Describing a natural process in task 1 writing

If you are unlucky enough to get a process diagram in academic task 1, it is quite possible that you will need to be able to describe a process or cycle from nature. In this lesson, I talk you through how to approach this type of task with tips on understanding the diagram and writing a description that is coherent and well-structured.

The diagram

Understanding the cycle – what are the stages in it?

The first step is to remember that your goal is to provide a clear summary of what the diagram shows. This cycle is difficult in that it has no obvious beginning or end. The idea is to try and look and see if you can divide the diagram into separate parts. This makes it easier to write about than if you look at he whole diagram at once. Put another way, I ask myself if there are any stages within this cycle I can use to structure my description.

The top tip is to look for visual clues and here I see two distinct stages by looking at the arrows: some point down and some point up.

1. The food chain

Looking at the central part of the diagram, I see a row of arrows pointing downwards. This shows how carbon from the atmosphere is used by plants and animals. It is, if you look closely, a food chain. The atmosphere provides CO2 to plants which are eaten by insects which are eaten by small animals which are then eaten by larger animals. All I have to do now is put this into decent English, trying not to repeat the language of the diagram too much.

2. Return of CO2 to the atmosphere

The second part of the cycle is quite straight forward. There are on either side a set of arrows pointing upwards to show the return of CO2 to the atmosphere. This shows me that respiration, fuel consumption and waste products are the 3 ways in which CO2 returns to the atmosphere to complete the cycle.

Thinking vocabulary

This diagram gives you a certain of language. You have the choice of whether to repeat it in your description or try and vary it. What you do here will depend on how well you understand the diagram and the words. It is not an absolute disaster in this task if you do repeat some of the words from the diagram as they are technical terms. You should, however, try and find alternatives for the more general English words.

carbon dioxide: no alternative

atmosphere: no alternative

terrestrial and aquatic: either repeat the words, or if you understand them try “land and water”

primary, secondary, tertiary: these mean first, second and third level

consumers: try the word “eat” or vary it to “consume” or “consumption”

respiration: this means “breathing”

Read my sample description

This diagram shows how the carbon cycle works in nature. The first part of the cycle is providing plants and animals on both land and sea with the carbon dioxide they need to exist and the second part of the cycle is the return of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere.

The first part of the cycle shows a food chain where plants and grasses absorb carbon dioxide from the air. These plants are a food source for primary consumers such as insects which are in turn eaten by the second level consumers, including smaller birds and fish. At the end of this food chain are larger animals and mammals which use the secondary level consumers as a source of carbon and food.

The second part of the cycle shows how there are two main ways in which carbon dioxide is returned to the atmosphere. This can either happen as a result of living beings breathing or consuming fuel, or as a product of the waste and remains from their death.

Understand the coherent structure of the description

It is important that you make your description coherent and well-structured. The main idea is to think carefully about how you start your sentences and paragraphs. “This” is a very useful word here.