I.

PROCESS IELTS WRITING TASK 1 (ACADEMIC) – diagram/ picture

1. Tenses
 No time indicated: present simple
 Time indicated: past simple past, future (simple future/ is-are
expected/forecast/ anticipated/predicted to)
2. Passive or active?
Natural process: active voice
Manufacturing process: passive voice

3. How many types:

3.1. Type 1: Manufacturing process – man-made process
Ex: making instant noodles, producing air conditioner, etc.

3.2. Type 2: Natural process

Ex: life cycle of an ant, how does rain occur in the nature

3.3. Type 3: Object Description

4. How to write a report on Process

4.1. Plan:
4.1.1. INTRODUCTION
 How? - paraphrase the statement/ question given
 Useful structures
The picture / diagram (shows/describes/illustrates) N/ how +clause
 The production of……………..
 The process of producing/ making………………
 How………….is produced/ made.
 How to produce/ make…………
Example:

The process below shows the life cycle of a species (type/kind) of large fish
called the salmon.

The picture illustrates how a kind of large fish called the salmon evolves.

The diagram describes the life cycle a large marine species called the salmon.

4.1.2. OVERVIEW
How?
 How many steps?
 Starting with? Finishing with?
 2 pictures? Mixed process. How?
 Useful structures:
 There are ....main stages (steps) in the process/in the process of
producing...,beginning with...and ending with...
 The …………………….involves ………………….main steps/ stages/ phases
beginning with………………and finishing with…………………..
 This flow chart provides an overview of 
Example:
 There are 3 main stages in life cycle of the salmon, beginning with eggs
upstream and ending with the adult salmon in the ocean.
 The process involves 3 main phases, beginning with eggs found upstream
and finishing with the adult salmon swimming back to the upper river
from the ocean.

4.1.3. Body
 2 paragraphs
 How to organise?
4.2. How to spot the starting point and the finishing point?

4.3. How to organise the body paragraphs

5. Note:
 Mention ALL important changes
 What if your report is too short?
 What if your report is too long? Combine the steps/ phases
 It’s important to circle key words from the pictures and try to paraphrase them
 No personal opinion 
Sea vs ocean (5 oceans: Pacific, Atlantic, Arctic, Indian, Southern)
II. Useful structures
 S + V (passive)
 Example: rice and water are ground into paste.
Bột nhão: paste (copy & paste)
Nghiền: crush (giã), grind (xay, nghiền)
 Being + V-ed
 Example:  After being washed, the apples were placed/ put in a container.
 V-ing (shortened formed of 2 sentences with the same subject) 
manufacturing process
  Example:  
 Liquid: chất lỏng
 Frozen (v3/adj): bị đông đá
 Evaporate (v): bay hơi
 Coffee beans/ granules: hạt cà phê
After that, the frozen liquid is dried in a machine in order that/ so that water
evaporates, leaving the coffee beans.
 WHILE: trong khi
waste = trash : chất thải , rác
landfill: bãi rác
While the bottles are transported to the cleaning factory, the other kinds of
waste are buried in landfills.

a/an/ the/ -
a/an: singular , 1st time mentioned
the: already mentioned or known
- : general

 WITH:
Olives are crushed into paste, with their stones being taken away.

Seed(s)/ nut/ stone

Dragon fruit, guava (ổi) seeds
Cashew nut, peanut, walnut
Peach stone, avocado (bơ) stone

III. USEFUL VOCABULARY

1. Vocabulary about process description
1.1. First step:
 To begin with, clause
 First of all,
 In the first step,
 At the first stage of ....
 The first step/stage in the process is
 The process begins / continues/ ends with  ..... +  being  + V3(+ by equipment /
machine)
 The first/ second/ next/ final step of the process involves V-ing + ....
 The first/next/ final step takes place in a ......where/ in which S + to be + V3
  The process commences with S + V-ing
Ex: The first step/stage in the process is to take/remove the stones out of/ from
the fruits.
 The process begins with the stones being removed from the fruits.
 The final step of the process involves removing the stones from the fruits.
 The final step of the process involves the stones being removed from the fruits.

1.2. Next step(s):

1.3. Concurrent steps

 While
 At the same time,
 Simultaneously,
 During 
  , thereby + V-ing (shortened form of relative clause)
Ex: Flatten: làm phẳng
Pulp: cục bột
Excessive : thừa

A machine is used to flatten the pulp, thereby removing the excessive water.

a/an/the/-

1.4. Transportation:
 ......be sent to a (equipment/machine) in which they/ it + to be + V3 
 ......be transported/ delivered to a (place) in which/where they/ it + to be + V3 
Coal: than đá
The coal is delivered to a factory in which it is crushed into small pieces by a
machine.

1.5. Final step

 Finally,
 The last/ final process / step is that…
 The process finishes with ...
 The process concludes with ...
1.6. Repeated process (cycle)
 The whole process is a cycle which can be divided into 3 main stages
 At this point, a cycle has been completed and a new cycle will begin.