Speak English With Vanessa

Free PDF Worksheet

20 Seasonal Vocabulary Phrases
Dear English Learner,

Get ready to speak confidently! I recommend reading the worksheet out loud and using
the blank space on the last page to answer my challenge question. Click here to watch
the original video. Thanks so much for learning English with me!

Your teacher,
Vanessa
Phrases About Spring
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​ pring has sprung: the cold days of winter are gone
S
​
​Look at all these flowers blooming! Spring has sprung!
​
​Not a cloud in the sky: perfectly clear days when the sun is shining
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​It’s the perfect day, not a cloud in the sky. Let’s have a picnic!
​
​Take a rain check: to postpone an activity to a later date
​
​I would love to go on a picnic with you, but I already have plans. I’ll take a rain
check, maybe next weekend?
​
​To nip something in the bud: to stop bad behavior early, before it gets worse
​
​When my son lied, I knew I had to nip it in the bud.

​Fair weather friend: a friend who is only a friend when times are easy
​
​You’re no fair weather friend–you’ve been with me through the good and the
bad weather and I appreciate you!
​

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 ​Phrases About Summer

​
It’s boiling
It’s blistering (hot)
It’s a scorcher!
It’s a hot one!
ways of describing very hot, very sunny days

It’s boiling today, I don’t think I’m going to mow the yard.
That sun is blistering hot, don’t forget your sunscreen and hat!
The weatherman wasn’t lying when he said it was going to be a scorcher/hot
one today–it’s already over 100 degrees!

Heat wave: a long period of excessive heat, usually accompanied by humidity

The southern US is experiencing a heat wave right now–and it’s not even
summer yet!

Go on vacation/To be off on vacation: to travel away from home and visit somewhere
else

It’s been such a long, cold winter. I’m ready to go on vacation somewhere
sunny!
Work has been really stressful, I can’t wait to be off on vacation.

Head to the beach: to go to the beach

As soon as I finish this email, I’m going to head to the beach and relax in the
sun.

Chillin’ (out): to relax

I have no plans this summer, just chillin 'out by the pool and catching up on my
reading.

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 Phrases About Fall
​

Brisk: weather that is cold but fresh

Wow, it’s pretty brisk this morning, I can tell fall is here!

Cozy: warm and comfortable, like a warm blanket or a soft sweater on a cold day

It’s cold and rainy today, I just want to get cozy with my blanket and a book.

Crisp: weather that is fresh, cold and dry

I love to enjoy a hot cup of tea on my back porch on crisp mornings.

Blustery: weather that has a strong, gusty wind, usually also rainy

It’s so blustery out, my umbrella turned inside out!

Rustling: the sound of wind through leaves or leaves after they have fallen

I love to hear the rustling of the leaves in the fall.

Carving pumpkins: to cut designs or make a “face” on a pumpkin

Carving pumpkins is quickly becoming my boys’ favorite fall tradition.

To squirrel away: to hide or stash things away for later

I just found $20 in my coat pocket! I must have squirreled away some cash last
year and forgotten about it.

The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree: children take after their parents

My sons love jumping into piles of leaves, just like their dad. I guess the apple
doesn’t fall far from the tree.

To be under the weather: when you don’t feel well

I really wanted to go to the fall festival tomorrow, but I’m feeling a little under the
weather, so I think I should stay home.
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 ​Phrases About Winter

​
The dead of winter: the coldest part of winter

It’s the dead of winter and you want to go swimming? Are you crazy?

Cold shoulder: a show of intentional unfriendliness

When I tried to talk to her at the party, she gave me the cold shoulder. I guess
she’s still upset about our fight.

Cabin Fever: the feeling of irritability or restlessness after being indoors for long periods
of time, like during winter or the pandemic

I have cabin fever, I need to get out of this house!

To snowball: when something starts small but grows bigger and bigger, like a snowball
rolling down a hill

Lies tend to snowball; they start off small but then they grow bigger and more
dangerous.

I went to the grocery store hungry, so I bought a couple of snacks, but then it
snowballed and I ended up walking out with a cart full of junk food.

The tip of the iceberg: a small or visible part of a much larger issue; often used with
the word “just”

As it turns out, the lies were just the tip of the iceberg–he was living a double
life all along!

When he asked what I do for work, I told him that I’m an English teacher, but
really, that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

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 Vanessa’s Challenge Question
Use the space below to write a few sentences answering this question. Try to use 5
vocabulary expressions. What is your favorite season and why?

Sample answer: There is something to love about every season, but I think my favorite
season is fall. My birthday is in the fall, and Halloween is one of my favorite holidays,
especially now that I have kids. I love how the weather changes from the blistering hot
days of late summer to the crisp, brisk days of fall. I even love the blustery days
because I curl up with a cozy blanket, a hot drink, and a good book. Fall is the best!

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