Describing a Process

English for Biology Students

Faculty of Biology
Universitas Gadjah Mada
 When you explain the step-by-step
order of how things happen or how
things get done, you are describing a
process.

For example:
How to draw money from an ATM.
How to create an email account.
How to drive a car.
Describing a process
• Important for describing a series of actions:
▫ Explaining how things are made.
▫ Explaining how people reach a particular goal.
• Can be in passive or active form.
▫ Passive form à for processes.
▫ Active form à for procedures.
• The need of sequencing words:
▫ To link one sentence or idea to another.
Examples of sequencing words
• Listing or enumeration:
▫ First, ….. Furthermore, …….. Finally, ……
▫ Firstly, …… Secondly, …….. Thirdly, ……..
▫ ……start with……… Moreover,……. …, and to
conclude, ……
▫ Next, ……. Afterwards, ……. Then, ….. Lastly, …..
• Cause and effects:
▫ As a result, ….. Consequently, ….. This caused…..
▫ …. so……, ……..causing ….., ……, hence……
▫ Therefore, ……. Hence, ………
 (Source: http://www.admc.hct.ac.ae/)

Example: A Procedure
How to make popcorn

First, put three tablespoons of oil in a large pot.

Then, heat the oil on a high flame until one kernel
of popcorn pops when you drop it into the hot oil.
Now, pour a quarter cup of popcorn into the pot
and cover the pot with a lid. Reduce the flame
and gently shake the pot. Continue shaking until
the corn has popped. Finally, empty the popcorn
into a large bowl and add melted butter and salt.
 (Source: http://www.admc.hct.ac.ae/)

Example: A Process
How instant coffee is produced

First, the coffee beans are picked from the trees

and dried in the sun. Then, the beans are roasted
and then cooled rapidly before being ground. The
beans are then mixed with hot water and the
mixture is strained before it is frozen. Finally, the
frozen mixture is ground and then dried in a
vacuum before it is packed into jars. The coffee is
now ready to be sold in shops.
Passive voice formation
• To be (is/are) + past participle
Active: The farmer sends the milk to the factory.
Passive: The milk is sent to the factory.
Active: They renovated the restaurant in 2004.
Passive: The restaurant was renovated in 2004.

• Modal + be + past participle

▫ Wood may be used for different purposes.
▫ The letters have to be sent to the sponsors.
 http://yasmeenshakoor.edublogs.org/

Exercise 1: Chocolate
Chocolate 1 ……………… (make) from up to 12 different types of
cocoa beans. First, the beans 2 ……………… (sort) by hand before
being roasted. Each type of bean 3 ……………… (roast) separately,
which is time consuming but important. Next, the beans
4……………… (load) into a machine called a “winnower”, which
removes the hard outer shells of the beans. After this the beans
5…………… (mash) into a thick paste and sugar and vanilla
6…………… (add). This paste 7 ……………… (call) the “chocolate
liquor”. Then the chocolate liquor 8……………… (heat) for up to
72 hours to make sure the liquid 9……………… (blend) evenly.
Following this, the liquor 10……………… (temper) for several
hours – repeatedly heated and then cooled. Finally, the
chocolate 11 ……………… (allow) to cool and harden before being
packaged.
Exercise 2: The Water Cycle
The heat of the sun 1 ……………… water to evaporate from
seas, rivers, and lakes. In addition, water vapor 2……………
from the soil and from plants. As the water vapor then
3……………… into the atmosphere, it cools and condenses
into clouds. The clouds 4 ……………… by winds until they
5……………… high ground. At this stage, the water droplets
6 ……………… back to earth as rain, hail, or snow. After the
rain has fallen on land, it either evaporates into the air or it
7 ……………… by soils and plants. Some of it also 8..…………
into rivers and lakes and eventually reaches the sea.

Reach - fall - absorb - rise - run - cause - release - blow