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Diary writing is one of the most personal and informal categories of writing. A
diary writing can be based on an experience, a scene, a description or narration
of
certain event or any other thing or activity that the writer considers worth
writing in his personal diary.
In the examination, the question on diary writing is aimed to test your
imaginative, creative and expressive skills.

GUIDELINES FOR DIARY WRITING

A diary entry has no fixed format or style of writing. However, a good diary
entry does contain the following features:

-A good diary writing contains the place, the date, the day and even the time of
writing. For example:
Agra
20th July, 20XX
Friday, 8:00 p.m.
-A diary doesn’t need any formal heading. However, it is optional. If you want,
you can give a suitable heading.
-The style and tone is generally informal and personal. However, it depends on
the subject. Sometimes the tone can be philosophical and reflective too. You can
freely
express your viewpoints and feelings.
-As the diary is writer’s personal document, the diary entry doesn’t need any
signature. It is totally optional.
-You can evolve your own suitable style depending on the topic of your writing.

Question 1:
You recently visited the 24th Crafts Mela at Suraj Kund, Faridabad. It was Mini
India assembled at one place. Using the hints, make a diary entry of what you
saw and experienced there.
Hints: • More than 20 states of India represented • Rajasthan—the theme state •
Participation of foreign countries • cultural programmes, dances at ‘Chaupal’
and ‘Rangmanch’ • Food courts catering all kinds of foods • arts and handicrafts
from the awarded artisans.
Answer:
New Delhi
20th March, 20XX
Monday, 8:00 pm

Dear Diary,
The Crafts Mela at Suraj Kund was much more impressive and grand than what I had
imagined. This year the ‘Theme State’ was Rajasthan. The whole campus was
painted with the visuals of Ranthambore, Chittor, Jodhpur and Jaisalmer. It was
Mini India assembled on a few hundred acres of land. All the awarded artisans
from different states had set up their workshops and stalls there. Many
countries, more particularly Pakistan, Nepal and Afghanistan gave it an
international look. Bangles, jewellery decoration pieces, wall-hangings, purses,
shoes, sarees, garments and cosmetics found thousands of buyers. Every evening
there were cultural shows at the ‘Chaupal’ and the ‘Rangmanch’. The ‘Food Court’
provided all kinds of delicacies for food-lovers. Basically, it was India in all
its colours, tastes and sounds scattered on the Aravalli hills.
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Sameer

Question 2:
You paid a visit to an ‘Old Home’ with other N.S.S. Volunteers. Using the hints
given below together with your own ideas, make a diary entry of what you saw and
experienced there.
Hints: • Old home • Mostly senior citizens above 60 • Peaceful surroundings •
Spacious • Clean rooms and baths • Regular Medical check-ups • a good library •
Means of recreation • A home away from home.
Answer:
Bhiwadi
10th March, 20XX
Monday, 4:00 pm

Dear Diary,
With the disintegration of the joint family system, the old people find
themselves deserted and alone. It is unfortunate that in the evening of their
lives, they are not looked after by their childem. The concept of ‘Old homes’ is
for such old people. I made it a point to visit the ‘Old Home’ at Bhiwadi. The
Home is situated at a peaceful place. The building is simple but spacious and
clean. It seems to be an ideal place for the senior citizens.
A doctor visits the Home daily to check up the senior citizens. There is a
permanent nurse employed to look after and give them medicine on time. The home
has a good library and several means of recreation All the inmates showered
their parental love by insisting on having lunch with us. What a satisfying and
rewarding visit it was to meet our grand paas and grannies!
Sonu

Question 3:
While going home you came across many children on the roads at crossroads with
begging bowls in their hands. Your are shocked and disgusted at this
unflattering picture of a country which boasts of being a major economy in the
world. Record your experience in your diary.
Answer:
Agra
20th April, 20XX
Sunday, 6:00 pm

Dear Diary,
They say that India is emerging as a major economy in the world. But it is more
true that India has the largest army of poor people, paupers and beggars. Hence,
millions of people in India are condemned to begging. I am shocked to see
hundreds of shabby looking people in rags shouting in woeful tones, “Baba, give
me something for God’s sake”. No country can become great if its children are
condemned to lead such miserable lives. If millions of children live in such
inhuman conditions, dirt and poverty, it is a matter of shame for the government
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and the civilized society of India. Every child must have a constitutional right
to get proper food, clothes and education. It is true that begging has also
become a lucrative profession for some bad characters. They kidnap small
children and raise them to beggars. The other side of the story is also true.
Millions of hands in this country don’t get any jobs to earn a living. They
resort to begging.
Kit

Question 4:
Indian weddings are matchless in grandeur, glamour and luxury. They are
matchless in wastage, extravagance and vulgar display of money and wealth.
Record your experience of such marriages in your diary.
Answer:
New Delhi
20th June, 20XX
Sunday, 7:00 pm

