Story

The Rainy Day

🏷 Weather 💡 Nature & Environment A1 A2 B1 B2

Language focus: Present simple; weather vocabulary; there is/it is; basic adjectives

Before you read

Do you like rain?
What do you do when it rains?
Do you have an umbrella?

The story A1

It is raining.

Sara is outside.

She does not have an umbrella.

A man shares his umbrella.

Sara says thank you.

Key words

rain noun/verb

water that falls from clouds in the sky "It is raining outside."

umbrella noun

a folding cover you hold over your head in the rain "She does not have an umbrella."

share verb

to let someone else use something with you "A man shares his umbrella."

Comprehension

1 What is the weather like?
2 What does Sara not have?
3 Who helps Sara?

Discussion

1 Would you share your umbrella with a stranger?

Personal reflection

1 What do you do when it rains suddenly?

Activities

Draw a rainy day scene
Act sharing an umbrella with a partner
Name 5 weather words in English

Writing task

Write 3 sentences about the weather today or yesterday.

Language focus: Past simple; sequence adverbs (suddenly, then, after that); describing feelings in the past

Before you read

What do you do when it rains and you have no umbrella?
Have you ever helped a stranger?
How does bad weather make you feel?

The story A2

Sara was walking outside when it suddenly started to rain.

She did not have an umbrella and quickly got very wet.

She felt uncomfortable and looked around for somewhere to shelter.

A man nearby saw her and offered to share his umbrella.

They walked together until Sara reached her destination.

She thanked him for his kindness, and he smiled.

Key words

shelter noun/verb

a place that protects you from bad weather "She looked for somewhere to shelter."

kindness noun

the quality of being friendly and generous "She thanked him for his kindness."

offered verb

said that he was willing to give or share something "He offered to share his umbrella."

Comprehension

1 Why did Sara get wet?
2 What did the man offer?
3 How did the story end?

Discussion

1 Why do you think the man helped Sara?

Personal reflection

1 Tell your partner about a time someone was kind to you.

Activities

Write about a kind thing someone did for you
Role play the scene with a partner
Discuss: When do you help strangers?

Writing task

Write a short paragraph about a time the weather caused you a problem. Use past simple.

Language focus: Past continuous and past simple; descriptive adverbs; expressing emotional states; contrast connectives (although, despite, however)

Before you read

How do people usually react when bad weather catches them off guard?
What makes a small act of kindness feel significant?
Would you approach a stranger who needed help?

The story B1

Sara had not expected rain that morning, so she had left her umbrella at home. She was halfway to her destination when the sky darkened quickly and the first heavy drops began to fall. Within seconds, the rain was coming down hard and she was already getting wet.

She pulled her jacket tighter and looked around. There was no obvious shelter nearby, and she did not want to get completely soaked. She was wondering whether to run when a man walking beside her stopped and held out his umbrella to cover her.

'It's big enough for two,' he said simply. Sara hesitated for a moment — she didn't know him — but the rain was heavy and his manner was relaxed and friendly. She thanked him and they walked together for the next few minutes.

When they parted ways, Sara realised she had barely noticed the rest of the walk. The man's small gesture had changed the experience completely. Although she arrived slightly damp, she felt unexpectedly warm — grateful not just for the umbrella, but for the reminder that small acts of generosity still happen, even between strangers.

Key words

gesture noun

an action that expresses a feeling or intention "The man's small gesture changed everything."

generosity noun

willingness to give or share freely "She was grateful for his generosity."

hesitate verb

to pause before doing something because you are unsure "Sara hesitated for a moment."

soaked adjective

extremely wet "She did not want to get completely soaked."

Comprehension

1 Why did Sara not have an umbrella?
2 Why did she hesitate before accepting the man's help?
3 Why did she feel 'warm' even though she was still damp?

Discussion

1 Do you think people are generally willing to help strangers? Does it depend on the place or situation?

Personal reflection

1 Describe a small act of kindness that made a difference to you or someone you know.

Activities

Write a summary focusing on the emotional journey of the story
Discuss: What stops people from helping strangers?
Describe a time the weather affected your plans

Writing task

Write a paragraph describing a time when something small made a big difference to your day. What happened and why did it matter?

Language focus: Sophisticated narrative techniques; weather as symbolic backdrop; internal perspective; contrast and irony; precise emotion vocabulary

Before you read

Can a small, unremarkable event have a lasting emotional effect? Give an example.
Why might people be reluctant to accept help from strangers?
What does generosity between strangers tell us about human nature?

The story B2

Sara had walked this route dozens of times and considered herself someone who planned ahead. Yet somehow, despite checking the weather the night before, she had left the house that morning without an umbrella. The clouds had looked grey but not threatening. She had misjudged them.

The rain began without warning — the kind that goes from nothing to heavy in a matter of seconds. Sara quickened her pace, but there was little point. The nearest doorway was a hundred metres away, and she was already soaked through by the time she reached it. She pressed herself against the wall and waited, watching the rain sheet across the road, feeling the gap between her expectations of the morning and the reality of it.

She became aware of a man standing a few feet away, also sheltering. He was older, with a large umbrella that he had, for reasons she couldn't explain, tilted slightly in her direction. 'I think you need this more than I do,' he said, with the easy confidence of someone who had no particular agenda. He stepped closer and held the umbrella over both of them.

It was such a minor thing. And yet, as they stood there together in an entirely unplanned and wordless companionship, Sara noticed that her irritation at the rain — at herself, really, for forgetting — had completely dissolved. By the time the shower passed and they went their separate ways, she found she had not thought to ask his name, and he had not offered it. There was something oddly perfect about that.

She thought about the encounter for the rest of the day. Not because it was dramatic — it wasn't — but because it was a reminder that the texture of a day could turn on something as small as a stranger's instinct to be kind.

Key words

companionship noun

the pleasant feeling of being with someone and sharing an experience "They shared a wordless companionship under the umbrella."

agenda noun

a hidden motive or purpose behind an action "He had no particular agenda — he simply wanted to help."

texture noun

the general quality or feel of something, especially an experience "The texture of a day can change completely."

dissolved verb

faded away gradually until it disappeared "Her irritation had completely dissolved."

Comprehension

1 What two mistakes does Sara make at the start of the story?
2 What does the phrase 'the gap between her expectations of the morning and the reality of it' mean?
3 Why does the writer say there was 'something oddly perfect' about not knowing the man's name?

Discussion

1 The story ends with the idea that 'the texture of a day could turn on something as small as a stranger's instinct to be kind.' What does this suggest about how we experience daily life?

Personal reflection

1 Can you think of a moment — positive or negative — that completely changed the mood of your day? What happened?

Activities

Analyse the writer's use of weather as a symbol
Debate: Is it stranger not to help, or stranger to help?
Write the scene from the man's point of view

Writing task

Write a short narrative (200–250 words) about an unexpected encounter with a stranger that changed your perspective, even briefly. Focus on the emotional detail rather than the events.