Recounts and Diary Entries (KS1–KS2)

Features of recounts and diary writing

Recounts tell what happened. Diary entries are personal recounts written as if talking to yourself. Use the past tense and include feelings.

Past tense verbs: walked, saw, went, was.
Time words to show order: first, next, then, finally.
First person (I) and short personal thoughts or opinions.

A simple plan

Start with when: date or "Today" and a short opening sentence.
Write the main events in order using time words.
Add one sentence about how you felt or what surprised you.
End with a closing line like "I had a great day" or "I can't wait for tomorrow".

Example diary entry

Today — School Trip

Today we went to the farm. First we fed the sheep, then we saw the piglets playing in the straw. I was surprised that the cows were so big! I felt happy when we had a picnic in the sun. I can't wait to tell Mum about it.

Planning grid & writing scaffold

Use a simple planning grid: When — What happened — One feeling word. Turn the grid into full sentences for your final diary entry.

Grid example:

When: Today; What: Went to the farm, fed sheep; Feeling: excited

Write your grid with 3 boxes (When / What / Feeling).
Turn each box into 1–2 sentences.
Join sentences with time words: first, then, after that, finally.

Common mistakes & extension ideas

Forgetting to use past tense — check verbs (went, saw, played).
Writing events out of order — use time words to help sequence.
Extension (KS2): add a short paragraph about what you would do differently next time or a question you have.

Teacher note: Model turning a 3-box plan into a short diary entry. Ask pupils to swap entries and find one thing they liked and one word they can improve.

Try it — short prompts

Write a diary sentence about your favourite part of the day.
Write three time-ordered sentences about something you did at school.
Write one sentence explaining how something made you feel and why.

Tip: Use words like "first", "then", and "finally" to help order your story.