Good morning Year 5!
Today’s English focus: Writing
If you haven’t already read the Prologue or Chapter 1 from Monday’s blog post, you can find the printable version here: POG PROLOGUE POG CHAPTER 1
Here is your written task for today (click on the image to make it larger):
As you can see, this is a Diary Entry.
A diary can be many things – a place to preserve our most private thoughts, a record of events, or simply an entertaining story.
Some of the best-selling diaries have been written by those who weren’t famous or considered to be extraordinary at the time they were writing.
A Jewish girl hiding during the German occupation of the Netherlands in World War II, Anne Frank wrote a detailed diary as a way to release her emotions and make sense of the situation she and her family were in.
Here is a diary checklist to help you: diary checklist
Always make sure you are writing in the past tense and use paragraphs to organise the events.
Challenge yourself to use time conjunctions to show when things happened and try to use adventurous vocabulary to describe the places where the events happened!
If you need support, here are some examples of Diary entries: diary entries examples
Use your yellow Home Learning book to plan the paragraphs you will use in your diary entry. You can then draft it in your book.
As it is a Bank Holiday on Friday, you can publish your final piece today. Therefore, please share your final diary entry in the comments today.
Miss Coleman and Miss Carruthers will kindly be responding to the blogs today.
Good luck with your writing!
Mrs Avdiu
Please click here for a printable version of this blog: POG Writing blog week 3
Erin’s writing
Hello Miss Colman and Miss Carruthers!?
This is my diary entry for today! ✍️
Dear Diary,
Today at 4 PM, I was going for a nice walk in the woods when I saw a little girl sobbing, it looked like she was lost so I decided to help
her. I led her to her house but before I obviously had to check if she had touched the tree because if she did everything would be ruined!
She asked me what my name was and then she actually used my name, nobody has used my name in years and years! After she went I
realised how lonely I am.
Hello Gabriella,
Thank you for sharing your diary entry. I’m glad you end with how lonely you are, its important to include your feelings in a diary entry.
T-How were you feeling at the start of the day-a diary is a good way of recording your changing feelings at different times.
Good morning everyone, I hope that you are all well. Here is my diary entry for today, I hope that you all like it:
Dear Diary,
Today had been a bit of a peculiar day. It all began when I was patrolling the woods, the usual duty when I smelt something, it was a human scent. I followed the smell to a young girl, sitting and leaning against a dark tree, sobbing into her hands. I didn’t know what to do, I knew that I couldn’t reveal myself, but she was clearly lost. She then stood and started to walk towards the ancient twisted tree, and I hissed at her to stop and come back. She spun round on her heels and said “Who’s that, who’s there? “I scrunched up into a ball behind the bush, all my muscles tensing up. I told that I was a friend and asked her if she was lost. She told me that she was and wiped her teary eyes. I told her to come with me, but she just hunched her shoulders and stood still. Behind her I saw the moonlight shone on and the black bark rippled for a moment. I could tell that there was something wrong about this and I needed to get the girl away from the tree. But I couldn’t reveal myself as it was forbidden so I just told her to come, in my most gentle voice. She clutched her hands to her chest and took a couple of steps closer to the tree and I saw the tree shimmer again. She was to afraid so without thinking I stepped blankly into the open. She asked me who I was, and I said “Pog Lumpkin, a friend.” I smiled at her to show that I was friendly, and she said to me that I was all furry. I told her that I was of the First Folk and that we were all furry, and I told her that I will show her the way back. She slowly approached me, and I sighed in relief as she cam to me. I looked over my shoulder and I think I heard the whisper again, but I might have been dreaming. It was a quick journey to get there and when we arrived she said her thanks and asked me if she would see me again and I told her maybe. She then asked me a question that I hadn’t ever thought about, she asked me if I was alone, and I told her not now. She then waved goodbye and went up and knocked on the door. I hid behind a bush and a tall grey man opened the door and they both embraced in warm hug. They both went inside and as the door closed behind them, I almost felt disappointed. I went up the pipe and went to the attic and her questions kept going round in my head, are you alone? Yes, I had been for an awfully long time but now I wasn’t. It was quite a hectic day but I am glad that they girl found her way home in the end. Bye Diary!
From Pog
Wow Elsa, that is a very detailed diary entry recording every point of the day. Well done for choosing some interesting adjectives to use.
T-when writing at length remember to divide your ideas into paragraphs on the same theme.
Hello Everyone !
I hope you are all well and safe!
I miss you all ??❤️
For today’s English task I am going to be writing ✍️ a diary from Pog’s version. I hope you enjoy ? ??
