How Chocolate Is Made · Process Diagram
A complete IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 question with a model answer of 237 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 illustrates the various stages involved in the production of chocolate, from the harvesting of cocoa beans to the finished chocolate bar ready for sale. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant. Write at least 150 words. [Process Stages] 1. Cocoa pods are harvested from cacao trees in tropical regions (West Africa, South America, Asia). 2. Pods are cut open and the wet cocoa beans are extracted along with the surrounding pulp. 3. Beans and pulp are placed in shallow wooden boxes and left to ferment for 5–7 days. 4. The fermented beans are spread on large trays and dried in the sun for approximately 7 days. 5. Dried beans are packed into sacks and shipped to chocolate factories around the world. 6. At the factory, beans are roasted in large rotating ovens at around 120 degrees Celsius. 7. Roasted beans pass through a winnowing machine that cracks the shells and separates the nibs. 8. The nibs are ground into a thick liquid called chocolate liquor (cocoa mass). 9. Sugar, milk powder, and additional cocoa butter are added and the mixture is conched (mixed) for several hours. 10. The liquid chocolate is tempered, poured into moulds, cooled, wrapped, and packaged for sale.
How to approach it
- 01Use the passive voice throughout — processes describe what is done, not who does it
- 02Group the stages into clear phases (e.g. farm stage and factory stage) for a strong overview
- 03Use sequencing language: 'firstly', 'subsequently', 'after this', 'finally'
- 04Do not give an opinion or speculate about reasons — only describe what happens
- 05Paraphrase technical terms where possible, but retain key vocabulary like 'fermented' and 'roasted'
- 06Aim for two or three body paragraphs rather than ten short ones
Model answer
237 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 ten-stage process by which chocolate is manufactured, beginning with the harvesting of cocoa pods in tropical regions and culminating in the packaging of finished chocolate bars at the factory.
Overall, the process can be divided into two distinct phases: an initial agricultural stage carried out on cocoa farms, followed by an industrial manufacturing stage that takes place inside chocolate factories.
In the first phase, cocoa pods are harvested from cacao trees grown in tropical climates such as West Africa, South America, and parts of Asia. The pods are then cut open, and the wet beans, together with their surrounding pulp, are extracted. These beans are placed in shallow wooden boxes and left to ferment for between five and seven days. After fermentation, the beans are spread out on large trays and dried in the sun for approximately a week, before being packed into sacks and shipped to factories worldwide.
In the second phase, the dried beans are roasted in large rotating ovens at around 120 degrees Celsius and then passed through a winnowing machine, which cracks the shells and separates the edible nibs. These nibs are subsequently ground into a thick liquid known as chocolate liquor. Sugar, milk powder, and additional cocoa butter are then blended in, and the mixture is conched, or stirred, for several hours. Finally, the liquid chocolate is tempered, poured into moulds, cooled, wrapped, and packaged ready for sale.
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.
29.5 more than the median answer for this task type
13 words at the shortest, 34 at the longest
2 more than the median answer for this task type
carry a subordinate or relative clause
Sentence rhythm
Sentences average 23.7 words and vary by 7.3 words either side of that, running from 13 words to 34. 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. 3 of the 10 sentences here carry a subordinate or relative clause.
The cohesive devices it uses
7 in total, spread across 3 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.
such as
subsequently, finally, then
overall
Vocabulary and repetition
Ignoring grammar words, 83 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 12 words. That is long enough to notice. Copied wording is discounted from your word count, so a run this size is doing less work than it looks like it is doing.
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
Cover all stages with a clear overview of the overall process
Coherence & Cohesion
Use sequencing connectors and group stages logically
Lexical Resource
Accurate process vocabulary and varied paraphrasing
Grammatical Range & Accuracy
Consistent and accurate use of the passive voice
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