Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-30

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 following diagram illustrates the formation of a rain-shadow desert.

It has seven sequential stages involved in the natural formation of a rain-shadow desert. Overall, the process demonstrates how coastal wind moves across mountains, shedding moisture on one side while creating different conditions on the other over thousands of kilometres.

The process begins at sea, where winds approach the coast.

(1) They are forced upwards upon encountering a mountain range.

(2) As this moist air ascends the windward side of the mountains, it rises and cools. (3) Consequently, clouds begin to form.

(4) Leading to heavy rain falling on the coastal slope.

(5) Once the air passes the peak, it loses most of its moisture. The remaining dry air continues over the mountain onto the leeward side.

(6)Finally, these dry winds descend into inland areas.

(7) Preventing precipitation and ultimately giving rise to a rain-shadow desert across a vast expanded area.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The student covers all parts of the task well, providing a clear overview and summarizing the sequential stages of rain-shadow desert formation depicted in the diagram. The main features—such as winds approaching the coast, rising and cooling over the windward side, precipitation, and dry air descending onto the leeward side—are all accurately reported and supported by the visual data. The progression from sea to inland over thousands of kilometres is successfully captured. The overview clearly highlights the overarching mechanism of moisture-shedding and arid conditions. The response fulfills the requirements of Task 1 effectively, demonstrating good selection and reporting of data without omitting crucial stages.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The text exhibits clear logical organization and progression throughout. The response is introduced with a concise introductory statement and an effective overview sentence that outlines the broader process. Cohesive devices and sequential markers, such as 'The process begins', 'Once the air passes', and 'Finally', are used appropriately to guide the reader through the stages of the diagram. Paragraphing is logical, although the student occasionally uses very short paragraphs or breaks up sentences in a way that slightly disrupts the flow of information, such as isolating single numbered steps into separate lines. However, overall cohesion is well managed.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

The student demonstrates an adequate to good range of vocabulary suited for describing a natural process. Items such as 'sequential stages', 'moist air', 'windward side', 'leeward side', and 'precipitation' are used accurately. There is some attempt at less common phrasing, such as 'giving rise to a rain-shadow desert' and 'vast expanded area' (though 'vast expanded area' contains a slight redundancy). Word choice is generally precise, and spelling is accurate throughout. The vocabulary is sufficient to convey the technical nature of the diagram without noticeable errors impeding communication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The student displays a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, including participial phrases such as 'preventing precipitation and ultimately giving rise to...'. However, there is a minor punctuation and sentence-boundary issue where sentence fragments are created, notably '(4) Leading to heavy rain falling on the coastal slope.' and '(6)Finally, these dry winds descend into inland areas.' Aside from these structural slips where dependent clauses or phrases are punctuated as independent sentences, the majority of the grammar and verb tenses are accurate and easy to follow.

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