Level 3 Writing: Writing about Flowcharts

Model Report: How to become a doctor

A: Look at the flowchart below and put the pieces of the report in the correct order in each of the two paragraphs.

Write a number next to each piece to show the order.

Introduction paragraph:

_____ Overall, there are six or seven steps in this process.

_____ The flowchart shows the different steps that are needed to train as a doctor.

Body paragraph:

________ if they do not want to specialize, the medical students can take their licensing exams

________ the students complete an internship program.

________ they go to medical school

________ they receive their medical license

________ If they want to specialize, the students must complete a fellowship

________ they decide whether or not they want to specialize

________ students who want to become doctors complete a bachelor’s degree at university

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Model Report: How to become a doctor

Sequencers. Use the words from the box to complete the essay and show the connections between the steps in the process.

Finally Following this First of all After Next

The flowchart shows the different steps that are needed to train as a doctor. Overall, there are six or seven steps

in this process.

__________________, students who want to become doctors complete a bachelor’s degree at university. This

usually takes four years. __________________they graduate from university, they go to medical school. Studying at

medical school also takes about four years. __________________, the students complete an internship program. They

do this in a hospital and the program can take between three and seven years. __________________, they decide

whether or not they want to specialize. If they want to specialize, the students must complete a fellowship, which takes

between one and three years. On the other hand, if they do not want to specialize, the medical students can take

their licensing exams right away. All student doctors must pass the licensing exams. __________________,

they receive their medical license and can go to work as doctors.

Grammar. When there is a question or a decision with a yes or no answer in the flowchart, you need to use conditional sentences to describe the steps.

If they want to specialize, the students must complete a fellowship.

If they don’t want to specialize, the medical students can take their licensing exams right away.

1) How many clauses (subject + verb) are there in each of these examples?

2) What kind of verbs are must and can?

3) Can you name some other similar verbs?

Complete the following conditional sentences:

1) If students want to get into their faculty course, _________________________________________________________

2) If students lose their mobile phone at university, ________________________________________________________

3) If students come to class late, _______________________________________________________________________

4) If people can’t sleep at night, ________________________________________________________________________

5) If students stay in the hostel, ________________________________________________________________________

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Writing an introduction

The introduction has two sentences. The first sentence tells the reader about what the chart describes, while the second one gives an overview of the different steps in the process being described.

The flowchart illustrates the stages that are necessary to become a doctor. Overall, there

are six or seven steps from completing a first degree to finally gaining a medical license.

The flowchart shows the steps in the process of becoming a doctor. Overall, there are six or

seven steps for completing a first degree to gaining a medical license.

First sentence: Second sentence:

What the chart shows. Overview

Below are three possible introductions for a report. Two are good, but one is bad. Find the bad introduction and say why it is bad.

1) The flowchart shows the stages in the process of becoming a doctor. Overall, there are six or seven steps from completing a bachelor’s degree to the last step of receiving a medical license.

2) I’m going to tell you all about what you need to do to be a doctor because it’s a really great job and you’ll like it. First, you have to spend four years getting a degree, and then another four years at medical school. After that, there’s a whole lot more work that I’ll write about in the following paragraphs, so keep reading!

3) The flowchart illustrates the steps that are necessary to become a doctor. Overall, there are between six and seven steps from completing a first degree to gaining a medical license.

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F: Watch the video on raising chickens to get eggs on page 28 of the iBook. Complete the flowchart for this process below.

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Yes

No, it is a female.

F: Now write a report for the process of raising chickens to get eggs.

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Answers

Page 1

_____ Overall, there are six or seven steps in this process.

_____ The flowchart shows the different steps that are needed to train as a doctor.

Body paragraph:

________ if they do not want to specialize, the medical students can take their licensing exams

________ the students complete an internship program.

________ they go to medical school

________ they receive their medical license

________ If they want to specialize, the students must complete a fellowship

________ they decide whether or not they want to specialize

________ students who want to become doctors complete a bachelor’s degree at university

Page 2

Model Report: How to become a doctor (Answers)

B: Use the words from the box to complete the essay and show the connections between the steps in the process.

Finally Following this First of all After Next

The flowchart shows the different steps that are needed to train as a doctor. Overall, there are six or seven steps in this process.

First of all, students who want to become doctors complete a bachelor’s degree at university. This usually takes four years. After they graduate from university, they go to medical school. Studying at medical school also takes about four years. Following this, the students complete an internship program. They do this in a hospital and the program can take between three and seven years. Next, they decide whether or not they want to specialize. If they want to specialize, the students must complete a fellowship, which takes between one and three years. On the other hand, if they do not want to specialize, the medical students can take their licensing exams right away. All student doctors must pass the licensing exams. Finally, they receive their medical license and can go to work as doctors.

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1

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2

7

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Page 3

Below are three possible introductions for a report. Two are good, but one is bad. Find the bad introduction and say why it is bad.

1) The flowchart shows the stages in the process of becoming a doctor. Overall, there are six or seven steps from completing a bachelor’s degree to the last step of receiving a medical license.

2) I’m going to tell you all about what you need to do to be a doctor because it’s a really great job and you’ll like it. First, you have to spend four years getting a degree, and then another four years at medical school. After that, there’s a whole lot more work that I’ll write about in the following paragraphs, so keep reading!

3) The flowchart illustrates the steps that are necessary to become a doctor. Overall, there are between six and seven steps from completing a first degree to gaining a medical license.

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Page 4

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Yes

No, it is a female.

go to a market and buy chicks

bring them home and keep them

warm under a light

give them food and water every day

when big, move them to a chicken house

does the chick turn into a male or

female?

sell them at a market or eat them

give calcium for egg production

enjoy the eggs

Page 5

Model answer

The flowchart shows the different steps that are needed to raise chickens to get eggs. Overall, there

are eight or nine steps to this process.

First of all, people who want to get eggs from chickens go to a traditional market and buy some chicks.

After they buy the chicks, they bring them home and put them under a light to keep them warm. Following

this, the people give the chicks food and water every day. Next, when the chicks grow up and get bigger, the

people move them to a chicken house which is outside. If the chicks turn into male chickens (roosters), the

people take them back to the market to sell them to other people, or they eat the roosters themselves. On the

other hand, if the chicks grow into female chickens, the people introduce calcium into their diet in order to

encourage egg production. Finally, the people can enjoy eating eggs which are from their own chickens.

(161 words)

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