IELTS® Academic Writing Practice 19

• The writing gives a clear overview of the process.
• It covers the main starting point and ending point of the recycling cycle.
• Most key stages of the process are included.

The overview is helpful and easy to find. The sentence “Overall, recycling plastic is a six-step process” clearly tells the reader the number of stages. It also shows the first and last stages with “starts from the pick-up of sorted waste and ends with the production of new goods.” This matches the task well because a process report needs a clear summary of the whole diagram.

The body paragraphs also describe several important stages. For example, the student mentions collection, transport, storage, sorting, inspection, cleaning, chopping, shipping, and making new products. These points show that the writer understands the general process and does not ignore the main route of the plastic.

• Some details from the process are missing or not fully clear.
• A few stages are joined together too quickly.
• One added idea is not clearly shown as part of the diagram.

The report covers the main process, but some steps are not explained enough. For example, “it is cleaned with environmentally safe substances and chopped into small particles” combines two stages very quickly. The reference process shows cleaning and then the material becoming plastic grind before boxing and resale. The student gives the main idea, but the middle development is quite brief.

Another point is that “plastic masses are shipped in boxes” is a little unclear. The diagram shows small plastic pieces or processed plastic being boxed, so this phrase does not fully explain what is sent. A clearer line would be: “The chopped and cleaned plastic is then packed in boxes and sent to another factory.”

The final sentence says, “And that is when the cycle begins again, with used products going to waste.” This idea sounds logical, but it is not clearly required by the task. In a process description, it is safer to report only what the diagram shows. A better ending would be: “These new products are then sold on the market.”

• Practice writing one clear overview sentence with the first stage, last stage, and number of steps.
• Practice expanding short process stages into full sentences.
• Practice checking each sentence against the diagram, and remove ideas that are not shown.

For the first exercise, use this model: “Overall, the process has six stages, beginning with collection and ending with the sale of new plastic products.” Then make three new versions for other diagrams.

For the second exercise, take one short line like “cleaned and chopped” and split it into two steps: “Next, the plastic is washed with safe soap and water. After that, it is chopped into tiny pieces.” This helps you show each stage more fully.

For the third exercise, draw a checklist from the diagram. After writing, ask: “Did I mention only visible stages?” If a sentence adds extra ideas, rewrite it. For this task, replace the last sentence with “The new goods are finally sold to consumers.”

• The writing shows good control of basic sentence grammar.
• Passive forms are used well for process description.
• There is some variety in sentence structure.

The grammar is often accurate in simple and complex sentences. For example, “The waste is then transported by a truck to the factory's warehouse” is correct and suitable for a process report. Process tasks often need passive voice, and the student uses it naturally here.

There is also a good mix of structures. The sentence “Once the plastic waste has been thoroughly inspected, it is cleaned with environmentally safe substances and chopped into small particles” uses a time clause well. This helps the writing sound more controlled and shows more than only basic sentence forms.

• There are some grammar mistakes in word form and sentence building.
• A few phrases are not grammatically natural.
• One sentence start creates an avoidable linking problem.

The opening sentence has a grammar problem: “illustrates the behind the scenes of plastic renewance cycle.” After “illustrates,” the phrase is not built correctly. “The behind the scenes of” is not a natural structure here, and “renewance cycle” uses the wrong form. A better sentence would be: “The diagram illustrates the plastic recycling process.”

There is also a small grammar issue in “which starts from the pick-up of sorted waste.” In English, “starts with” is more natural than “starts from” in this sentence. So a better version is: “which starts with the collection of sorted waste.” Small grammar choices like this affect accuracy.

The last paragraph begins with “And that is when the cycle begins again.” Starting with “And” is possible in some styles, but here it makes the sentence sound less formal and less controlled for IELTS Task 1. A smoother option is: “The cycle then ends with the sale of these products.”

• Practice rewriting awkward phrases into simple process sentences.
• Practice passive voice sentences for each stage of a diagram.
• Practice common process patterns such as “starts with,” “is then,” and “is finally.”

For the first exercise, take incorrect phrases and rewrite them. Example: change “the behind the scenes of plastic renewance cycle” to “the process of plastic recycling.” Do this with five phrases from your own writing.

For the second exercise, write one passive sentence for each step. For example: “The plastic is collected.” “It is stored in a warehouse.” “It is chopped into small pieces.” This will build accuracy for Task 1 grammar.

