Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-02

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 process diagram illustrates the formation of a rain-shadow desert.

Overall, the process takes seven steps. Starting at the sea, clouds form, which eventually rain at the top of mountains, creating dry air that reaches the inland. The dry ear is responsible for the rain-shadow desert and this entire process stretches over thousands of kilometers.

Firstly, winds approach the coast, travelling over the sea. This contact to the sea moisturises the air, where secondly, the wind is pushed upwards the windward side of a mountain. After that, most of the moisturised air cools off and consecutively, clouds begin to form. The cloud's rain pours down on the windward side of the mountain, not reaching over the top itself.

After the clouds have relieved themselves of water, the now dry air continues over the mountain's peak to its leeward side. Eventually, after having travelled thousands of kilometers at this point, the dry winds arrive at the bottom of the mountain and reach the inland, where they contribute to the forming of a rain-shadow desert.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.0

The response successfully covers all stages of the process, from the initial moisture collection over the sea to the formation of the rain-shadow desert. You have clearly identified the main features and provided a logical summary. The overview is effective, highlighting the key transformation of air from moist to dry. To reach a higher band, ensure that you avoid minor inaccuracies in the description of the process; for instance, stating that the rain does not reach 'over the top itself' is a slightly confusing interpretation of the diagram. Overall, the task is well-addressed with a clear focus on the progression of the cycle.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, a body paragraph detailing the process, and a concluding step. The use of cohesive devices such as 'Firstly', 'After that', 'consecutively', and 'Eventually' helps guide the reader through the sequence of events. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the overview from the detailed steps. The progression of ideas is smooth and easy to follow. To improve, ensure that the transition between sentences is always natural; for example, 'consecutively' is used slightly awkwardly in the context of cloud formation.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to describe the process, using terms like 'moisturises', 'windward side', and 'leeward side' accurately. There are some minor word-choice errors, such as 'dry ear' (a typo for 'air') and 'relieved themselves of water', which is slightly informal for an academic report. However, these do not impede communication. To achieve a higher score, try to incorporate more precise academic collocations and ensure consistent spelling throughout the text.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as 'After the clouds have relieved themselves of water, the now dry air continues...'. While there are some minor grammatical slips, such as 'pushed upwards the windward side' (should be 'up the windward side') and the aforementioned typo 'dry ear', the majority of sentences are clear and error-free. The control of punctuation is generally good, and the grammatical errors present do not cause any difficulty for the reader.

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

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