Question

Which of the following identifies a difference between a journal and a diary?
A. A diary is personal but journals may be accessed by others
B. A diary is written in the first person while a journal is not
C. A diary is written by a student while a journal is written by a professional
D. A diary entry must have a date while a journal entry need not have a date

Answer 1

Hint: Journals and diaries both are personal in nature but the content of each differ.

Complete Solution:
A journal includes daily activities. It has a description about how the person felt during the day, about any special event, about a specific person or incident and how these various things made him/her feel on that day. A journal is very emotional and private and permits the writer to express his/her inner feelings. A journal has no format, planning or thinking. It is a procedure of thoughts and feelings expressed in writing without restrictions. It is not written on a daily basis and can be written more often than daily or less often depending on the writer’s desires to express his/her feelings.
A diary is used to record daily activities. The writer describes how the day was spent, the activities done during the day, the usual routine, etc. A diary is a disciplined form of writing about a list of events that happened. It is used on a daily basis; usually at the end of each day where a list of events is made.
Option a is incorrect. Diary is personal and so is the journal. The options state otherwise for the journal and this option doesn’t strike any difference between the two.
Option b is also incorrect. Both are written in the first person. The option states incorrect facts about the journal.
Option c is also incorrect. Both the diary and the journal have no relation with the profession of the writer. They can be written by any individual.
Option d is correct. Diary needs a date because it is basically a record of a particular day’s activities. A journal focuses more on emotions attached to activities rather than the activities and so doesn’t need a date.

Note: The meaning might seem overlapping but there is a minute difference. Both contain records of a particular day but the focus differs.