Identify the task target
Process step or result
IELTS Academic Reading · Question-type lesson
Flow-chart Completion: follow process logic
Use step order, connectors and input-output relationships to narrow the evidence zone before copying a word-limit-safe answer.
Short answer: Process step or result. Start from sequence, condition, purpose and outcome markers, and control the main risk: searching without reading the flow.
What this skill changes
Use it with a clear purpose
A useful reading skill changes what you notice, what you ignore and how you prove an answer.
Locate the right evidence
Sequence, condition, purpose and outcome markers
Control the distractor
Searching without reading the flow
WeLearn method
A repeatable process, not a shortcut
Follow these steps until the sequence becomes automatic under time pressure.
Read the whole flow
Understand the start, transitions and final outcome.
Predict each category
Decide whether the gap needs an action, material, condition or product.
Track sequence signals
Use after, before, then, because and result language.
Copy and reconnect
Insert the answer and verify that the process remains logical.
Worked contrast
See the difference before you practise
Weak move
Scan for one repeated word without checking which stage it describes.
Strong move
The previous box gives an input and the arrow says “after heating”, so locate the next process result and copy the matching noun phrase.
Guided practice
Apply the method with immediate feedback
Make a decision first. Then use the explanation to compare your reasoning with the evidence.
Watch one · complete six
Recycling cotton textiles
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Reading passage
Recycling cotton textiles
Cotton clothing is often discarded long before the fibres have completely lost their value. Textile recycling centres try to recover that value by turning suitable garments into new raw material. The process is selective because not every item can be reused in the same way. Clothing with heavy coatings, oil stains or mixed synthetic fibres may be rejected or sent to a different facility.
The first stage is sorting. Workers separate garments by fibre type and colour, since keeping similar colours together can reduce the need for later dyeing. Items that pass this inspection are then cleaned to remove dust, buttons and other hard parts. Zippers and metal decorations must be taken out because they can damage the shredding equipment.
After cleaning, the fabric is cut into smaller pieces and passed through machines with rotating teeth. These machines pull the cloth apart until it becomes loose fibre. The fibres are shorter than those from new cotton, so they are usually blended with a stronger material before being spun into yarn. Without this blending stage, the yarn may break too easily during weaving.
The recycled yarn can be used for products that do not require very fine thread, such as blankets, insulation pads and some casual fabrics. Although the process saves material, it is not entirely waste-free. Very short fibres and dust are collected separately and may be used for filling, paper products or industrial cleaning cloths.
Stage 1 of 6
Complete this connected process stage
NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS0/2 words
Step 1 · input
Reject clothing with heavy coatings, oil stains or mixed .Source boundary: WeLearn is authorized to publish this guided-practice passage. The European Commission study is candidate context for textile sorting and recycling technologies; it does not verify every simplified process detail or license the WeLearn wording. Review the candidate source (opens in a new tab).
Independent practice
Transfer the method to a new passage
Complete the full set before feedback opens. This checks whether the process survives without step-by-step prompting.
Independent flow · feedback closed
0/6 completePreparing clay for community pottery
Read the entire path, then complete all connected stages before any key opens.
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Reading passage
Preparing clay for community pottery
Community pottery studios often use local clay when it is available, but the material must be prepared carefully before it can be shaped. Fresh clay dug from the ground contains stones, roots and uneven lumps that would tear a pot on the wheel. Studio workers therefore begin by drying the clay in shallow trays until it can be broken into smaller pieces.
The dry pieces are then soaked in water to create a smooth mixture called slip. Workers stir the slip and pour it through a fine screen, which catches stones and plant matter. This screening stage is slow, but it prevents hard particles from damaging the final object or injuring a student's hands.
After screening, the slip is left in plaster trays. Plaster absorbs extra water from the clay, gradually turning the liquid mixture into a soft mass. The timing depends on temperature and humidity. If the clay is removed too early, it will be sticky; if it is left too long, it may become too stiff to knead properly.
