1. Class 12
Lesson 3: IELTS Process Diagram It is less common in the writing test, but sometimes you will get an IELTS process diagram to describe. This should follow the same format as any task 1: 1. Introduce the diagram 2. Give an overview of the main point/s 3. Give the detail

2. Class 12 What is an IELTS Process Diagram?
To begin, look at this question:
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
The diagram illustrates the process that is used to manufacture bricks for the building industry.
Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons where relevant.
Write at least 150 words.

3. Class 12

4. Class 12
A process will have a number of stages that are in time order.  So you should start at the beginning, and describe each stage through to the last one.
In the example before, this is fairly clear. It begins with the digging of the clay, and ends with delivery.

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Processes are not always this clear, and you may have to look more carefully to spot the beginning, and there may also be two things happening at the same time.
So it is important that you look at other sample processes to get a good understanding of how they can vary.

6. Class 12 Introduce the Diagram
As with any task 1, you can begin by paraphrasing the rubric:
The diagram explains the way in which bricks are made for the building industry.
As you can see, this has been taken from the question, but it has not been copied. You need to write it in your own words.

7. Class 12 Highlight the main points
An IELTS process diagram is different to a line, bar, pie chart or table in that there are not usually key changes or trends to identify.  However, you should still give an overview of what is taking place.
The  ‘public band descriptors’ state that to achieve a band 6 or more for ‘task response’ the student must provide an overview in a task 1.

8. Class 12
As there are no trends to comment on, you can make a comment on, for example, the number of stages in the process and how it begins and ends:
Overall, there are eight stages in the process, beginning with the digging up of clay and culminating in delivery.

9. Class 12
Turn to Pg 59 in your level 1 books and rearrange the sentences.
The first two are use to say what the diagram is about.
The second two are general statements about the stages involved

10. Class 12 Giving the detail
Now you need to explain the IELTS process diagram, and there are two key aspects of language associated with this:
Time connectors (Sequencing language)
The passive

11. Class 12
Time Connectors
A process is a series of events, one taking place after the other.  Therefore, to connect your stages, you should use ‘time connectors’.  Here is the rest of the answer with the time connectors highlighted (notice that you simply go from the beginning to the end of the process):

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Time Connectors
To begin, the clay used to make the bricks is dug up from the ground by a large digger. This clay is then placed onto a metal grid, which is used to break up the clay into smaller pieces. A roller assists in this process.

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Time Connectors
Following this, sand and water are added to the clay, and this mixture is turned into bricks by either placing it into a mould or using a wire cutter. Next, these bricks are placed in an oven to dry for 24 – 48 hours.

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Time Connectors
In the subsequent stage, the bricks go through a heating and cooling process. They are heated in a kiln at a moderate and then a high temperature (ranging from 200c to 1300c), followed by a cooling process in a chamber for 2 – 3 days. Finally, the bricks are packed and delivered to their destinations.

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Time Connectors
These connectors are the same you would use to write a graph over time when you explain a series of changes.

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Time Connectors
These are some common IELTS process diagram connectors:
(** If you use before, this means that you will be mentioning a later stage before an earlier stage, so you need to use it carefully.  If you can use it properly though, it will get noticed.  )
To begin Following this Next Then After
After that Before** Subsequently Finally

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Time Connectors
Here is an example using stages four and five:
Before being dried in the oven, the mixture is turned into bricks by either placing it into a mould or using a wire cutter.

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The Passive
When we describe an IELTS process, the focus is on the activities, NOT the person doing them. 
When this is the case, we use the passive voice, not the active.

19. Class 12 The Passive Most sentences use this structure:
Subject + Verb + Object
(S) A large digger (V) digs up (O) the clay in the ground.
In the active voice (as above), the digger is doing the verb i.e. the digger is doing the digging.

20. Class 12
The Passive
When we use the passive voice, we make the object (the clay) the subject, and make the subject (the digger) the object. We also add in the verb ‘to be’ and the past participle (or Verb 3).
(S) The clay in the ground (V) is dug up (O) by the digger.
So throughout most of your description for your IELTS process diagram, you should be using the passive voice. 

21. Class 12
This is difficult as some verbs cannot take the passive. For example, 'to go' cannot be passive, so it is kept in the active voice:
...the bricks go through a heating and cooling process.
This is why you need to make sure you practice the passive so you know exactly how to use it.

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Present passive
We do not always need to say who is doing the action so sometimes we can exclude the word ‘by’.

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Look at the worksheet and change the sentences from active to passive.

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Now turn to Pg. 60 in your level 1 book and Pg. 61 in your introduction book.
The first six stages have been written into the passive for you (Pg. 60 level 1)
Now write sentences for the remaining stages of the process.

25. Class 12 Now turn to Pg. 61 in your introduction book.
Answer questions 1-5

26. Class 12 Varying your Language
Sometimes it may be appropriate just to use the same language that you are given in the IELTS process diagram to describe it, but you should try to vary it.
You may be able to use nouns from the diagram as your verbs.  For example, the noun packaging in stage seven becomes:
Finally, the bricks are packed…

27. Class 12 This is another example of an IELTS task 1 process.
This is a fairly simple example so it is good if you are new to processes. In the actual test it is likely to be a bit more difficult.

28. Class 12
The important things to remember when you write about a process are:
Use the passive
Use time connectors
Change the word forms of the vocabulary given in the process diagram

29. Class 12 Language of purpose
We use this type of language to say why something happens.
This is useful whenever some extra information would help someone to understand the process. It also shows your level of understanding of the diagram you are writing about.

30. Class 12 Language of purpose
Three simple phrases the say the purpose of the stage: to
in order to
so as to
We do not use because as the above phrases are far more formal.

31. Class 12
Language of purpose In the exam you would not want to write about the purpose of every stage in this way as it would become repetitive. Only explain the stages that you think are important – or maybe the ones that you are most confident about!

32. Class 12
Language of purpose Turn to Pg. 63 in your level 1 books and write sentences about the purpose of the following stages (Refer to the diagram on Pg. 60 in your introduction book.)

33. Class 12 IELTS Process - Chocolate Production (Diagram 2)
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
The illustrations show how chocolate is produced.
Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons where relevant.
Write at least 150 words.