IELTS Task 1 (Process) : The production of a lead pencil

how a lead pencil is made

The diagram below illustrates how to produce a lead pencil. Overall, there are three stages in the process, starting with planting the trees, manufacturing, and then ending in packaging.

Firstly, the seeds are sowed in order to start growing the trees. Then, after four months, the seedlings are replanted so as to get more space. Three years after that, the trees are thinned to increase the growth potential. Following this, after fourteen years, the trees are chopped down to prepare the woods for the manufacturing process.

When the woods have been cut into thin slats, they are subsequently treated to prevent them from being rotted. Next, sixty years later, the glue is used to stick the black leads in the groove. It is only after this stage that another slat is put on top to make a sandwich after which the sandwich is hard-pressed whilst heated at the same time. The grooves are then cut into pencils. Finally, the pencils are painted, sharpened and stamped. This is the last process before they get packaged and ready to be sold.

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I recommend you to use "First,...", insetad of "Firstly". First is more common, I think.
"Next, sixty years days later..." I guess you just mistook:)
Good writing!

Apinan, while you wrote a little over the minimum word count, you need to provide at least 4 paragraphs for the Task 1 essay. Aim to write at least 200 words in order to have a better chance of delivering a fully analytical, informative, and English proficient essay to the examiner. In order to achieve this count, you have to write 5 sentences per paragraph. This will allow you to get the highest possible scoring consideration for all 4 criteria. Your summary overview needs to have a complete representation of the prompt you were given. That means, it has to include the discussion instructions in its presentation. The discussion instruction has to be represented because it is assumed that you are writing a report for someone who will not have access to the information you were given for analysis. I am suggesting that you write the summary paragraph in the following manner.

A directional illustration was presented for analysis. The procedure covers the manufacturing process of a lead pencil. There are three steps in the manufacturing process namely; planting the trees, manufacturing, and finally, packaging. This essay will explain the process and offer a comparison of similar situations whenever necessary.

You should be preparing the reader for the change in paragraph presentations, since this is procedural summary presentation, by using transition sentences at the end of each paragraph. The transition sentence must introduce the next step in the process so that the reader is not shocked when the procedure changes or a new topic is introduced in the next paragraph. This will also show the examiner that you have an analytical thought process as you think of how to connect the procedures in an informative manner rather than just talking about stand alone points.

By fully analyzing the procedures and expanding upon your explanations whenever possible you should not have a problem creating a 200 word count, 4 paragraph essay that will score highly.