For the third exercise, make a short template list: “The process starts with… Next, … is transported… After that, … is cleaned… Finally, … is sold.” Then use the template with new diagrams until the patterns feel natural.

• The student uses enough topic words for a process about recycling.
• There is some attempt to vary vocabulary.
• Several word choices fit the task well.

The writing includes useful words for this topic, such as “recycling,” “sorted waste,” “warehouse,” “inspected,” “chopped,” “particles,” “shipped,” and “manufacturing.” These words help explain the plastic recycling process clearly and show enough language for the task.

The student also avoids repeating the same noun every time. For example, the writing uses “plastic waste,” “stored waste,” and “new goods.” This shows some range, which is useful in IELTS Task 1.

• Some vocabulary choices are incorrect or unnatural.
• A few words make the process less clear.
• There is some overuse of unusual wording where simple words would work better.

The phrase “plastic renewance cycle” is the clearest example of a weak word choice. “Renewance” is not the right word here. It sounds invented or wrongly formed. In IELTS Task 1, accurate simple words are better than unusual words. A clear replacement is: “plastic recycling process.”

The phrase “behind the scenes” is also not a good fit for this report. It is more common in everyday speech, not in a process description. Because of this, the sentence sounds less precise. A better option is: “The diagram shows how plastic is recycled.”

Another unclear phrase is “plastic masses.” This does not clearly describe the material in the diagram. The reader may not know if this means liquid plastic, large blocks, or small pieces. A more exact phrase would be: “the cleaned plastic pieces” or “the plastic grind.”

The student sometimes uses longer phrases when a simple one would be stronger. For example, “environmentally safe substances” is understandable, but if the diagram shows soap and water, then “soap and water” is more exact. In this task, exact words usually help more than broad words.

• Build a small word list for common process tasks.
• Practice replacing awkward words with simple, exact ones.
• Match words to the diagram so each noun clearly names the material or action.

For the first exercise, make a list with pairs like: collect, transport, store, sort, inspect, wash, chop, pack, manufacture, sell. Write one sentence with each word.

For the second exercise, rewrite phrases from your report. Change “renewance cycle” to “recycling process,” “behind the scenes” to “shows,” and “plastic masses” to “plastic pieces.” This trains you to choose safer words.

For the third exercise, look at each stage in the diagram and name it with one exact noun and one exact verb. For example: “warehouse - store,” “machine - chop,” “boxes - pack.” Then use those words in a short full report.

• The report has a clear overall structure.
• The stages are mostly presented in the correct order.
• The writer uses linking words to guide the reader.

The writing is easy to follow because it has an introduction, an overview, and body details. This is a good structure for IELTS Task 1. The reader can quickly understand what the diagram is about and then follow the process from beginning to end.

The order of ideas is also mostly clear. Phrases like “Everything starts with,” “then,” “When the time comes,” “Once,” and “After the following steps” help move the reader through the process. These signals support the sequence of events, which is important in a flow chart report.

• Some linking phrases are unclear or not well chosen.
• A few stages are grouped together, so the flow feels rushed.
• The final sentence weakens the ending of the report.

The phrase “After the following steps” is confusing. It does not clearly tell the reader which steps have finished. A clearer link would be: “After the plastic has been cleaned and chopped, it is shipped in boxes…” Good cohesion needs links that point clearly to the previous stage.

Some stages are packed into one sentence, especially in the middle. For example, inspection, cleaning, and chopping are all placed very close together. This makes the process feel faster than it is in the diagram. In Task 1, it often helps to separate important stages. You could write: “Next, the plastic is inspected by hand. It is then cleaned. After that, it is chopped into small pieces.”

The ending is less effective because it adds “the cycle begins again, with used products going to waste.” This moves away from the main reporting line and changes the focus at the end. A stronger ending would stay with the last shown stage: “Finally, the new products are sold to consumers.”

• Practice using simple time-order linkers for each stage.
• Practice splitting long process sentences into shorter step-by-step sentences.
• Practice writing a clean ending that stops at the final stage in the diagram.

For the first exercise, write a list of linkers in order: “First,” “Next,” “Then,” “After that,” and “Finally.” Use them to rewrite this report with one main action in each sentence.

For the second exercise, take one long sentence from your report and break it into three short ones. For example, split the sentence about inspection, cleaning, and chopping into three separate steps.

For the third exercise, write three different final sentences that match the diagram only. Example: “Finally, the recycled plastic is made into new products and sold.” This will help your reports end in a clear and direct way.