英語日記由書端和正文兩部分組成。書端是專門用來寫日記的時間、星期和天氣的。英文日記的日期通常寫在正文上方的左邊(頂格)，天氣情況寫在日期之後。
日記多采用第一人稱I或we展開敘述，時態多采用一般過去時態。如果事發表議論、談看法、談理想等，則用一般現在時，有的用一般將來時。
因為日記是記敘所發生的事情或對該事情進行評論、抒情，所以寫日記時語言應通俗易懂，表達應準確到位，敘事應條理清晰，具有生活氣息。在寫作過程中可以採用一些表漸進、遞進關係或發表觀點的詞彙。如：at first/last,also,besides,what's more,as a result,in one's opinion等。
日記必須包括所表現的主要內容,可適當增減細節,使其完整、連貫;
[範文一]
時間：2003年5月4日,星期五;天氣：陰;
詞數：100-120.
may 4th, 2003 monday cloudy
after school i went home for supper. when i got home, i found my mother lying in bed. she was ill. my father was away from home on business. “what shall i do? ”i thought to myself.
since mother was ill, i must take good care of her. so i decided to try cooking by myself. i did the cooking with great difficulty and it got burnt at last.
i had thought mother would never like it. but i had to ask my mother to have supper. to my joy, mother praised me for the meal i had cooked. she said, “it tastes delicious. i’m very pleased with it. ”
i know that mother is encouraging me to do more by myself.
[範文二]
Today Mailehaoduo clothes, and parents take to the streets is happy, the parents have to pay to buy things. Unlike in their street to buy things they like to take a long time but saw the price, Ha-ha, is really very happy. I love my parents, I too thank them for the care and love.
[範文三]
I was very sleepy in the morning, so i didn't go running as usual. I had something for breakfast. My new day has begin. The results would come out today. My classmates all felt very nervous, so did I. Then one of my classmates called me, and invited me to play basketball in the afternoon. I like playing basketball, though I'm really poor at playing it.
I and my parent visited a farm last Saturday,the environment is so horse was leaded into the stable and each was put in a and sheep depends forage to so lifelikeness, we're got a lot of enjoyment from our journey.
英語日記最重要的就是要正確書寫日記的`格式，尤其是在考試中，日記的格式相當重要。英語日記的格式與漢語日記的格式大致相同，在每篇日記的第一行寫上日期、星期和天氣，接下來寫內容。日期、星期和天氣的書寫要注意以下幾個方面：
1. 年、月、日都寫時，通常以月、日、年為順序，月份可以縮寫，日和年用逗號隔開。例如：December 18, 2003或者Dec. 18, 2003。
2. 如果要寫星期，星期要緊挨日期，它既可以放在日期前面，也可以放在日期後面，星期也可以省略不寫。星期和日期之間不用標點，但要空一格，星期也可縮寫。例如：Thursday Dec. 18, 2003或Dec.18，2003 Thursday
3. 天氣情況必不可少。天氣一般用一個形容詞如:Sunny, Fine, Rainy, Snowy等表示。天氣通常位於日記的右上角。
英語日記範文：
I was very sleepy in the morning, so i didn't go running as usual. I had something for breakfast. My new day has begun. The results would come out today. My classmates all felt very nervous, so did I. Then one of my classmates called me, and invited me to play basketball in the afternoon. I like playing basketball, though I'm really poor at playing it.
i and my parent visited redstart farm last Saturday,there're environment is so 're scavenge the hourse,The horse was leaded into the stable and each was put in a and sheep depends forage to so lifelikeness,we're got a lot of enjoyment from my job. in the r preparative feasted on me.