is at school; the account says it is not raining.

林安在lín ān zàischool学校xué xiào locates Lin An at school; Wang Li (1900-1986), one of…王力wáng lìat / in在zàihospital医院yī yuàn locates Wang Li at the hospital. 不下雨bù xià yǔ negates rain. The first option swaps the people’s locations; the second drops the negation. No reason for either location is supplied.

0401.9 One possible response: Possible account: today今天jīn tiāndegree / adjective linker很hěnto warm up热rè，不下雨bù xià yǔ。library图书馆tú shū guǎnat / in在zàischool学校xué xiàoside旁边páng biān。Questions and replies: 今天天气jīn tiān tiān qìhow about怎么样zěn me yàng？degree / adjective linker很hěnto warm up热rè，不下雨bù xià yǔ。library图书馆tú shū guǎnat / in在zàiwhere哪里nǎ lǐ？at / in在zàischool学校xué xiàoside旁边páng biān。The library is beside the school; the account supplies no walking time. Different weather and places are valid.

How to revise: If your reply describes weather when asked where, return to the location clause. If you confused the two places, identify the one before at / in在zài and the reference after it. A relevant answer matters more than repeating every word in the account.

Check meaning and form:

Give a weather description with a clear positive or negative meaning.
Use at / in在zài with the place you are locating and its reference place.
Answer the weather and location questions with their respective details.
Name an unstated detail without turning it into a fact.
Write or speak the requested sentences, questions or dialogue in Mandarin; optional English reasoning does not replace them.

If your reply describes weather when asked where, return to the location clause. If you confused the two places, identify the one before at / in在zài and the reference after it. A relevant answer matters more than repeating every word in the account.

Listening script and meaning

today今天jīn tiāndegree / adjective linker很hěnto warm up热rè，不下雨bù xià yǔ。park (for public recreation)公园gōng yuánat / in在zàischool学校xué xiàoside旁边páng biān。

It is hot today and not raining. The park is beside the school.

Reading meaning

It is cold and also raining today. Lin An does not go to the park. She goes to school, which is beside the hospital.

Speaking model

A: 今天天气jīn tiān tiān qìhow about怎么样zěn me yàng？ B: degree / adjective linker很hěncold冷lěng。 A: school学校xué xiàoat / in在zàiwhere哪里nǎ lǐ？ B: at / in在zàihospital医院yī yuànside旁边páng biān。

Compare the intended message first. Ask a listener to comment on intelligibility and pronunciation; matching the written model does not establish speaking accuracy.

Fresh-situation answers

R1. he / him他tāat / in在zàischool学校xué xiào。at / in在zài gives location; to be / is是shìschool学校xué xiào would identify the person as a school. A place after at / in在zài differs from an action after progressive at / in在zài.

R2. One possible response. today今天jīn tiāndegree / adjective linker很hěncold冷lěng。I / me我wǒto be at home在家zài jiā。degree / adjective linker很hěncold冷lěng can be an ordinary adjective statement. Emphatic very needs support from stress or context; to be at home在家zài jiā names a location.