This is an IELTS writing task 1 sample answer essay on the topic of the process of using leather to make products like bags, shoes, and balls.
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IELTS Essay Task 1: Leather Process
The diagram details the process of making leather products.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.
The diagram details the process by which leather products are made for retail. Looking from an overall perspective, it is readily apparent that there are 3 main steps to this entirely man-made process beginning with initial transportation of the raw material to the factory, followed by preparation and processing of the material, and finally the production of consumer products.
Firstly, the leather skins from various animals are dried. Subsequent to this, they are taken to a factory by truck where they are washed in water and lime. The skins are then soaked in more lime for a period of time before being run through a machine with large rollers that flattens them out.
Next, the flattened skins are soaked in tannin, which is composed of water and vegetable matter. They are then polished by another rolling device and taken to another factory by trucks. In this factory, the final products are crafted and available to consumer shops.
Analysis
1. The diagram details the process by which leather products are made for retail. 2. Looking from an overall perspective, it is readily apparent that there are 3 main steps to this entirely man-made process beginning with initial transportation of the raw material to the factory, followed by preparation and processing of the material, and finally the production of consumer products.
- Paraphrase what the process shows.
- Write a clear overview summarising the major groups. Read here about overviews for processes.
1. Firstly, the leather skins from various animals are dried. 2. Subsequent to this, they are taken to a factory by truck where they are washed in water and lime. 3. The skins are then soaked in more lime for a period of time before being run through a machine with large rollers that flattens them out.
- Begin writing about the details of the process.
- This one is tricky to get up to the word count (no longer required on IELTS) so try to make it a little wordy.
- Include every step in the process.
1. Next, the flattened skins are soaked in tannin, which is composed of water and vegetable matter. 2. They are then polished by another rolling device and taken to another factory by trucks. 3. In this factory, the final products are crafted and available to consumer shops.
- Write about the rest of the process – include everything!
- Try to paraphrase some of the words from process as well.
- Add in the last step of the process.
Vocabulary
What do the words in bold below mean? Take some notes on a piece of paper to aid your memory:
The diagram details the process by which leather products are made for retail. Looking from an overall perspective, it is readily apparent that there are 3 main steps to this entirely man-made process beginning with initial transportation of the raw material to the factory, followed by preparation and processing of the material, and finally the production of consumer products.
Firstly, the leather skins from various animals are dried. Subsequent to this, they are taken to a factory by truck where they are washed in water and lime. The skins are then soaked in more lime for a period of time before being run through a machine with large rollers that flattens them out.
Next, the flattened skins are soaked in tannin, which is composed of water and vegetable matter. They are then polished by another rolling device and taken to another factory by trucks. In this factory, the final products are crafted and available to consumer shops.
Answers
Try practicing with the vocabulary below by writing an antonym/opposite word on a piece of paper (or just thinking of one):
diagram details process hows
process diagram
leather products made from animal skins, usually from cows
retail for sale
Looking from an overall perspective, it is readily apparent that overall
main steps biggest stages
entirely completely
man-made process done by humans
beginning with starting with
initial transportation first sending
raw material basic substance
factory place to make items
followed by next
preparation being made
processing making into
finally in the end
production making into something
consumer products objecets for sale
firstly to start
skins the hide of an animal
dried not wet
subsequent to this after this
taken sent to
truck big car
washed cleaned
lime cleaning substance
soaked left in water
a period of time some period
run through put through
machine device
large rollers big objects for flattening
flattens them out stretches them
next after this
tannin a chemical protein
composed of made of
vegetable matter comes from vegetables
polished made shiny
rolling device circular object for flattening or spreading
final end
crafted made
available can be bought
consumer shops stores
Pronunciation
Practice saying the words below using this tip with Google voice dictation:
ˈdaɪəgræm ˈdiːteɪlz
ˈprəʊsɛs
ˈlɛðə ˈprɒdʌkts
ˈriːteɪl
ˈlʊkɪŋ frɒm ən ˈəʊvərɔːl pəˈspɛktɪv, ɪt ɪz ˈrɛdɪli əˈpærənt ðæt
meɪn stɛps
ɪnˈtaɪəli
ˈmænˈmeɪd ˈprəʊsɛs
bɪˈgɪnɪŋ wɪð
ɪˈnɪʃəl ˌtrænspɔːˈteɪʃən
rɔː məˈtɪərɪəl
ˈfæktəri
ˈfɒləʊd baɪ
ˌprɛpəˈreɪʃən
ˈprəʊsɛsɪŋ
məˈtɪərɪəl,
ˈfaɪnəli
prəˈdʌkʃən
kənˈsjuːmə ˈprɒdʌkts
ˈfɜːstli
skɪnz
draɪd
ˈsʌbsɪkwənt tuː ðɪs
ˈteɪkən
trʌk
wɒʃt
laɪm
səʊkt
ə ˈpɪərɪəd ɒv taɪm
rʌn θruː
məˈʃiːn
lɑːʤ ˈrəʊləz
ˈflætnz ðɛm aʊt
nɛkst
ˈtænɪn,
kəmˈpəʊzd ɒv
ˈvɛʤtəb(ə)l ˈmætə
ˈpɒlɪʃt
ˈrəʊlɪŋ dɪˈvaɪs
ˈfaɪnl
ˈkrɑːftɪd
əˈveɪləbl
kənˈsjuːmə ʃɒps
Vocabulary Practice
Remember and fill in the blanks:
The d_________________s the p__________s by which l____________________s are made for r______l. L________________________________________________t there are 3 m____________s to this e__________y m________________s b_________________h i____________________n of the r__________________l to the f__________y, f_______________y p____________n and p_____________g of the m__________l, and f_________y the p____________n of c____________________s.