Dear Diary,
As I was patrolling the woods I noticed a little girl sobbing , I felt like I needed to do something so I went and asked the little girl what was wrong. She told me that she was lost and that she could not find he way back home. So after should told me why she had been in the wood all alone I decided to help her since she was only little and I know the way in the wood like the back of my hand. As I lead her to the house, I started to think about what would happen if the girl touched the mysterious tree. I stared to panic because if the girl touched the tree everything would be over . She noticed that I was afraid and she asked my what my name was, I was surprised because I never thought that a human being wanted to know the name of an ugly creature. I told her my name I said “My name is Pog” she said that was a lovely name and I was so grateful because no one had said my name in years. I took her home and she was so happy ?
I hope you all enjoyed part of my Diary ?
I hope you all have a lovely day ???⭐️
~Elena??
Hello Elena, we miss all of you as well!
Thank you for your diary entry.
T-check your work when you have finished writing and make sure you’ve included all the punctuation needed-some sentences are quite long, and might be more effective if they were shorter.
Good Morning everyone!
Hope you’ve had a good day so far, this is what I wrote for today’s task:
Dear Diary,
I am no longer alone.
As per usual, today started normally. I had only been patrolling for an hour, when suddenly, I had caught the scent of a human. Moving closer, I started to hear sobbing in the distance. However, I had never heard such a noise before, only the occasional cries of foxes or the low hooting of owls.
The sobbing was coming from the forbidden heart of the forest. As I slowly creeped forward, I then thought the human could have seen me, so I plunged into the undergrowth. It had dark brown curly hair, and its hands were covering its face. Then I realised that it was just a lost girl.
I plucked up the courage to go ask the girl what she was doing there but I couldn’t show myself just yet. My heart was thumping so loud that she to could have heard it. I told her that I was a friend and that I would help her get home safely. She looked terrified so all I could do was show myself to her. I smiled and then she smiled back, it took me by surprise.
As we started walking back to her home, I decided that it would be fun to make the girl chase me, but running too fast might loose her. Finally, we came across the cozy home she belonged to. The girl then said Thank you Pog, it made my heart flutter, no one had said my name in forever. She walked towards the door and knocked, the door opened to show the other tall human I saw earlier. Having seen the two reunite made me feel delighted.
That’s all Diary, I’ll write in here tomorrow!
Well done Ava, this is a great diary entry and you have really conveyed the emotions of the situation. the line, ‘it made my heart flutter, no one had said my name in forever’ was very moving.
T-Remember to use inverted commas for direct speech
7th January 2020
09:45 pm
Dear Diary,
Today started of like any other day it was morning and I saw those tall humans go out of the house for a walk. They seemed distressed but I couldn’t help them so I went around looking for food by myself I found some fruit and a left over sandwich which was quite yummy. It was getting late and luckily roaming around the attic today was successful again.
When I was heading home I heard a noise it sounded like someone was crying a human someone. When I went to see I was right it was a little girl she was shorter then the ones I had seen before. It looked like she was lost.
I knew I had to help her be a good friend but it is forbidden to show yourself to humans. I talked to her saying” I am a friend follow me” without showing myself but that made her more scared so I did a brave thing I showed myself.
The little girl asked “who are you ?” I said” I am Pog a friend, are you lost ?” I asked she said “yes”.” Then follow me I will take you back home safely “when we got there she said” Pog are you lonely ?” I know she said my name it made me feel special I said “not now” but I wish I hadn’t said that. Then she just left without even thanking me I was a bit disappointed but I was a good person which makes me proud.
Hi Claudia,
Thank you for your diary entry. I like the opening line, which makes me want to read on and I’m pleased you have divided your work into paragraphs.
T- Remember to read your work to check that you have included all punctuation. Some of these long sentences need to be made smaller
Hi Everyone,
Dear Diary,
Today, I was walking through the forest at the dark of night until something caught my attention. There was a sound of someone sobbing in the distance. As quietly as I could, I crept faster and faster by the step towards it. A shiver ran down my spine, it was a little girl but that wasn’t it, she was in the forbidden heart of the forest and I hoped and hoped that she wouldn’t touch the tree. I accidentally stepped on something and she stood up and slowly walked backwards towards the tree keeping an eye on everything. I suddenly drew out my staff and sword without thinking to tell her to stop. The girl looked lost, I couldn’t reveal my self but I had to so I asked her if she was lost and she said yes but slowly moved backwards. I told her that I could help her and she said yes again.
