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IELTS Writing Task 1 – Process Practice
10 lessons · choose a test to start. Answers open with the passwords from your teacher.
The water cycle
Phase 1: Movement into and through the air (stages 1–3)
Phase 2: Movement over and under the ground (stages 4–6)
1
Evaporation
+ heat from the sun
↗ water vapour
2
Condensation
↗ clouds
3
Precipitation
↗ rain, snow
4
Run-off
5
Infiltration
↗ groundwater
6
Collection
The water cycle
Simplified diagram: the cycle has no fixed start; stage 1 is a convenient starting point.
Test 1. The Water Cycle
Natural process
Band 6.0 vs 7.0
6 stages
The life cycle of a butterfly
Phase 1: Early development (egg, caterpillar, pupa) (stages 1–3)
Phase 2: Adult life (stages 4–5)
1
Eggs on a leaf
hatch in a few days
2
Caterpillar
about 2–4 weeks
+ leaves
3
Chrysalis*
about 1–2 weeks
4
Adult butterfly
5
Adult lays eggs
+ nectar
↗ new eggs
Life cycle of a
butterfly
*chrysalis: the hard case in which the pupa changes into an adult. Times are approximate and vary between species.
Test 2. The Life Cycle of a Butterfly
Natural process
Band 6.0 vs 7.0
5 stages
How a seed grows into a plant
Phase 1: Germination (below the soil) (stages 1–4)
Phase 2: Growth and reproduction (above the soil) (stages 5–7)
1
Seed in the soil
2
Seed absorbs water
+ water
3
Root grows down
4
Shoot* grows up
5
First leaves open
+ sunlight
6
Plant flowers
7
New seeds form
↗ new seeds
*shoot: the young stem that grows up towards the light. Simplified diagram – no times are shown.
Test 3. How a Seed Grows into a Plant
Natural process
Band 6.0 vs 7.0
7 stages
The life cycle of a salmon
Phase 1: Life in the river (freshwater) (stages 1–3)
Phase 2: Life at sea and the return journey (stages 4–6)
1
Eggs in gravel
2
Alevin*
3
Young fish (fry)
1–3 years
4
Smolt** to the sea
5
Adult in the ocean
1–4 years
6
Returns upriver
↗ new eggs
River → Sea → River
*alevin: a newly hatched salmon that still carries a yolk sac. **smolt: a young salmon ready to move to the sea. Times are approximate.
Test 4. The Life Cycle of a Salmon
Natural process
Band 6.0 vs 7.0
6 stages
How a river delta forms
Phase 1: Transport and deposition of sediment (stages 1–3)
Phase 2: Building of the delta (stages 4–6)
1
River carries
sediment*
+ sand, silt, mud
2
River slows at the
sea
3
Sediment dropped
4
New land builds up
5
River splits into
channels
6
A delta is formed
hundreds to thousands of years
↗ fertile delta
*sediment: small pieces of sand, silt and mud carried by moving water. Simplified diagram – times are approximate.
Test 5. How a River Delta Forms
Natural process
Band 6.0 vs 7.0
6 stages
Recycling glass bottles
Phase 1: Collection and preparation of used glass (stages 1–4)
Phase 2: Production and sale of new bottles (stages 5–8)
1
Collection at
bottle banks
2
Washing
+ high-pressure water
3
Sorting by colour
↗ clear, green, brown
4
Crushing into
cullet*
↗ cullet
5
Melting in a
furnace
1,500°C
+ raw materials (sand)
6
Moulding new
bottles
7
Filling with
drinks
8
Sold in shops
↗ back to bottle banks
Glass recycling
*cullet: small pieces of crushed glass ready for melting. Figures are illustrative.
Test 6. Recycling Glass Bottles
Manufacturing process
Band 6.0 vs 7.0
8 stages
The manufacture of clay bricks
Phase 1: Preparing and shaping the clay (stages 1–4)
Phase 2: Firing, packing and delivery (stages 5–8)
1
Digging clay
2
Sieving and mixing
+ sand
+ water
3
Moulding
4
Drying
24–48 hours
5
Firing in a kiln*
about 1,000°C
6
Cooling
2–3 days
7
Packaging
8
Delivery to
building sites
↗ finished bricks
*kiln: a very hot oven used to harden bricks. Times and temperatures are illustrative.
Test 7. How Bricks Are Manufactured
Manufacturing process
Band 6.0 vs 7.0
8 stages
The production of instant coffee
Phase 1: Preparing the beans (stages 1–3)
Phase 2: Turning ground coffee into instant coffee (stages 4–7)
1
Picking beans
2
Roasting
about 200°C
3
Grinding
↗ ground coffee
4
Mixing with hot
water
+ hot water
5
Filtering
6
Freeze-drying*
−40°C
↗ coffee granules
7
Packing in jars
*freeze-drying: freezing the liquid coffee and removing the ice so that only dry granules remain. Temperatures are illustrative.
Test 8. How Instant Coffee Is Produced
Manufacturing process
Band 6.0 vs 7.0
7 stages
The treatment of drinking water
Phase 1: Cleaning the water (stages 1–5)
Phase 2: Disinfection, storage and supply (stages 6–8)
1
Water from a
reservoir
2
Screening
↗ leaves, sticks, rubbish
3
Adding chemicals
+ chemicals
4
Settling tank
↗ sludge*
5
Filtering
+ sand and gravel layers
6
Disinfection
+ chlorine**
7
Storage tank
8
Pipes to homes
↗ clean drinking water
*sludge: the dirt that sinks to the bottom of the tank. **chlorine: a chemical that kills bacteria. Simplified diagram – figures are illustrative.
Test 9. How Drinking Water Is Treated
Manufacturing process
Band 6.0 vs 7.0
8 stages
Rice production: from field to table
Phase 1: Growing rice in the field (stages 1–4)
Phase 2: Processing and packing (stages 5–8)
1
Sowing seeds
2
Transplanting
after about 3–4 weeks
3
Growing in a
flooded field
about 3 months
+ water
4
Harvesting
5
Threshing*
↗ straw
6
Drying in the sun
7
Milling
↗ husks**, bran
8
Packing in bags
↗ rice for sale
*threshing: separating the grains from the stalks. **husk: the hard outer cover of a rice grain. Times are approximate and illustrative.
Test 10. Rice Production: From Field to Table
Manufacturing process
Band 6.0 vs 7.0
8 stages