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Grammar fix

heavy rain

a lot of rain

Rain that falls in large amounts, making everything very wet in a short time.

collocationB1core

Hear it in context

Notice where the phrase sounds natural.

  • We had to cancel the picnic because of heavy rain.daily life
  • During my trip to London, I experienced heavy rain almost every afternoon, which made sightseeing a bit difficult.IELTS speaking

Fix the pattern

Pattern: heavy rain (uncountable noun)

WrongThere was a strong rain.

RightThere was heavy rain.

Rain is 'heavy', not 'strong' (wind is 'strong').

Patternheavy rain (uncountable noun)

Use it right

Choose the version that sounds natural in speech.

Stiff There was a high volume of precipitation overnight.

Natural There was heavy rain overnight.

'Heavy rain' is the standard phrase; 'high volume of precipitation' is a weather report.

Build natural chunks

Words that usually travel with it.

  • heavy rain
    heavytorrentialin the raindue to

Don't confuse it

Compare with 'light rain', which means only a little rain.

Try it in Daily Speak →