Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-02

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 diagram illustrates the stages involved in the formation of a specific kind of desert known and rain shadow desert, tracing the process from the winds at coastal area to the final formation of rain-shadow desert.

Overall, it is a multistage, complex and linear process involving the sea wind, which, upon arrival at the coastal area, forms rainy cloud and finally reaches the inland areas. Notably, the mountain divides the process into two distinct sides: windward side and Leeward side.

At windward side, the wind from the sea approaches the coastal area, where it is pushed upward by the mountain. The moist air rises and cools, turning into cloud, and finally the clouds rain on the top of the mountain.

After the rain has fallen, the dry air continues to move over the mountain, reaching at the Leeward side. In the final stages, the dry wind arrives at the inland area, turining this region into rain shadow desert.This process spans the area of thousands of kilometers.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

Your response covers all parts of the task and successfully highlights the main stages of the rain-shadow desert formation, from sea winds to inland arid conditions. You provide a clear overview that mentions the linear nature of the process and the division caused by the mountain range. However, some parts of your response are slightly underdeveloped or lack precise detail when explaining the intermediary steps, such as how the dry air crosses the mountain barrier. While you successfully identify the key features like the windward and leeward sides, providing slightly more precise descriptions of the cloud formation and precipitation stages would elevate your response to fully meet the higher band criteria.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

Your essay has a coherent overall arrangement and follows a logical progression that mirrors the steps in the diagram. You make good use of introductory framing and transition phrases to guide the reader through the stages, such as 'Overall, it is a multistage...' and 'In the final stages...'. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the introduction, overview, and body steps. However, cohesion is occasionally a bit mechanical or repetitive, and referencing could be smoother in places. To achieve a higher band, you could use a wider and more flexible variety of cohesive devices and ensure that referencing words connect sentences with greater natural flow.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting some less common terms related to geography and processes, such as 'multistage', 'precipitation', and 'arid conditions'. However, there are some noticeable word choice and word form errors that prevent a higher score, such as writing 'known and rain shadow desert' instead of 'known as a rain-shadow desert', 'rainy cloud' instead of 'rain clouds', and spelling mistakes like 'turining' instead of 'turning'. To improve your lexical score, focus on precise collocations and ensure that your word forms and prepositions match standard geographical terminology accurately.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating an ability to construct multi-clause sentences such as 'the wind from the sea approaches the coastal area, where it is pushed upward by the mountain.' There are some errors in grammar and punctuation, including missing articles ('at windward side' instead of 'on the windward side'), incorrect prepositions ('reaching at the Leeward side'), and a punctuation error where two sentences are joined without a space or conjunction ('rain shadow desert.This process...'). These errors rarely impede communication, placing your grammar firmly in the mid-range. To reach a higher band, aim for a higher proportion of error-free complex sentences and tighter control over prepositions and articles.

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

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