Loyalty, honesty, kindness, a good sense of humour, reliability — rank the traits you value most in a friend.

A natural way to answer

I'd put honesty at the top, because without it the rest doesn't mean much. Loyalty would come second, then reliability, then kindness, and finally a sense of humour. They're all important, but honesty is the foundation everything else is built on.

Key phrases to use

• show up — to arrive or be present, especially when you're expected or needed“Real friends show up when it counts.”
• fair-weather — describing a friend who is only around during good times, not hard ones“He turned out to be a fair-weather friend.”
• stick by you — to stay loyal and supportive, especially in difficult times“A true friend will stick by you no matter what.”
• knock the others off the top spot — to overtake others and take first place“On a good day, kindness could knock the others off the top spot.”