Lifecycle of a Butterfly · Process Diagram
A complete IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 question with a model answer of 228 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 lifecycle of a butterfly, from egg to adult. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant. Write at least 150 words. [Process Stages] 1. An adult female butterfly lays small, round eggs on the underside of a host plant leaf. 2. After approximately 5 to 10 days, each egg hatches into a tiny caterpillar (larva). 3. The caterpillar feeds continuously on the host leaves and grows rapidly, shedding its skin four or five times over two to four weeks. 4. When fully grown, the caterpillar attaches itself to a stem or leaf and forms a hardened outer case called a chrysalis (pupa). 5. Inside the chrysalis, over a period of 10 to 14 days, the body of the caterpillar undergoes a complete transformation called metamorphosis. 6. The chrysalis splits open and a fully formed adult butterfly emerges with crumpled, damp wings. 7. The butterfly rests for one or two hours while its wings expand and dry in the sun. 8. The adult butterfly flies away to feed on nectar, mate, and lay eggs, beginning the cycle again.
How to approach it
- 01Identify the cyclical nature of the process in your overview
- 02Use the passive voice where appropriate, but active voice is fine for natural processes
- 03Use sequencing language: 'first', 'subsequently', 'once', 'after', 'finally'
- 04Group the eight stages into the four main phases for a clearer structure
- 05Retain key scientific terms — 'larva', 'chrysalis', 'metamorphosis' — but paraphrase where you can
- 06Do not speculate about reasons or give opinions — only describe what happens
Model answer
228 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 four-stage lifecycle of a butterfly, beginning with the laying of eggs and culminating in a fully grown adult that returns to lay eggs of its own, thereby continuing the cycle.
Overall, the process is cyclical and contains four clearly defined phases — egg, caterpillar, chrysalis, and adult butterfly. The most dramatic change occurs inside the chrysalis, where a complete physical transformation takes place.
In the first stage, an adult female butterfly lays small, round eggs on the underside of a leaf of a host plant. After approximately five to ten days, each egg hatches into a tiny caterpillar, or larva. The caterpillar then feeds continuously on the host leaves and grows rapidly over a period of two to four weeks, shedding its skin four or five times as it expands in size.
Once fully grown, the caterpillar attaches itself to a stem or leaf and forms a hardened protective case known as a chrysalis. Within this case, over the following ten to fourteen days, its body undergoes a complete transformation, a process called metamorphosis. The chrysalis subsequently splits open and a fully formed adult butterfly emerges with crumpled, damp wings. After resting for an hour or two while its wings expand and dry in the sun, the butterfly flies away to feed on nectar, mate, and lay a new generation of eggs, completing the cycle.
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.
20.5 more than the median answer for this task type
15 words at the shortest, 35 at the longest
the same as the median answer for this task type
carry a subordinate or relative clause
Sentence rhythm
Sentences average 22.8 words and vary by 7.5 words either side of that, running from 15 words to 35. 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. 2 of the 10 sentences here carry a subordinate or relative clause.
The cohesive devices it uses
5 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.
while
subsequently, then, once
overall
Vocabulary and repetition
Ignoring grammar words, 75 per cent of the content words in this answer are distinct, and 59 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 15 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 cyclical process
Coherence & Cohesion
Use sequencing connectors and group stages logically
Lexical Resource
Accurate biological vocabulary with paraphrasing
Grammatical Range & Accuracy
Consistent tense usage and accurate passive constructions
You have read one model answer. Now get one marked.
Paste your own attempt at this question and get a band for each criterion, with the exact sentences costing you marks.
Score my answer