Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-29

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 picture illustrates how one type of desert, called as a rain-shadow desert, is formed.

Overall, it is clear that before rain-shadow desert is formed, it passes through 7 different stages. The process involves moist air rising and cooling on one side of a mountain, causing rainfall, while dry air descends on the opposite side.

The process begins when wind approach the coast. These winds are then pushed upwards by the mountain. This moist air rises and cool as it continue to ascend. After that, this cause cloud to form on the windward side of the mountain and then rain falls from these clouds.

Having lost its moisture, the air continue moving up and over the peak of the mountain, now in a dry state. It then descends rapidly down the opposite slope, known as the leeward side. As this dry air continues over the mountain, it travels across thousands of kilometres of inland territory. At last this leads to the formation of rain-shadow deserts.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.5

The student successfully covers all key stages of the rain-shadow desert formation process depicted in the diagram, moving logically from the initial approach of winds from the sea to the final formation of the desert inland. An effective overview is provided in the second paragraph, capturing the essence of the process (moist air rising and cooling on one side, dry air descending on the other). The student selects and reports the main features accurately, mentioning the windward side, mountain peak, leeward side, and the scale of thousands of kilometres. The response satisfies all requirements for Task 1 by providing a clear, accurate summary without unnecessary elaboration or personal opinion.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response is logically organized with a clear progression from the introduction through the overview to the detailed sequential steps in the body paragraphs. Paragraphing is used appropriately, separating the introduction/overview from the developmental stages. Cohesive devices are handled effectively to guide the reader through the process, using sequence markers such as 'The process begins when', 'These winds are then', and 'After that'. While referencing is generally clear, a few transitions feel slightly mechanical, but overall cohesion is well managed, supporting a smooth flow of information.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The student uses a sufficient range of vocabulary appropriate for an academic process description, including domain-specific terms like 'moist air', 'windward side', 'leeward side', and 'precipitation-related' concepts. However, there are a few word-form and minor grammatical collocation errors, such as 'called as a rain-shadow desert' instead of 'known as a rain-shadow desert', and 'wind approach' instead of 'winds approach'. Despite these occasional inaccuracies, the vocabulary is adequate to convey the intended meaning with reasonable precision and flexibility.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, incorporating relative clauses and participial phrases (e.g., 'having lost its moisture, the air continue moving...'). However, there are several noticeable grammatical errors, particularly with subject-verb agreement and verb forms, such as 'air rises and cool as it continue to ascend' and 'this cause cloud to form'. Punctuation is generally acceptable, but the frequency of minor structural and agreement slips prevents the score from reaching a higher band. Nonetheless, these errors do not impede communication.

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