[Grammar] "Do you keep a diary? How often do you write in it?"

[wotcha]

"Do you keep a diary? How often do you write in it?"

That sentence is from a textbook for Korean middle schoolers and I wonder why 'write in' is used, not just 'write'.


How are they in different in meaning?

If there's no difference, why is 'in' added?

Thank you.

 

[moonlike]

Hi
As far as I 'm concerened it 's the proposition that you need like: write in your book,write in your diary,write in your notebook.

 

[bhaisahab]

"Do you keep a diary? How often do you write in it?"

That sentence is from a textbook for Korean middle schoolers and I wonder why 'write in' is used, not just 'write'.


How are they in different in meaning?

If there's no difference, why is 'in' added?

Thank you.

We "write in" a diary.

 

[Tdol]

I'd use write/keep a diary for the overall activity and write in a diary for the individual entries.

 

[BobSmith]

[AmE - not a teacher]

"How often do you write a diary?"

This is perfectly grammatical, but here it means the collection of entries. You wouldn't hear that sentence very often (and it doesn't mean what the original intent is). It would be akin to this:

1: How often do you write in a memoir?
2: I write an entry every day.

1: How often do you write a memoir?
2: I write one every 5 years.

 

[wotcha]

Thank you!! :-D