Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-17

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 of formation of rain shadow deserts.

Overall, it is a 7-stage process where air travels thousands of kilometres across the sea, over the mountains along the coast and eventually enters the inland areas forming the rain-shadow desert.

The process begins with winds blowing from the sea surface toward the coast. Upon reaching the coast, it is pushed upwards along the edge of the mountain, known as the Windward side. As the wind rises, it retains water to form moist air which further rises up, cools and condenses to form clouds. This eventually leads to rainfall.

After reaching the summit of the mountain, air loses its moisture and is converted to dry air. Dry air then continues to descend along the downward slope of the mountain- the Leeward side until it reaches the inland areas Finally, after travelling thousands of kilometres wind blows across the surface of inland areas forming rain shadow desert.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

The student successfully addresses all parts of the task by summarizing the main features of the rain-shadow desert formation diagram. An effective overview is provided, highlighting the 7-stage process from the sea across the mountains to the inland desert. Key stages such as moist air rising, cloud formation, precipitation on the windward side, and dry air descending on the leeward side are accurately reported. The spatial relationships, including the coastal and inland positions, are well-captured, and the response meets the minimum word count without any extraneous or off-topic information.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The response is logically sequenced and easy to follow. Information progresses smoothly from the sea, across the mountains, and down to the inland desert. Paragraphing is used appropriately, with each phase of the process clearly separated into introductory, overview, and body paragraphs. Cohesive devices such as 'The process begins with', 'Upon reaching', and 'After reaching' are employed effectively to guide the reader through the sequence of events without mechanical repetition.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The student demonstrates a sufficient range of vocabulary appropriate for an academic process description. Words and phrases such as 'condenses', 'summit', 'leeward side', and 'moisture' are used accurately. There is a minor lapse in subject-verb agreement with 'Upon reaching the coast, it is pushed upwards', where 'it' ambiguously refers back to plural 'winds'. Nonetheless, the vocabulary is varied enough to convey the precise geographical and meteorological concepts required by the task.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.0

The writer uses a good mix of simple and complex sentence structures, including participial phrases ('Upon reaching the coast', 'As the wind rises') and relative clauses ('known as the Windward side'). The majority of sentences are grammatically accurate. There is a minor punctuation omission near the end ('inland areas Finally'), but this does not impede communication. Overall grammatical control is strong and supports the clarity of the process being described.

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

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