Key features to report

• This is a natural process with seven numbered stages and a clear beginning (winds approaching the coast) and end (dry winds reaching inland areas, where the rain-shadow desert forms).
• Stages 1 to 3 describe the air before it reaches the top: winds approach the coast from the sea, are pushed upwards by the mountains, and the moist air rises and cools on the windward side.
• Stages 4 and 5 are the turning point: clouds form and rain falls on the windward side near the summit, so the moisture from the sea is lost before the air crosses the mountains.
• Stages 6 and 7 describe the leeward side: dry air continues over the mountain and descends, and dry winds reach inland areas, where the rain-shadow desert is located.
• The labels windward side, leeward side and rain-shadow desert should be used accurately, and the diagram shows that the desert lies inland, thousands of kilometres from the coast.
• Process answers rely on sequencing language and the passive or intransitive verbs (winds are pushed, air rises, clouds form) rather than figures.

Model overview

Overall, the formation of a rain-shadow desert is a seven-stage natural process in which moist air from the sea is forced over a mountain range and loses its moisture as rain on the windward side. As a result, only dry air reaches the land beyond the mountains, creating a desert on the leeward side.

Paragraph plan

1. 1

   Introduction

   Paraphrase the task in one sentence: the diagram illustrates how a particular type of desert, called a rain-shadow desert, develops.

2. 2

   Overview

   Summarise the whole process without step-by-step detail: it has seven stages, moist sea air loses its water as rain while crossing the mountains, and dry air then produces a desert on the far side.

3. 3

   Body paragraph 1: stages 1 to 5, the windward side

   Describe winds approaching the coast, being pushed upwards by the mountains, the moist air rising and cooling on the windward side, clouds forming and rain falling near the summit.

4. 4

   Body paragraph 2: stages 6 and 7, the leeward side

   Explain that the air, now dry, continues over the mountain and descends the leeward side, and that dry winds reach inland areas thousands of kilometres from the coast, where the lack of rain leads to a rain-shadow desert.

Useful comparisons

• Divide the process by geography: the sea and coast, the windward side, the summit, the leeward side and the inland desert.
• Contrast moist air on the windward side with dry air on the leeward side.
• Link cause and effect: because the air cools as it rises, clouds form and rain falls, so the air has lost its moisture before it crosses the mountains.
• Group stages 1 to 3 as the movement of air, stages 4 and 5 as the loss of moisture, and stages 6 and 7 as the arrival of dry air inland.
• Mention the scale shown in the diagram: the desert lies thousands of kilometres inland from the coast.

Band 8+ model answer

200 words · An original model answer written for ieltswrites, not an official answer. It stays in English, as in the exam.

Why this answer scores highly

Task Achievement

The answer covers all seven stages accurately, includes a clear overview of how and why the desert forms, and keeps to the information in the diagram without adding outside knowledge.

Coherence and Cohesion

The process is divided logically into the windward and leeward sides, and a range of sequencing devices such as initially, as it climbs, at this point, having lost and finally makes the order of stages clear.

Lexical Resource

Accurate topic vocabulary such as windward, leeward, water vapour, summit, descends and arid is used naturally, and the labels in the diagram are paraphrased rather than copied.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy

The answer combines passive forms like are pushed upwards with intransitive verbs like rises and descends, and uses participle clauses and cause-and-effect structures accurately.

Useful vocabulary

rain-shadow desert

a dry area on the far side of mountains that receives little rain because the mountains block moist air

windward side

the side of a mountain that faces the wind

leeward side

the side of a mountain that is sheltered from the wind

moist air

air that contains water vapour

be forced upwards

be made to rise, here by the shape of the mountains

condense

change from gas into liquid; water vapour condenses to form clouds

precipitation

rain, snow or other water falling from the sky

summit

the top of a mountain

descend

move downwards

arid

very dry, with little or no rain

inland

away from the coast, towards the centre of a country

mountain range

a line of mountains

at the following stage

a sequencing phrase meaning next in the process

Common mistakes

• Writing an overview that simply repeats stage 1 instead of summarising the whole process and its result.
• Confusing the windward and leeward sides, or placing the rain on the side where the desert forms.
• Copying the labels word for word, such as Winds pushed upwards, instead of turning them into full grammatical sentences.
• Adding scientific detail that is not in the diagram, such as exact temperatures or the names of real deserts.
• Using the same linker, such as then or after that, for every stage instead of varying the sequencing language.
• Omitting the final result, that the dry winds produce a desert inland, which is the point of the whole diagram.

Frequently asked questions

Which Cambridge book is this question from?

This diagram showing how a rain-shadow desert is formed is Writing Task 1 of Test 3 in Cambridge IELTS 21 Academic.

Should I use the passive voice for this natural process?

Use the passive where the diagram implies an outside force, such as winds are pushed upwards, but many stages are best described with intransitive verbs like rises, cools, forms and falls. A natural mix of both shows grammatical range.

Do I need to explain the science behind the process?

No. Describe only what the diagram shows. You may link stages with cause and effect, such as as the air cools, clouds form, but do not add facts that are not in the picture.

How many words should I write for this Task 1?

Write at least 150 words; around 170-200 words is enough to describe all seven stages and an overview in about 20 minutes.