stop raining vs. finish raining

[miwalko]

Is there any difference between It stopped raining and It finished raining? The latter seems weird to me - as if there was a goal associated with raining, but I see it used. When would you use it instead of the former? Thanks.

 

[billmcd]

Is there any difference between It stopped raining and It finished raining? The latter seems weird to me - as if there was a goal associated with raining, but I see it used. When would you use it instead of the former? Thanks.

For me, never.

 

[emsr2d2]

I agree with billmcd. I would only use "stop" with "raining".

 

[abaka]

The thing is, "stop" marks a temporary or permanent halt, while "finish" marks a definite end. Does rain ever truly finish? Unlikely, for we don't know the future. Rain stops: until it starts again.

 

[Tdol]

I might use it if the rain was annoying me and I wished to give it a more human characteristic.