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      Writing the second half of Juliet's diary entry

      Lesson details

      Learning outcome

      I can write the second half of Juliet's imagined diary entry after meeting Romeo, using a range of linguistic features and cohesive devices..

      Key learning points

      1. A diary entry combines details about events with details about emotions.
      2. We can use certain linguistic features to make an appropriate tone for a diary.
      3. Hyperbole, internal thoughts, rhetorical questions and exclamation sentences make diary writing more personal.
      4. We connect ideas together in writing with cohesive devices like fronted adverbials and different sentence types.
      5. We may change tense between past and present during a diary entry.

      Keywords

      • Emotions - strong feelings experienced by a character in response to a their experiences

      • Events - things that happen to a person or a character

      • Linguistic features - language structures that are specific to a type of text

      • Cohesive devices - language structures that develop text cohesion

      Common misconception

      Pupils may find it difficult to switch between tenses in the final paragraph.

      Ensure you share your thoughts as a writer as you do the shared writing for this paragraph, showing that it is normal to switch tenses in this way when we are describing present emotions with a retelling of past events.

      Teacher tip

      A slide is left intentionally lined; this is your prompt to complete shared writing with your class. Model selecting between different cohesive devices and linguistic features; take ideas from the class and co-construct an example paragraph together.

      Licence

      This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0
      except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions
      (Collection 2).

      Lesson video

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      Prior knowledge starter quiz

      6 Questions

      Q1.
      Match each key element of a diary to the correct example.

      Correct Answer:events in the present tense,I am pacing the room, wondering what to do.
      Correct Answer:emotions in the present tense,I am filled with melancholy.
      Correct Answer:events in the past tense,I saw a man approaching confidently.
      Correct Answer:emotions in the past tense,I was completely exhilarated.

      Q2.
      Which linguistic feature is shown in the following example? 'How glorious it is to be in love!'

      rhetorical questions
      hyperbole
      Correct answer: exclamation sentence
      internal thoughts

      Q3.
      Which linguistic feature is shown in the following example? 'Why did Mother have to call me away then?'

      exclamation sentence
      internal thought
      hyperbole
      Correct answer: rhetorical question

      Q4.
      Which cohesive device is used in the following example? 'At that moment, my mother came bustling over.'

      compound sentence
      Correct answer: fronted adverbial of time
      adverbial complex sentence
      non-finite (-ing) complex sentence

      Q5.
      Which cohesive device is used in the following example? 'When I saw his mesmerising eyes, I fell instantly in love.'

      fronted adverbial of time
      compound sentence
      Correct answer: adverbial complex sentence
      non-finite (-ing) complex sentence

      Q6.
      Which of these examples are in the present tense?

      Correct answer: I feel so melancholy I can hardly bear it.
      I watched a handsome man approach across the ballroom.
      As he kissed me softly, I was mesmerised.
      Correct answer: I know we will never be together.

      6 Questions

      Q1.
      True or false? The tense of a diary entry should always stay the same throughout.

      Correct Answer: false, False

      Q2.
      Which features of a diary entry are shown in the following example? 'I'm completely ecstatic!'

      past tense
      Correct answer: emotions
      Correct answer: present tense
      events

      Q3.
      Which features of a diary entry are shown in the following example? 'Immediately, I sent my nurse to chase him down.'

      Correct answer: past tense
      emotions
      present tense
      Correct answer: events

      Q4.
      Which of the following is not a linguistic feature of a diary?

      hyperbole
      rhetorical questions
      Correct answer: subject-specific vocabulary
      internal thoughts

      Q5.
      Which linguistic features of a diary entry are shown in the following example? 'What a thrill it was to see him there! Instantly, I realised that he felt just as I did.'

      hyperbole
      Correct answer: internal thoughts
      Correct answer: exclamation sentence
      rhetorical question

      Q6.
      Which of these words best describe the style of a diary entry?

      Correct answer: personal
      Correct answer: emotional
      logical
      persuasive

      To help you plan your 6 English lesson on: Writing the second half of Juliet's diary entry, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...