This is a relatively simple G.B.C. question, often asked in the beginning of the test as a warm-up, so take the opportunity to show off the best of your English.
What was your favorite place to visit as a child? Why?
Here is a sample answer:
When I was younger, I loved staying at our summer house in Arsuz, which is a small village by the sea in the southern region of Turkey. Our house has a lot of character since it is quite old and big. In fact, I believe it is more than a hundred years old. Perhaps the most interesting feature is its courtyard, which is right in the center. I definitely spent a lot of time in that courtyard growing up, I made some amazing memories there.
Our summer house allowed me to experience a social, fun and cultural environment. We lived there with my grandma, my two aunts and my cousins. I got to spend a lot of time with my cousins as well as our neighbors and friends. I remember we used to play games and go to the beach almost every day. One of our all-time favorite video games was a racing one on Game Cube called Mario Kart. Furthermore, since getting together to eat is a big part of our culture, my family enjoyed throwing long, festive dinner parties for our friends and serving delicious food like Mediterranean starters, kebabs, and desserts.
All in all, spending my summers there helped shape me into the person that I am today. I learned the value and the importance of family, friendships and culture. Even now, I enjoy visiting Arsuz for a few weeks once a year to catch up with people I know and love.
Notice that the speaker does not only talk about where she loved to say, but also adds detail about how the event impacted her life.
This is a strong answer, because there are some sophisticated expressions and phrases used (shown in bold). Also, there is plenty of detail, including how those things have benefitted the speaker's life overall.
It is in a conversational style, and it flows logically. The first paragraph describes the place the speaker loved as a child. The second paragraph explains the reasons why the speaker loved that place. The third paragraph uses the ending phrase all in all and gives a short overview, as well as adding a so what? The speaker explains how the past has affected the present situation.
Next time you get a warm-up question, take the opportunity to add detail, and don't forget to show enthusiasm too!
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to have a lot of character—the quality of being unique in an interesting or unusual way, often used for old buildings and historic places.
all-time favorite—one's absolute favorite.
to throw a party— to organize and host a party.
to catch up with someone— to learn or discuss the latest news.
