journal writing igcse format

101 in Journal Entry - IGCSE English

What is a journal.

Journal is a record of events that occurred in the writer's life. It may be their emotions, ideas, or beliefs. The purpose of writing a journal is to reflect, it is a personal piece of writing and the response to a question should be subjective.

This question mostly appears in Paper 1 of your English Language and Literature question paper .

How to Attempt the Question

You will be given a reading booklet insert containing the passage for the journal writing. Read through the passage carefully. The adjacent question will be provided in the question paper booklet.

You would have to choose relevant points from the passage after having a thorough understanding of the question.

Now, convert the passage's selected points into your own words. After that, you can start putting the points together in a cohesive manner in the form of a journal.

Let’s take a look at how to convert the selected points from the passage into your own words.

“It is better to do something you like than study something which is not useful in the future.”

“I like to study something I’m interested in rather than something I’m not and waste my time. Moreover it will help me in the future as well.”

Can you see how I modified the sentence structure and words from the highlighted section without altering the paragraph's meaning? This is how it's done; it's not easy at first, but with practise, it will become easier.

• A journal is typically a paragraph or two, this depends on the marks and word count in the question paper. Meanwhile there are some pointers that you should keep in mind while writing a journal.
• Begin your journal by writing the date and day at the left hand side of the page.
• A journal should always be written from a first person point of view. The use of the word ‘I’ in your writing demonstrates this.
• The tone of your writing should be self-reflective. It should be a recollection of memory. That's you thinking back on something you've done or seen in your day.
• Your journal should only reflect on incidents or observations that happened recently.
• Your thoughts, points, and viewpoints should be expressed by using emotive language, which gives the reader more insight into the writer's feelings.
• The tense should be past or future tense, depending on whether you're writing about recent events or anticipating future events or situations.
• Including rhetorical questions in your work will increase the reader's curiosity and improve your work.
• Finally, don't be afraid to try new things; a journal is, after all, a subjective medium.

Here’s an Example:

This can give you some insight on how to write a journal entry. Read Passage A in the insert and answer this question

Imagine you are a zookeeper. Later that evening you write in your journal reflecting on your thoughts and feelings about your life now and how things have changed.

Write your journal

In your journal you should include:

• describe what you have to do each day, why you do it and how that makes you feel
• explain what you have noticed about the boy and his father and your feelings about each of them
• consider how things have changed for you and the world around you since you first started working at the zoo and suggest what you think the future may hold for you.

Base your passage on what you have read in Passage A, but be careful to use your own words. Address each of the three bullet points.

Begin your journal, ‘Today was…’

Write about 250 to 350 words.

Monday, 26th July 2021

Today was certainly a difficult day. That oh-so familiar internal monologue, which forces me to think about my future here, plagued my mind once again. We had two visitors - a father and his son - both robots, of course. What affected me the most was the young boy’s fascination with me; the fact that he realised I was different, but couldn’t quite determine why. I guess his programming didn’t allow for him to understand the world and its people before robots. It left me feeling dejected. I sat down at one point and I just quietly considered how much the world has changed - how much people have changed - how much I have changed. This place has been my livelihood for some many years, and has brought me an immeasurable amount of joy. But now I am aging and I am starting to struggle and it leaves me with a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach; one which won’t go away. Technology is advancing at such a rapid rate, and it leaves me wondering if there's a place on this Earth for the last zookeeper.

Are you having trouble understanding these concepts? Do you want assistance from a subject matter expert? Here, at Vidyalai we help your child achieve the grade they aspire for. Our SMEs are trained and experienced tutors who will provide you with each and every help when required. We are just a click away. Request your first lesson now. . We guarantee 100% satisfaction on your first session, if you are not satisfied,the session will be absolutely free.

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iGCSE English 0500 Journal Writing

Subject: English

Age range: 14-16

Resource type: Lesson (complete)

Last updated

23 September 2023

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This is an engaging lesson to teach and learn how to approach Journal Entry writing for the iGCSE English 0500 specification. This lesson has been prepared in adherance to the current CIE syllabus for the exams starting 2020.

The resource contents include: -What a journal is -What makes a good journal -Features of a journal -A sample of a journal based on a CIE Past paper.

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All you need to know about IGCSE Journal writing: IGCSE English Leaflet Writing

• Created on March 18, 2022
• Blog , Exam Tips , IGCSE

One of the easiest ways to score for the IGCSE English Language is tackling Paper 1 which is also known as IGCSE English Journal. The IGCSE English Journal can require students to write a leaflet to convey a message. Hence, today, Tutopiya will run through all you need to know to perfect the IGCSE English Leaflet Writing.

