Diary Entry (Leaving Cert Spanish): Revision Notes
Diary entry
What is a diary entry?
A diary entry (entrada de diario) is a personal piece of writing where you record your thoughts, feelings, and experiences from your day. In the Leaving Cert Spanish exam, this is an optional writing task that allows you to express yourself in an informal, conversational style. You'll be writing as if you're confiding in your diary about recent events, emotions, or plans.
The diary entry serves as a way for examiners to assess your ability to use Spanish in a personal, reflective context. It tests your knowledge of informal language, emotional vocabulary, and your skill in organising thoughts chronologically.
The diary entry is worth 20 marks out of the total 400 marks for the exam, representing approximately of your overall grade. This makes it a manageable task that can contribute meaningfully to your final score when executed well.
Guidelines for writing
Understanding the task requirements
When you choose the diary entry option in your exam, you'll need to address four specific points provided in the question. These points guide what you should write about, so make sure you cover each one clearly. The entire task is worth 20 marks out of the total 400 marks for the exam, representing about of your overall grade.
Critical marking structure: Each of the four points is worth 5 marks, so missing even one point means losing a quarter of your available marks. Always check that you've addressed every required element before moving on.
Time management and structure
Plan to spend approximately fifteen minutes on your diary entry. This includes a few minutes for planning and the rest for writing and checking your work. Since you only need to address the four given points without expanding extensively, keeping your response concise will help you stay within this timeframe.
Structure your entry by starting each new point on a separate line or in a distinct paragraph. This makes it clear to the examiner that you've addressed all required elements and helps with the flow of your writing.
Effective time breakdown:
- 2-3 minutes: Planning and organising your four points
- 10-11 minutes: Writing your entry
- 2-3 minutes: Checking grammar, especially verb conjugations and accents
Language and tone
Use an informal register throughout your diary entry, as you're writing to yourself. Include personal reactions, emotions, and reflections to make your writing authentic and engaging. Remember to use the present tense when describing current feelings and situations, past tenses for events that have already happened, and future tenses when discussing plans or expectations.
Checking your work
Always reserve time to review your completed entry. Pay particular attention to verb conjugations, as these are crucial for achieving full marks. Check that adjectives agree with their nouns, verify your spelling (especially accent marks), and ensure your sentences flow naturally.
Accuracy is key: Marking is based on communicative intention, vocabulary range, and grammatical accuracy. A shorter entry with perfect grammar will score higher than a longer one with multiple errors.
Phrase bank
| Function | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Opening phrases | Querido diario | Dear diary |
| ¡Soy yo! | It's me! | |
| Escribo estas líneas antes de acostarme | I'm writing these lines before going to bed | |
| ¡Qué día más emocionante! | What an exciting day! | |
| ¡Qué suerte! | How lucky! | |
| ¡Qué pesadilla! | What a nightmare! | |
| Expressing feelings | Estoy hecho/a polvo | I'm exhausted |
| Estoy emocionado/a | I'm excited | |
| Estoy muy ilusionado/a | I'm very excited | |
| Estoy enamorado/a | I'm in love | |
| Estoy un poco nervioso/a | I'm a bit nervous | |
| Estoy deprimido/a | I'm depressed | |
| No me encuentro bien | I'm not feeling well | |
| Missing someone | Echo mucho de menos a... | I really miss... |
| Extraño mucho a mi novio/a | I miss my boyfriend/girlfriend | |
| No es justo | It's not fair | |
| ¡No aguanto más! | I can't bear any more! | |
| Describing people | Es alto/a y guapo/a | He/she is tall and good looking |
| Tiene la misma edad que yo | He/she is the same age as me | |
| Tenemos muchas cosas en común | We have lots in common | |
| Describing places | El piso está en un barrio animado | The apartment is in a lively neighbourhood |
| Las vistas son increíbles | The views are incredible | |
| Mi dormitorio es grande y luminoso | My bedroom is big and bright | |
| Future plans | Voy a ir a una fiesta | I'm going to go to a party |
| Tengo muchas ganas de ver la ciudad | I'm really looking forwards to seeing the city | |
| Compraré unos regalos | I'll buy some presents | |
| Past experiences | Lo pasé bien | I had a good time |
| Me divertí mucho | I had a lot of fun | |
| Hice muchas cosas interesantes | I did lots of interesting things | |
| Closing phrases | Buenas noches | Goodnight |
| No puedo escribir más | I can't write any more | |
| Estoy cansadísimo/a | I'm really tired | |
| Bueno me voy a dormir | Well, I'm going to sleep |
Sample answers
Worked Example 1:
You are on holidays in Barcelona with your family and your Spanish friend Sara.
Write a diary entry in Spanish mentioning any four of the following points:
- Explain how you and Sara met.
- Describe the apartment where you are staying.
- Talk about a tourist attraction that you visited.
- Your sister is not enjoying the holiday. Explain why.
