Hi everyone, my name is Miss Voile, and welcome to this lesson where we are going to be analysing the features of a diary entry.

This lesson is based around this book, "The Firework-Maker's Daughter" by Philip Pullman.

You may want to have your copy in front of you to refer to.

I'm really looking forward to teaching you this lesson, and I hope you're feeling excited to learn.

Let's get started.

The learning outcome for today's lesson is I can identify and analyse layout and linguistic features of a diary entry.

Here are our key words for today's lesson.

Let's practise saying them.

My turn, your turn.

Purpose, recount, layout, linguistic features.

Good job, well done.

Let's take a look at their definitions.

The purpose of a text is the aim of the text.

A recount is a piece of writing that recalls an event or experience.

Layout refers to the way a text is structured.

And a linguistic feature is a structure of language that uses words.

There are two parts to today's lesson.

In the first part, we will be looking at the purpose and layout of a diary entry.

And in the second part, we will be looking at linguistic features of a diary entry.

So let's begin with purpose and layout of a diary entry.

What is a diary entry? I'd like you to pause the video, and discuss this question with a partner.

A diary is a personal book that an individual writes in.

Each time a person writes in their diary, it is called a diary entry.

The purpose of a diary entry is to recount important experiences and express feelings.

A diary is just for the person writing it to read, it is personal and private to them.

Let's check your understanding.

What is the purpose of a diary? A, to tell a fictional story.

B, to recount important experiences and express feelings.

Or C, to tell other people about your life.

Pause the video and select your answer now.

The answer is B, the purpose of a diary is to recount important experiences and express feelings, well done.

You are going to be writing two diary entries from the perspective of Lila in "The Firework-Maker's Daughter." Your first diary entry is going to be written on the day Lila finds out her father's views on her future.

Your second diary entry is going to be written on the day Lila discovers her father told Chulak the secret.

Each of these diary entries will provide a recount of events and express Lila's emotions and thoughts.

We are going to read a model diary entry by Lila.

Listen carefully.

"Friday the 23rd of January, 2024.

Dear diary, this morning, I was learning in the workshop with my dad and I invented the coolest fireworks ever.

The fiery red sparks flew out in little dashes, and then they spun in the air like tiny acrobats.

It was exhilarating to watch.

I felt so proud of myself because I have spent years trying to learn my father's craft.

I was on cloud nine.

Just after, my dad told me that there was loads I didn't know about fireworks, I felt deflated.

I told him there was nothing I wanted more in the entire world than to be a firework-maker, but he said I should focus on finding a husband instead.

I couldn't believe it.

Honestly, my heart shattered into a thousand pieces.

I can't bear the thought of not making fireworks, it's my destiny.

Plus, girls should be able to do the same things as boys.

I think I need to visit my dear friend Chulak, because he'll know what to do.

Until next time, Lila." Diary entries, like the one I just read to you, follow a specific structure and layout.

Structure and layout refer to the way the writing is organised on the page.

We are going to examine the layout features of Lila's diary entry.

First, let's check your understanding.

What does the structure and layout of a text refer to? A, the type of language used.

B, the genre of writing it belongs to.

Or C, the way the writing is organised on the page.

Pause the video and select your answer.

The answer is C, structure and layout refers to the way the writing is organised on the page.

Well done, let's now take a look at the structure and layout of Lila's diary entry.

What do you notice at the very beginning of this diary entry? What has been written first? It is the date, Friday, the 23rd of January, 2024.

Now, obviously the date in a diary entry changes depending on which day it is written, but a key feature of a diary entry is a date written at the top on the left side.

This records when the entry was written, which is really important.

What do you notice is written next in Lila's diary entry? It is a greeting.

A feature of a diary entry is a greeting, which is always dear diary, with a comma after it.

What do you notice about the way the writing is structured? Hopefully you have spotted that it is written in paragraphs.

A feature of a diary entry is the use of paragraphs to organise recounts in chronological order.

If you are writing about more than one event or experience within your diary entry, it is helpful to split these into paragraphs chronologically.

For example, in Lila's diary entry here, her first paragraph is all about her learning how to make fireworks in the morning.

The second paragraph tells us about her conversation with her father afterwards.

And what do you notice at the very end of Lila's diary entry? This is called a sign-off, until next time, Lila, it is how a person ends a diary entry.

A feature of a diary entry is a sign-off to end the entry.

These are personal, and they can vary.

Let's check your understanding.

True or false, diary entries follow a specific structure and layout.

Pause the video and select your answer.

That is true, well done.

Now it's time to justify your answer.

A, they include a title and a summary.

Or B, they begin with the date and a greeting, then they provide a recount and sign-off.

Pause the video and select your justification.

The answer is B.

Diary entries begin with the date and a greeting, and then they provide a recount before a sign-off.

It is time for your first task, and it is a talk task.

Answer the following questions to demonstrate your understanding of a diary entry and its layout features.

One, what is the purpose of a diary entry? And two, number the following to show the order in which they appear in a diary entry.

Paragraphs to organise recount, greeting, dear diary, sign-off, and date.

Pause the video and discuss these questions with your partner now.

Welcome back, well done for your partner talk.

Let's go over the answers together now.

