Life Cycle of a Frog

The question

How to approach this process diagram question

A process diagram shows how something is made or how a cycle works. Describe the stages in order, using sequence language and the passive voice.

1. Say what process the diagram shows and how many stages it has.
2. Overview: the number of stages, where it starts and ends, and whether it is a cycle or a straight line.
3. Describe every stage in order (First, Next, After that, Finally) mostly in the passive: the grain is crushed.
4. Do not add opinions or explain why; describe what happens.

How to plan this answer

Structure

1. Overview: the diagram shows five stages in a circle, starting with eggs and returning to eggs when the adult frog lays them.
2. Body 1: stage 1 (eggs laid in a cluster), stage 2 (tadpole with a long tail) and stage 3 (tadpole with developing legs).
3. Body 2: stage 4 (young frog, with a remaining tail) and stage 5 (adult frog), and the arrow back to the eggs.

Key features to spot

• The eggs are shown as a dense cluster of pale eggs, each with a dark centre.
• The tadpole is dark-bodied with a long, thin tail.
• The tadpole with legs has developing hind legs but still keeps its tail.
• The young frog is small and green, with a short tail still visible.
• The adult frog is green and speckled, and the arrow from the adult back to the eggs closes the cycle.

Useful vocabulary

• are laid: The eggs are laid in a cluster.
• hatch into: The eggs hatch into tadpoles.
• develop: The tadpoles develop legs over time.
• grow into: The young frog grows into an adult frog.
• is followed by: The tadpole stage is followed by the tadpole with legs.
• the cycle is completed: The cycle is completed when the adult lays eggs.
• the adult frog returns to: The adult frog returns to the water to lay eggs.
• a cluster of: The eggs are in a cluster of about nine.
• the next stage: The next stage is the young frog.
• in a circle: The life cycle is shown in a circle.

Common mistakes

• Saying tadpoles turn into eggs. Eggs are the start of the cycle, and tadpoles hatch from them.
• Describing the adult frog as the final stage with no return. The arrow leads back to the eggs.
• Leaving out the young frog stage, which appears between the tadpole with legs and the adult.
• Describing the tadpole with legs as a young frog. They are separate stages.
• Using the wrong sequence words, such as finally for the first stage. Use first for the eggs.

Examiner tip: Name all five stages in the overview, and state that the cycle returns to the eggs, since this circular feature is the main point the examiner will check.