- Say what you are going to do this evening.
Miércoles, 10 de agosto
Querido diario
¡Hola! Soy yo. Conocí a Sara el año pasado en un intercambio escolar en Dublín. Nos hicimos muy buenas amigas y me invitó a pasar unas semanas aquí en Barcelona con mi familia.
El apartamento donde nos quedamos está en el centro, cerca de la playa. Es muy moderno, luminoso y tiene un balcón con vistas increíbles al mar.
Ayer visitamos la Sagrada Familia. ¡Qué impresionante! Me encantó la arquitectura y saqué muchísimas fotos para enseñárselas a mis amigos en Irlanda.
Mi hermana no lo está pasando muy bien porque hace muchísimo calor y no le gusta caminar tanto. Está un poco cansada y de mal humour.
Esta noche vamos a salir a cenar tapas y después veremos un espectáculo de flamenco. ¡Tengo muchas ganas!
Bueno, me voy a acostar. ¡Hasta mañana!
Sam
Wednesday, 10th of August
Dear diary
Hi! It's me. I met Sara last year during a school exchange in Dublin. We became really good friends and she invited me to spend a few weeks here in Barcelona with my family.
The apartment where we're staying is in the centre, near the beach. It's very modern, bright, and has a balcony with incredible views of the sea.
Yesterday we visited the Sagrada Familia. How impressive! I loved the architecture and took loads of photos to show my friends in Ireland.
My sister is not having a great time because it's really hot and she doesn't like walking so much. She's a bit tired and in a bad mood.
Tonight we're going out for tapas and afterwards we'll see a flamenco show. I'm really looking forwards to it!
Well, I'm going to bed. See you tomorrow!
Sam
Worked Example 2:
You are on a school exchange in Valladolid.
Write a diary entry in Spanish mentioning all of the following points:
- Say how you feel after your first day in the school.
- Describe two things you did at school.
- Mention one problem you had.
- Explain how the school is different to your school.
Miércoles, 15 de marzo
Querido diario,
Hoy fue mi primer día en el instituto de Valladolid. Estoy cansado pero muy ilusionado después de tantas novedades. ¡Ha sido un día para recordar!
Por la mañana asistí a una visita guiada del centro y tomé clases de historia y educación física. En el recreo hablé con varios compañeros y todos fueron muy amables.
Tuve un problema: me perdí entre los pasillos y llegué tarde a la clase de química. Por suerte, el profesor lo entendió.
Este instituto es diferente al mío: el horario es más largo, empezamos más temprano y no llevamos uniforme. Además, hay un comedor y un descanso largo para comer, cosa que no tenemos en mi colegio.
Bueno, me voy a dormir. ¡A ver si mañana no me pierdo!
Juan
Wednesday, 15th March
Dear diary,
Today was my first day in the school in Valladolid. I'm tired but really excited after so many new things. It was a day to remember!
In the morning I took a guided tour of the school and had history and PE classes. At break I spoke with several classmates and everyone was very friendly.
I had one problem: I got lost in the corridors and arrived late to chemistry. Luckily, the teacher understood.
This school is different from mine: the school day is longer, we start earlier and there is no uniform. There is also a canteen and a long break for lunch, which we don't have in my school.
Well, I'm off to bed. Let's see if I don't get lost tomorrow!
Juan
Common mistakes and tips
Verb tense errors: Many students struggle with mixing past, present, and future tenses inappropriately. Remember that diary entries often jump between time frames as you reflect on the day, so practice using the preterite for completed actions (fui, comí, estudié) and the imperfect for ongoing states or repeated actions (era, tenía, hacía).
Register confusion: Avoid using formal language structures in your diary. Since you're writing to yourself, use informal pronouns, contractions where appropriate, and conversational expressions. Don't write "Le escribo a usted" - instead use natural diary language.
Missing accent marks can significantly impact your score. Spanish accent marks change meaning and are essential for accuracy. Pay special attention to words like está/esta, sí/si, and más/mas. Practice writing these correctly as they frequently appear in diary contexts.
Overcomplicating responses is a common pitfall. Students often try to write too much, thinking longer responses earn more marks. Focus on clearly addressing each of the four required points with accurate Spanish rather than attempting complex ideas that might contain errors.
Diary conventions matter: Always start with a date and "Querido diario" or similar opening. End with an appropriate closing phrase. These small details contribute to the authenticity of your diary entry and show cultural awareness.
Remember!
Key Points to Remember:
- Address all four points clearly in separate paragraphs - each point is worth 5 marks and you need them all for full credit
- Use informal language throughout since you're writing to your diary, not a formal audience
- Manage your time by spending only 15 minutes on this task - it's worth just of your total exam grade
- Check your verbs carefully as correct tense usage is essential for achieving high marks in the diary entry
- Include authentic emotions and personal reactions to make your writing genuine and engaging