IELTS Task 1 process diagram: how to describe the stages

A process diagram shows the stages in how something is made, or in a natural cycle such as an animal's life. There are no numbers to compare, so the examiner is looking at how clearly you sequence the stages and how well you paraphrase the labels.

Two kinds of process

• Man-made processes (recycling paper, making bricks, treating water). Use the passive: “paper is collected”, “the pulp is pressed”. The material is the focus, not the people.
• Natural processes (a life cycle, the water cycle). Use mostly the active: “the larvae feed on aphids”, “the adult emerges”.

The overview for a process

Count the stages and name where the process starts and ends. If you can, divide it into phases.

Overall, there are eight stages in the process, which begins with the collection of waste paper and ends with large reels of new paper.

For a cycle, say that it is a cycle:

The process is cyclical, since adult ladybirds mate and lay eggs, allowing the cycle to begin again.

Sequencing without repetition

“First… second… third… fourth…” for eight stages is mechanical and hurts your Coherence score. Mix sequencers with time clauses and relative phrases:

• First, … / To begin with, …
• It is then …
• At the next stage, …
• Once the pulp is clean, …
• …, after which it is sorted.
• …, at which point …
• Finally, …

Paraphrase the labels

The labels on the diagram are the examiner's words. Copying them all shows nothing. Turn nouns into verbs and add the detail the picture shows:

• “Collection” → used paper is collected from homes and offices
• “Drying” → the sheet passes over heated rollers, which dry it

Do not add what is not there

If the diagram does not say why a stage happens or where it takes place, do not invent it. Describing a recycling plant, workers or machines that are not shown is a Task Achievement problem, not extra credit.

Practise

Read the paper recycling and ladybird life cycle models. Then see the complete Task 1 guide for the structure.