IELTS Process Writing – Tea Production

In this IELTS process writing sample, the manufacture of tea is described.

A process diagram is different to a graph or chart and requires some different language structures (though you still need to compare and contrast the various stages in the process where possible).

Particular language structures that you need to be aware of are the passive and time phrases.

Now, take a look at this question and the tea process below, and then study the model answer and comments below.

IELTS Process – Tea Production

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task. The diagram shows how tea leaves are processed into five tea types. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons where relevant. Write at least 150 words.

IELTS process writing Model Answer

The diagram presents the manufacture of five different types of tea. It is immediately apparent that although all the teas are produced from the same leaf, the differences in the manufacturing process result in five different types of tea.

The first three stages of manufacture are the same for all of the five teas. The leaves are grown, they are then plucked, and following this withering of the leaves occurs. The final stage is also the same, which sees all the leaves dried in an oven. However, in the stages between these, differing methods of production are employed.

To begin, white tea is unique as it involves no other processing. In contrast, green, oolong, and large-leaf black tea are all rolled as part of the process. However, while green tea is steamed before being rolled but is not fermented, the other two teas are first rolled and then both fermented (oolong only slightly but large leaf black completely). Finally, small-leaf black tea is neither steamed nor rolled, but is crushed before being fully fermented.

(177 Words)

Evaluation of the answer

Your description of the diagram showing the manufacturing process of five different types of tea is clear and detailed. However, there are a few minor improvements that can be made:

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 8-9

• The flow of information is clear, and the paragraphing is appropriate.
• The transitions between ideas are smooth, and the logical progression from general to specific is well-structured.

Language and Grammar: Band 7-8

• Spelling correction: The word “occures” should be “occurs” in the second sentence.
• Articles: “Large-leaf black tea” and “small-leaf black tea” should consistently use hyphens, which you already did correctly.
• Sentence clarity: In the second to last sentence, there’s a slight confusion in structure: “while green tea is steamed before being rolled but is not fermented” can be simplified to avoid redundancy. Consider removing “but” or rephrasing for clarity.

For example:

• “While green tea is steamed before being rolled and is not fermented, the other two teas…”

Task Achievement: Band 9

• The task is well-addressed. You have clearly outlined the process for each type of tea and the differences in production methods.
• The comparison between the teas is clear, and you successfully highlight the unique steps for each type.

Suggestions for Improvement:

• Simplify some sentence structures for smoother reading. For example, in the second-to-last sentence, you could say: “Green tea is steamed before being rolled, but it is not fermented, unlike oolong and large-leaf black tea, which are both fermented—oolong slightly and large-leaf black tea completely.”

Overall Evaluation: Band 8

This is a well-written response that clearly describes the process of tea manufacturing. With a few adjustments to grammar and sentence clarity, this could easily achieve a higher score.