Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-02

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 6.5)

The schematic diagram illustrates formation of the specific rain-shadow desert from the winds of sea.

Overall, it is apparent that the process involves 7 different phases. Initially, the process begins when the sea wind goes upward on mountain and experiences different transformation. Eventually, dry winds reaches inland areas.

To begin with, in the first phase the winds from the sea approaches coast, it creates pressure hence the winds pushed upwards to the top of mountain and passes through windward side. Inbetween as winds runs upwards the moisture of air increases and the air become cool at the same time which contribures to formation of clouds. As the rate of cloud formation increases, the clouds makes stronger bonds and become more dense and initiates raining.

Furthermore, dry air gets separated from clouds at the peak of mountain and continuous to flow downward through leeward side. In the last stage the dry winds finally reaches inland areas and causes formation of rain-shadow desert.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response covers the main features of the diagram, identifying the key stages of the rain-shadow effect. However, the description of the process is somewhat inaccurate in its scientific explanation; for instance, the text claims moisture increases as air rises, whereas in reality, moisture is lost as precipitation. The overview is present but could be more analytical regarding the contrast between the windward and leeward sides. While the main features are highlighted, the explanation of the mechanism lacks the precision required for a higher band. The response is sufficient to address the task requirements, but the technical inaccuracies limit the score.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The essay is logically organized into an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the stages of the process. Cohesive devices such as 'Initially', 'To begin with', 'Furthermore', and 'In the last stage' are used to guide the reader through the sequence. However, some transitions are slightly mechanical, and the referencing is occasionally repetitive. The progression of ideas is clear, but the flow could be improved by using a wider variety of linking words to connect the causal relationships between the air movement and the resulting climate changes more fluidly.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the student to describe the process clearly. There are some attempts at more specific terminology, such as 'schematic diagram', 'windward', and 'leeward'. However, there are instances of imprecise word choice, such as 'winds from the sea approaches' (subject-verb agreement error) and 'makes stronger bonds' (which is not an appropriate collocation for cloud formation). The range is sufficient to convey the main points, but the lack of precise scientific vocabulary prevents a higher score. Spelling is generally accurate throughout the response.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors, particularly with subject-verb agreement, such as 'winds... approaches' and 'dry winds reaches'. Additionally, there are issues with article usage and prepositional phrases, such as 'goes upward on mountain' instead of 'up the mountain'. While these errors do not impede overall communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent the response from reaching the Band 7 level, where the majority of sentences should be error-free. Punctuation is generally functional, though some sentence boundaries could be more clearly defined.

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