One weird thing happened then, she asked me what my name was and I told her it was Pog. I then heard her say thank you Pog for helping me, I stood there in amazement as a ear ran down my cheek, no one had spoken my name in years. She hen asked my if I was alone and I said yes sorrowfully.
As we arrived at her house, she thanked me more than ever for helping. As I saw her walk in to the house I thought about her question ‘Are you alone?’
I think that I should have asked her to be friends because we might not meet again. I am also thinking about if she’d touched the tree because then bad things would happen and what i should do because I revealed my identity.
From Pog
Hi Marco, Thank you for your diary entry. I’m pleased that you have included lots of the details from the story.
T-remember to proof read your work-you’ve missed a few letters here ( easy to do when you are typing!) and try to avoid repeating the same words e.g. said
Dear Diary,
Yesterday was…rather strange, from my perspective. I met a ‘human’! However, she was sulking and weeping into her palms. Her face was swollen as well as red, why had she been crying? Was she lost? Hugging her knees, she kept her eyes shut. I tried to help her, subtle not to reveal myself. At last I came to conclusion, I had no choice but to leave the bushes, she had gone too close to the tree. I called to her, as gentle as I could, the ‘human’ followed as her tears dried away. We began to laugh, skipping along through the trees. I loved the company; I hadn’t had any for a while. Eventually, we reached the two-story house. I disliked goodbyes, especially with her. She was my new friend. Woefully, I hid behind a tree as an old man opened the door to her. Once the man turned around, she waved goodbye to me. I would’ve waved back, but the man turned too quickly. Now, I miss her, I haven’t seen her at all today… I didn’t even get her name. Unfortunately, I must go patrol the forest!
Goodbye Diary,
Pog
Hi Maya, it’s lovely to see you posting on the blogs. This is a great diary entry. Well done. I like some of the adverbs you have chosen such as woefully.
T-could you add a a little more description to how you are feeling now to emphasise the contrast between the joy when you were together to the sadness of being alone again?
Hello everyone. Here is my diary entry.?
Dear Diary,
Earlier today I was patrolling the forest for one hour that night then I sniffed a scent, human scent.
The scent led me to the forbidden part of the woods but before that, I saw a girl sobbing in her hands on a tree stump. I had to get her out of there because it’s very dangerous but it’s forbidden to show myself to people. This was very new to me as I wasn’t used to finding girls crying in the woods.
After carefully thinking, I decided to help her and show myself then I told her my name and asked her what was wrong and she said she was lost. We set of and I decided to have a little run as I was going a bit slow for her. She laughed and chased after me but I took care not to loose her.
Later that evening, I got her back to her safe home and she thanked me but with my name. No one had ever said my name in years. It put a flutter in my chest, I felt wonderful! But then before she left, she asked me if I was alone. I was, but not anymore.
Thank you for reading my diary entry. Have a lovely bank holiday.??
Hello Renee, I enjoyed reading your diary entry especially the lines, ‘No one had ever said my name in years. It put a flutter in my chest, I felt wonderful!’ These short sentences are effective at conveying the emotions Pog was feeling.
T-Try to include Pog’s feelings throughout the diary entry- how did his feeling change at different points in the story?
Hello everyone! I hope that you have had a great day so far! For today’s English task I tried my best and I wrote my diary entry. Tomorrow I will continue ✍? writing. For today though, this is what I have written.
Dear Diary,
I am now not alone in these dark woods.There is someone else – someone that I have met..
Today started normally. I have been patrolling for an hour , looking around for trouble ,when suddenly my furry nose, twitched and I caught the scent of a human. Moving closer to this humanish smell, I started to hear sobbing in the distance. This started to worry me a bit, someone in this abandoned forest was crying their eyes out. ‘What?! I wondered to myself. Since I have never heard such a sound like this before only the the occasional cries of foxes or the low hooting of owls, I needed to pluck up the courage and see what was behind that bush and funny smell.
I stepped closer….
And closer….
and finally I can see two pear of brown eyes looking back at me.
I gasped at the sight and nodded In understanding…
This was my diary ? entry! I hope that you liked it…
~ Nika ???
.
Hello Nika,
Thanks for your diary entry. I like how you have shown how strange a human must have seemed to Pog!
T-Read your diary back and check that you have been consistent with the tense. You swap between present and past and this needs to be more consistent.
Hi everyone, I hope you are all well. This is my diary entry:
Dear Diary,
Today was an unexpected day. Like always at night, I patrolled and protected my forest patch. Normally I hear the occasional cries of foxes or the low hooting of owls. Today was different. Instead of owls and foxes, I heard a child weeping and picked up a human scent. There was a girl with dark curly hair sitting on an old tree stump. She was in the trees encircling the dark forbidden heart of the forest. I had to get her away from the tree to safety, but I was not allowed to show myself. I had to make a difficult decision as she was clearly lost. There was no choice, but to reveal myself.
