IELTS Writing Development

Topic:

Lifecycle of the silkworm

W053: Task 1 Writing: Stage 3

Note: there is a copy of the model answer at the end of this Stage for your reference.

H:

Planning stage 2 - finding the main points, and the details

Audio 6: Listen to the audio on the webpage and look below.

Main points are marked in blue and detailed points in red.

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IELTS Writing Development

To find the main points:

1 2 3 Look at the titles of the charts and the question: what is it about? The MAIN points will be related to this. Stand back and look at the diagrams as a whole.

NOTE: THE POINTS ARE SELECTED TO FIT WITHIN THE WRITING PLAN THAT I ALREADY HAVE IN MY HEAD

Main point of the top diagram:

Silk and the silkworm Where does silk appear? The cocoon stage this is when the silk is produced Therefore this is the main point for ME

Main point of the bottom diagram:

Shows the production of silk Where is it from? from the cocoon of the silkworm One cocoon produces A LOT of silk This is the main point for me.

Detailed points:
Detailed points for the diagrams: NOTE: THE INFORMATION IS SELECTED TO FIT WITHIN THE WRITING PLAN I ALREADY HAVE IN MY HEAD The top diagram shows STAGES I decided to use these to make points about its lifecycle (4 stages), how long it lives, and what it eats before it makes the silk cocoon. The bottom diagram shows the production process which is easy to summarise using the passive.

2010 pwenglish.co.uk

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IELTS Writing Development

I:

Writing the first paragraph: what do the charts show?

Audio 7: Listen to the audio on the webpage and read below:

Use the question to help:
The introduction below uses as far as possible the exact words from the question:

The top diagram shows the lifecycle of the silkworm and the bottom diagram shows the production of silk cloth.

Remember: we can get a higher mark if we change some of the words. This was the answer used in the dictation: The top diagram illustrates the stages in the life of a silkworm, together with the approximate length of each stage, and the bottom flow chart shows the process by

which silk cloth is produced from the silk from the silkworm.

Points to note: lifecycle of.. to stages in the life of.. (stages in the XXX of XXX useful pattern) illustrates and shows change of verb illustrates appropriate here as a picture / diagram diagram and flow chart a small change to show ability to use different words together with the... good way to add one piece of data to another: see Water task 1 writing. the process by which.. good way to introduce any process o the process by which coffee beans become a jar of instant coffee o the process by which grapes become wine approximate useful word which can often be used! (Note: adjective here) is produced use of passive voice typical in this king of description.

2010 pwenglish.co.uk

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IELTS Writing Development

J:

Copy of model answer for reference

The top diagram illustrates the stages in the life of a silkworm, together with the approximate length of each stage, and the bottom flow chart shows the process by which silk cloth is produced from the silkworm.

Overall, the key points to note are that the silk thread is produced by the larva when it makes a cocoon in which it changes into a moth, and that one cocoon can produce between 300 and 900 metres of silk thread.

Looking at the diagrams in more detail we can see that the silkworms life consists of four stages - an egg, a larva, in the cocoon, and a moth whose length can vary. This means that the total lifecycle of the silkworm is between eight and eleven weeks. It is noteworthy that the larva feeds on mulberry leaves for four to six weeks before making the silk cocoon.

After the moth leaves the cocoon, the cocoon is boiled in water and unwound to produce from 300 to up to 900 metres of silk thread. This is then twisted and woven into cloth. The silk can be dyed either before or after the weaving process. (193 words)

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