F_______y, the leather s______s from various animals are d______d. S____________________s, they are t______n to a factory by t______k where they are w________d in water and l_______e. The skins are then s____________d in more lime for a___________________e before being r______________h a m____________e with l_______________s that f_________________t.
N_____t, the flattened skins are soaked in t_________n, which is c_______________f water and v______________r. They are then p__________d by another r_______________e and taken to another factory by trucks. In this factory, the f______l products are c_______d and a___________e to c_________________s.
Listening Practice
Listen to the related topic below and practice with these activities:
Reading Practice
Read more and use these ideas to practice:
Speaking Practice
Practice with the following related questions from the real IELTS speaking exam:
Fashion
- What kind of clothes do you like to wear?
- How often do you buy new shoes?
- Are there any kinds of clothes you don’t like?
- What sort of fashion is popular now in your country?
Writing Practice
Practice with the related process below and then check with my sample answer:
I rewrite this…
The given process chart illustrates the procedure of making products with the use of leather.
Looking from an overall perspective, the complete procedure to making products from leather undergoes almost ten steps. The process begins with animal skins and finishes at the products manufacturing unit.
Briefly, in the first step, animal skin is hung for drying, and after that, it is transported to the factory, where it is processed through further steps. Next, animal skin puts into a huge tub, where it is washed with water and lime, and it remained to stay in the tub for soaking. Then next, the skin goes for the flattening process, in which it is pressed by passing between two huge rollers.
Furthermore, being flattened skin is soaked into the water and tannin vegetable matter mixture. After the soaking process skin goes polishing area, which is the final stage of transformation of skin into leather. Finally, the leather is sent to the manufacturing stage, where various products are manufactured by leather.
did I write correctly?
Good work, Manpreet!
You need to group and define the stages for a stronger overview though.
Also, some phrases are too informal like ‘briefly’ – careful with tense as well.
Keep working hard!
Subsequent to this, they are taken to a factory by truck
Should it be “trucks”?
No, by truck is fine – it means that is the kind of tranport used.
That’s a typo – changed now – thank you!
“The skins are then soaked in more lime for a period of time before being run through a machine with large rollers than flattens them out.”
I wonder why “than” is here?
I think it should be “that” and “flatten them out
Thanks Lorena – the way it is now is correct though!
A deep thank you for collecting all these new tasks! However, your model answers are not too good, so this is why I do not recommend to take them as models.
They are meant to be for students to learn from, Dan!
Hope you can get something from them – thank you for the feedback!
The given diagram the depicts the process of how leather produced in order to make use for retail.
Looking from an overall perspective, it is readyly apparent that the dry skin from animals can be used for manufacturing leather after it has been process by being transported and then be treated with organic product such as, lime and vegetable matter.
Initially, the collected animal skin keep for drying and then transported to the factory, where the raw material is washhed in water by adding lime into it. Then, the cleaned material is put into a container, contains lime for soaking. Subsequently, the soaked animal skin undergoes flattening through a roller machine. Afterwards, again the sheets socket in a container, which contains vegetable matter and water. And, once it has been removed from that, each sheet get polished.
However, when the sheet got polished it transports in a truck, which distributes to the factory, where leather products such as, bag, footwear, toys and all were made.