The final preparation stage is wedging. Potters press and fold the clay repeatedly to remove air pockets and make the texture even. Air trapped inside clay can expand during firing and crack the pot. Once the clay feels consistent, it is wrapped in plastic until students are ready to use it.
01Step 1 · input
NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS0/2 words
Step 1 · input
Dry fresh clay in shallow until it breaks easily.02Step 2 · action
NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS0/2 words
Step 2 · action
Soak dry pieces in water to create .03Step 3 · condition
NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS0/2 words
Step 3 · condition
Pour the mixture through a fine .04Step 4 · result
NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS0/2 words
Step 4 · result
Leave slip in plaster trays so they absorb extra .05Step 5 · output
NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS0/2 words
Step 5 · output
Wedge the clay to remove and even the texture.06Step 6 · input
NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS0/2 words
Step 6 · input
Wrap consistent clay in before students use it.One complete submissionEvery answer remains editable until you submit the full flow.
Source boundary: WeLearn is authorized to publish this guided-practice passage. The university studio account supports selected reclaiming, plaster-drying and wedging steps, not the complete composite workflow or third-party rights. Review the candidate source (opens in a new tab).
Independent protocol
Repeat the set without weakening the evidence rule
- Complete one new Flow-chart Completion set without opening feedback.
- For every item, record the exact evidence used for the decision.
- Name the closest distractor and explain its specific failure.
- Repeat only the items where your evidence or reasoning was incomplete.
Mastery check
You are ready to move on when…
- you can state what Flow-chart Completion is testing before you search
- you can point to exact passage evidence for every answer
- you can explain why the closest alternative fails
- you preserve scope, polarity, logic and any stated word limit
Loading saved Flow-chart Completion progress…
Review and sources
How this Flow-chart Completion lesson was reviewed
This material was reviewed in August 2026 to keep the official IELTS Reading format separate from the WeLearn learning strategy used on this page.
Review focus
- Guided, independent and Progress Engine passage pools are separated.
- Every response is checked against its stage type, neighbouring boxes, literal evidence, rebuilt process grammar and displayed limit.
- Feedback diagnoses sequence skips, wrong stages, connector changes, grammar, answer boundaries and copied context.
- WeLearn publication authorization and candidate factual context remain explicitly distinct.
Sources used
Official IELTS Academic Reading format: Confirms completion tasks using words from the text or a supplied list and that any stated word limit is binding.
WeLearn practice blueprint: Defines whole-process reading, held-back transfer, local persistence and the client-key security boundary.
Scope: these WeLearn exercises support academic-reading practice. They are not official IELTS questions and do not predict a band score by themselves.
FAQ en español
Preguntas frecuentes
Esta es la única sección de la lección que se conserva en español.
¿Qué es Flow-chart Completion en IELTS Reading?
Es un tipo oficial de IELTS Reading donde completas un diagrama de flujo con palabras del pasaje. Suele representar una secuencia, proceso, ciclo o serie de decisiones.
¿En qué se diferencia de Table Completion?
Table Completion organiza información por filas y columnas. Flow-chart Completion organiza pasos en orden, por eso debes seguir conectores de secuencia, causa, resultado y condición.
¿Cómo evito perderme en un flow chart?
Lee primero todos los pasos del flujo, predice qué tipo de palabra falta y busca en el pasaje la parte del proceso correspondiente. No saltes entre párrafos sin seguir el orden lógico.
Continue your Reading pathway
Turn the skill into exam decisions
Flow-chart Completion is presented here as guided WeLearn practice. Answer keys reach the browser for feedback, so this is not a secure Exam or proctored mode. Candidate sources do not by themselves prove authorship or full factual verification.
- Official IELTS Academic Reading format — used to distinguish official task types from WeLearn strategy training.
- WeLearn original guided practice — explanations and distractors are designed for skill transfer, not copied from official questions.