Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-07-31

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

The diagram below shows how one type of desert, known as a rain-shadow desert, is formed.

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

The formation of rain-shadow deserts

Student answer (Band 7.0)

The diagram illustrates the process by which a rain-shadow desert is formed.

At the begining of the process, winds carrying moisture approach coast from the sea. When these winds reach mountains, they are pushed upwards along the windward side. As the air rises, it cools, allowing clouds to form. Eventually, the it moisture air falls as rain over the mountain slopes.

After most mosture has been released, the remaining air becomes dry. It then crosses the mountain peak and goes towards mountain leeward side. During its desert, the air becomes warmer and drier. Finally, these dry winds countinue across inland regions for thousand kilometres. Because little or no rain reaches these areas, a rain-shadow desert formed.

Overall, moist air from the sea is forced to rise over a mountain range, causing rainfall on the windward side. As a result, the air losses moisture, and dry air that crates rain-shadow desert.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response successfully covers the main stages of the rain-shadow desert formation process. You have identified the key features: moisture-laden winds, the orographic effect (rising air, cooling, and precipitation), and the subsequent dry air descending on the leeward side. The overview is clear and effectively synthesizes the information. However, the response is quite brief, and while it meets the minimum length requirement, some descriptions could be more detailed to fully explore the process. For example, mentioning the specific temperature changes or the contrast between the windward and leeward sides more explicitly would enhance the development of the ideas.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The response is logically organized, with a clear introduction, body paragraphs detailing the process, and a summary. The progression of ideas is easy to follow, moving chronologically through the stages of the diagram. You have used some cohesive devices such as 'At the beginning', 'Eventually', 'After', and 'Finally' to link the steps. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat mechanical, and there are minor issues with referencing and flow, such as the awkward phrasing 'During its desert' and 'the it moisture air', which slightly disrupts the coherence of the second paragraph.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You have used a range of vocabulary appropriate for describing a scientific process, such as 'moisture', 'windward', 'leeward', and 'inland regions'. However, there are several instances of word-choice errors and awkward phrasing, such as 'During its desert' (which is unclear) and 'air losses moisture' (should be 'loses'). Additionally, there are some repetitive errors like 'most mosture' and 'countinue'. While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey the meaning, these errors and the lack of more sophisticated collocations prevent a higher score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While you successfully use complex sentences to explain cause and effect (e.g., 'Because little or no rain reaches these areas, a rain-shadow desert formed'), there are several grammatical errors throughout the text. Examples include 'At the begining' (spelling), 'the it moisture air' (syntax error), 'air losses' (verb form), and 'a rain-shadow desert formed' (missing auxiliary verb 'is'). These errors are frequent enough to be noticeable, though they do not completely impede the reader's understanding of the process.

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