Dear Diary,
They say that Indian weddings are matchless in glory, grandeur and glamour. In
comparison, weddings in Europe and America pale into insignificance. The other
side of the story is that Indian marriages are matchless in wastage,
extravagance and vulgar display of money and wealth. Recently I happened to
attend one such big marriage. About five thousand guests were invited to the
‘barat ’ or the wedding party. A township of stalls serving hundreds of dishes,
drinks and sweets had come up on the sprawling lawns of a five star hotel. The
ceremony lasted till midnight. Even by a conservative estimate it was a show
worth in crores. Surely this amount would have been sufficient to feed all the
beggars and orphans of the city for months.It speaks volumes of disparity that
has become the main feature of Indian society. A small minority grabs all the
riches and wealth of the nation. The extravagance and vulgar display in Indian
marriages are at the cost of the starving millions.
Arpit

Question 5:
Taking help from the information given below, make a diary entry describing how
you caught a thief red-handed one night,
Hints: • A beautiful evening • the family had a nice dinner • watched TV • went
to sleep • sleep was disturbed • heard some commotion • got suspicious •
switched on the light • parents also got up • found things in a mess • someone
had come there • the search began • no one was found at last • my eyes fell on
the shoes behind a curtain • he was the thief • all pounced on him caught •
handed over to the police.
Answer:
New Delhi
14th August, 20XX
Tuesday, 9:30 pm

Dear Diary,
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It was a pleasant August evening. Generally, the whole family dine together. We
enjoyed a nice dinner and then watched, a TV serial for an hour. Then, I retired
to my bedroom and soon fell.asleep. Around midnight, my sleep was disturbed. I
heard some movement and commotion.Who could be at this odd hour? I stood up and
switched on the light. My movements woke up my parents, too. We were surprised
to see the cupboards open and things lying on the floor in a mess. My parents
were worried. But there was one consolation. The cash and jewellery were safe.
The search for the thief began. My uncles and cousins also joined us. All that
toil and trouble didn’t bring any result. Suddenly, I noticed some movement
behind a curtain in the living room. And Lo! The thief was hiding there. All of
us pounced on him. Before he could react, he was tied down. The police was
informed and he was arrested on the spot. Good luck indeed! Thank God, everybody
was safe and sound. There was no loss except for a few hours of our sweet sleep.
Karan

Question 6:
Taking help from the information given below make a diary entry describing how
you became a perfect swimmer.
Hints: • At the NDMC swimming pool • suddenly a sturdy and muscular boy came •
he mocked me saying “Hey skinny!” • before I could react • was thrown into the
pond • the deeper end • at the bottom • didn’t know how to swim • my hands and
legs paralysed • found myself lying at the side • decided to be a perfect
swimmer • employed a trainer • made me work for hours in the pool taught me
inhaling and exhaling • my hard work was rewarded • I had become a perfect
swimmer.
Answer:
New Delhi
10th May, 20XX
Monday, 8:30 pm

Dear Diary,
Misfortunes never follow a calendar. They come uninvited. I was sitting at the
deeper side of the NDMC swimming pool. A strong and sturdy boy came. He mocked
me by saying, “Hey skinny!” Before I could react, the muscular rascal pushed me
into the pool. I found myself at the bottom. The depth of the pool was not less
than nine feet. I didn’t know how to swim. I struggled to come up. My arms and
legs were totally paralysed. I felt suffocated. I thought that my end was near.
Later on, when I came to senses, I found myself vomiting at the other end of the
pool. I pledged myself to become a perfect swimmer. I employed a professional
trainer. He was a hard taskmaster and made me sweat three hours for weeks. He
taught me inhaling, exhaling and diving into the pool. My hard labour and my
trainer’s professional coaching were rewarded. I participated in a swimming
competition organised by a local club. And the most unexpected happened. I led
the rest by a comfortable margin. My dream had come true. I had become a perfect
swimmer.
Rohan

Question 7:
You spent a week with your friend in his village ‘Kovlam’, near the famous beach
of the same name. Taking help from the information given below and inventing
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your own details, make a diary entry of what you saw and experienced in ‘God’s
Own Country’.
Hints: • Kerala • God’s Own Country • invited by my friend to spend a week in
Kerala • Christmas holidays • Kovlam village • near the famous beach • sea and
surf • lush green surroundings • coconuts and palms • sprawling paddy
fields«fishing« a memorable stay.
Answer:
New Delhi
10th March, 20XX
Friday, 8:00 pm

Dear Diary,
They say that Kerala is God’s Own Country. And rightly so. If any place can
match Kashmir’s beauty and greenery, it is Kerala. I didn’t want to miss an
opportunity to visit Kerala. So I accepted the invitation of my friend Suresh
Nambiar to spend a week at his village Kovlam. The place is about 20 miles away
from Thiruvanathapuram. Kovlam is known for its world famous beach. It is
basically a fishermen’s village. The whole place is wrapped in greenery.
Coconuts and palm trees stand over the sprawling green paddy fields. We used to
spend a lot of time fishing in a nearby pond. We often enjoyed a boat ride in
the canal. What is Kerala without the surf and the sea? So we would spend hours
either strolling or taking a sea-bath or lying on the golden beach. Kerala is
rich in tea, coffee, rubber plantations and spices. I was lucky to enjoy the
fascinating Kathakali dance. But the thing that I can never forget in my life
was the Ayurvedic oil massage in one of the local health resorts. It was really
a memorable stay.
Kiyaan

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