How Chocolate Is Made
A complete IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 question with a model answer of 243 words, plus a breakdown of the sentence structures, cohesive devices and vocabulary that answer uses. Write your own version first, then compare.
Written by Manish Sharma · CELTA and DELTA qualified · 8 years teaching IELTS
Score my answer to this questionThe question
You have 20 minutes. Write at least 150 words.
The diagram below shows how chocolate is produced. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant. Write at least 150 words. [Process Stages] 1. Cacao pods are harvested from cacao trees 2. Pods are split open and beans are removed 3. Beans are fermented in wooden boxes for 5-7 days 4. Fermented beans are spread out and dried in the sun for approximately 2 weeks 5. Dried beans are packed into sacks and shipped to factories 6. Beans are roasted at 120-160°C for 30-60 minutes 7. Roasted beans are cracked and shells removed, leaving cacao nibs 8. Nibs are ground into a thick paste called cacao liquor 9. Cacao liquor is pressed to separate cacao butter and cacao powder 10. Cacao liquor, butter, sugar, and milk are mixed together 11. The mixture undergoes conching (continuous mixing and heating) for up to 72 hours 12. The chocolate is tempered, moulded, and packaged
How to approach it
- 01Use the passive voice throughout, as the focus is on the process, not the people
- 02Use clear sequencing language: 'firstly', 'following this', 'subsequently', 'finally'
- 03Include all stages — don't skip any steps in a process diagram
- 04Group related stages into logical paragraphs rather than listing them one by one
- 05Include specific data from the diagram (temperatures, durations) to add precision
Model answer
243 words in 4 paragraphs. Read it after you have written your own, not before: the point of a model answer is to show you what you missed, and you cannot miss anything you have not attempted.
The diagram illustrates the process by which chocolate is manufactured, from the initial harvesting of cacao pods through to the final packaged product. There are twelve main stages in total, beginning with agricultural cultivation and ending with industrial processing.
The process begins when ripe cacao pods are harvested from cacao trees. These pods are then split open so that the raw beans inside can be extracted. Once removed, the beans undergo fermentation in wooden containers for a period of five to seven days, which is essential for developing flavour. Following this, the fermented beans are laid out to dry naturally in sunlight for approximately two weeks.
After drying, the beans are packed into sacks and transported to processing factories, where the industrial phase commences. The beans are first roasted at temperatures between 120 and 160 degrees Celsius for thirty to sixty minutes. They are then cracked open and the outer shells discarded, leaving the inner cacao nibs. These nibs are ground into a dense paste known as cacao liquor.
At this point, the process diverges briefly: the cacao liquor is pressed to extract cacao butter and cacao powder separately. Subsequently, the cacao liquor is recombined with the butter along with sugar and milk. This mixture is then subjected to conching — a process of continuous mixing and gentle heating lasting up to seventy-two hours — which refines the texture. Finally, the chocolate is tempered for a glossy finish, poured into moulds, and packaged for distribution.
What this answer actually does
Measured from the text above, and compared against the other 38 answers of the same type in this library. These are counts, not band scores: they describe what the writing does, which is the part you can copy.
35.5 more than the median answer for this task type
12 words at the shortest, 24 at the longest
2 more than the median answer for this task type
carry a subordinate or relative clause
Sentence rhythm
Sentences average 17.4 words and vary by 3.8 words either side of that, running from 12 words to 24. Variation is the point. Grammatical Range and Accuracy rewards a mix of simple and complex sentences, and an answer where every sentence is the same length reads as flat no matter how correct it is. 4 of the 14 sentences here carry a subordinate or relative clause.
The cohesive devices it uses
7 in total, spread across 1 different functions. Range matters more than count: an answer that opens every paragraph with a sequencer signals its structure but never signals a relationship between ideas, and Coherence and Cohesion is marked on both.
following this, subsequently, finally, then, once
Vocabulary and repetition
Ignoring grammar words, 81 per cent of the content words in this answer are distinct, and 73 per cent appear exactly once. Lexical Resource is where repetition costs the most marks, and the usual cause is not a small vocabulary but reaching for the same noun every time the topic is named.
The longest run of words copied straight from the question is 7 words. Examiners discount wording lifted from the question, so a short run here is the right outcome: the answer restates the topic in its own words rather than borrowing the question's.
What you are marked on
All four criteria carry equal weight, and your Writing band is their average rounded to the nearest half band.
Task Achievement
Describe all stages of the process accurately and completely
Coherence & Cohesion
Use sequencing language to guide the reader through each stage
Lexical Resource
Paraphrase where possible and use process-specific vocabulary
Grammatical Range & Accuracy
Consistent and accurate use of passive voice and sequencing structures
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