One of the last things you hear from your friends or neighbours as you go away on holiday is "Send us a postcard!"

It's one of those great holiday traditions, almost as "British" as a bucket and a spade on a beach. We send postcards (often on the last day of the holiday) to tell our friends what a great time we're having.

Holiday postcards have three main characteristics. They're short, positive (even if it's raining) and predictable in their content.

Here's a quick guide to writing a postcard. Choose any one of the adjectives to complete your sentences.

Hi (name of friend / neighbour / colleague)

We're having a great / wonderful / fantastic / fabulous time here in ……
The weather is hot / sunny / perfect and we're spending our days on the beach / sightseeing / relaxing / exploring the local area / by the pool.

The food is interesting / spicy / pretty good and the other people hare are (nationality), friendly / unfriendly / great.

See you on (day you get back)

Love
(your name)

Things to remember

- Use the present continuous to describe what you're doing.

- Your postcard can be as short as you like. You don't need to include all the elements above.

- Even if you're having a terrible time, don't complain in your postcard. Use an exclamation mark to show you don't mind that your holiday isn't perfect.
"As usual, it's tipping down with rain in our wonderful British summer!"