German Grades 5–10: How do you write a diary entry?

Diary entries are a popular topic in German lessons, especially after the summer holidays. Students can record their holiday experiences while learning how to write well-structured texts. Often, they are also asked to write a diary entry from the perspective of a character in a story. There are several important features that make a good diary entry:

Much like a letter, a diary entry should always begin with a greeting: “Dear Diary, …”. The date should also be placed in the top right corner. The entire entry should be written in the first person, since it is mainly about one’s own feelings and thoughts. Especially in the introduction, it creates a good impression to describe the current mood (for example: “Today I went for ice cream with Grandma and Grandpa, it was wonderful! ...”).

Since you are describing past experiences, you should primarily use the simple past tense, and, if appropriate, add a short outlook at the end (for example: “I’m especially looking forward to that!”). If you want to describe your current feelings and thoughts, you can, of course, use the present tense.

A diary entry is something very personal, so it is helpful to include your own thoughts and emotions. If you are writing from the perspective of another character, try to put yourself in their shoes – How does this person feel? What are they thinking about? What hopes and goals does this character have? It’s best to focus on describing one important event or experience.

At the end, summarize once again which hopes, wishes, or even fears you have for the future. Conclude the entry with a closing formula, for example: “Yours, Marie”.

Pro tip: Writing a diary entry is like writing a letter to yourself. If you find it difficult to write about yourself, just imagine that you are writing a letter to a good friend.