DIARY ENTRY
What is a Diary Entry?
A diary entry is a personal record of events and feelings affecting the writer. It is written for personal record and reflection;
therefore, it may not always be objective in its view. It almost always details the events occurring in the present.
It includes facts, observations, perceptions and descriptions all according to the writer’s world view.
Format of a Diary Entry
Tips for Writing a Diary Entry
• The word limit of a diary entry is 150 words. Everything you wish to say should be encompassed within this limit.
• Remember that a diary entry is not a documentary. Include only those things which were thehighlight of the day.
• Spend a few moments going over the entire day and categorise the events which affected you the most.
• Focus on the emotions, feelings and thoughts that the day’s event(s)triggered.
• Use a personal confessional tone as the entry is a record of your personal life andpast.
• Maintain the correct chronological order while noting things. Avoid skipping from one thought to the other.
• An anticipatory note at the end of the entry looking forward to the following day is a good wayof concludingit.
• Use grammatically correct sentences and avoid spelling mistakes. Also avoid using longcomplex sentences.
Sample 1
Friday, 10th July 2015
8.38 PM
Tuck shop
Dear Diary,
We had tuck shop in school today. My mom made chutney sandwiches which I sold at our stall.
Everyone loved them, and they were sold out in no time. My team contained three more girls—Ashwini,
Sneha and Jyoti. Ashwini got samosas, Sneha got dhokla and Jyoti got bread pudding. Everything
looked so delicious that we felt like eating all of it ourselves. So, we kept a little bit of everything aside
for us. We made Rs 365 from the sale of our food items. The money collected from the tuck shop will
be used to fund those children who cannot afford to pay the fees or buy school books. We were very proud of our effort.
Gauri
Sample 2
Friday, 10th July 2015
8.38 PM
Singing at the annual day celebration
Dear Diary,
Today at the morning assembly we were all asked to participate in the annual day celebration.This year our school
is planning to have a musical. Almost one-third of the school is a part ofthis novice endeavour. I tried my luck at
singing and the teachers loved my song. They selectedme at once. We will besinging the opening and the closing
song and a few more in the middle.The songs are a little difficult, but I am sure that with practice we will be able
to perfect them.The annual day will be held in September. This means that we have only two months to practise.
We will be having one hour’s singing practice every morning. We will have to work very hard,but it will be a great experience.
Anida
Sample 3
Saturday, 17th October 2015
9.26 PM
Craft Workshop Today
Dear Diary,
I went for my first craft workshop today. It was very enjoyable. I was a little afraid at first, as I had no other friends there.
But once the class started, there was no time left for such small worries. I learned to make different types of flowers
out of paper today. Tomorrow, we will be learning to decorate and colourflower pots. We will also be learning to make
decorative and useful items for our houses like wall hangings, pen stands, notice boards and photo frames. Mummy said
that the flowers I made are very beautiful. It made me very happy. I can’t wait fortomorrow.
Amrita
Sample 4
Friday, 19nd June 2015
8.25 PM
A Very Rainy Day
Dear Diary,
It was awfully gloomy today. The blanketing clouds poured steadily all through the day making me drowsy all day long.
It’s sad that our vacations end right before the rains. If it was a holiday I would have loved the gloomy weather,
but unfortunately wishes are not horses. I had to attend school, then tuitions and finally football practice. The thought of
the football practice in the rain was the only thing that kept me going all through the day. I’m glad my mom encouraged
me to play football. At first, I did not like it much, but since I’ve got a hang of it, it’s become impossible to separate me
from the sport. The pouring rain and the mud puddles just add to the fun. We will be playing the blue team tomorrow.
It will be a tough match but I’m sure we will win. I cannot wait.
Raju
Sample 5
Wednesday, 4th February 2015
8.30 PM
Trip to the Vegetable Garden
Dear Diary,
Today I had great fun at school. Our class teacher took us to the vegetable garden this morning where we saw a
large number of saplings lined up in one corner. She instructed us to pair up and pick one sapling per pair.
