Y05W10WR How to Care for a Vegetable Garden

Part 1

How to Write

Procedural – Procedure / how-to guide

An informative guide teaches a reader how to carry out a process or complete a task. It is written for someone who needs clear, practical steps they can follow and act on immediately. The tone is confident, direct and accessible — written by someone who knows the process well.

  • Ideas & content: Cover the key steps and decisions. Include enough detail at each point so the reader is never left guessing, but stay focused on what is genuinely useful.
  • Structure & cohesion: Organise content into a clear sequence — a brief introduction, the main steps in a sensible order, then a closing statement. Use sequence words such as first, next and finally to link sections.
  • Voice & audience: Write as a confident, helpful guide. Keep the reader’s needs in mind throughout and avoid sounding preachy or vague.
  • Language choices: Use precise vocabulary and write mainly in the present tense. Address the reader directly with you and vary sentence length for readability.
  • Conventions: Spell key terms accurately. Use commas in lists and full stops to close each idea clearly.

Common pitfalls: Covering too many points without enough depth — focus on what matters most and explain it well. Writing vague instructions rather than specifying exactly what something looks like in practice.

Part 2

Your Task Plan for Today

The brief

Question: Write a clear set of instructions for looking after a small vegetable garden over a three-week period. Include what needs to be done, how often, and any important things to watch out for. Write in a way that anyone could follow without needing to ask questions.

Stimulus: Your neighbour, who is elderly and lives alone, has asked you to help her set up a simple weekly routine for looking after her small vegetable garden while she recovers from a minor operation over the next three weeks. She has asked you to write the routine down as a clear set of instructions she can also give to another helper if needed.

Task Analysis: Write instructions that are so clear someone could follow them without asking questions. Use numbered steps. Say exactly what to do each day or week. Explain why each step matters.

Quick Plan

Before you write, plan:

  • What needs doing each week — watering, weeding, checking?
  • How often — daily, every other day, twice a week?
  • What to watch for — pests, dry soil, weeds
  • What to do if something goes wrong — the plant looks sick?

Process/steps

Number your steps: Step 1, Step 2, Step 3. For each step, say exactly what to do. ‘Water the vegetables’ is not clear. Better: ‘Water the soil around each plant until it is damp, not soaked. Do this every morning.’

Key details to include

Say what to watch for: wilting leaves, brown spots, holes from pests. Say what to do if you see them. Your neighbour needs to know: ‘If the soil is dry, water it. If it is wet, wait a day.’

Format rules

Use numbered lists. Keep sentences short. Use the same words each time you refer to something — do not say ‘plant’ once and ‘vegetable’ next time. Stay clear and consistent.