IELTS Writing Task 1: Food Preservation Process
Fermentation and food preservation
Answers and an explanation for each question appear once you add this activity to your own library.
📋 How to use this lesson
For Teachers
Focus & Timing: Spend 10 to 12 minutes building sentence tools before moving to the main writing task.
Answer Key: Interactive fields grade automatically on submission so you can address shared errors quickly.
For Learners
First: Work through these four short exercises to master the core sentence structures of a process.
Next: Check your answers, note down any new phrasing, and take these tools straight into Module 2.
Module 1: Building the Tools. Bus Timetable Planning
Practise four core sentence tools using a neutral real-world planning process.
Word Forms
Choose the correct grammatical form to complete each sentence about the bus planning process.
1. Transit planners conduct a detailed ______ of passenger traffic along the proposed corridor.
2. The team must ______ travel times from test runs before setting departure intervals.
3. A careful ______ about how many buses to use keeps the route financially viable.
4. Operational managers make minor ______ to the running board after testing weekend frequency.
5. The formal ______ of the final schedule takes place two weeks prior to service launch.
Linking Words for a Process
Select the most fitting sequence word to maintain a logical progression through the planning phases.
6. ______, commuter volume and peak travel periods are recorded along the prospective route.
7. Key road corridors are identified; ______, safety inspectors evaluate potential halt locations.
8. Planners calculate run times during morning hours. ______, another team runs trial journeys during off-peak times.
9. Once test run durations are confirmed, draft intervals are established. ______, driver rest breaks are integrated into the shift roster.
10. ______, the completed timetable is uploaded to digital departure displays across all depots.
Passive Voice in Processes
Complete each sentence using the correct passive verb from the word bank.
11. In the first phase, passenger demand across key travel hubs
12. Next, designated stop locations along the thoroughfare
13. Before test runs commence, pedestrian crossing safety
14. Following trial runs, exact departure times
15. At the culmination of the project, the finalised timetable
Paraphrasing Skills
Choose the sentence that conveys the exact same meaning using different words and structure.
Which sentence rephrases the statement accurately?
Which sentence rephrases the statement accurately?
Which sentence rephrases the statement accurately?
The Main Task: Home Cabbage Fermentation
Put your sentence tools to work by writing a complete process report from start to finish.
Writing Task 1 Prompt
"The diagram shows the main stages in how a jar of fermented cabbage is made at home. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features."
Write at least 150 words.
Process Stages
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1 A cook washes the cabbage and cuts it into thin strips→ ↓
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2 The cook mixes the strips with salt and rubs them until juice comes out→ ↓
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3 The cook packs the strips tightly into a clean jar and presses them down until the juice covers them→ ↓
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4 The cook puts a loose lid on the jar so that gas can escape→ ↓
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5 The jar stands at room temperature for several days while microbes make acid→ ↓
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6 The cook tastes the cabbage each day and checks that it stays under the juice→ ↓
- 7 When the cabbage is sour enough, the cook closes the lid tightly and puts the jar in the fridge.
✅ Essential Checklist for Every Process Report
Make sure your written response satisfies each of the following general standards before submitting:
- ✓ An overview
- ✓ Every stage in the right order
- ✓ Linking words for sequence
- ✓ Accurate details
- ✓ At least 150 words
Report Writing
Compose your complete Task 1 response in the box below.
Model Analysis: See How It Works
Read this complete report openly to see how simple passive verbs and clear sequence links fit together.
Home Cabbage Fermentation
The diagram illustrates the main stages in how a jar of fermented cabbage is made at home. Overall, the entire procedure comprises seven sequential steps from start to finish, beginning with the washing and cutting of fresh cabbage and culminating in chilling the finished sour cabbage in the fridge.
To begin with, the cabbage is washed and cut into thin strips. After that, the strips are mixed with salt and rubbed until juice comes out. In the following stage, the cabbage is packed tightly into a clean jar and pressed down until the juice covers it completely. Once this step is completed, a loose lid is put on the jar so that gas can escape easily.
Subsequently, the jar stands at room temperature for several days while microbes make acid. Throughout this waiting period, the cabbage is tasted each day and checked carefully to make sure that it stays under the juice. Finally, when the cabbage is sour enough, the lid is closed tightly, and the jar is then put in the fridge.
Why This Works
Study these seven building blocks to see why each phrase makes the report clear and natural.
beginning with ... and culminating in ...
Why this works: It gives your summary paragraph a clear start and finish in one smooth sentence.
is washed and cut into thin strips
Why this works: You can join two actions to the same object with one "is", which keeps your sentence fast and uncluttered.
until juice comes out
Why this works: "Until" tells the reader exactly when the worker stops without needing a long explanation.
is packed tightly into a clean jar and pressed down
Why this works: Descriptive words like "tightly" and "down" show the reader how something is done, not just that it happened.
so that gas can escape easily
Why this works: "So that" connects a physical action directly to the reason behind it.
while microbes make acid
Why this works: "While" lets you show what happens inside the food while the container simply rests.
checked carefully to make sure that it stays under the juice
Why this works: It turns an everyday kitchen check into a neat, accurate reporting statement.
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