"I want to start an English journal but don't know how to write one" "What should I write about?" "I'd love some prompts and examples"
For English journal beginners with these concerns, this article explains how to write English journals. We also introduce 30 prompts and immediately usable examples, so please read to the end.
Note: While these strategies work for various languages like French, Spanish, and others, this article focuses on English learning as an example.
What Should You Write in an English Journal?
So what should you write in an English journal? To put it simply, the content of your English journal is free.
Some people write about daily events, while others write based on set topics. Neither approach is better than the other. Continuation matters more than content, so try to keep writing for just 15 minutes daily.
Basic English Journal Writing Method
So how should you write when recording daily events? Let's explain the basic method for writing English journals that "chronicle events."
Basic 3-Step Process
- Write the date and day of the week
- Write about the day's events
- Write your thoughts about the events
1. Write the Date and Day of the Week
First, write the date and day of the week. The basic formats are:
- American style: Saturday, July 13, 2024
- British style: Saturday, 13 July 2024
Only the order of month and day differs—you can choose either format.
For detailed date formatting: Complete Guide to Writing Dates in English
2. Write About the Day's Events
Next, write about the day's events. Writing chronologically from waking up to bedtime makes it easier:
Examples:
- I woke up at 7AM today.
- I hurried to get ready and went to work.
- For lunch, I had ramen with my colleague at a new ramen shop that recently opened.
- After work, I went to the gym.
- Before bed, I watched Youtube.
Tip: Rather than writing one sentence at a time, using conjunctions to combine two sentences into one creates better writing.
3. Write Your Thoughts About the Events
For further improvement, include your thoughts about the events. Write your feelings, thoughts, and opinions about what happened.
The reason for writing thoughts is that it becomes practice for outputting your ideas. While chronicling events in English is already writing practice, expressing your feelings in English can lead to greater English improvement.
Example Prompts and Level-Based Usage
Even when told "English journal content is free," beginners might wonder what to write. So next, we'll introduce example prompts good for English journals.
These are examples of prompts actually used in the English correction journal app 'LangJournal.' We recommend choosing prompts according to your English level.
Beginner-Level Prompts
For those not accustomed to writing in English, we recommend writing about daily life and personal interests:
- Morning routine from waking up to leaving home
- How you spend relaxing evening time
- Attractive places in your town and why you like them
- Events or festivals held in your area
- What got you started with your hobbies
- Recent movies, TV shows, or books you've seen/read
- Favorite music or artists
- Special memories with family
- Recent activities with friends
- A day at school or work
Intermediate-Level Prompts
Intermediate learners with basic English knowledge should write about things beyond themselves. Past experiences, history, and local events are good examples:
- Local events
- Traditional local food and clothing
- Local historical buildings or important architecture
- Places you'd like to visit someday
- Recent travel experiences
- Cross-cultural experiences during travel
- Your next planned trip
- Your eating habits
- Regular exercise you do
- Daily stress relief methods
Point: Beyond just introducing these topics, being conscious of how they relate to you will greatly strengthen not only writing ability but English thinking skills.
Advanced-Level Prompts
Advanced learners aiming for English qualifications or business-level English should tackle prompts requiring global perspective, such as modern social issues or scientific/technological progress:
- Effects of climate change
- Advantages and disadvantages of digitalization on society
- Issues regarding equal educational opportunities
- International health problems and disease outbreaks
- Effects of global economic fluctuations on Japan's economy
We've limited this to 5 prompts, but there are many other examples. Please try challenging complex topics!
Ready-to-Use Example Sentences
Next, we'll introduce useful example sentences for English journals. We've organized them into three categories: weather, emotions, and health.
Weather Expressions
Basic Weather Vocabulary:
- Sunny: bright, clear, beautiful day
- Rainy: drizzling, pouring, showering
- Cloudy: overcast, gray, partly cloudy
- Snowy: snowing lightly, heavy snowfall
- Foggy: misty, hazy, low visibility
- Windy: breezy, strong winds, gusty
Example Sentences:
- "It was raining in the morning, but the weather cleared up in the afternoon."
- "Today was windy all day long."
- "The sun is shining brightly, making it perfect for a walk."
- "It's been drizzling since early morning."
Emotion Expressions
Positive Emotions:
- Happy: joyful, delighted, pleased, cheerful
- Fun/Enjoyable: entertaining, amusing, exciting
- Relaxed: calm, peaceful, at ease, content
Negative Emotions:
- Sad: disappointed, downhearted, upset
- Tired: exhausted, worn out, drained, fatigued
- Angry: furious, irritated, upset, annoyed
- Frustrated: annoyed, exasperated, stressed
Neutral/Mixed Emotions:
- Surprised: shocked, amazed, astonished, stunned
Example Sentences:
- "I was delighted to see my friend after such a long time."
- "I had a lot of work and overtime, so I felt completely exhausted."
- "The movie was so entertaining that I couldn't stop laughing."
- "I felt peaceful and relaxed after my morning walk."
Health Expressions
Common Health Issues:
- General: "I'm not feeling well," "I feel under the weather"
- Head/Brain: "I have a headache," "I feel dizzy," "My head is pounding"
- Stomach: "I have a stomachache," "My stomach hurts," "I feel nauseous"
- Respiratory: "I have a cough," "I have a runny nose," "I'm congested"
- Fever/Temperature: "I have a fever," "I feel feverish," "I have chills"
- Energy: "I have no energy," "I feel drained," "I'm feeling weak"
Cold and Flu Symptoms:
- "I caught a cold" / "I came down with a cold"
- "I have flu-like symptoms"
- "I've been sneezing all day"
- "My throat is sore"
Example Sentences:
- "I wasn't feeling well when I woke up this morning, so I took the day off work."
- "Since I felt feverish and had chills, I went to see a doctor."
- "I've had a persistent cough for three days now."
- "My stomach has been bothering me since lunch."
What to Do When You Run Out of Writing Ideas
When writing English journals daily, you inevitably run out of material. When living an unchanging life, journal content becomes limited too.
In such cases, we recommend writing in question-answer format:
- What are your weekend plans?
- Why are you studying English?
- Do you like traveling?
- Do you like your job?
- What do you do on your days off?
When you run out of writing ideas, use these questions as reference!
Summary
This article introduced how to write English journals, 30 prompts, and immediately usable examples.
Continuing to write English journals daily isn't easy, but persistence will definitely show results. Don't forget to get correction after writing your journal.
Key Points:
- Don't just write and leave it—always get correction for spelling, grammar, and natural expressions
- Try writing a journal for one week first to find your own method
About correction: Guide to Choosing English Journal Correction Services and Apps