It turned out that she was fine she did not scare me, unlike the people that arrived in their metal, noisy box on wheels. Still, she was a child of the tall ones so I was cautious. She was surprised when she saw me. The girl called me “all fury” and I think she liked me. I also thought she was cute. We together ran to her house. I made sure I didn’t go too fast though, in case I lost her. It was fun being with her.
When we parted I was very sad as I was feeling lonely all over again. We promised to meet again. But you never know what happens…
Hi Ayako,
A great diary entry. I like some of the descriptive language you have used such as, ‘trees encircling the dark forbidden heart of the forest’.
T-As well as describing the story dairies include lots of feelings. Are there any parts of the diary entry that you could develop to show more of how Pog was feeling at the different times?
Hello everyone, I hope that you have had a nice day so far! Here is my diary entry, writing as if I were Pog, I hope that you enjoy it:
Dear Diary,
I’m not quite sure how to explain it, but the most extraordinary thing happened today…
With my staff and sword handy, I set out into the woods for my night patrol, as usual. Everything was normal, too normal… The occasional hoot of owls and the cry of foxes were the only sounds to be heard.
It was around midnight when I first smelt it, an unusual, unmistakable scent: human scent. My eyes attuned to the blanket of darkness around me, I scanned all my surroundings and saw nothing.
Minutes passed until I smelt it again, and this time a noise could be heard with it. Deep rattling breaths filled the air, someone was in trouble. I could not just stand there, I had to do something, and I did…
Next thing I knew, I was diving under a prickly undergrowth, my eyes searching the area for a living thing, a tall one. Then I saw her: a poor helpless girl, who stood no chance in a forest as dangerous as this one, especially with the twisted, ancient tree a mere metre away from her. I chewed my thumb and reached a conclusion…
Almost oblivious to what I was doing, I went and tapped the girl on the shoulder. Answering her questions, I smiled and told her that I was Pog Lumpkin, a friend. I made a gesture, ran and she followed. Finally the First Folks and the Tall Ones were rejoined, if only for a while.
It ended all too soon, a feeling I was familiar with. For the first time in forever, I realised how much I wanted and needed a friend to lean on. All the feelings that I had bottled up many years ago, suddenly came bursting out.
I looked up at the girl, her eyes swelling with gratitude, she smiled and thanked me for bringing her back to safety. Oh! She said my name, it was a marvellous feeling! I cannot imagine how many years it has been since someone had spoken those words: thank you, Pog.
As soon as I reached my dark, dull attic, all of my excitement, my happiness turned into loneliness. I faced the brutal truth and reality of my situation, I would probably never see her again. I clung on to the hope that I would, one day, see her again and that is what will keep me going,
Pog
Hello Lavinia,
A great diary entry-well done. You have used some wonderful description that really sets the scene from Pog’s point of view e.g. ‘Next thing I knew, I was diving under a prickly undergrowth, my eyes searching the area for a living thing, a tall one.’
T-at the end of the diary entry you have described your feelings well. Try to do this throughout so the diary entry records how Pog was feeling at the different points of the story
Hi everyone, I hope you’re having a nice day.
Dear Diary,
Today was very strange, it was in the evening when it all happened. Let me tell you all about it. I smelt the air and picked up a scent, a human scent. I started to follow the smell nervously and I saw a human girl sitting on the old stumps. I saw that she was moving to the ancient trees and I didn’t know what to do, so I said. “Psst stop come here quick.” She turned around and said “hello is anyone there?” I did not want to show myself but I had to, so I spoke to her and helped her to get home. It felt strange to have see someone. I haven’t seen anyone in a very long time. She seemed nice and I hope to see her again.
POG
Hi Dylan,
I hope you’re having a nice day too.
This is good diary entry with an opening that set the scene but it is very short.
T-Could you please add more detail, especially Pog’s feelings?
Hello Miss Coleman and Miss Carruthers,
This is my diary:
Dear diary,
As you know I met a girl. What a strange experience it was!
I wish to share with you this story…
I woke up early. As every day, I tried to find some insects to eat for the breakfast (They are so yummy! And even slimy!!) and for the water I drank the river’s one.
After, I jumped in the river to get my shower. It was really frizzing, but now I am used to it! The hot sun of summer helped to dry me up (but it took some time because I was in the dark end of the forest and I had a lot of fur to dry).
