“ When we describe a process or procedure, wwe often use present passive verb forms (islare + verb stem + ed eg. it is manufactured) to give a general description. ‘When we report a particular procedure, we are concerned with only one particular occasion in the past; then we often use the past passive tense (washwere + verb stem + ed eg. it was heated). 2 Description: Process and Procedure A description that does not involve a process or procedure is often written in the present simple active tense (verb stem +s eg. it comprises) Sequence, or order, is important in both describing a process or reporting a procedure, Stage 1 1. Read the: General Description are used: How pay found in The bran« ‘The bark They are They are, They are They are They are Its also. Sheets of following carefully. Note particularly the verb forms that ‘some of the present passive verb forms ae in italic. per is made Paper is made from wood, and many of the world’s paper mills are those countries which have great forests ~ Canada, Sweden and Finland, ‘The trees are felled or cut down. iches and leaves are removed, ‘The trees are transported tothe savwmill is stripped from the trunks. The trunks are sawn into logs. conveyed to the paper mil, placed in the shredder. cut into small chips. mixed with water and aci heated and crushed to a heavy pulp. ‘This wood pulp is cleaned. chemically bleached to whiten it, Its passed through rollers to flatten it ‘wet paper are produced. The water is removed from the sheets, > These sheets are pressed, dried and refined until the finished paper is produced. 2 Read carefully through the text again and und ine other present passive verb forms, Note: 1 When describing a process, sequence markers, 9. fst, then, ‘ext finaly. are often used (ee Appendix 2 Connectves, ‘Section 1). They elp to link the sentences 2 Semetimes inorder to avoid repeating a subject, a relative bronoun and relative dause are used, eg. The barks stipped from the trunks. The trunks are sawn Into logs becomes The bark is Stiaped trom the trunks, which are sa into logs.Unit: 3. Some of the sentences from the text have been joined together below to form a paragraph. Spaces have been left in the sentences Inthe spaces write an appropriate verb (and sometimes preposition), an, if suitable, a relative pronoun, First, the logs in the shredder. Then they into small chips water and acid, Next they toa heavy pulp ‘ako chemically 10 whiten it Aer this, it through rollers to flatten it. Then, sheets of wet paper Finally, the water ‘rom the sheets ‘until the finished paper 4 Look at the sequence of pictures below. Underneath there are a ‘number of sentences describing how a breakfast cereal is made. ‘The sentences are in the wrong order. Write them out in the correct ‘order using the sequence of pictures to help you. How a breakfast cereal is made Its stored in the silos, ‘These are woven into biscuits. ‘The wheat is harvested from the field, Each biscuit is baked until brown, Its cut and formed into thin strips. ‘The grain is cooked to soften it. Its packed ready to be eaten. “The wheat grain is transported to the silos, 5. Look carefully t the diagram on page 16 of the stages of manufacture of glass bottles. Si boxes have been numbered and left empty. Now read carefully the sentences next to the diagram. ‘They are in the wrong order and are not complete. = Complete the sentences by putting the verb (given at the end of ‘each sentence) in the appropriate passive form. ~ Write the sentences in the correct order. = Join them together by means of sequence markers (e.g. then, next. = Finally, from the information in the sentences, write the correct names inthe si boxes in the diagram,How glass bottles are made ' U 6 aw into botles in the mould. (shape) Sometimes broken glass (add) © The bottles to strengthen the glass, (reheat and cool} d Glass from sand, limestone, and soda ash. (make) They are ready __. (use) f Glass (produce) This mixture strongly in a furnace. (heat) Fh These three materials together in the right, proportions. (mix) | Stage 2 Specific Procedure Look at the following table carefully. ‘Writing in English: Manchester University (50 students) % ‘ype of co) (average) seudents | writing frequency | length 52 essay Sperterm | 2000 words 34 report 2perterm | 4000 words 4 dissertation | 1 per year | 8000 words 2 thesis 1 after 300-1000 pages 2-3 years ‘The information in the table can be described (as an alternative to using the rable). Notice the construction of the following sentence: 52% ofthe students wrote essays, of am average frequency of 5 per term, of an average length of 2000 words. Now read the following paragraph, which describes some of the information contained in the table. Complete the spaces with information from the table. A survey was conducted among _ overseas postgraduate students at 1 purpose of the ‘survey was to discover the type, and ‘of academic writing that was expected of the “Students by their supervisors or tutors of the students reports, ofan 2 per term, ‘average length