it begins raining

USAGE SUMMARY

The sentence 'it begins raining' is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when describing a change in the weather from clear to rainy. For example: "The sun was shining brightly, but then it began raining."

✓ Grammatically correct

Wiki

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

It begins raining, and Elle decides to take advantage of it.

Wikipedia

Assuming you planted your irises in the late summer or early fall, you may stop watering your plants as soon as the weather cools and it begins raining.

WikiHow

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

56 human-written examples

The SEQ Water Grid Manager, for instance, retreated from its initial plan to introduce recycled wastewater into its drinking reservoirs after it began raining.

The New York Times

Suddenly it began raining.

The New York Times - Food

It began raining steadily at around 11 a.m. and continued throughout the day.

The New York Times - Sports

Mr. Pell was campaigning in Providence in 1972 when it began raining hard.

The New York Times

ISIDORE ELFMAN Harold R. Rainin and his grandson Robbie were crossing a parking lot to a Manhattan restaurant when it began raining.

The New York Times

It began raining again on the riders as they climbed to Prato Nevoso, making the newly paved roadway slippery.

The New York Times - Sports

The area was subject to an "orange" weather alert on Friday when it began raining early in the morning.

The Guardian

As anticipated, it began raining well before this morning's first session and the wet track obliged everyone to use Pirelli's intermediates.

Independent

Today's tee times were also moved up to 7 30 a.m. in an attempt to beat the rain, but it began raining heavily about an hour later, and it did not take long for many greens to become waterlogged.

The New York Times - Sports

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "it begins raining" to describe the initial stage of rainfall in a narrative or descriptive context.

Common error

Avoid using "begins raining" interchangeably with continuous tenses like "is beginning to rain". The former describes a completed action of starting, while the latter describes an ongoing process.

Linguistic Context

It begins raining functions as an intransitive verb phrase indicating the commencement of rainfall. According to Ludwig, this phrase is grammatically correct and usable. The examples demonstrate its use in narrative and descriptive contexts, signaling a change in weather conditions.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

67%

Wiki

33%

Science

0%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "it begins raining" is grammatically sound and serves to denote the initiation of rainfall. While Ludwig confirms its correctness, note that its occurrence is relatively rare. Predominantly found in news and media contexts, it can be used in descriptive or narrative writing to indicate the start of a rain event. For more common alternatives, consider "it starts raining" or "it is beginning to rain". Be mindful not to confuse it with continuous tenses, which describe the ongoing nature of rainfall.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

it's starting to rain

Uses a continuous tense to describe the process of rain starting.

the rain is starting

Emphasizes rain as the subject initiating the action.

the rain starts to fall

Emphasizes the action of the rain falling rather than the general commencement of rainfall.

rain starts coming down

Highlights the downward motion of the rain.

a downpour begins

Specifies that the rain starts as a heavy downpour.

the first drops of rain appear

Focuses on the initial appearance of individual raindrops.

rain commences

More formal synonym for 'begins'.

rain is imminent

Expresses that rain is about to happen very soon, rather than already starting.

the heavens open

A more figurative way of saying that it starts raining heavily.

the weather turns wet

General description of the change towards rainy conditions.

FAQs

How can I use "it begins raining" in a sentence?

You can use "it begins raining" to describe the start of rainfall. For example: "The picnic was lovely until "it begins raining"."

What's a more common way to say "it begins raining"?

More common alternatives include "it starts raining" or "it is starting to rain".

Is "it begins to rain" grammatically different from "it begins raining"?

While both are grammatically correct, "it begins to rain" is generally more common and can sound more natural in some contexts. "It begins raining" focuses more on the continuous nature of the rain as it starts.

Which is correct: "it begins raining" or "it is raining"?

"It is raining" describes an ongoing condition, while "it begins raining" describes the start of that condition. They are used in different contexts.