Academic Task 1: Process Masterclass

The IELTS process chart task is one that many students find hard. However, do not worry, as with this clear guide, you will be able to handle almost any process chart with confidence. Let’s start.

Understanding the Task Format

Here is what a process task looks like:

As you can see it is divided into three parts:

• The top part, that tells what the process chart is about.
• The middle part that gives you instructions.
• The bottom part which holds the process chart itself.

Now let’s go to the main part, which is the paragraphing.

Ideal Paragraphing Structure

Most process charts fit well within a 3 or 4 paragraph structure. The structure roughly follows this plan:

Introduction + Overview - you simply change the ‘about’ statement at the top of the process task + You give an overview of the main stages.

Detail Paragraph 1 - A detailed description of the first stage.

Detail Paragraph 2 - A detailed description of the second stage.

Detail Paragraph 3 - A detailed description of the third stage.

• Note that most process charts can be divided into three stages, so this plan works well. However, if there are only two stages, you would create 2 detail paragraphs instead of three.

To understand this structure, let’s try a process chart step-by-step. Look at the following process chart.

The diagrams below show how fish canning is done.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

Introduction - About Statement

Like any other task, the introduction of a process also starts by restating what the map is about. This means that you have to change the statement at the top, which in this case is:

”The diagrams below show how fish canning is done.”

You can change it as:

The provided diagrams show the step-by-step process involved in canning fish.

I have said the same statement in my own words. See the underlined parts and compare them to the original statement.

At minimum, you should change 3 words from the original topic statement.

For now, let’s move to the next part.

Introduction - Overview Statement

The overview of the process chart is not a separate paragraph, but the second sentence of the introduction itself. As I mentioned earlier, the overview should include the main stages of the process. Confused? Don’t worry. Let’s use the same fish process to understand.

How many steps are there in the fish process? At least 15. And, how many stages are there?

To find the answer to this question, take a close look at the process and see if you can group the steps into 2 or 3 stages. Personally, I think that while there are 15-17 steps, there are just three stages:

Stage 1: Fish collection (step 1 to 5)

Stage 2: Fish preparation (step 6 to 9)

Stage 3: Packaging & distribution (step 10 to 15)

Every process chart will have either 2 or 3 stages (rarely even 4). The official band descriptors clearly state that a student must “present a clear overview of main … stages” to get a band 7 on the Task Achievement criteria.

Here is our full introduction now:

The provided diagrams show the step-by-step process involved in canning fish. Overall, the process seems to take place in three distinct stages - fish collection, fish preparation, and packaging and distribution.

The Detail Paragraphs

The detail paragraphs will now simply describe each step. Each detail paragraph will focus only on one stage. While describing the steps, the following should be prioritized:

• clear description of each step
• connecting steps together, whether through conjunctions or linking words
• maintaining grammatical variety

We will come to the language part later. For now, let’s just focus on describing the steps. When doing this, you should try to use synonyms for the words already there on the process chart.

Here are the detail paragraphs. Read them carefully:

The process begins with catching fish, which is then quickly frozen to a temperature of minus eighteen degrees Celsius. The frozen fish are then unloaded onto a dock, weighed, and thawed.

In the next stage, unnecessary parts of the fish are removed, and the remaining parts are gently steamed. Once cooled, these parts are cut into bite-sized fillets.

In the final stage, the filleted pieces are then placed into cans with brine or oil before the cans are securely sealed. These cans are then heated to kill any harmful microbes. After cooling, the cans are labeled and carefully stacked. Finally, the packaged cans are sent to supermarkets.

Final Sample Answer

The provided diagrams show the step-by-step process involved in canning fish. Overall, the process seems to take place in three distinct stages - fish collection, fish preparation, and packaging and distribution.

The process begins with catching fish, which is then quickly frozen to a temperature of minus eighteen degrees Celsius. The frozen fish are then unloaded onto a dock. Here, they are weighed, and possibly stored until they are needed.