For one, what is the purpose of a diary entry? The purpose of a diary entry is to recount experiences and express feelings.

And for the second question, number the following to show the order in which they appear in a diary entry.

First is the date.

Second is the greeting, dear diary.

Third is paragraphs to organise the recount.

And fourth is sign-off.

Well done for showing a great understanding of the purpose and layout of a diary entry.

It's now time for the second part of our lesson, where we will be looking at the linguistic features of a diary entry.

Diary entries have distinctive linguistic features in order to achieve their purpose.

They are written in first person using informal language.

It is a personal piece of writing about oneself and their own life.

So the first person pronoun I is used.

And the person writing the diary entry is the only person who will read it, so they can be really informal in their language.

Diary entries are written in past tense, to recount experiences and events.

A recount is about something that has already happened, which is why the majority of a diary entry is in past tense.

There are lots of fronted adverbials of time in a diary entry.

This clearly sequences the events in a recount chronologically.

And there is use of present tense to express current feelings.

Diaries express current emotions based on past events too.

Let's take a look at how first person and informal language appear in this model diary entry.

Use of the first person pronoun I can be seen throughout this model.

"I was learning." A diary entry is written in first person using the pronoun, I.

Informal language is used.

For example, in this model diary entry, Lila has chosen the words, "Coolest fireworks." The language is informal because the writing is personal and private.

Nobody else is going to read it.

Let's check your understanding.

Which of the following are key linguistic features of a diary entry? A, first person.

B, formal language.

C, informal language.

D, third person.

Pause the video and select your answers now.

The answers are A and C.

Diary entries are written in first person using informal language, well done.

Let's take a look at how past tense appears in this model to recount experiences and events.

A diary entry includes the use of past simple and past continuous tenses.

For example, "I invented." This is the use of past simple tense.

And "I was learning," this is the use of past continuous tense.

Both of these examples describe an action that's happened in the past.

But past continuous tense is used to show an action that was ongoing at a point in the past, "I was learning." Let's check your understanding.

True or false, the use of past tense is a key feature in a diary entry.

Pause the video and select your answer.

That is true, well done.

Now it's time to justify.

A, past simple and past continuous tenses are used to recount events.

Or B, past tense is used to show how the writer is currently feeling.

Pause the video and select the correct justification.

The answer is A, well done.

Past simple and past continuous tenses are used to recount events.

We would use present tense if we were writing about how we were currently feeling.

Let's take a look at how fronted adverbials of time appear in this model.

A diary entry includes fronted adverbials of time to sequence events chronologically.

Here, we can see the fronted adverbials, just after, and then.

Let's check your understanding.

Why are fronted adverbials of time a key feature of diary entries? A, they make them more interesting to read.

B, they help sequence a recount of events chronologically.

Or C, they let us know how the writer is feeling.

Pause the video and select your answer.

The answer is B, well done.

Fronted adverbials of time help a writer sequence their recount of events chronologically.

Let's now take a look at how present tense is used to express current feelings in a diary entry.

A diary entry commonly involves a shift from past to present tense towards the end, when the writer expresses how they are feeling now.

In the first sentence here, it says, "Honestly, my heart shattered into a thousand pieces." This is still written in past tense.

Let's now read the next bit.

"I can't bear the thought of not making fireworks, it's my destiny." These sentences are written in present tense.

The writing has shifted to explain how the person is currently feeling.

Let's check your understanding.

True or false, the writing in a diary entry is all in past tense? Pause the video and select your answer.

That is false, well done.

Now it's time to justify.

A, it is all in present tense.

Or B, it shifts into present tense when the writer expresses how they are currently feeling.

Pause the video and select your answer.

The answer is B, well done.

The writing and a diary entry shifts from past into present tense when the writer expresses how they are currently feeling, and this normally happens towards the very end of a diary entry.

It's now time for your final task.

Read the diary entry in the additional materials.

One, find and copy one example of informal language.

Two, give three examples of first person plus past tense used during the recount.

Three, give the two fronted adverbials of time that are used.

And four, find and copy one example of present tense to express current feelings.

Pause the video and do the task now.

Well done for your hard work identifying these linguistic features.

Let's take a look at some of the answers you may have given.

For find and copy one example of informal language, you may have chosen, "The coolest fireworks ever," or, "I was on cloud nine," or "I couldn't believe it." For give three examples of first person plus past tense used during the recount, maybe you identified "I was learning" or "I invented." "I felt, I have spent." There were other examples too.

For give the two fronted adverbials of time used, hopefully you identified "This morning" and "Just after." And for find and copy one example of present tense to express current feelings, maybe you identified "I can't bear the thought," or "It's my destiny," or, "I think I need to." I hope you enjoyed this task, and well done for building your understanding of the linguistic features of a diary entry.

We've now come to the end of our lesson, so let's go over a summary together.

The purpose of a diary entry is to recount important experiences and express feelings.

A diary entry has a specific layout.

It is written in first person, and it uses informal language.

Past simple and past continuous sentences recount what the writer experienced and felt.

Fronted adverbials of time support in sequencing events in a recount chronologically.

Present tense is used towards the end of a diary entry to show how the writer is feeling now.

You did a great job at exploring the features of a diary entry, and I really enjoyed teaching you, well done.