Process IELTS: Revision on passive voice + linking words used for sequencing

1. PASSIVE VOICE:

Use Passive Voice Task 1 diagram shows actions. It doesn't usually show the person
performing the actions. When you don't know who or what performs an action, use passive
voice.

Passive voice is formed with the verb be and the past participle form of the main verb. It
can be used in any verb tense. In Task 1 diagram, you will generally use either present
tense or past tense. Look at these examples of passive voice.

The apples are harvested. (present tense)

be past participle
The books were moved. (past tense)
be past participle

Exercise 1: Fill out in the blank with active voice or passive voice and then give the correct
for the below examples.
● When you write about process, you use ……………..for natural process.
EG: The sun (shine)............, and the plans (grow)..............
● Use ……………. for:
❖ A process where who does the actions is not important.
EG: The tea leaves (pick).............
❖ The stages of producing something.
EG: The tea (dry), and then (pack) into boxes.

Exercise 2:

The following process diagram includes the actions of people and nature. Complete questions
1-9 with suitable active or passive voice.
0. Example: A dam .......................... is constructed...................... at the river head.
1. The flow of water .................................. down.
2. Flooding .................................. less frequent.
3. A sand bar .................................. across the estuary.
4. The quality of nutrients on land declines and agricultural output ..................................
5. Salinity in the estuary ..................................
6. The human population ..................................
7. Fewer fish ..................................
8. Mangrove trees..................................
9. Mangrove cover the estuary.................................

2. USE SEQUENCE WORDS AND PHRASES.

When you write about a process, you need to join the stages together in different ways, to
make your answer more interesting.

Exercise 3:

Write these linking words and phrases that you remember in the correct column of the table
below according to their meaning.

Next …. The first stage is…. The last stage is….

Then To begin with Finally

 You can use once, when and after + the present perfect/Ving to join two stages
together:
The tea is packed into boxes, and then the boxes are loaded onto a lorry.
=> Once the tea has been packed into boxes, the boxes are then loaded onto a lorry.

Exercise 4:

Rewrite these sentences using the words in brackets.

1. The tea leaves are picked and they are put in the sun to dry. (once)
2. The tea leaves are picked from the tea plants and packed into boxes. (after)
3. The boxes are loaded onto a lorry and then they are taken to the supermarket. (when)
4. You put the teabag in the cup and then you can pour hot water into it. (once)

WRITING PRACTICE:
Read the below model answer of the process diagram, and then write bodies 1 and 2 for the
process diagram.

Model answers

Overall These pictures illustrate how tea is produced, and how a cup of tea is made
 Overview There are 18 stages in the diagram, from sowing the tea seeds in India and
China, to enjoying a cup of tea at home.

Body 1 The first step is that the tea seeds are sown, and then the sun shines,
which causes the seeds to grow into plants. Once the plants have grown
sufficiently, the leaves are then picked by the farmer and put into baskets.
After the picking stage, the tea leaves are spread out in the sun to be dried.
The tea leaves are packed into boxes and then they are loaded onto lorries,
which take the boxes of tea to supermarkets.

Body 2 In order to make a cup of tea, first of all, you buy a box of tea and take it
home. Next, you fill the kettle with water and put it on the stove to boil.
Meanwhile, you put a teabag in a cup, and once the kettle has boiled, the
water is poured into the cup. Having been left in the cup for two minutes,
the teabag us then removed, and the tea are now ready to drink. At this
point, milk and sugar can be added. The final step is that you drink a nice
cup of hot tea.

Word count 221 words

Answer keys:

Exercise 1:
1. The flow of water ............ slows...................... down.
2. Flooding ............is/becomes...................... less frequent.
3. A sand bar ..........forms........................ across the estuary.
4. The quality of nutrients on land declines and agricultural output ..........is
reduced........................
5. Salinity in the estuary ..........decreases........................
6. The human population ...........grows.......................
7. Fewer fish ...........are caught.......................
8. Mangrove trees...........are cut.......................
9. Mangrove cover the estuary..........are lost........................

Exercise 2:

Next …. The first stage is…. The last stage is….

 Then, subsequently, after First of all, the first step is Finally, the last step is
that, at this point, the next that, to begin with, initially
step is that, following this,
the following step is that,
and then, after which

Exercise 3:
1. Once the tea leaves have been picked, they are then put in the sun to dry.
2. After the tea leaves have been picked from the tea plants, they are (then) packed into
boxes.
3. When the boxes have been loaded onto a lorry, they are then taken to supermarkets.
4. Once you have put the tea bag in the cup, you can then pour hot water into it.