Read also: IGCSE English – Tips for Reading and Writing + Exam Resources

What is IGCSE English Journal?

The IGCSE Journal is an entry that is written by a writer that recounts the events that happened in their life. It also includes their thoughts, emotions, ideas, and beliefs. The IGCSE Journal Writing is part of the IGCSE English Language. 

About IGCSE English Leaflet Writing

IGCSE English Leaflet Writing can be present in IGCSE English Language Paper 1 which is a written paper consisting of 20% of the total grade. Paper 1 is a one-hour paper and requires students to complete 2 written tasks. Candidates will be asked to write any two of the following text types:

• Speech/Talk 

Tackling the IGCSE English Leaflet Writing

Since there are several types of writing that a student may be tasked to write, we will zoom in on Leaflet Writing in this piece today. 

Tips to ace your IGCSE English Leaflet Writing 

Here are a couple of useful tips for candidates to take away and note with regards to leaflet writing! 

1 – Plan out what you intend to write 

Use clear headings to separate each section or point and include a topic sentence to allow readers to understand what you are going to convey in this section. Spice up your piece using different sentence structures and tones to convey your message. Leaflets may also contain bullet points and slogans! 

2 – Make sure you are answering the question. (What is the purpose?)

Be clear about what you need to write, always refer back to the questions and the purpose of your leaflet. 

3 – Ensure that your language and tone fit the genre of writing you are going for. 

Are you writing a report or saying a speech? Be sure to take into account how many formalities you need to include when working on different types of writing genres. 

4 – Include a variety of sentence structures, types, and starters. 

This will show your examiner that you are able to deliver a variety of sentences with the intended effect. This intended effect should evoke a certain emotion, fitting to what you are tasked to write about. 

5 – Appropriate and accurate use of complex punctuation.

This will display your skills and ability in writing, showing the examiners that you are capable of using complex punctuation to enhance your writing and make it meaningful for readers. 

6 – Read and ensure that your sentences are structured to get your point across. 

At the end of your writing, be sure to read through over and over and ensure that your sentences are structured meaningfully. Your sentences should make sense and flow logically and smoothly for readers to understand easily. 

7 – Check through and try not to misspell any words 

Be sure to check for spelling and grammar errors which can result in unnecessary loss of marks. 

8 – Strong call to action 

Make sure you finish your leaflet strong with a call to action. Are you convincing your readers to read, attend or buy? What is your intended outcome? 

Let’s run through an example together! 

Q: Write a persuasive leaflet to educate teenagers to get fit (20 marks) 

To start, let’s have a plan. There are several pointers when it comes to writing for examinations and you may be aware of one or two. Let’s use the PAC and  PEEL methods to tackle this leaflet! 

What is PAC?

PAC stands for, Purpose, Audience, and Context. PAC is usually used at the beginning before writing. Students should identify the PAC of text to have an idea of where to begin. Let’s give it a go!

Purpose: What is the purpose of the leaflet? To persuade. 

Audience: Who is the target audience? Teenagers. 

Context: Promoting exercises to get teenagers fit and healthy 

What is the PEEL method?

PEEL stands for, Point, Explanation, Evidence, and Link. PEEL is usually used to convey one section of the essay or give a rough idea of the essay. (in this case, the leaflet). PEEL helps to organize ideas and thoughts into 4 simple and digestible parts. Let’s give it a shot!

Leaflet structure

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Cambridge igcse 0500 first language english model answers for past papers.

Cambridge IGCSE 0500 First Language English Past Paper Sample Answers and Model Answers, Tips and Techniques, Answer Structure and Organisation, Summary Writing, Directed Writing, Writer's Effect, Journals, Reports, Interviews

CIE 0500 Journal Writing First Language English Techniques

  Hello, there all IGCSE students taking their exams soon😃

In yesterday's blog post, I put a to-do list for journals for that quick last-minute revision before the exam. But I realised that wasn't enough and students might need exemplary answers for Cambridge IGCSE FLE Paper 1 journal writing. 

So this post comes to the rescue when you need the perfect response to a journal writing question. Read on

This blog post will cover:

1. What is Journal Writing?

2. What are the steps taken to attempt the question?

3. What are the techniques for journal writing?

4. How do we take care of GAPSS in writing a journal?

What is Journal Writing? 

Ever written a diary in bed after that fight with a friend, after that nagging by mom or perhaps after that A* at school? If yes, journal writing should be a cakewalk for you🎂. No, trust me, it would be. Just keep reading!

