The most popular task in the subject if you are studying a language (both native and foreign) is an essay. Guess which topic firmly holds the first place among the popular ones when the summer holidays are behind us? “How I spent my summer” is the correct answer! Students take the topic about the past summer holidays first of all to work on: it seems that it could be easier - to describe impressions of the holiday?
With a good level of grammar and a fairly rich vocabulary, the topic “How I spent my summer” is not difficult to write. Before you start writing a topic, it is very useful to review something and make a plan for what your future essay will look like.
General tips for preparing to write a topic in English
Caption: “How I spent my summer vacation”Banal advice that teachers give, but which, alas, not all schoolchildren listen to: do not put off completing an assignment until the last minute. Almost always the topic of how the summer holidays went is asked back in the spring. Of course, you shouldn’t start work in the first days of the holidays - there are no impressions yet! You can start writing in June or July if, for example, you have already returned from an exciting trip.
It is worth paying attention to the tenses of the Past group (first of all,), because they will be used most often in this essay. It is imperative to repeat the rules about complex sentences.
You need to have an idea of how a topic is generally written in English and what parts the text will consist of. It would be a good idea to look through and write down popular expressions: with them the text will be interesting and easy to read.
A topic that contains a dull list: “bought a ticket, took the train, came to my grandmother, went to the river,” even if written without errors, is boring. But the description of an interesting event in which the author of the text took part is a completely different matter, and this will have a positive effect on the assessment. In this case, it wouldn’t hurt to “refresh” your vocabulary on a specific topic: for example, you went to the World Football Championship in the summer, so it’s useful to read information in English “”.
You can go an unconventional route and format the topic as a letter to a friend, in which you share your impressions of the past summer with an imaginary friend. To do this, study the topic “” so that your essay in the form of a letter looks impeccable.
Example of a topic “How I spent my summer” with translation
For inspiration, you can turn to literature.How I spent my summer holidays in Podgorica
I like summer so much, because in summer we have the longest holidays. This summer I decided to spend my holidays in Podgorica (it’s the capital of Montenegro) – my uncle lives there. My uncle has lived in Podgorica since 1990, so he knows a lot about this city. When I came to him, he wanted me to visit ancient monuments, and we saw a lot of attractions there. One day we decided to go to the ruins of the old Turkish fortress. It is difficult to describe my impressions: the place looked fearsome and mysterious!
Also my uncle showed me the Moraca river. We were sunbathing and swimming there from the very morning till 9 p.m. By the way, the water in the Moraca river was rather cold. My uncle told me, that the river had never dried up and that it was very deep and quite dangerous in some places.
I liked my holidays in Podgorica very much! I saw many interesting places and made a lot of photos.
Translation:
How I spent my summer in Podgorica
I love summer so much because in summer we have the longest holidays. This summer I decided to spend my holidays in Podgorica (this is the capital of Montenegro) - my uncle lives there. My uncle has lived in Podgorica since 1990, so he knows a lot about this city. When I came to him, he wanted me to visit ancient monuments, and we saw many sights. One day we decided to go to the ruins of an old Turkish fortress. It’s hard to describe my impressions: the place looked menacing and mysterious!
My uncle also showed me the Moraca River. We sunbathed and swam there from early morning until 9 pm. By the way, the water in the river was quite cold. My uncle told me that this river never dries up, that it is very deep and quite dangerous in some places.
I really enjoyed my holidays in Podgorica! I saw a lot of interesting places and took a lot of photographs.
Topic in the form of a letter to a friend “How I spent my summer” with translation
Maybe you were shocked, that I didn’t write anything during summer holidays, but I had serious reasons for it. In May my grandma sent me a letter, that she felt not good and wanted to see me, so I spent my holidays in Rustavi (she lives there).
My holidays were very extraordinary, and I’d like to describe what happened. First week I felt bored: I didn’t have good internet (we lived in the most distant part of the town). That's why I could not send you massages. I made new friends there (cool guys!), they invited me to the central park. I thought that it would be boring as well, but I was mistaken! There was a big Zoo in that park. We didn’t know that two lions had escaped from the Zoo! When we came there, the park was full of policemen, firemen and soldiers. The lions were not caught that day, and my grandma and me decided to go to the village to my uncle: my granny was so afraid! So, I had to spend the whole month in the little village in the mountains… I was swimming in the river, helping my uncle with cows – what a cruel routine!
Finally the lions were caught, nobody got hurt. To tell the truth, I was dreaming about the meeting with one of them: I took my uncle’s gun and didn’t sleep some nights. And how did you spend summer holidays?
Best regards,
Anton.
Translation:
Dear Ben!
You may have been shocked that I didn't write anything during the summer holidays, but I had good reasons for this. My grandmother wrote to me in May that she was not feeling well and wanted to see me, and so I spent my holidays in Rustavi (she lives there).