Then she taught us how to plant them. It was a very nice experience. For once we were allowed to dirty our hands in the
mud. The teacher herself sat by, watching over us all the time.
She then told us that our sapling was our responsibility from now on. Like us, they were also tender and needed protection and care.
From now on every day we have to go and look after our own saplings. We have to tend to them and take care of them.
Manju
Sample 6
Sunday, 3rd May 2015
8.50 PM
Advice to live by
Dear Diary,
I met an old lady in the park by my school this morning. I was there because I was expelled from the class for not completing
my home work. I was crying bitterly for the pressure of my final year was catching up to me. Try as I might, I am constantly
lagging in some subject or the other. With the amount of class work and home work we are given, it is impossible to catch up.
But the teachers just don’t seem to understand; couple that with the pressure from my parents, I feel like I’m living in a furnace.
That’s when the kind old lady approached me and gave me a small piece of advice. She explained to me how winning should not
be the only goal of our lives. Moreover, she said that victory at the cost of our health and happiness brings losses in the long run.
I’ve heard words like these before too. But hearing them coming from an old lady whose eyes reflected that they were words f
rom her own experience had a different effect alltogether.
Alok
Sample 7
Wednesday, 9th September 2015
7.55 PM
Teacher’s Day Celebration
Dear Diary,
As I told you before, today we celebrated teacher’s day in school. This year’s celebration was different in many ways.
Apart from the many songs and dances performed, we also enacted the lives of famous people around the world who taught us
great things like Anne Sullivan, E. R. Braithwait, Mahatma Gandhi, Dr Radhakrishnan and Savitribai Phule. The programme
ended with a presentation on the teachings of various religious texts. Thus, we highlighted the universality of secular teaching.
Everyone loved the show and praised us for our endeavour.
Sakahi
Sample 8
Tuesday, 5th December 2015
9.00 AM
Presenting my dream
Dear Diary,
Today is the day I present my big idea before the board. I am professionally an accountant, but very few people know that
I am also qualified to be a college lecturer. Since I suggested a few changes to make our product more user friendly the last time,
I have been asked to present my ideas before the team. I have been working on this for a week now and am pretty sure that the
result is good to go. I hope for a positive feedback from the board. I have worked with school students for a short while right after
completing my studies and have a good understanding of the needs of students. This project is my dream and its acceptance will
take me to a totally different level in my career. I always wanted to work for the improvement of the education system, but my
family commitments prevented me from working actively in that area. This opportunity has come walking towards me so to speak.
I cannot wait any longer to stand before the boardtomorrow.
Sample 9
Tuesday, 14th July 2015
9.30 PM
Robbery at the Station
Dear Diary,
Today while returning from school I saw an old lady being robbed while boarding the train at Dadar. The thief who was following
her boarded the train after her. When the train was about to start, he snatched her gold chain and jumped into the train adjacent to us.
Before the old lady figured out what exactly happened, the thief jumped off that train too and absconded. The lady was too shaken
by the event and collapsed to the floor soon after. The train had to be stopped at the next station so that medical aid could be given
to her and a complaint lodged. Many helpful ladies got down with her and helped her. I too was terrified by this and came home as
quickly as I could. Mother says such occurrences are very common and that the lady was very lucky not to be seriouslyinjured.
Komal
Sample 10
Friday, 9th October 2015
7.50 AM
New Home, New School
Dear Diary,
Today was my first day at school. Since we recently shifted to this city, everything here is new to me. It is a little difficult and often
frustrating to get adjusted to everything, especially the people. School was great though. My biggest struggle today was to find my
class before the assembly began. Once I succeeded in wading through the swarms of students everything was fine. For the most part,
the day was uneventful, except for me being asked to introduce myself over and over again by every teacher that came. I made a few
new friends too. Raman, my bench partner, plays football. He invited me to play with him after school but I had to decline since I hadn't
informed mom. I will go tomorrow though. I am sure I'll have great fun. I have already begun to like this place.
Rajni