Useful vocabulary, structures and resources.

Have a look at this old, but lovely informative video for your vocabulary and structure development in IELTS.

This video could be equally useful for both IELTS listening and IELTS Task 1 Writing – Describing a Process.

To successfully write about an IELTS process you will need to master using the passive tense.

The good news is there are plenty of videos out there that can help you think quickly in the passive.

It just takes a little practice and motivation.

A Process similar to an IELTS Process Diagram

Take this video for example.

Inside the UK factory where 1,000 MINIs are made every day

Around 1,000 robots are used to weld each mini body before it’s painted. It takes 4 litres of paint to cover each MINI and they can take up to 14 hours to paint. There are over 600 colour variations that can be ordered. Once it’s been painted the car is ready for the assembly line.

Watching this video provides plenty of passives examples and encourages to notice the structure and the tense.

You can then apply this knowledge and experience when attempt a writing task!

Practice the Passive Voice in IELTS

When you hear or see a passive sentence in the video, pay attention to the past participle spelling of the verb.

Try to notice that it is the result that is important and not who which carries out the action.

If the sentence is active, you can also practise changing the active sentence to a passive one as you watch.

Try to do this in your head so it becomes spontaneous.

This will hep you produce a quicker answer in the exam.

Here are some examples I noticed from the video on the ‘production of cars‘.

Over 3 million MINIs have been made in this factory.

Parts from over 27 countries are assembled here.

Steel panels are delivered each day

The parts come from the MINI plant in Swindon,England

Over 110,000 tons of steel is used in a year

The body of the car is created from the panels

Around 1,000 robots are used to weld each body

The bodies are then prepared for painting

They are cleaned with ostrich feathers.

4 litres of paint is used to cover each MINI.

Then the car is ready for the assembly line

Engines are built in the Hams Hall factory which is over a mile long.

The factory works 24 hours a day and one engine can be produced every minute

500 people are employed on the Oxford assembly line

Finally, each MINI is rigorously tested

A rain simulation and temperature of 90 C to -40C is carried out.

Does this advice help you?

If you need more assistance, I’ve written a complete post on describing a process for IELTS Task 1 here.

PROCESS TASK 1 WRITING

You can also use advice and information on this website to help make it easier to obtain a higher score, but remember you still need to work at learning the language to be successful.