Blogs & Diary Entries (Junior Cert French): Revision Notes
Blogs & Diary Entries
Blogs and diary entries are personal writing tasks where you share your experiences, thoughts, and feelings. In French exams, you might be asked to write a blog post for your friends or a diary entry about your day. These tasks test your ability to write in an informal, personal style using past, present, and future tenses.
What are blogs and diary entries?
Blog posts (les blogs) are informal online articles where you share experiences with readers. They typically start with a friendly greeting like "Salut à tous!" (Hi everyone!) and end with an invitation to comment.
Diary entries (les journaux intimes) are personal accounts of your day, thoughts, and feelings. They usually begin with "Cher journal" (Dear diary) and use a more private, reflective tone.
Both formats require an informal register, personal opinions, and descriptive language about daily activities and emotions. The key difference is your audience: blogs are written for others to read, while diary entries are private and personal.
Guidelines for structure and content
Start your writing with an appropriate greeting. For blogs, use "Salut à tous!" or "Salut tout le monde!" For diary entries, begin with "Cher journal" followed by the date.
Organise your content chronologically using time markers. Begin with what happened earlier (hier soir - last night), move to the present moment (aujourd'hui - today, ce matin - this morning), and finish with future plans (demain - tomorrow).
Include your personal feelings and opinions throughout. French examiners reward emotional language, so express whether activities were "génial" (brilliant), "nul" (rubbish), or "fatigant" (tiring).
Creating Natural Flow
Use connecting words and phrases to link your ideas smoothly. Transition between time periods with phrases like "Puis" (Then), "Après" (After), or "Ensuite" (Next) to create a natural progression through your day.
End appropriately for your format. Blogs should invite reader interaction with phrases like "Merci de lire" (Thanks for reading) or "Laissez un commentaire" (Leave a comment). Diary entries can close with "À bientôt" (See you soon) or "Bonne nuit" (Good night).
Vocabulary bank
Using the Vocabulary Bank
This table provides essential vocabulary for both blogs and diary entries. Focus on memorising the time markers and emotional expressions as these will help you create engaging, well-structured writing.
| French | English |
|---|---|
| cher journal / salut à tous | dear diary / hi everyone |
| aujourd'hui / ce matin / ce soir | today / this morning / this evening |
| hier / demain | yesterday / tomorrow |
| récemment / dernièrement | recently / lately |
| je me suis levé(e) à... | I got up at... |
| je suis allé(e) à... | I went to... |
| j'ai fait mes devoirs / du sport | I did my homework / did sport |
| c'était génial / nul / fatigant | it was great / rubbish / tiring |
| je pense que / à mon avis | I think that / in my opinion |
| je suis fatigué(e) / content(e) | I am tired / happy |
| je vais me coucher / sortir demain | I'm going to bed / going out tomorrow |
| quelle journée ! / quelle horreur ! | what a day! / how awful! |
| merci de lire / laissez un commentaire | thanks for reading / leave a comment |
| à bientôt / bonne nuit | see you soon / good night |
Phrase bank
| French Phrase | English Translation | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Cher journal, aujourd'hui j'ai eu une journée incroyable | Dear diary, today I had an amazing day | Opening a diary entry |
| Ce matin, je me suis levé(e) tard et j'ai manqué le bus | This morning, I got up late and missed the bus | Describing morning routine |
| Hier soir, nous sommes allés au cinéma, c'était super ! | Last night we went to the cinema, it was great! | Past activities |
| Demain, je vais faire du shopping avec mes amis | Tomorrow, I'm going shopping with my friends | Future plans |
| Je pense que les examens sont trop stressants | I think that exams are too stressful | Expressing opinions |
| Merci de lire mon blog, à bientôt ! | Thanks for reading my blog, see you soon! | Blog closing |
Worked Example: Using Phrases in Context
Diary Entry Opening: "Cher journal, aujourd'hui j'ai eu une journée incroyable! Ce matin, je me suis levé(e) tard et j'ai manqué le bus..."
Blog Post Opening: "Salut à tous! Hier soir, nous sommes allés au cinéma, c'était super! Je veux partager cette expérience avec vous..."
Notice how the tone changes between formats while using similar vocabulary.
False friends and common confusion
Journée vs jour: "Journée" refers to the whole day with emphasis on duration (quelle journée! = what a day!), while "jour" is simply the calendar day. In the context "quelle journée!", it means "what a day!" not "what a question?"
Actuellement vs actually: "Actuellement" means "currently" or "at the moment", not "actually". For "actually", use "en fait" or "en réalité".
Rentrée vs rent: "La rentrée" means "back to school" (the start of the school year), not rent money.
Collège vs college: "Le collège" in France refers to secondary school (ages 11-15), not university which is "l'université".
Expérience vs experiment: "Une expérience" can mean both "experience" and "experiment", but in personal writing contexts, it usually means "experience".
Strategies and tips
Register and tone: Blogs typically use "vous" when addressing all readers ("Salut à tous!") while diaries use "je" throughout. Both formats are informal, so avoid overly complex vocabulary or formal expressions.
Time variety: Include multiple time references to show your range. Use "hier" (yesterday), "aujourd'hui" (today), "ce matin" (this morning), and "demain" (tomorrow) to create a complete picture of your experiences.
Emotional Expression Strategy
French examiners particularly value emotional language. Don't just state facts - include how activities made you feel. Use adjectives like "content(e)", "fatigué(e)", "stressé(e)", or "excité(e)" to bring your writing to life.
Natural endings: Keep your conclusions simple and appropriate to the format. For blogs, invite interaction; for diaries, use a natural closing like "À bientôt!" or "Bonne nuit!" Don't overcomplicate with lengthy conclusions.
Common errors to avoid:
- Don't mix formal and informal registers
- Remember accent marks, especially on "à" (to/at) and "é" endings
- Use correct word order: time expressions typically come at the beginning of sentences
- Don't forget agreement with past participles when using "être" verbs (je suis allé/allée)
Worked Example: Avoiding Common Mistakes
Incorrect: "Aujourd'hui, je vais à le cinéma avec mes amis. Actuellement, je suis très exciting!"
Correct: "Aujourd'hui, je vais au cinéma avec mes amis. En fait, je suis très excité(e)!"
Corrections made:
- "à le" → "au" (correct contraction)
- "Actuellement" → "En fait" (false friend correction)
- "exciting" → "excité(e)" (correct adjective form)
Key Points to Remember:
- Start with the right greeting - "Cher journal" for diaries, "Salut à tous!" for blogs
- Use time markers (hier, aujourd'hui, demain) to structure your writing chronologically
- Include emotional language and personal opinions - French examiners reward this
- Keep sentences short and clear rather than attempting complex structures
- End appropriately for your format - invite comments for blogs, use friendly closings for diaries