The diagram below shows how one type of desert, known as a rain-shadow desert, is formed.
Sample Response
The diagram illustrates the process by which a rain-shadow desert is formedcreated on the inland side of a mountain range.
Overall, the mountains cause moistwet air from the sea to rise, cool and release its moisture as rainproduce rain on the windward side. By the time this air reaches the leewardopposite slope, it has become dry, so very little moisture is carried to the inland area.
Initially, winds approach the coast from the sea and are pushed upwardforced upwards when they meet the mountains. As the moist air climbs the windward side, it gradually cools. This cooling leads to cloud formation above the upper windward slopenear the top of the range, followed by rainfall. Thus, most of the moisture falls as rainmost of the water in the air falls on the side facing the sea.
After this point, the remaining air continues over the mountain and moves down the leeward slope. Since it has already lost much of its moisture, it is dry. The dry winds then travel for thousands of kilometres towards inland areas. Consequently, the inland areathe land on this side receives little rain and a rain-shadow desert is formed.
Why this response received Band 8.0
The response gives a clear, accurate account of the process, with a strong overview and a logical progression from moist coastal winds to desert formation inland. Its main limitation is that a few descriptions, such as most of the water falling on the windward side, go slightly beyond the diagram's explicit wording. Prioritise keeping every causal claim closely tied to the labelled stages while retaining the current precision and clarity.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Achievement
The response accurately presents the full process and provides a clear overview of the contrast between the wet windward and dry leeward sides.
Keep inferred quantities such as most of the water more cautiously phrased unless the diagram explicitly indicates them.
Coherence and Cohesion
Information is organised into a clear overview and two logically sequenced detail paragraphs with well-controlled linking.
Refine the transition across the mountain peak so the relationship between rainfall and the descending dry air is even more seamless.
Lexical Resource
A precise and varied process vocabulary, including windward, leeward, moisture and forced upwards, is used naturally throughout.
Reduce the small amount of repetition around air, dry and side by varying reference where this remains fully precise.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A wide range of complex and simple structures is handled accurately, with consistently clear sentence control.
Continue extending grammatical variety through compact participle or relative constructions without sacrificing the current accuracy.
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IELTS Academic Writing Task 1
The diagram below shows how one type of desert, known as a rain-shadow desert, is formed.
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.