Example

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

The diagram below shows The Water Cycle Process Continuous Movement of Water on Earth.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons where relevant.

Write at least 150 words.

 

Model Answers

The diagram illustrates the continuous water cycle, showing how water moves between the ocean, atmosphere and land through a series of natural processes.

Overall, the cycle begins with the evaporation of water from the ocean and ends with water returning to the sea. The main stages involve evaporation, condensation, precipitation, surface runoff and the movement of water through rivers and underground layers.

Initially, heat from the sun causes water in the ocean to evaporate, with this process contributing approximately 80% of the water vapour in the air. The vapour rises and cools, resulting in condensation and the formation of clouds. Water then falls to the Earth as precipitation, in the form of rain or snow.

On land, some of the precipitation accumulates as snow or flows directly across the surface as runoff. This water collects in lakes and rivers, which subsequently transport it towards the ocean. Some water also infiltrates the ground through the surface and moves above an impervious layer. Eventually, groundwater flows towards the sea, where it mixes with seawater. The cycle then continues as solar heat causes further evaporation from the ocean.

Break down

 

Task Achievement

✅ Excellent overview

Your overview clearly identifies the cyclical nature of the process:

“the cycle begins with the evaporation of water from the ocean and ends with water returning to the sea.”

That’s very effective.

You also identify the major stages:

“evaporation, condensation, precipitation, surface runoff and the movement of water through rivers and underground layers.”

This demonstrates that you understand the whole process, rather than focusing on individual parts.

✅ Good coverage

You cover:

• evaporation
• water vapour
• condensation
• cloud formation
• precipitation
• snow accumulation
• surface runoff
• rivers and lakes
• infiltration
• groundwater
• return to the sea
• renewed evaporation

That’s comprehensive.

⚠️ One important point

You write:

“The cycle begins with the evaporation of water from the ocean and ends with water returning to the sea.”

For a continuous cycle, saying it “begins” and “ends” is acceptable for explaining the sequence, but a more scientifically neutral IELTS description would be:

“The cycle involves the continuous evaporation of water from the ocean and its eventual return to the sea.”

This better emphasises that there is no true starting or ending point.

---

Coherence & Cohesion

Your sequencing is excellent.

You use:

• “Overall”
• “Initially”
• “then”
• “resulting in”
• “On land”
• “subsequently”
• “Some water also”
• “Eventually”
• “where”
• “The cycle then continues”

These make the sequence very easy to follow.

Excellent paragraph organisation

Paragraph 1: Introduction
Paragraph 2: Overview
Paragraph 3: Atmospheric stages
Paragraph 4: Land and return to ocean

This is a very effective structure for a process diagram.

---

Lexical Resource

Your vocabulary is strong and appropriately technical.

Excellent process vocabulary

• “evaporation”
• “water vapour”
• “condensation”
• “precipitation”
• “surface runoff”
• “infiltrates”
• “impervious layer”
• “groundwater”
• “solar heat”
• “transport”
• “accumulates”

These are exactly the types of terms needed for this diagram.

Strong collocations

“heat from the sun causes water… to evaporate”

“the vapour rises and cools”

“resulting in condensation”

“falls to the Earth as precipitation”

“flows directly across the surface”

“infiltrates the ground”

These sound natural and academic.

---

 Grammatical Range & Accuracy

Your grammar is very strong.

For example:

“The vapour rises and cools, resulting in condensation and the formation of clouds.”

Excellent use of a participial structure.

Another strong sentence:

“Some water also infiltrates the ground through the surface and moves above an impervious layer.”

Good use of sequencing and coordinated clauses.

And:

“Eventually, groundwater flows towards the sea, where it mixes with seawater.”

Excellent relative clause.

There are no significant grammatical errors.

---

 Detailed Examiner Comments

Introduction

“The diagram illustrates the continuous water cycle…”

Excellent paraphrase.

You immediately establish:

• the type of diagram
• what it represents
• the main locations involved

Band 8.

---

Overview

This is a strong overview because you don’t describe individual stages in excessive detail.

You identify the overall cyclical movement and major processes.

Band 8.

---

Atmospheric stages

This paragraph is particularly effective:

“heat from the sun causes water in the ocean to evaporate…”

→ evaporation

“The vapour rises and cools…”

→ cooling

“resulting in condensation and the formation of clouds.”

→ condensation

“Water then falls…”

→ precipitation

The sequence is very clear.

---

Land stages

You successfully describe several different routes:

precipitation → snow/runoff → lakes/rivers → ocean

and:

precipitation → infiltration → groundwater → sea

This is excellent because process diagrams often contain parallel pathways, and you’ve captured both.

Comprehensive coverage and clear understanding of the cyclical process.

Coherence & Cohesion: 8.0

Excellent sequencing and paragraph organisation.

Lexical Resource: 8.0

Strong, accurate process-specific vocabulary.

Grammatical Range & Accuracy: 8.0

Excellent grammatical control and effective complex structures.