In the next stage, the frozen fish is thawed. Its unnecessary parts are removed, and the remaining parts are gently steamed. Once cooled, these parts are cut into bite-sized fillets.

In the final stage, the filleted pieces are placed into cans with brine or oil before the cans are securely sealed. These cans are then heated to kill any harmful microbes. After cooling, the cans are labeled and carefully stacked. Finally, the packaged cans are sent to supermarkets.

152 Words

Important: Make sure to study each step carefully. Students who do not do so often miss chances to write longer sentences, making it hard to reach the 150 word count.

For instance, look at step 3. A student who does not pay attention may simply write: “The fish is then frozen.” (only 5 words) instead of “The fish is frozen down to a temperature of minus eighteen degrees Celsius.” (13 words!)

A Short Language Lesson For Process Charts

The three common sentence structures.

When describing a process, it's important to vary your sentence structures to make your writing more interesting and to show your understanding of English grammar. Here are three common structures you can use to describe processes:

1. Active Voice: In active voice, the subject performs the action expressed by the verb. This structure highlights the doer of the action.
   • Example: "A worker checks the fish for quality."
2. Passive Voice: The passive voice highlights the action or the object of the action, not the doer. The subject receives the action.
   • Example: "The fish are then frozen for preservation."
3. Nominalization: This involves turning verbs or adjectives into nouns, allowing us to express complex actions as a noun phrase. This often makes the sentence more formal and is very common in written descriptions of processes.
   • Example: "The check of the fish for quality comes before the freezing stage."

Exercise:

Using the process of fish canning shown in the diagram, try to write one sentence for each stage of the process using the structures mentioned above. Here are the stages you might describe:

1. Pre-canning preparation of fish
2. Catching of the fish
3. Freezing the caught fish
4. Thawing the frozen fish
5. Weighing the thawed fish
6. Unloading the fish at the facility
7. Preparing the fish for canning
8. Cooking the fish with steam
9. Cooling the cooked fish
10. Filleting the cooled fish
11. Sealing the cans
12. Sterilizing the sealed cans
13. Labeling the sterilized cans
14. Storing the labeled cans
15. Sending the cans to the supermarket

For each stage, write a sentence using an active voice, passive voice, and nominalization. Remember, the focus is on changing your sentence structure to accurately describe the process without being repetitive.

Answers:

1. Pre-canning preparation of fish
   • Active: Workers clean and prepare the fish for the canning process.
   • Passive: The fish are cleaned and prepared for the canning process by the workers.
   • Nominalization: The preparation of the fish for canning is the first step.
2. Catching of the fish
   • Active: The fishing boat catches the fish in the open sea.
   • Passive: The fish is caught by the fishing boat.
   • Nominalization: The catching of the fish starts the supply chain.
3. Freezing the caught fish
   • Active: The crew freezes the fish to keep them fresh.
   • Passive: The fish are frozen to preserve their freshness.
   • Nominalization: The freezing of the fish ensures they stay fresh when they arrive at the processing plant.
4. Thawing the frozen fish
   • Active: The processing plant thaws the frozen fish before weighing.
   • Passive: The frozen fish are thawed before the weighing process.
   • Nominalization: The thawing of the fish comes before the weighing stage.
5. Weighing the thawed fish
   • Active: Quality control staff weigh the thawed fish.
   • Passive: The thawed fish are weighed for quality control.
   • Nominalization: The weighing of the fish is important for quality control.
6. Unloading the fish at the facility
   • Active: Workers unload the fish at the canning facility.
   • Passive: The fish are unloaded at the canning facility by the workers.
   • Nominalization: The unloading of the fish at the facility is done by the workers.
7. Preparing the fish for canning
   • Active: The staff prepares the fish for the canning line.
   • Passive: The fish is prepared for the canning line by the staff.
   • Nominalization: The preparation of the fish for the canning line involves cleaning and cutting.
8. Cooking the fish with steam
   • Active: The machine cooks the fish using steam.
   • Passive: The fish is cooked using steam.
   • Nominalization: The cooking of the fish uses steam for even heat.
9. Cooling the cooked fish
   • Active: The facility cools the cooked fish to a safe temperature.
   • Passive: The cooked fish are cooled to a safe temperature.
   • Nominalization: The cooling of the cooked fish lowers the temperature for safe handling.
10. Filleting the cooled fish
    • Active: Skilled workers fillet the cooled fish.
    • Passive: The cooled fish are filleted by skilled workers.
    • Nominalization: The filleting of the fish is done by experienced workers.
11. Sealing the cans
    • Active: The canning machine seals the fish inside the cans.
    • Passive: The fish are sealed inside the cans by the canning machine.
    • Nominalization: The sealing of the cans is the last step before sterilization.
12. Sterilizing the sealed cans
    • Active: The sterilizer machine sterilizes the cans to kill any bacteria.
    • Passive: The cans are sterilized to ensure safety and shelf life.
    • Nominalization: The sterilization of the cans is important for food safety.
13. Labeling the sterilized cans
    • Active: The labeling machine puts labels on the sterilized cans.
    • Passive: Labels are put on the sterilized cans by the labeling machine.
    • Nominalization: The labeling of the cans gives product information.
14. Storing the labeled cans
    • Active: The warehouse staff stores the labeled cans until shipment.
    • Passive: The labeled cans are stored in the warehouse until shipment.
    • Nominalization: The storage of the cans happens in a controlled environment.
15. Sending the cans to the supermarket
    • Active: The logistics team sends the cans to supermarkets nationwide.
    • Passive: The cans are sent to supermarkets nationwide.
    • Nominalization: The sending of the cans to supermarkets involves logistics.

By practicing writing sentences using these structures, students can clearly describe processes in a varied and grammatically correct way.

Linking multiple steps together

To create a clear and smooth description of a process, it's important to connect stages together. This can be done using phrases like "after," "following," "next," and "which is followed by." These connectors help to show the order of actions or steps.

Here's what you can use:

1. After: Shows that one action follows another in time.
   • Example: "After the fish are thawed, they are weighed for quality control."
2. Following: Similar to "after," it shows that one step comes right after another.
   • Example: "Following the freezing of the fish, the thawing process happens."
3. Next: A simple way to indicate the next step in a sequence.
   • Example: "The fish are sealed in cans, next the cans are sterilized."
4. Which is followed by: Shows the next action without starting a new sentence.
   • Example: "The fish are cooked with steam, which is followed by a cooling period."

Practice connecting the stages of the fish canning process using these phrases to create smooth transitions from one stage to the next.

Exercise:

Here is a short 4-point exercise to practice linking multiple stages of a process together:

1. Combine the steps of freezing and thawing the fish into one sentence using "following."
2. Use "next" to link the weighing of the fish to the unloading at the facility.
3. Create a sentence that starts with the preparation of the fish and ends with the sealing of the cans, using "which is followed by."
4. Describe the final steps from sterilizing to sending using "after" to show the order.

For each point, write a single, smooth sentence that accurately shows the flow of the fish canning process as illustrated in the chart.

Answers

Here are the answers to the 4-point exercise:

1. Freezing and Thawing: "Following the freezing of the freshly caught fish to keep their quality, the thawing process starts to prepare them for the next stage of canning."
2. Weighing and Unloading: "The fish are carefully weighed for quality control, next they are unloaded at the canning facility for processing."
3. Preparing and Sealing: "The staff prepares the fish by cleaning and cutting, which is followed by steam cooking and cooling, and the process ends with sealing the cans to keep them fresh."
4. Sterilizing to Sending: "After the cans are sterilized to kill bacteria, they are labeled with product information and stored, and the process ends with the cans being sent to supermarkets for sale."