May or may not include a greeting like “Dear Diary”

See glimpse of the writer’s more private thoughts and feelings

Explore reasons and motives for having in a particular way or feeling particular emotions 

Witness characters and events from the point of view of the narrator when written in first person

Informal language (remember--you are your own audience)

Typically written in present tense but utilizing flashbacks for describing previous events

• Address

Greeting (be mindful of how formal or informal it should be)

First paragraph should introduce yourself and the purpose of your letter IF IT IS FORMAL

Should include multiple paragraphs 

Salutation/Farewell

Accessed online through websites or apps, and blogs have become a popular way of sharing experiences. They differ most from printed diaries and are generally designed to be read by a specific audience, which may be restricted to friends or personal contact, or to wider readership (e.g. people who like fashion)

• They are often vehicles for giving advice, or selling and promoting ideas  or products. 

They use interactive features- for example: hyperlinks to related content

They often feature audio or sound- many are predominantly image or video driven

They might utilise specialised or technical lexis or jargon, where closely targeted to a core interest. 

Title/Subheadings

Tone/language should be dictated by audience

Provide an overview of the “key facts” of the experience (e.g. prices, who played what part of the performance in a concert, or the name of the restaurant).

convey the writer’s expertise or knowledge of the field (e.g. theatre, film, food, music).

express an opinion about the experience or material through the use of language, form, and structure (positive and negative adjectives, vivid imagery)

Make comparisons (good or bad) with related texts or performances, sometimes using exaggerated or humorous ideas

adopt informal, chatty language designed to engage the reader

1st or 2nd person

Inclusives- “we”, “us”, “our”

Language is not overly formal (because it is intended to be heard, not read)

Will begin with an introduction and/or greeting

Establishing your desired tone is crucial

Should be highly engaging for audience

Finish on a persuasive note (i.e. Call to action

May include other features like: 

• Repetition

• Rhetorical Questions

• Use easy-to-follow strong transitions 

Spoken language 

Informal register, varieties in tone and intonation

Subject matter that may be summarised or referred to in the concluding section.

Use of rhetorical devices: to engage and sustain listener’s attention including

• the use of humour, argument or debate, as well as description appealing to the

• senses, or varying speeds in delivery to indicate excitement.

Exchanges between the participants: how these might function as a dialogue and/or as an interview.

• Transactional, referential language use, including turn-taking.

• Use of question types (interrogative, rhetorical, tag) and adjacency pairing, as well as the use of questions to dominate or control the discussion.

Use of elliptical phrasing for shorthand and/or effect.

Semantic fields which are subject-specific and relate to the themes.

Are usually written in the first person 

May focus on key dates/facts related to the author’s life (e.g. circumstances of their birth or details about parents/siblings)

Record significant moments or experiences (which have shaped the writer’s character or influenced the direction their lives took) - these might be anecdotes or more substantial formative moments

Describe significant places or settings in the writer’s life 

Often reflect on people who have been important to the writer, or who have influenced their lives

Are usually written in the past tense, but may include current reflections (e.g. ‘ I was born in…’, ‘Now, I live in…’). 

Share similarities with texts that argue or persuade, but may be more exploratory in nature

demonstrate understanding or show authority about the topic in question

provide explanatory background information for the ‘non-expert’ reader

Present ideas in the present tense to explain the current situation, but may use the past tense to fill in contextual detail, or future or modal forms to anticipate future developments

are usually written in first person, but may be less personal than ‘persuasive’ texts.

Tackle or explore ideas arising from newsworthy or topical issues

Share similarities with texts that argue or persuade, but may be more exploratory in nature

demonstrate understanding or show authority about the topic in question

provide explanatory background information for the ‘non-expert’ reader

Present ideas in the present tense to explain the current situation, but may use the past tense to fill in contextual detail, or future or modal forms to anticipate future developments

are usually written in first person, but may be less personal than ‘persuasive’ texts.

Headline (title)

Subheading

Quotes from witnesses 

Anecdotes 

Express a strong viewpoint but deal with both sides of an argument or explore obstacles/ challenges.

Use the first person (e.g. ‘I’) but sometimes expressed using less personal, objective language

Use vivid imagery, anecdotes or examples to engage the reader, or to provide the background to the ideas being discussed 

Use varied sentence structures for developing an argument in a logical, progressive way

Use discourse markers, such as adverbs, and other linking words/phrases to direct the argument logically (e.g. ‘Finally’, ‘in this way’, ‘This demonstrates…’)

Use rhetorical device (e.g. rhetorical questions, repetition, list of three)

Use statistics, data or other numerical measures to persuade the reader

Use expert evidence to explain the core ideas or argue a particular view 

Promote a strong, single point of view rather than a more balanced argument

Make direct appeals to the reader/listener (e.g. ‘We need your help…’)

Use highly charged language (e.g. intensifiers such as ‘utterly gorgeous’ or ‘ totally miss out…’

Use vivid imagery or examples to engage the reader- either actual pictures or descriptions

Use varied sentence structure for shock, impact, or elaboration 

Use rhetorical devices (e.g. rhetorical questions, repetition, lists of three)

Use headings, captions, slogans or logos to engage the reader 

Provide statistics, data, or other numerical measure to persuade the reader

Use expert evidence or customer reviews to promote the benefits of a product/idea/experience

Include a ‘call to action’, often phrased using imperatives (e.g. Buy now…) 

Have a compelling plot (possibly five stages)

Effectively establish characters who interest the reader and whose voices or motivations are believable and consistent

Include dialogue that advances the plot or characterization

Convey powerfully or atmospherically one or two main settings relevant to the story

Sustain the reader’s interest through vivid description, a variety of sentence and/or paragraph structures and relevant linguistic devices, such as imagery

Use structure to surprise or create impact (e.g. through flashback or multiple narration)

Open and end in interesting or satisfying ways. 

Vividly convey what a specific person, setting, or experience is like rather than tell a story

Use a variety of sensory details (i.e. sight, sound, smell, taste, touch)

Use language to ‘zoom in’ or ‘zoom out’, as you would use a camera

Use sentence or paragraph structure and organisation to convey different elements of a description

Use well-chosen lexis to be precise or expansive as the text requires

Use linguistic devices such as imagery or sound effects (e.g. alliteration, assonance) to convey mood or atmosphere