I had to begin my daily work. So, I started walking all along the river (I can smell a human if they are at 3 or 4 Km). And it’s when I started to smell something that seemed quite close to me. I was not allowed to go next to a human, but he looked lost.
I started to walk a small step trying to do no noise in order not to be heard by the human… Unfortunately, I did some noise when I walked on a branch. When I arrived closer, I saw the girl sited on a rock. I watched her. I thought it would be better to help little girl who seemed lost, instead of just watching her being sad.
So, I got out of the bushes and asked her if she was lost. She was lost indeed. Then, I asked her where she lived. So, she answered me : ‘at the big house’. I started to jump, but not to fast, because I did not want her to get lost again. She laughed and I started to laughed also. We shared a nice moment in the forest… Well, it was, my thought.
We arrived at “the big house”and she knocked slowly at the wooden door. An old man opened it, he was her grand-dad. She entered in the house without telling him anything about me. He didn’t knew I help her grandchild to find her way home. Then, her grand-dad slapped the door. I felt like she did not care about me and about what I did to help her. I felt so sad.
Dear diary,
I felt bad.. as a betray!!
Hello Violette,
Thank you for your diary entry-how sad that Pog felt betrayed. Well done for being creative and adding lots of detail at the beginning but try to keep this up for the whole diary entry so you don’t have to rush the important parts where we need to know how Pog is feeling.
T-Please check the spellings below:
frizzing
sited
Hello everyone
We have finished the English work for today. We will keep practising the P.E Homework. As you can see from our photo on the P.E blog, we are practising some fun exercises!
Thank you for sending in your work Erin.
Well done for a wonderful diary entry. You’ve thought carefully about your vocabulary and used some lovely descriptions (‘muck infested path’)
T) Take care with your handwriting, I struggled to read your third paragraph and I would have loved to know more about the house.
Dear Regan,
Thank you for sending a photograph of your diary entry. It’s very detailed and well organised with a strong opening and ending.
T-Please can you make your handwriting a little bigger so it is easier for me to read please
T-Remember to include how Pog is feeling at the different points, as this is a key feature of a diary entry
Thank you for sending the photograph of your writing Jeanne.
You’ve written a detailed diary entry and I really like the ending, which made me feel sorry for Pog.
T-Remember that a diary entry does not have to include everything that was said-just the most important parts and how that made the writer feel.
Dear Diary,
Today I was patrolling the dark forest, watching carefully keeping my eyes peeled in case any intruders came to disturb the gloomy forest that belongs to us creatures.
Suddenly, I came up against the forbidden tree filled with sneaky, slippery snakes, slithering around the treacherous tree, when I saw a human girl,her hands in her face her knees together, curled up against her chest. The particular human girl had dark swirly curls. I had seen this strange human girl before that previous morning.Then I realised I should help her because the tree she was sitting under was forbidden…
Eventually, I whispered cautiously to her “Psst.” She was frightened. I suddenly realised this wasn’t helping, since she was still frightened. Slowly, I came out pushing the spiky brambles out of the way. I finally had a friend.
🙂 Great range of vocabulary, Sara. I especially liked the words ‘forbidden’ and ‘treacherous’!
The last sentence is a little confusing for the reader. Why did you finally have a friend? Is this how you want to end your diary?
Hello everyone, here is my diary entry.
Dear diary,
Today was the strangest day. It started out like usual and I had been patrolling the forest for an hour when I caught wind of a scent I hadn’t smelt in a while: human. I knew that I shouldn’t have followed it but my curiosity got the better of me and before I knew it, I was right outside the forbidden heart of the forest. Not daring to breathe, I peered through the ring of trees and saw a child of the ‘tall ones’ sitting on one of the old stumps, weeping.
What I thought could not be worse at the time happened when the girl stood up and started towards the ancient tree. I didn’t know what to do so, without thinking I drew my sword and staff and called out to her ‘Psst! No!’ She heard me and spun around ???? ?????? ? ??? ???? ?????? ? ??? I finally came to a conclusion and asked her if she was lost. She replied yes and I told her that I would show her the way home.
I didn’t know how I would do it though. Revealing myself was forbidden but I felt that I could do it for the girl. We set off through the forest and I told her that my name was POG Lumpkin and I was one of the first folk. When she said my name I felt a strange sense of relief that I have not felt in years it was a feeling of belonging, having a friend, not being alone. I hope I see the girl again.
POG
Wow! I really enjoyed reading this. I loved the phrase ‘I caught wind of a scent I hadn’t smelt in a while: human.’ It is very effective.
Thank you for a great piece of writing.