Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-03

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 diagram illustrates the process by which a rain shadow desert is formed as a result of mountains blocking moist air from the area.Overall, the process involves seven main stages. Moist winds from the sea are forced upwards by mountains, leading to rainfall on one side.

The process begins when winds approach the coast from the sea,carrying moisture.The winds are then pushed upwards as they encounter a mountain range. As the moist air rises and cools on the windward side,clouds form. This is followed by rainfall on the mountain slopes.

Once the air passes the peak. it moves down the leeward side. At this point, the air is dry because it has lost its moisture.The dry air continues over the mountain and eventually reaches inland areas. Due to the lack of moisture, these inland regions receive very little rain shadow desert is formed there.

In conclusion, the presence of mountains causes one side to receive heavy rain while the other side becomes arid.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response successfully identifies the main features of the rain-shadow desert formation process. You have clearly outlined the progression from the moist air approaching the coast to the arid conditions on the leeward side. The overview is concise and effectively highlights the contrast between the windward and leeward sides. However, the description of the final stage is slightly disjointed, specifically the phrase 'rain shadow desert is formed there,' which lacks a proper grammatical connection to the preceding clause. To reach a higher band, ensure that all stages are described with equal clarity and that the causal links between the geographic features and the resulting climate are explicitly stated throughout the text.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is logically organized, with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. The progression of ideas follows the chronological order of the diagram effectively. You have used some cohesive devices such as 'Once,' 'At this point,' and 'In conclusion' to guide the reader. However, the paragraphing is slightly unbalanced, with the second paragraph being quite dense compared to the others. Additionally, some transitions are a bit mechanical. To improve, try to vary your linking phrases and ensure that each paragraph has a distinct focus, perhaps separating the initial atmospheric conditions from the final geographic consequences to improve the overall flow.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You have used a sufficient range of vocabulary to describe the process, including terms like 'moist air,' 'windward side,' 'leeward side,' and 'arid.' This demonstrates an understanding of the topic-specific terminology required for this task. There are no significant spelling errors, and the word choices are generally appropriate for an academic report. To achieve a higher score, you could incorporate more sophisticated collocations or precise verbs to describe the movement of air and the interaction with the mountain range, such as 'precipitate' instead of 'rainfall' or 'obstruct' instead of 'blocking.'

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The response displays a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While many sentences are accurate, there are some punctuation and grammatical slips, such as the missing space after the period in 'Once the air passes the peak. it moves' and the awkward phrasing in 'receive very little rain shadow desert is formed there.' These errors do not impede communication, but they do affect the overall fluency. To improve, focus on proofreading for punctuation consistency and ensuring that complex sentences are constructed with correct subordinate clauses. Increasing the variety of your sentence structures would also help demonstrate greater control.

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

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