Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-14

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 process of formation of rain-shadow desert.

Overall, the process starts with winds approaching through the coast and ends in dry winds reaching inland areas. The wind travels thousand of kilometres across the mountains from windward to leeward side, which incorporates seven essential steps.

In the windward side, the winds head towards the coast from the sea. Then, they are pushed upwards carrying moisture. The moist air cools down, resulting in the formation of clouds. Ultimately, the clouds accumulate together, which results in rain falls at nearly the summit of the mountains.

In contrast, in the leeward side, the dry air decends towards lower altitude, crossing half of the distance through the mountains. The dry air takes the form of dry winds while decending. The dry winds eventually reach the inland. Thus, rain-shadow desert is formed over continuous exposure to the dry winds that crosses a large number of distance.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

You cover the main sequence from winds approaching the coast to dry winds reaching inland, and your overview identifies the process’s beginning, end and seven stages. The account of moist air rising, cooling, cloud formation and rain on the windward side is also relevant and broadly accurate. This gives the reader a clear picture of how the desert forms. However, some details are added or imprecise: the diagram does not say that clouds “accumulate together,” that the air crosses “half of the distance” over the mountains, or that the desert forms through “continuous exposure” to dry winds. The final causal explanation could be more directly tied to the rain-shadow location inland. Keep the description closely grounded in the labelled stages.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The response is organised into a clear introduction, an overview and two body paragraphs that distinguish the windward and leeward sides. The sequence is easy to follow, with transitions such as “Then,” “Ultimately,” “In contrast” and “Thus” helping to signal progression and contrast. This is a logical structure for a process diagram. Some linking is slightly mechanical, and the final sentence introduces a broad explanation rather than neatly completing the sequence. The overview also repeats the idea that the process ends with dry winds reaching inland, which is already stated in the introduction’s framing. To make the progression more polished, use fewer step-by-step connectors and ensure each paragraph advances a distinct part of the process.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

You use a suitable range of process vocabulary, including “formation,” “moisture,” “summit,” “windward” and “leeward,” and these terms help describe the diagram precisely. There is some flexibility in expressions such as “resulting in” and “takes the form of.” However, several word choices or collocations are inaccurate or awkward: “winds approaching through the coast,” “clouds accumulate together,” and “a large number of distance” do not express the intended meanings naturally. “Decends” and “decending” are also misspelled. These issues do not prevent understanding, but they limit precision and control. Aim for standard collocations such as winds approaching from the sea, clouds forming, and a considerable distance.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex structures, including the relative clause in “the dry winds that crosses a large number of distance” and the result clause “resulting in the formation of clouds.” Most of the process remains understandable, and the sentence sequence is generally controlled. Some grammatical errors remain, however. In “the dry winds that crosses,” the plural subject requires “cross”; “rain falls” should be expressed as “rainfall” or “rain falls” in a correctly structured clause; and “the inland” is not the appropriate article pattern here. The phrase “from windward to leeward side” also needs parallel articles or plural forms. Review agreement, articles and noun forms, while continuing to use varied sentence structures.

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