Unit 4 Academic writing

Describing a recycling production

process
1 Work in pairs. Discuss these questions.

T-shirts egg cartons garden chairs shopping bags tissue paper

newspapers plastic drinking bottles (PET bottles) printing paper detergent bottles
1 Look at the photos of everyday items. What recycled materials do you think they can
be made from? Use the words in the box and your own ideas.
2 Do you think recycling should be compulsory? Why? / Why not?
3 How can people be encouraged to recycle more?

2 Work in pairs. The steps below describe the process of making reusable shopping
bags. Match each step (a–h) to the numbers in the diagram. Use the diagram to help
you understand the words in bold.
a Making fabric – multiple uses
b Baling – into cube bales for easy storage
c Washing – drop flakes in container to sterilize
d Creating reusable bags
e Crushing – into flakes of plastic
f Collecting – plastic bottles taken to recycling centres
g Sorting – separate PET bottles out
h Forming PET pellets – flakes fed into a machine

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3 Read the model report that describes the process. Tick each stage in the diagram as it
is mentioned.

1 The diagram shows the process of making reusable shopping bags from recycled
2 plastic bottles. Overall, it can be seen that the bottles have to pass through many
3 key stages before a shopping bag can be produced.

4 In the first stage, plastic bottles of all types are collected and transported to
5 recycling centres. At this point, they are sorted by hand to make sure PET bottles
6 are separated from other types of plastic containers. After this, the bottles are
7 bundled or squashed together into square bales that are easy to store.

8 When the bales of plastic bottles are needed, they are pushed through a machine
9 which crushes them into very small pieces, or flakes of plastic. These flakes go
10 directly into a container where they are washed and sterilised. In the next step,
11 clean flakes are fed into a machine, which produces PET pellets. Subsequently,
12 these pellets can be turned into fabric. The fabric ultimately has multiple uses, one
13 of which is to create reusable shopping bags in order to cut down on the number
14 of plastic shopping bags people consume.

4 The writer uses different ways of making links between ideas in the text. Look at these
tasks and the examples marked on the report. Complete the tasks, then check your
answers with a partner.
1 Underline linking words and phrases that help to sequence the steps in the process.
2 Circle examples of how the writer refers back to words or ideas previously mentioned.
Use an arrow and highlighting to connect the two parts. You should look for:
● definite article (the) + noun
● pronouns and determiners (they, these, that, which)

SKILLS FOCUS: Structuring a description of a process

When you write a short report that describes a process it is important to use
paragraphs to break the information up and make it easier for the reader to follow.
● Your first paragraph should be an introduction. It is common to have two
sentences – the first sentence describes what the diagram shows, the second
sentence comments on the main overall feature of the diagram.
● Reports on processes are generally divided into two body paragraphs. You need to
decide where to make a logical break in describing the process.
● You should use a range of linking words to make the writing flow well and make
the sequence in the process clear.
There is no need to write a concluding paragraph.

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 1 Collection from 2 Sorting different 3 Baling – paper
paper recycling bins types of paper organized into bales

7 End products –
boxes and bags

6 Form paper – 5 Rolling – feed into 4 Pulping – break

large rolls papermaking machine down into pulp

5 Look at the diagram showing the process of recycling paper. Read part of a student’s
report on the process and complete these tasks. Compare your ideas with a partner.
1 Decide on the best place to divide the body paragraph into two.
2 Write a two-sentence introduction for the essay.
3 Add words and phrases to show the sequence of the steps in the model.

People put paper into recycling bins. This paper is collected regularly and taken to
recycling facilities. At the recycling facility, workers sort the paper as it moves along a
conveyor belt. The paper is organized into bales. The bales are dropped into a pulping
machine where the paper is broken down into a pulp. The pulp is fed into a papermaking
machine where it travels along screens and through rollers. Large rolls of paper are
produced. These rolls are turned into end products such as boxes and bags.

6 Sticking to the facts When you describe a process in a report it is important to stick
to the facts and not introduce extra information that is not provided in the task and
therefore irrelevant. Read the extract from a student’s essay and underline the
sentences that are irrelevant.
1
Newspapers and other types of paper are collected from recycling bins. 2People need to
be encouraged to recycle more paper, especially in offices where lots of paper waste is
produced. 3After the paper has been sorted by hand it is then made into square bales.
4
The bales of paper move along a conveyor belt and are dropped into the pulping
machine. 5The papermaking machine is complicated and this stage would take a long
time. 6Once it has passed through the papermaking machine, large rolls of paper are
made. 7This paper is turned into many different end products such as bags or books.
8
Many people nowadays buy recycled paper products in order to help the environment, it
is definitely a trend that is increasing.

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7 Look at the diagram below about the process of recycling steel. Write a report in
about 150 words describing the process. Use the model in Exercise 3 to help you.
Remember to plan your paragraphs, stick to the facts, and use sequencing words,
articles and pronouns to make links between the information.

1 Collection of 2 Sorting by magnet – 3 Steel slugging –

metal household separate steel from steel formed into
items aluminium square bales

8 End products – 4 Grinding – break

washing machines, down into small
car parts pieces

7 Flattening – steel 6 Forming into 5 Melting in a

pushed through rollers rectangular blocks furnace

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