Journals are just more sophisticated ways of writing a diary, albeit with more facts, information, opinions, emotions, feelings and thoughts. Also, journals discuss the order of events that happened in a person's life over some time, along with their reactions to those happenings.

What are the steps taken to attempt the question?

Step 1: Open the Question paper, and read the question for journal writing in Paper 1 Reading.

Step 2: Underline the keywords asked in the question from A1, A2  and A3. 

Step 3: Colour Code or Highlight them with three different colours.

Step 4: Now head to the Reading Booklet Insert and look for the corresponding passage.

Step 5: Highlight the content points with three distinct colours for A1, A2 and A3. 

Step 6: Now, come back to the Question paper (which is also the answer sheet) and start writing the content points in the order of events using journal techniques and style. 

The above process can be summarised into the following sub-steps:

I call this mnemonic   AAESA, for a holistic response to Directed Writing Questions of Paper 1 Reading. 

A nnotate the content points in the insert.

A ccumulate the content points in a cohesively and concise 

E valuate the passage for implicit/hidden meanings and ideas.

S ynthesise the content points using journal style, reflective tone and other journal techniques.

A dd opinions and beliefs putting yourself into the writer's shoes and develop your content points, 

What are the techniques for journal writing?

How do we take care of GAPSS in writing a journal?

GAPSS is another mnemonic to remember for a top-scoring answer for any genre, from reports and interviews to journals and letters. It stands for :

Genre:           The kind of writing, such as journal, interview, and reports.

Audience:     The one person or people the text is written or spoken for.

Purpose:        The reason for writing the text. 

Style:             The register and tone of the text.

Speaker:         The person who is writing or speaking the text. 

Take the following example from the May-June series of 0990 Cambridge IGCSE First Language English Paper 2:

Look out for the colour code of the GAPS 

Style 

Question: 

Read Passage A in the insert and answer this question

Imagine you are a zookeeper. Later that evening you write in your journal reflecting on your thoughts and feelings about your life now and how things have changed.

Write your journal

In your journal you should include:

describe what you have to do each day , why you do it and how that makes you feel

explain what you have noticed about the boy and his father and your feelings about each of them

consider how things have changed for you and the world around you since you first started working at the zoo and suggest what you think the future may hold for you.

Base your passage on what you have read in Passage A, but be careful to use your own words. Address each of the three bullet points.

Begin your journal, ‘Today was…’

Write about 250 to 350 words.

In tomorrow's post, I shall be taking a Cambridge IGCSE 0500 FLE past paper for journal writing and writing a sample answer for it. Do not forget to have a quick look at the revision to-do list for journals.

Keep in touch here!

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Popular posts from this blog, model interview writing answer cambridge igcse first language english 0500.

Cambridge IGCSE 0500 Sample Answer for Report Writing First Language English

IGCSE REVISION

A fine wordpress.com site, journal example..

May 1st 2013. Our Journey On The Wild River.

Sometimes I wonder what I am doing here; the jungle contrasts so greatly to my normal domain. I am my happiest sitting on my old chesterfield sofa, pen in hand, notebook on my lap. Indeed, that is how I have written my greatest poems. Now the heat of the roaring fire has gone and instead the heat of the Borneo sun beats down on my back. Redmond, whom I have only known for six months, somehow persuaded me to accompany him on one of his harebrained adventures. At least I have this, my journal, and my notebook of poems to escape into when his absurd talk of crocodiles and other jungle creatures becomes too much.

Don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against animals or nature. But I like to see trees in paintings, in photographs or out of the window of my car as I’m driven to the library. I have no interest in listening to Redmond recite the Latin name of hundredth specimen of tree we have passed that day in our rickety canoe. And what’s wrong with wanting to travel in comfort? A ship, a yacht, a ferry: all respectable forms of waterborne transport. But a dugout canoe? I was aghast when Redmond revealed it to me. An expression of barely contained glee all over his rugged face, he was like a child at Christmas receiving his first pushbike. I dread to think where he will take us next.

At night he spreads out his maps and talks of where we will go next. I have heard him mention eagles, lizards and monkeys. Even at night I am awoken from my delightful dreams of stanzas and sonnets by his mumbles about hidden coves and undiscovered whirlpools. Richmond tells me we will be traveling back with the current, so the journey should be faster but smoother. I pray that the next few days are a steady meander over calm waters, allowing me peace and time to compose more works for my next anthology. Needless to say my suggestions are overlooked.

