APIEWriting IELTS Task 1: Processes
Factories, workshops and how things are made
Answers and an explanation for each question appear once you add this activity to your own library.
How to use this lesson
👩🏫 For Teachers
Use this 35-minute lesson to build process writing skills step by step.
Monitor student responses through the automatic grading feedback for quick checks.
🎓 For Learners
Start by completing the practice exercises in Module 1 to learn useful words and sentence patterns.
Move on to Module 2 to write your full report, then review the model answer in Module 3.
Module 1: Process Writing Build-Up
Topic: How a letter travels from a post box to a home
Learn essential words, sequence markers, passive verbs, and sentence patterns.
A Part (a): Word Forms (5 items)
Choose the correct form of the word to complete each sentence about sending mail.
1. The local postal worker completes the daily mail ___ early in the morning.
2. Letters are grouped by address during the mail ___ stage.
3. Before sending a letter, you must attach the correct ___ to the envelope.
4. The mail truck provides fast ___ of letters across the city.
5. The post office handles the ___ of thousands of letters every day.
B Part (b): Linking Words for a Process (5 items)
Select the linking word that best fits each step of the letter journey.
1. ___, a person writes a letter and drops it into a local post box.
2. ___, a postal worker opens the box and collects all the mail.
3. The collected mail is ___ taken to the central sorting facility.
4. ___ sorting the letters by post code, workers place them into delivery bags.
5. ___, the local letter carrier delivers the mail directly to the recipient's door.
C Part (c): Passive Verbs (5 items)
Fill in each blank using the correct passive form from the Word Bank below.
📋 Word Bank
D Part (d): Sentence Paraphrase (3 items)
Select the sentence option that expresses the exact same meaning using different words.
"The postal worker collects the mail from the post box at 5 PM."
Which sentence means the same thing?
"Workers sort the letters according to their destination post codes."
Which sentence means the same thing?
"Finally, the mail carrier delivers the letter to the home."
Which sentence means the same thing?
Module 2: Writing Task 1 Process Report
Topic: How a potter makes a clay mug in a small workshop
Write a complete report of at least 120 words summarizing the main features in accurate order.
"The diagram shows the main stages in how a potter makes a clay mug in a small workshop. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features."
Write at least 120 words.
🏺 8-Stage Process Flow
Study the sequence of steps below before starting your report:
1. The potter cuts a block of clay with a wire and presses the air out of it by hand
2. The potter shapes the mug on a spinning wheel
3. The potter makes a handle from a small piece of clay and joins it to the mug
4. The mug dries in the air for about a week
5. The potter bakes the mug in a kiln for the first time
6. The potter dips the mug into a liquid called glaze
7. The potter bakes the mug a second time
8. The mug cools, the potter checks it, and then the potter sells it in a shop.
Process Report Checklist
Make sure your report includes all essential elements of a successful Task 1 response:
Write Your Process Report
Write your response below based on the 8 stages shown above.
Evaluation Criteria: Task Achievement • Coherence and Cohesion • Lexical Resource • Grammatical Range and Accuracy
____ (Write your report here (at least 120 words)...)Module 3: Model Answer & Useful Phrases
Topic: How a potter makes a clay mug in a small workshop
Word Count: 141 words • All 8 steps included in correct sequence • Key passive forms highlighted
Complete Model Answer
The diagram illustrates the process of making a clay mug in a small workshop. Overall, the process consists of eight main stages, beginning with preparing the raw clay and ending with selling the finished product in a shop.
First, a block of clay is cut with a wire, and air is pressed out of it by hand. Next, the mug is shaped on a spinning wheel. After that, a handle is made from a small piece of clay and joined to the body. The mug is then left to dry in the air for about a week.
Once dry, the mug is baked in a kiln for the first time. Following this, it is dipped into a liquid called glaze before being baked a second time. Finally, the mug cools down, is checked for quality, and is sold in a shop.
🔍 Why These 8 Phrases Work
Simple notes explaining why each highlighted phrase is worth using in your report:
Why this works: A clear opening phrase that introduces the topic directly without copying the task wording line for line.
Why this works: Gives the reader an instant overview of how long and detailed the process is going to be.
Why this works: Outlines the complete journey from start to finish in one well-built overview sentence.
Why this works: Uses passive verbs smoothly so the attention remains on the object and action rather than the worker.
Why this works: A natural transition phrase that moves the reader smoothly from step to step without sounding repetitive.
Why this works: Placing "then" inside the verb phrase makes the sentence flow naturally and sound more advanced.
Why this works: Connects the condition resulting from the previous step directly to the start of the next action.
Why this works: Joins two related actions into a single smooth sentence instead of using two short, choppy sentences.
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