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Q&A Which tense to use when writing a diary?

I find these answers interesting because to me, a diary is a place you confess your innermost thoughts, while a journal is something you write in every day to talk about what you did. (note the jou...

posted 12y ago by Lauren Ipsum‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

Answer
#4: Attribution notice removed by user avatar System‭ · 2019-12-13T12:00:11Z (almost 5 years ago)
Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/6120
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
#3: Attribution notice added by user avatar System‭ · 2019-12-08T02:28:09Z (almost 5 years ago)
Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/6120
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
#2: Initial revision by (deleted user) · 2019-12-08T02:28:09Z (almost 5 years ago)
I find these answers interesting because to me, a _diary_ is a place you confess your innermost thoughts, while a _journal_ is something you write in every day to talk about what you did. (note the _jour-_ root, meaning "day")

That having been said, if I'm reporting on what I did today, or yesterday, I'd use past tense, because it's something I _did_. But if I'm using the writing as a way to work out my thoughts or emotions, I'd use present tense, because it's something I _feel_, which is still ongoing.

#1: Imported from external source by user avatar System‭ · 2012-07-25T09:51:34Z (over 12 years ago)
Original score: 4