I made the same request for a peaceful course this morning and settled myself at the back of the canoe, put my straw boater on my head and lent back ready to immerse myself in the poetry of Swift, only to be rudely interrupted by Richmond twittering about rapids. I managed to keep Swift dry, but I was drenched in river water. I debated talking to Richmond about searching for a calmer route, but he was already gazing into the sky again at some large and ungainly bird flying by, so I thought better of it and carried on reading. Richmond and I are two men so similar in upbringing and education and yet our interests are so different. It dumbfounds me.

In a few days our ‘adventure’ will be over. Not soon enough for me! If Richmond manages to successfully transport us through this tropical nightmare of creepers and critters we will emerge from the wilderness and arrive at a small settlement, the nearest this backwater has to civilization. I sincerely hope to find a shop selling the amenities I am so desperately craving. Never again will I bemoan the quality of my dear wife’s cooking. Never again will I grumble when my beautiful daughters’ cheerful playing disturbs my afternoon nap. And never again will I allow myself to be tempted to travel to far flung places by the inane ramblings of a mad man.

It was a wise man who said “I have travelled the world through my reading.” Indeed, from now on, the great works of Literature are the only transport I need.

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Writing the Six Text Types for IGCSE First Language English

What will this course cover.

On this course, we will examine how to write all the text types that could appear on your First Language English IGCSE Paper 1 (Q3) and Paper 2 (Q1):

• Newspaper and magazine article
• Formal report

Letters, magazines and speeches could appear on both Paper 1 and Paper 2.

You will see seven full length A* exemplars of each of these text types.

Course Content

Sarah O’Rourke

I’ve been teaching for nine years, working in the UK and in China. I have a Master’s degree in Education and an Undergraduate degree in English language and literature.

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Programmes & Qualifications

Cambridge igcse english - first language (0500).

• Past papers, examiner reports and specimen papers

You can download one or more papers for a previous session. Please note that these papers may not reflect the content of the current syllabus.

Unlock more content

This is only a selection of our papers. Registered Cambridge International Schools can access the full catalogue of teaching and learning materials including papers from 2018 through our School Support Hub .

Past papers

• -->June 2022 Mark Scheme Paper 11 (PDF, 244KB)
• -->June 2022 Insert Paper 11 (PDF, 1MB)
• -->June 2022 Mark Scheme Paper 21 (PDF, 219KB)
• -->June 2022 Insert Paper 21 (PDF, 903KB)

Examiner reports

• -->June 2022 Examiner Report (PDF, 6MB)

Specimen papers

• -->2020 Specimen Paper 1 Mark Scheme (PDF, 187KB)
• -->2020 Specimen Paper 1 Insert (PDF, 155KB)
• -->2020 Specimen Paper 2 Mark Scheme (PDF, 981KB)
• -->2020 Specimen Paper 2 Insert (PDF, 143KB)
• -->2024 Specimen Paper 1 Markscheme (PDF, 1MB)

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• Published resources

Question 3 Model Answer: Interview ( CIE IGCSE English Language )

Revision note.

Question 3 Model Answer: Interview

For this task, you will be asked to produce a piece of writing in a particular format, based on what you have read in Text C. You may be asked to write in one of six possible formats (genres):

• A journal entry
• An interview

The following guide will demonstrate how to answer Question 3 in the format of an interview . It includes:

Text C and Question 3

Question 3 interview model answer.

Based on the above question, the following model answer is an example of a full-mark, interview-style response:

Unannotated model answer

Commentary:

• The answer starts by addressing the first bullet point, in the “voice” of the character
• The answer references specific details from the text
• Direct references to the text are then developed and expanded upon
• The tone and choice of language is appropriate for an interview
• The character’s “voice” is confident and sustained
• The bullet point asks what advice the character would give, so using direct address is appropriate
• The answer continues to reference specific detail from Text C
• Remember to read the question carefully and highlight:
• The instructions (what you have to do)
• The focus of each bullet point
• Re-read Text C and highlight the relevant information you can use in your answer
• Address each bullet point in order:
• Make sure you cover all three of the bullet points as equally as possible
• Base all of your answer on the ideas and details you find in Text C
• Decide on the voice and style you want to create and maintain that in your answer
• Do not just repeat details of what happened:
• You need to develop your ideas to demonstrate understanding

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Author: Deb Orrock

Deb is a graduate of Lancaster University and The University of Wolverhampton. After some time travelling and a successful career in the travel industry, she re-trained in education, specialising in literacy. She has over 16 years’ experience of working in education, teaching English Literature, English Language, Functional Skills English, ESOL and on Access to HE courses. She has also held curriculum and quality manager roles, and worked with organisations on embedding literacy and numeracy into vocational curriculums. She now manages a post-16 English curriculum as well as writing educational content and resources.