The personal diary: A personal diary (el diario personal) is a private entry where you write down what happened and how you feel about it — for yourself, not for any reader. In Paper 1 you choose it when the task tells you to write a diary entry / una entrada de diario about an experience. It's part of Unit 2: Text Types, so the marks come from getting its conventions and register right (Criterion C), not just the events.
- el diario (personal)
- the (personal) diary
- la entrada
- the entry (one dated piece)
- la fecha
- the date (every entry begins with one)
- la reflexión
- the reflection (what you think/feel about it)
- el registro íntimo
- intimate register (you write to yourself, in yo)
- el tono personal
- a private, heartfelt tone
Spot it in the task: The task names your format. “Escribe una entrada de tu diario…”, “Escribe en tu diario sobre…” → a diary → intimate, first-person. If it said “Escribe a tu amigo” you'd switch to an informal email (a different text type). Always read what format the task asks for first.
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Keep it personal and private: Write in the first person (yo) for yourself — no greeting to any reader. The tone is intimate and reflective: say what happened, then how you feel about it. Often you address the diary itself («Querido diario»). Consistency matters — slipping into a letter-to-a-reader style or formal phrasing breaks the register and costs you Criterion C.
Diary — do this
- Querido diario: hoy me ha pasado algo…
- Me siento feliz / triste porque…
- No puedo dejar de pensar en…
Letter to a reader — avoid here
- ¡Hola, Marta! ¿Qué tal?
- Te escribo para contarte…
- Un abrazo, / Atentamente,
Stay consistent: Pick the yo voice and keep it from the date to the close. Verbs, pronouns (me, mi, conmigo) and the feelings you express all stay first-person — never address an outside reader as «tú».
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The five parts: Every diary entry follows the same shape. Hit all five parts and you've covered the conventions the examiner is looking for.
Personal diary — 5 parts
1
Dated entry
Begin with the date — every diary entry is dated. «Sábado, 14 de junio»
2
Opening
Address the diary and set the scene. «Querido diario: hoy ha sido un día…»
3
What happened today
Tell the events of the day in the first person — the longest part. «Por la mañana… pero por la tarde…»
4
Feelings & reflection
Say how you feel and what you make of it. «Me siento… No puedo dejar de pensar en…»
5
Looking ahead / close
Look to tomorrow and sign off to the diary. «Mañana espero… Buenas noches, diario.»
Date → Opening → What happened → Feelings → Looking ahead
Don't skip the frame: Students lose easy Criterion C marks by forgetting the date or the feelings/reflection. The date proves it's a diary, and the reflection is what makes it personal — never leave them out.
A model, part by part: Here's a complete diary entry built from the five parts above. Read it once for the message, then tap Ver traducción to check the English or 🔊 to hear it.
Modelo: las 5 partes en acción
La entrada de diario, parte por parte
- Sábado, 14 de junio
- Querido diario:
- Hoy ha sido un día muy raro. Por la mañana suspendí el examen de matemáticas, pero por la tarde mi mejor amiga me dio una sorpresa increíble.
- No puedo dejar de pensar en lo nerviosa que estaba durante el examen. Me siento frustrada conmigo misma, aunque también muy agradecida por tener amigas así.
- Mañana espero estudiar más y empezar de nuevo con calma. Buenas noches, diario.
Por qué puntúa — why it scores: This short diary entry earns marks on all three Paper 1 criteria — here's how:
A — Language /12
- Personal, accurate language; yo throughout
- Connectors & contrast: «pero», «aunque», «también»
- Correct tenses (suspendí, ha sido, espero)
B — Message /12
- Clear content: the events AND a real reflection
- Ideas developed (the exam, the surprise, the resolve)
C — Conceptual /6
- Diary conventions: date + «Querido diario» + close
- Consistent intimate register (yo)
- Heartfelt, reflective tone
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A toolkit you can reuse: Learn a few ready-made phrases for each part. They make your entry sound natural and save time in the exam. Tap 🔊 to hear them.
Para empezar (opening the entry)
- Querido diario: — Dear diary,
- Hoy ha sido un día… — Today has been a … day…
- No sé por dónde empezar. — I don't know where to start.
Para reflexionar (feelings & reflection)
- Me siento… (feliz / triste / nervioso/a) — I feel… (happy / sad / nervous)
- No puedo dejar de pensar en… — I can't stop thinking about…
- Lo que más me sorprendió fue… — What surprised me most was…
Para terminar (looking ahead / close)
- Mañana espero… — Tomorrow I hope…
- A partir de ahora voy a… — From now on I'm going to…
- Buenas noches, diario. — Good night, diary.
Use one from each: One opener, one or two feelings phrases in the middle, and one closer is plenty — and instantly makes the entry feel like the real text type.