My holiday was very unusual and I want to describe what happened. The first week I was bored: I didn’t have good internet (we lived in the most remote area of the city). That's why I couldn't send you messages. I made new friends (cool guys!) and they invited me to Central Park. I thought it would be just as boring, but I was wrong! There was a large zoo in the park. We didn't know that two lions had escaped from the zoo! When we got there, the park was full of police, firefighters and military personnel. That day the lions were not caught, and my grandmother and I decided to go to the village to visit my uncle: my grandmother was so scared! So, I was forced to spend a whole month in a small village in the mountains... Swimming in the river, helping my uncle look after the cows - what a terrible routine!
In the end, the lions were caught and no one was hurt. To tell the truth, I dreamed of meeting one of them: I took my uncle’s gun and didn’t sleep for several nights. How did you spend your summer holidays?
Best wishes,
Anton.
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The article offers you conversational topics in English on the topic “Summer Holidays”.
Letter, topic on the topic: how I spent the summer, summer holidays in English - example with translation
Topic (from the word « top " - "topic" ) This is a thematic story dedicated to certain events. The topics differ in their volume and content. This essay is intended, to a greater extent, not to be written, but to be read or told. Each section in learning English has its own separate topic, for example: “My winter holidays”, “Spring holidays” or “I went to school”.
One of the most popular topics is dedicated to the summer season. In the first days of school in September, teachers ask children to talk about how their summer and holidays went. Thus, students not only “refresh” their knowledge of vocabulary (their dictionary), but also remember grammar and practice the pronunciation of certain words.
IMPORTANT: You will receive the highest score for your topic only when you clearly understand every word spoken out loud. To do this, translate your essay in detail, and when writing, use ready-made cliches and examples.
What should a topic consist of:
- Introductory part(tell us in 1-2 sentences about yourself: your name, where you study and what class you graduated from).
- Main part(tell about your adventures, listing only the most striking events).
- Final part(tell us why you love summer and what plans you have for next year).
Examples of “English topics”:
Topic on the topic - summer vacation by the sea in English with translation into Russian: example
If you know the translation of the topic, you will be able to confidently pronounce every English word. If you don’t write the topic yourself, use the ready-made stories that the article offers you with translations.
Topics with translations:
Theme: “My holidays were wonderful” 
Theme and translation “I love summer holidays” 
Theme "My summer at camp" 
How I plan to spend the summer in English - an example with translation into Russian
The article offers topics that can be used in English lessons at the end of the school year “How I plan to spend the summer.” In the topic you will need to talk about your plans for the holidays.
Topics:
Translation Summer time -Summer
Personally I suppose that summer is the best time for holiday and rest. This season is the warmest one. The nature is really beautiful and the people have various opportunities for their rest. They can travel and visit another cities and countries, continents and islands. They can go hiking and have a terrific time in the forest, in the mountains, on the lake, on the river or on the sea. The people can also go out with their friends and relatives and have fun in the open air.
Personally, I think that summer is the best time for vacations and relaxation. This time of year is the warmest. Nature is truly beautiful and people have various recreational opportunities. They can travel and visit other cities and countries, continents and islands. They can go on hikes and have a great time in the forest, in the mountains, on a lake, on a river or at sea. People can also go out with their friends and family and have fun outdoors.
The nature is beautiful in summer. The grass and the leaves on the trees are fresh and green, there are many different flowers everywhere. The weather is mostly very nice. Of course, it can rain sometimes, but some people like rainy days. So do I. When it rains I like to read books and to listen to the pattern of rain.
Nature in summer is magnificent. The grass and leaves on the trees are fresh and green, and there are many different colors everywhere. The weather is for the most part very pleasant. Of course, sometimes it may rain, but some people love rainy days. Me too. When it rains, I like to read books and listen to the sound of rain.
Our family has a country house in a village near our city. In summer my grandmother lives there and I usually enjoy my summer holidays there. I have many friends in the village and we do many things together. We swim in the river or in the lake, go fishing, ride a bicycle, play many different games, go mushrooming and so on. In the evening I usually read books or watch TV and video.
Our family has a country house in a village near the city. My grandmother lives there in the summer and I usually enjoy my summer holidays there. I have many friends in the village and we do a lot of things together. We swim in a river or lake, go fishing, ride a bike, play various games, go mushroom picking, and so on. In the evening I usually read books or watch TV and videos.
At the end of August I come back to the city. On the 1st of September begins the new school year. Next year I will put my school progress exams. I am going to enter the university, that`s why I have also to put the entering exams. I will read up for examinations in our country house - far away from the scurry and the scramble of city life.
An essay (topic) about the holidays is usually assigned to schoolchildren. Most often this refers to summer holidays, in which case they are called vacation. However, adults can also write an essay on the same topic - about their vacation; There is another word for vacation in English: holidays. It’s not easy to create a universal plan in English for a topic about vacations, since there can be as many options for how you can spend your vacation as there are types of vacations. However, a standard essay on how I spent my summer in English usually includes the following points.
Summer holiday story plan
- Introduction
At the beginning of the topic, tell us where you study or work and where you went on vacation; how you wanted to spend your holidays, when and with whom you went, what were your expectations from the holidays.
- Rest place
Describe your vacation spot: city, country, resort, sanatorium. If possible, briefly tell the history of this place, whether other tourists and vacationers like to spend time there.
