Process Diagrams

Warm-up: From diagram to description

2 warm-up questions

• Have you ever explained to someone how a thing is made or how a machine works? How did you keep the steps in order?
• First try: describe how coffee gets from a plant to your cup — two minutes, out loud, step by step.

Reading: What process answers are marked on

Read a 198-word text about What process answers are marked on

What process answers are marked on A process diagram gives you everything — the stages, the labels, the order. The examiner is not testing your knowledge of coffee or cement; they are testing whether you can organise given information into clear academic prose in 20 minutes. Where the bands divide. At Band 6, the description lists stages mechanically (First… then… then…), slips between active and passive, and often skips the overview. At Band 7, there is a clear two-part opening — a paraphrased introduction plus an overview stating how many stages there are and where the process starts and ends — and the stages flow in accurate passive voice with varied sequencers. The overview matters most: without one, Task Achievement cannot reach Band 7. The rules of the genre. Use passive voice — the doer rarely matters: the beans are harvested, not workers harvest the beans. Follow the sequence with varied connectors: first, then, next, after that, subsequently, finally. Describe what the diagram shows — never add opinions or guesses. The shape: 1) Introduction — paraphrase what the diagram shows. 2) Overview — number of stages, start point, end point. 3) Body — every stage, in order, linked.

Vocabulary: Process Vocabulary

6 items

Framework: The STEP Framework

STEP, 4 steps

STEP: A 4-step approach to describing process diagrams clearly and systematically.

Reading: The finished Band 7 description

Read a 254-word text about The finished Band 7 description

The finished Band 7 description Your first try from the warm-up, done properly: a complete Task 1 answer for a diagram showing coffee production. About 165 words — the structural moves and sequencing language are bold. The model answer The diagram illustrates the process by which coffee is produced, from the harvesting of the beans to the packaging of the final product. Overall, the process comprises six main stages. It begins with the picking of ripe coffee cherries and ends with ground coffee being packed for sale, with the most significant transformation taking place during roasting. At the first stage, the coffee cherries are harvested from the plants, usually by hand. Next, the cherries are spread out and dried in the sun for several days, after which the outer skin is removed to leave the green beans. The beans are then transported to a roasting facility, where they are roasted at approximately 200 degrees, turning them dark brown and developing the flavour. Following this, the roasted beans are cooled rapidly and ground into a fine powder. Finally, the ground coffee is weighed, packaged and dispatched to shops and supermarkets. Why this scores The introduction paraphrases the task instead of copying it; the overview counts the stages and names the start and end — the sentence Band 6 answers forget. Every stage is in accurate passive voice, and the sequencers vary: at the first stage, next, then, following this, finally. Nothing is invented and nothing is judged — the diagram is simply turned into prose.

Practice: Passive Voice Practice

Gap-fill exercise, 5 items

• The raw materials ____ to the factory by truck.
• The mixture ____ at 200 degrees for two hours.
• ____ being dried, the beans are sorted by size.
• The product ____ inspected prior to packaging.
• Two processes occur ____, reducing production time.

Practice: Match Active to Passive

Matching exercise, 5 items

• Workers harvest the crops
• Machines sort the products
• Engineers test the equipment
• The sun dries the beans
• Staff package the items

Discussion: Describe it like the exam

3 discussion questions

• Mission: describe a simple process you know well — making tea, washing clothes, posting a parcel — as a complete spoken Task 1 answer: introduction, overview with the number of stages, then every stage in passive voice. (Success = an overview sentence + at least five different sequencers + consistent passive. Tutor: count the sequencers on your fingers.)
• Second take: same process, but your two favourite connectors are now banned — describe it again without using 'then' or 'next' at all.
• Callback: in your warm-up coffee attempt, did you have an overview? Was anything in the passive? Say your new overview sentence for the coffee diagram from memory.