Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-16

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 depicts the formation of the Rain-shadow desert, starting with the sea and ending into the inland desert creation.

Overall, this process is thousands of kilometres long and involves, the winds travelling along the mountain side, forming the clouds that rain, thereby resulting into dry winds that form the Rain-shadow desert.

Initially, the air above the sea moves towards the coast and is pushed in the upward direction alongside the mountains. This moist air rises in the atmosphere and later cools down to form clouds at the Windward side of the hills.

Subsequently, the peak of the hills experience rain out from the air filled clouds, with dry air propagating to the Leeward side of the mountains. The inland areas receive these dry winds resulting in the formation of the Rain-shadow desert. This whole journey is quite long of nearly a thousand kilometres originating from the sea and culminating into the inland areas.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response successfully identifies the main stages of the rain-shadow desert formation. You have clearly described the movement of air from the sea, the ascent over the mountains, the precipitation on the windward side, and the resulting dry conditions on the leeward side. The overview is concise and captures the essence of the process. To reach a higher band, ensure that you explicitly mention the key labels provided in the diagram (e.g., 'Windward side' and 'Leeward side') more consistently as part of the analytical summary. The information is well-selected, and the comparison between the moist windward side and the arid leeward side is effectively highlighted.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized, with a clear progression from the initial stage at the sea to the final formation of the desert. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the introduction, the process description, and the conclusion. Cohesive devices such as 'Initially', 'Subsequently', and 'thereby' are used to link ideas, although some transitions feel slightly mechanical. The referencing is generally clear, though the flow between the second and third paragraphs could be smoother to better integrate the geographical stages. Overall, the information is easy to follow and the structure supports the reader's understanding.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'propagating', 'culminating', and 'atmosphere' correctly. There are some minor issues with word choice, such as 'rain out from the air filled clouds', which is slightly unnatural. While the vocabulary is sufficient to convey the process clearly, it lacks the more sophisticated, precise collocations that would elevate the response to a higher band. Focusing on more academic phrasing for geographical processes would be beneficial for future tasks.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are some grammatical inaccuracies, such as 'ending into the inland desert creation' and 'experience rain out from the air filled clouds', which slightly affect the precision of the writing. However, these errors do not impede communication. You have used a variety of structures, including participial phrases ('resulting in the formation of...'), which shows an attempt at complexity. To improve, focus on refining prepositional usage and ensuring subject-verb agreement in more complex sentence constructions.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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