Episode 4: It’s Cold at the Top

It is (time/weather) — Edmund Hillary, 1953 (A1-A2)

Grammar Box

Meaning: We use it is (it’s) to talk about time, weather, and situations. The word it does not mean a thing. It talks about the world around us.

Form: It is + time / weather / situation (It’s = It is)

Example 1: It’s 5 o’clock. (time)

Example 2: It’s raining today. (weather)

Common mistake: Wrong: Is cold today. Better: It’s cold today.

The Question

Luna checks her phone. “It’s 3 PM. It’s raining outside. It’s difficult to focus.” She looks confused. “Why do we say ‘it’ for time and weather? What is ‘it’?” The watch glows. Professor Wisdom appears with a warm smile. “Let’s climb to a place where ‘it’ means everything.”

The Journey

They appear on a mountain. The air is impossibly thin. Every breath hurts. Snow stretches endlessly white. The wind screams in their ears.

This is Edmund Hillary. He is 33 years old. He’s a beekeeper from New Zealand. Not a professional climber. Not a scientist. Just a man who loves mountains. People say he’s too ordinary for this. But Hillary believes ordinary people can do extraordinary things.

This is Mount Everest. May 29, 1953. It’s 11:30 in the morning. This moment has never happened before. For thirty years, climbers have tried to reach this summit. Many have died trying. The mountain has defeated everyone. Today might be different.

Hillary climbs with Tenzing Norgay, a Sherpa guide. They move slowly. It’s freezing cold. It’s dangerous. One wrong step means death. Hillary checks his watch. “It’s noon,” he says through his oxygen mask. “We’re close.” His fingers are numb. His legs shake with exhaustion.

They reach a snow ridge. Hillary looks up. There’s nothing above them. Nothing but sky. They made it. It’s the highest point on Earth. Hillary turns to Tenzing. They shake hands. Then they hug. No words needed. It’s a moment beyond language.

You can feel the cold biting through every layer. You can hear the wind’s constant roar. The sun is bright but gives no warmth. Below them, the world looks tiny. Above them, only blue sky. It’s beautiful. It’s terrifying. It’s perfect.

The Insight

Professor Wisdom points to Hillary checking his watch. “Listen to what he says. ‘It’s noon. It’s cold. It’s dangerous.’ The word ‘it’ here doesn’t mean a thing. It means the situation. The time. The weather. The feeling of the moment. We use ‘it is’ to talk about these things that surround us but have no name.”

Practice Zone

More Examples:

“It’s Monday morning.” — Talking about the day and time.
“It’s sunny today.” — Describing the weather now.
“It’s getting dark.” — The time of day is changing.
“It’s important to rest.” — Talking about a situation or idea.
“It’s 7:30. Time to go.” — Stating the exact time.
“It’s hot in summer here.” — General weather pattern.

Exercises:

Fill in the blank: ___ cold outside today. (It’s / It)
Choose the correct:
a) Is 9 o’clock now.
b) It’s 9 o’clock now.
Match the sentence type:
– It’s raining → weather
– It’s Tuesday → day
– It’s midnight → time
– It’s difficult → situation/feeling
Complete: ___ winter now. ___ snowing every day.
Your turn: Look outside your window. Write two sentences about the weather and time using “it’s.”

Answer Key:

It’s (we always need “It is” or “It’s” for weather)
b) It’s 9 o’clock now (we need “it” as the subject for time)
It’s raining = weather / It’s Tuesday = day / It’s midnight = time / It’s difficult = situation
It’s / It’s (both talk about weather and season)
Check: Did you use “it’s” for time? Did you use “it’s” for weather? Both sentences should start with “It’s.”

The Lesson

They return to Luna’s warm room. The watch stops glowing. Luna looks at her phone again. “It’s just a word. But it holds the whole world.” Professor Wisdom smiles. “Time, weather, feelings—’it’ carries them all. The smallest words often do the biggest work.”