A process is a different kind of Task 1
Most Task 1 questions give you numbers to compare. A process diagram does not. It shows the STAGES of how something is made or how something happens, in order, from start to finish. So there is nothing to add up and nothing to compare. Unlike a line graph or a bar chart, a process has no data at all. Instead, you describe each step in the right order, and you use a lot of the passive voice ("the water is heated", "the beans are dried"). The skill is simply telling the story of the process clearly.
In a process diagram, describe...
✓Every stage, in the correct order from start to finish. Do not skip any step.
✓The overview first: how many main stages there are, and where it begins and ends. No numbers.
✓The shape: is it a straight line (start to end), or a cycle that repeats?
✓Use the passive voice when no person is named: "the beans are dried", not "someone dries the beans".
✓Use the present simple tense. A process happens the same way every time, so use "is heated", not "was heated".
✓Link the stages with sequence words: first, then, next, after that, finally.
8 phrases that make a process flow
1at the outset
at the very beginning of the process (a nicer way to say 'first').
Example: At the outset, the raw materials are delivered to the factory.
2following this
right after this step; use it to move to the next stage.
Example: The beans are washed. Following this, they are left in the sun to dry.
3in the final stage
at the last step of the process.
Example: In the final stage, the bottles are labelled and packed for delivery.
4is heated
something is made hot (passive: we do not say who does it).
Example: The water is heated until it turns into steam.
5is converted into
is changed into a different form or product.
Example: The steam is converted into electricity by the turbine.
6is collected
is gathered together in one place (passive).
Example: The rainwater is collected in a large underground tank.
7resulting in
which causes or leads to the next thing; links a step to its outcome.
Example: The liquid is cooled, resulting in solid blocks of sugar.
8once completed
when this step is finished; useful for a cycle that starts again.
Example: Once completed, the whole cycle begins again from the first stage.
Three fixes that raise a process score
Use the passive when no one is named
✕Someone heats the water, and then a worker pours it into the mould.
✓The water is heated, and then it is poured into the mould.
In a process we usually do not know who does each step, so we use the passive voice ("is heated", "is poured"). It sounds natural and factual, and it is what Task 1 expects.
Describe every stage, in order
✕First the clay is dug up. Then the bricks are dry.
✓First the clay is dug up. Next it is shaped into bricks. After that, the bricks are left to dry.
A process must follow every stage in the correct order, with none missing. Sequence words (first, next, after that) let the reader follow each step from start to finish.
No numbers to compare
✕The drying stage rose to 45 percent between 2010 and 2020.
✓In the drying stage, the bricks are left in the sun until they are hard.
A process has no data, no years, and nothing to compare. If you catch yourself writing numbers or trends, you are describing the wrong kind of visual. Just say what happens at each stage.
Read next
Keep going with the series: how to write a strong overview and the report shape for any chart.
See if your process report is clear
Write your process description in VoyaLang and get instant feedback on every part: your overview, your passive voice, your sequence words, and whether you covered every stage in the right order. You see exactly what is lifting or lowering your Task Achievement score, with a corrected version to learn from. Create a free account and check your next one in about a minute.
