How To Write an
IELTS Process Diagram Essay
An IELTS process diagram question can contain a wide variety of different
types of graphics. It could be a natural process such as the water cycle, a
manufacturing process or a diagram of a system.
Using these 5 steps will help you to write a high-scoring process diagram
essay:
1) Analyse the question
2) Identify the main features
3) Write an introduction
4) Write an overview
5) Write the details paragraphs
The diagrams below show a structure that is used to generate
electricity from wave power.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features,
and make comparisons where relevant.
Write at least 150 words.
Generating Electricity From The Sea
Step 1 – Analyse the question
The format of every Academic Task 1 question is the same, with the
instruction sentence (highlighted below) identical in every question. Here is
our practice question again.
The diagrams below show a structure that is used to generate
electricity from wave power.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main
features, and make comparisons where relevant.
Every question consists of:
Sentence 1 – A brief description of the graphic
Sentence 2 – The instructions
The graphic – diagram, chart, graph, table, etc.
Sentence 2 tells you what you have to do.
You must do 3 things:
1. Select the main features.
2. Write about the main features.
3. Compare the main features.
All three tasks refer to the ‘main features’ of the graphic. You do not have
to write about everything. Just pick out 2 or 3 key features and you’ll have
plenty to write about.
Step 2 – Identify the Main Features
The graphic in IELTS process diagram questions should not be difficult to
understand. There are not usually any numbers to analyse as in other
types of question, just a diagram to interpret or, as in our practice question,
two diagrams which each show part of the process.
All you are looking for are the main features. These should be the easiest
things to spot. There will be lots of information in the graphic to help you
identify them, especially, titles, labels and captions.
Here are some useful questions to ask?
1) Is it a linear or a cyclical process?
A linear process starts and finishes at different places. It will often involve
the manufacture or creation of something, starting with the raw materials
going in at one end and the finished product coming out the other end. An
example of this can be seen in this diagram from a past IELTS process
diagram question about the manufacture of bricks.
Linear process
A cyclical process, on the other hand, is a process that goes back to the
beginning and repeats over and over again, such as the life cycle of a frog
or a butterfly.
Cyclical process
2) Where does the process start and end?
For a linear process this will usually be obvious. It may be harder to
determine for a cyclical process so it’s important that you examine the
graphic carefully to find out.
3) How many steps are there to the process?
If there are a lot, it can be helpful to number them from 1 to whatever
number the final stage is.
4) Can the process be easily broken down into stages?
In the brick-making graphic, for example, there are three stages:
a) Creating the bricks from clay
b) Manufacturing the finished product by drying and firing
c) Packaging and delivery
In the life cycle graphic above, there are also three distinct stages as the
frog passes through different stages of development – egg, juvenile, adult.
5) What are the raw materials? What is produced at the end of the
process?
These questions obviously apply only to manufacturing processes.
For other types of process, it might be more appropriate to ask the
following question.
6) What is the end result of the process?
This question is relevant for our practice IELTS process diagram question
which shows a process that creates something using a particular structure.
The end result is the production of electricity.
So, what main features stand out in our practice graphic? Here it is again.
Generating Electricity From The Sea
This graphic doesn’t contain very much detail. There are only two stages to
the process:
Stage 1: Electricity is generated as the wave flows into the structure
(Diagram A).
Stage 2: Electricity is also created as the receding wave draws air back
down the column (Diagram B).
We’re now ready to begin writing our essay. Here’s a reminder of the 4 part
structure we’re going to use.
Paragraph 1 – Introduction
Paragraph 2 – Overview
Paragraph 3 – 1st main feature
Paragraph 4 – 2nd main feature
Step 3 – Write an Introduction
In the introduction, you should simply paraphrase the question, that is, say
the same thing in a different way. You can do this by using synonyms and
changing the sentence structure. For example:
Question:
The diagrams below show a structure that is used to generate
electricity from wave power.
Introduction (Paragraph 1):
The two diagrams illustrate a method of creating electricity from the
force of waves using a specifically designed man-made construction.
This is all you need to do for the introduction.
Step 4 – Write an Overview (Paragraph 2)
In the second paragraph, you should give a general description of the
diagram/s or process. The detail comes later in the essay.
State the information simply using synonyms where possible. No elaborate
vocabulary or grammar structures are required, just the appropriate words
and correct verb tenses.
For example:
Overview (Paragraph 2):
The structure, consisting of a wave chamber and a tall column
containing a turbine, is erected on a steeply sloping coastal cliff or
sea wall where it is subject to the movement of the ocean waves.
Step 5 – Write the 1st Detail Paragraph
Paragraphs 3 and 4 of your IELTS process diagram essay are where
you include more detailed information. In paragraph 3, you should
explain the first key feature in more detail.
For this question, we will expand on the first stage of the process.
Here it is again:
Stage 1: Electricity is generated as the wave flows into the structure
(Diagram A).
And this is an example of what you could write:
Paragraph 3:
The first diagram shows how the incoming wave fills a large chamber
and forces the air inside this space up the column and through the
turbine. The pressure of the air rotates the turbine which generates a
current of electricity. The process does not end there for the structure
is able to continue producing power as the sea recedes as can be
seen in the second diagram.
Step 6 – Write the 2nd Detail Paragraph
For the fourth and final paragraph, you do the same thing for your
remaining key features or, for this question, the second stage of the
process.
Here it is again:
Stage 2: Electricity is also created as the receding wave draws air back
down the column (Diagram B).
Here’s an example of what you could write:
Paragraph 4:
As the water now flows away from the structure, it draws air back
down the column and downwards through the turbine in the same
direction as the previous upward flow of air. The turbine continues to
turn thus generating even more electricity.
Here are the four paragraphs brought together to create our finished essay.
Finished IELTS Process Diagram Essay
