Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-14

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 6.5)

The diagram illustrates how the process of how a rain-shadow desert is formed. Overall, it is clear that formation of a rain-shadow involves several stages, beginning with moist air moving toward a mountain range and ending with the creation of a dry desert area on the leeward side of the mountain.

At the initial stage, warm and moist air from the sea moves toward the land and approaches a mountain range. As the air rises up the side of the mountain, it becomes cooler, which causes condensation and leads to the formation of clouds. Consequently, precipitations occur on the windward sides of the mountain, where it receives rainfall.

In the next stages, after losing most of its moisture, the air passes over the mountain and move down the opposite side. During the process, the air become warmer, resulting in a lack of rainfall in this region. Eventually, a rain-shadow desert is formed on the leeward side of the mountain.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The response successfully covers all main features of the rain-shadow desert formation diagram. In the introduction, you state that the diagram illustrates 'how the process of how a rain-shadow desert is formed', which contains a minor grammatical repetition. You clearly outline the progression from moist air moving from the sea, rising and cooling over the mountain range, resulting in precipitation on the windward side, and finally descending onto the leeward side to create a dry desert. Key stages and comparisons between the wet windward side and the dry leeward side are reported accurately. The overview statement is clear and effectively summarises the overall process. Therefore, this satisfies the requirements for a Band 7.0 performance in Task Achievement.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The response demonstrates a clear logical organisation and progression throughout. Information is grouped appropriately into paragraphs representing different stages of the diagram. You use cohesive devices effectively to guide the reader through the sequence of events, such as 'At the initial stage', 'Consequently', 'In the next stages', and 'Eventually'. Paragraphing is used sufficiently and appropriately to structure the response. Referencing is generally clear, contributing to a smooth reading experience. While the cohesive mechanisms are somewhat standard rather than sophisticated, they are deployed accurately and flexibly enough to meet the Band 7.0 descriptor for logical organisation and progression.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

Your vocabulary range is adequate and generally appropriate for an academic task describing a scientific process. You successfully employ topic-specific terminology such as 'moisture', 'condensation', 'precipitation', 'windward sides', and 'leeward side'. However, there are a few minor lexical inaccuracies and awkward phrasings, such as writing 'the process of how a rain-shadow desert is formed' in the opening sentence, which repeats 'how'. Additionally, you wrote 'precipitations occur', whereas precipitation is normally uncountable in this context. Despite these occasional slips, the vocabulary used is sufficient for precision and flexibility, fitting comfortably within the Band 6.5 to 7.0 range, warranting a Band 6.5.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The response features a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as relative clauses and temporal dependent clauses (e.g., 'As the air rises up the side of the mountain, it becomes cooler...'). There are, however, several grammatical errors present. For instance, in the third paragraph, you wrote 'the air move down' instead of 'moves', and 'the air become warmer' instead of 'becomes'. Punctuation is generally fine, but subject-verb agreement slips occur. Because there is a reasonable variety of complex structures alongside frequent error-free sentences, but with persistent minor grammatical errors, this performance aligns well with the Band 6.5 descriptors.

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