Question 3: Blog and Diary Entry

British & IGCSE › Oxford International GCSE English as a Second Language

Question 3 is a longer, form-specific piece of 70-90 words worth 16 marks (Content 8 + Language 8). The task gives you 3-4 compulsory bullet points, usually four. The form can change, but in recent papers it has most often been a blog, and a diary entry is the other classic choice (the two are even offered together in the specimen paper). This pack teaches you both, shows how to recount an experience, give opinions and look ahead, and gives two full-mark models with notes for 8 + 8.

What the task is and where it sits

The marks and what each band needs

How to get 16/16: checklist

• Underline the form (blog or diary) and number every bullet ①②③④.
• Deal with the short bullets (what, where, who, when) quickly, in one clear sentence each.
• Spend most of your words on the "why" or opinion bullet: a reason + an example + a feeling or result.
• Use the right tenses: past for the experience, present for opinions and facts, future or conditional for plans and recommendations.
• Use at least four different complex structures (when, because, which, where, although, if, so that), plus a past perfect where it fits.
• Use effective, precise vocabulary: "thrilled", "crowded", "breathtaking" only if they fit and you can spell them.
• Link your ideas with time linkers (first, later, by the evening) and logic linkers (because, however, as a result).
• Use a friendly, personal voice: you are talking to readers (blog) or to yourself (diary).
• Keep to about 70-90 words. Around 80-88 is ideal.
• Check spelling, full stops, commas, apostrophes (can't, it's) and past-tense verb forms.

Blog or diary: what is the difference?

Remember the Lead Examiner's advice: these differences are on the surface and earn no marks by themselves. "Hi everyone!" or "Dear Diary," is a nice touch that shows you know your reader, but marks come from covering the bullets with detail and using accurate, varied English. Do not spend more than two or three words on the greeting.

Tone

• Informal but correct. Contractions (I'm, can't, we'd) are fine. Text-speak (u, gonna, lol) is not.
• Personal. Use "I" and "we", and say how you felt: nervous, proud, amazed, disappointed.
• Lively. One exclamation and one question are enough to make it sound real. Do not put "!!!" after every sentence.
• Clear. A blog for strangers needs a little explanation: "Fayoum, which is only two hours from Cairo".

Tenses for recounts, opinions and the future

Structure: paragraph by paragraph

Most Q3 tasks give four bullets that move from simple facts to a reason or opinion. Follow their order unless combining two is more natural. Short paragraphs make the coverage easy for the examiner to see.

How to start

How to end

Useful phrases

Common mistakes

Timing

Model answers

Word counts include the greeting. Each paragraph is shown separately.

What makes these 8 + 8: the pattern

• The first two bullets are covered in the first sentence or two.
• The action bullet has a clear sequence with time linkers.
• The last bullet has a reason and an example or result, not just "it was fun".
• Each answer uses at least three tenses correctly (past, present, future, past perfect).
• Each answer uses relative clauses, time clauses and "because" clauses.
• Vocabulary is precise and fits the topic, and every word is spelt correctly.
• The greeting and ending are short and natural, so almost every word works for the bullets.

Practice

1. Practice task 1 (blog): Write a blog post about a family celebration you enjoyed. You must include: • what the celebration was • where it took place • what you did • why it was special. 70-90 words. Make a plan.

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   Plan: ① my grandparents' 50th wedding anniversary ② my uncle's garden in Mansoura, decorated with lights ③ cooked together in the morning. My brother and I made a short video of old family photos. Dinner for thirty relatives ④ the whole family together for the first time in three years. My grandfather was moved and thanked everyone. Language targets: "which" + "where" clauses, past perfect ("had not seen each other for three years"), an opinion in the present, a question to readers at the end.

2. Practice task 2 (diary): Write a diary entry about a day when something went wrong. You must include: • where you were • what went wrong • how you solved the problem • how you feel now. 70-90 words. Make a plan.

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   Plan: ① at the train station in Cairo, going to Alexandria ② I left my bag with my ticket and phone in a taxi ③ the station manager let me call the taxi company. The driver returned the bag 40 minutes later. I caught the next train ④ relieved and grateful. Next time I will check before I get out. Language targets: past continuous ("While I was paying..."), past perfect ("I had left"), "so that", a future promise, a feeling adjective (relieved).

3. Which tense fits each job: (a) what happened yesterday (b) your opinion now (c) your plan for next month?

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   (a) past simple (b) present simple (c) future: going to / will

4. Correct this sentence: "Last summer we go to the beach and we swimmed every day, it was really nice."

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   Last summer we went to the beach and swam every day. It was really relaxing. (past forms, a full stop instead of a comma splice, a more precise adjective)

5. A blog covers three of the four bullets perfectly with excellent English. What is the highest content level it can reach, and why?

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   It cannot reach the top level (7-8), because a missing bullet means partial coverage. Add one sentence for the missing bullet.

6. Upgrade: "I liked the trip because it was good."

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   Possible answer: "What I enjoyed most was the boat ride, because we could see the sunset over the river." (a specific detail and a real reason)