Journal/Diary Entry
English Language: Edexcel IGCSE - Specification B, topic 4.1.3
Journal/Diary Entries
Diaries or journals record someone's personal experiences and thoughts on a daily basis.
Features of a journal/diary entry
- Written in the first person.
- The date is written at the top of the page.
- A personal and informal tone because diaries are usually written for a person to read themselves.
- Create a clear sense of order and time by using connectives and words like 'then', 'before', 'afterwards' etc.
Difference - diary/journal
- Journals usually list the events that happened like facts. The tone is more objective and is likely to be less focused on someone's feelings.
- Diary entries are likely to be more personal and focus on feelings.
What's the difference between an autobiography & diary?
- A diary is written in the moment, on the day that things are experienced.
- An autobiography is usually written in retrospect (looking backward).
- An autobiography will often use the past tense, but as a diary does, it will use the first person, descriptions of events and feelings and will try to create a sense of time and a story.
Test yourself on Journal/Diary Entry
What type of narrator does a journal or diary entry have?
How do journal entries differ from diary entries?
Which of these is a core feature of a diary entry?