PROCESS
Quy trình, quá trình.
I. Introduction
1. Different Types of Process Question
There are generally two different types of process question: natural and man-made.
Natural processes include things like the life cycle of a butterfly or frog, pregnancy, the water cycle or
how cows produce milk.
You might also be asked to describe a man-made process like how coffee, tea, beer or wine are made,
how cement or bricks are produced or how an ATM or the internet works.
It does not matter if it is man-made or a natural process. The same skills and system we use to answer
process questions are the same for both.
2. Writing Task 1 Process Questions: 4 Steps Plan
To understand the task and quickly make a plan to answer process questions you should follow the 4 steps
below:
- Understand the process. Find the start and the end of the process. Count how many stages there are
and understand what each stage does and the relationship it has with the stage before and after it.
BAO NHIÊU GIAI ĐOẠN – MỖI GIAI ĐOẠN LÀ GÌ – MỐI QUAN HỆ GIỮA CÁC GIAI ĐOẠN
TRƯỚC – SAU.
- Paraphrase the question.
- Describe what is happening generally in 2 sentences. This is your overview paragraph.
- Divide the process in two and write two separate paragraphs detailing each stage of the process.
INTRODUCTION
OVERVIEW: QUY TRÌNH ĐẤY LÀ QUY TRÌNH GÌ? CÓ MẤY BƯỚC?
DETAIL: CHIA QUY TRÌNH THÀNH 2 – VIẾT THÀNH 2 ĐOẠN.
II. How to write
1. Understand the Process
One of the most challenging things about these questions is having to write about something you have
never seen or heard of before.
Don’t worry, try to remember two things.
First, the examiner knows that you have probably never seen this process before and you have only 20
minutes to write about it. They do not expect a perfect answer. Just pick out the main features and report
them accurately.
Second, you can quickly understand any process by asking yourself these questions:
1. Where does the process start and where does it end?
2. How many stages are there?
3. Are there any materials that need to be added to the process?
4. What is produced?
5. What does each stage of the process do?
6. What are the relationships between each stage?
The processes you will be asked to write about in the IELTS test will not be very complicated and you
should be able to easily answer all of the questions above. When you do this you will completely
understand what is happening and you will be able to start writing your answer.
2. Paraphrase the Question
The first thing we need to do in every question is to paraphrase the general information. We paraphrase a
sentence by rewriting it so that the words are different but the meaning stays the same.
For example:
Question: The diagram below shows how electricity is produced in a nuclear power station.
Paraphrased: The diagram illustrates the process of how nuclear power plants make electricity.
3. Write the overview of Process
The overview is probably the most important paragraph in the whole essay. If you do not write an
overview it is extremely difficult to get a high mark in IELTS Task 1, however, if you learn how to write
a good one, you are far more likely to get the score you deserve.
Overviews for process questions can be done quite easily by asking yourself a few questions. The answers
to these questions will allow you to form 2 overview sentences.
TRẢ LỜI CHO MẤY CÂU HỎI SAU:
1. How many stages are there?
2. What is produced?
3. Where does it start and where does it end?
You might not be able to answer all of these for each process question, but you will always be able to
answer enough of them to be able to write a good overview.
4. Detail Each Stage of the Process
Now that we have paraphrased the question and provided an overview we need to tell the examiner about
each stage in more detail.
You can say:
what each stage does
what it produces
if any materials are added
and/or discuss the relationship with the previous or subsequent stages.
III. Some notes
1. Sequencing the Process
Try to sequence your language and make your details easier to read by using language like:
- To begin/ First/ First of all/ The initial step is that
- Secondly
- Following this
- Next
- Then
- After
- After that
- Subsequently
- Finally
2. The Passive – BỊ ĐỘNG?
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.
For example:
- 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.
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.
Sample answer
The diagram explains the way in which bricks are made for the building industry.
Overall, there are eight stages in the process, beginning with the digging up of clay and culminating in
delivery.
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.
Following this, sand and water are added to the clay, and this mixture is turned into two differing types
of brick 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.
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.
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
The picture below shows the recycling process of wasted glass bottles.
Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons
where relevant
Sample answer
The diagram illustrates the process of recycling wasted glass bottles.
It is clear that there are three distinct stages in the recycling process, beginning with the collection of
unused bottles and ending with the delivery of new bottles.
At the first stage in the process, wasted glass bottles are gathered at a collecting point and delivered to a
cleaning plant by a truck. At the second stage, glass bottles are washed in high- pressure water before
being categorized according to colors which normally include clear, green and brown. After that, the
bottles are sent to a glass factory where they are broken into pieces. The process continues with burning
these pieces in furnaces at the temperature of 600- 800c, and then liquid is produced. The recycled liquid
glass and the new liquid glass from other sources are then shaped in a glass mould to produce new
bottles. At the final stage, new bottles are transported to supermarkets where the products are ready for
sale. (164 words)
The illustrations show how chocolate is produced.
Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons
where relevant.
The diagram explains the process for the making of chocolate.
There are a total of ten stages in the process, beginning with the growing of the pods on the cacao trees
and culminating in the production of the chocolate.
To begin, the cocoa comes from the cacao tree, which is grown in the South American and African
continents and the country of Indonesia. Once the pods are ripe and red, they are harvested and the
white cocoa beans are removed. Following a period of fermentation, they are then laid out on a large
tray so they can dry under the sun.
Next, they are placed into large sacks and delivered to the factory. They are then roasted at a
temperature of 350 degrees, after which the beans are crushed and separated from their outer shell. In
the final stage, this inner part that is left is pressed and the chocolate is produced. (152 Words)