writing task 1 - diagram

1 IELTS WRITING TASK 1 – PROCESS & DIAGRAM

Exercise 1:


The three diagrams highlight a flooding problem in a UK town and outline two solutions to this problem; one solution is less costly but affects the environment more, while the other proposal has a higher cost but is less damaging to the environment. The flooding problem occurs in an area where two river join to form one and the area affected contains residential housing, commercial buildings, and an industrial park.

One solution to the problem is to relocate the affected developments to nearby areas which are slightly further away from the river. The downside of this is that it would be very costly, but the upsides is that it would result in less environmental damage.

The other solution is to dam the two rivers causing the flooding. This is a much cheaper option but would result in more area being taken up by the resulting reservoirs behind the dams, thus leading to more environmental damage.

Exercise 2

The process by which bricks are manufactured for the building industry can be outlined in seven

consecutive steps. First the raw material, clay, which was just below the surface of soil in certain

clay-rich areas has to be dug up by a digger.


Then the lumps of clay are placed on a metal grid in order to break up the big chunks of clay into

much smaller areas, which fall through the metal grid onto a roller, whose motion further

segregates the bits of clay. Sand and water are added to make a homogenous mixture, which is

then either formed in moulds or cut into brick-shaped pieces by means of a wire cutter.

Those fresh bricks are then kept in a drying oven for at least 24 and a maximum of 48 hours,

several dozens if not hundreds of bricks at a time. The dried bricks are then transferred to a so-

called kiln, another type of high temperature oven. First they are kept at a moderate temperature

of 200 ℃ -1300 ℃. This process is followed by cooling down the finished bricks for 48 to 72

hours in a cooling chamber.

Once the bricks have cooled down and have become hard, they get packaged and delivered to

their final destination, be it a building site or storage. (215 words)

Exercise 3:

The diagrams below show some principles of house design for cool and for warm climates.


Introduction: paraphrase the question.

Summary: describe the main differences - the design of the roof and windows, and the use of insulation.

Details: compare the roof design and use of insulation.

Details: compare the window design and how windows are used during the day and at night.

The diagrams show how house designs differ according to climate. The most noticeable

difference between houses designed for cool and warm climates is in the shape of the roof. The

designs also differ with regard to the windows and the use of insulation. We can see that the cool

climate house has a high-angled roof, which allows sunlight to enter through the window. By

contrast, the roof of the warm climate house has a peak in the middle and roof overhangs to

shade the windows. Insulation and thermal building materials are used in cool climates to reduce

heat loss, whereas insulation and reflective materials are used to keep the heat out in warm

climates. Finally, the cool climate house has one window which faces the direction of the sun,

while the warm climate house has windows on two sides which are shaded from the sun. By

opening the two windows at night, the house designed for warm climates can be ventilated. (162

words, band 9)

Exercise 4

Writing task 1

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

The diagrams below show the development of the village of Kelsbey between 1780 and 2000.

Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisins where relevant.


You should write at least 150 words.

Writing task 2

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Write about the following topic:

The unlimited use of cars may cause many problems. What are those problems? In order to reduce the problems, should we discourage people to use cars?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Write at least 250 words