- Route
Tell us how you got to your vacation spot: by car, train, plane, bus, water transport. Did you visit other places along the way, and if so, which ones and how long did you stay there?
- Attractions and entertainment
List interesting places and objects that you have seen: museums, architectural monuments, natural monuments, historical sites. What did you like most? Also tell us about how you had fun during the holidays: walking, swimming, going to parties, shopping.
- Interesting stories and incidents
Tell one or two interesting stories that happened to you during the holidays. It could be some funny incident, meeting an unusual person, an unexpected adventure.
- Conclusion
At the end of the story, describe your impressions of the trip, whether you liked spending your holiday this way, tell us how you got back and would you like to visit the same place again.
Free lesson on the topic:
Irregular English verbs: table, rules and examples
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Useful words and expressions
English word Translation Backpacking hike Barbeque B-B-Q Barefoot barefoot Bathing suit swimsuit Beach beach Board shorts swimming trunks Campfire bonfire Cool off chill out Country-side village Entertainment entertainment Festival festival Firework fireworks Fishing pole fishing rod Flip flops slates Floatie air mattress Frisbee Frisbee Hiking walking tour Holidays holidays Hotel hotel Iced tea iced tea Lake lake Mini golf mini golf Museum museum Party party Peak season high season Pebbly pebbly Pool pool River river Sandcastle sand castle Sandy sand Sea sea Sight sight Sleeping bag sleeping bag Speak English speak English Summer summer Sunburn sunburn Sunscreen sun cream or lotion Take a dip swim a little Tourist tourist trip journey Vacation vacation 
Example of a vacation story
It was terribly hot in June. Students were all looking forward to holidays. When our school broke up for summer vacation on the 3rd of June, we felt a great relief.
My father made a program to go to Mussoorie. I requested him to spend a few days at Haridwar also.
Haridwar is a beautiful town with lots of temples. It is located on the bank of the holy Ganges. It is considered as a holy place of the Hindus. We stayed there for five days. We had jolly good time there. We used to go to the Ganges for a bath in morning and in evening. The water was very cold but we enjoyed it a lot. There was a great rush of people at the ghat. In the evenings, the ghat presented a gala appearance. The whole place hummed with life. Thousands of people could be seen coming and going.
After six days we went up to Mussoorie. It is a beautiful hill station and has been rightly called the “Queen of Hills”. We stayed there for about a week. The weather was very pleasant and the scenery simply charming. The atmosphere enjoyed long walks in the mornings and in the evenings. We also used to go to see pictures and for strolling. We went to see all famous places of Mussoorie.
After a week, we came back to Ludhiana. We bought some gifts for our friends. The weather in the plains was still very hot. This is how I spent my summer vacation. I can say with reasonable pride that I spent my vacation quite profitable.
Translation of example
It was very hot in June. The schoolchildren were looking forward to the holidays. When our school closed for summer holidays on June 3rd, we felt a huge sense of relief.
My father made a plan to go to Mussoorie. I asked him to also spend a few days in Hardwar.
Hardwar is a beautiful city with many temples. It is located on the banks of the sacred Ganges River. It is considered a holy place for Hindus. We stayed here for five days. We had a good time there.
We went to the Ganges to swim in the morning and evening. The water was very cold, but we really enjoyed it. There was a large influx of people at the descent to the river. In the evenings this place took on a festive look. The whole place was filled with life. Thousands of people could be seen coming and going.
After six days we left for Mussoorie. It is a beautiful hilly place that is rightly called the “Queen of Hills”. We stayed there for about a week. The weather was very pleasant and the scenery was simply charming. We enjoyed long walks in the mornings and evenings. We also went to an art exhibition and just walked around. We went to see all the famous places in Mussoorie.
After a week we returned to Ludhiana. We bought gifts for our friends. The weather on the plains was still very hot. This is how I spent my summer holidays. I can say, not without pride, that I spent my holidays quite usefully.
Video on how to write a vacation story:
Now test yourself and take the test to determine your English language level:
A letter about how I spent my summer
I want to tell you how I spent my summer.
I spent the summer very well. All summer was dry and sunny weather. My friends and I a lot of swimming and sunbathing on the river. In the evening we played football. In July, I went with my parents to the Sochi. We were traveling through the mountains. We saw many new birds and animals.
In August, I was visiting my grandmother in the garden. I helped her harvest. This year has grown a lot of fruits and berries. My grandmother was making delicious jam. The summer was great!
And how did you spend your summer?
Your friend,
Elvis
[translation into Russian]
Hello Mary!
I want to tell you how I spent the summer.
I spent the summer very well. The weather was dry and sunny all summer. My friends and I swam a lot and sunbathed in the river. In the evening we played football. In July I went with my parents to Sochi. We traveled a lot in the mountains. We saw many new birds and animals.
In August I visited my grandmother in the garden. I helped her harvest. This year a lot of fruits and berries have grown. Grandma made delicious jam. Summer was wonderful!
How did you spend your summer?
Your friend
Elvis