Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-08

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 diagram helps us understand the formation of a rain-shadow desert by showing us all the various steps that take part in this process.

Overall, it is quite clear that the entire process consists of about 7 steps. The pathway of this process starts from the coast then moves up the mountain and then down the leeward side and then finally reaches the land where the rain-shadow desert forms.

The first half of the process which includes step 1 to step 5 concerns the windward side of the moutain as this is the side where the wind from the coast first approaches. The moist air coming from the sea coast is carried up the side of the moutain. This moist air is then cooled which causes it to condense and form clouds from which then rain fall occurs.

The second half of the process happens on the leeward side of the moutain and includes two main steps. On this leeward side dry air moves down the moutain till it finally reaches the bottom inland area. This dry air then forms the rain-shadow desert.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The response identifies the process as a sequence and gives a clear overall route from the coast, over the mountain and inland, which captures the diagram’s main pattern. It also accurately describes moist air rising, cooling, cloud formation and rainfall on the windward side, followed by dry air reaching the inland area. However, some stages are less fully reported: the winds being pushed upwards by the mountain and the dry winds continuing over the mountain are not clearly distinguished. The final claim that the dry air “forms” the desert also simplifies the diagram, which shows dry winds reaching an inland area where the desert is located. A more precise account of these transitions would make the summary more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response is organised into an introduction, an overview and two body paragraphs, with a logical division between the windward and leeward sides. Sequencing phrases such as “The first half” and “The second half” help the reader follow the stages, and the overall progression is easy to understand. This meets the criterion’s expectation of a coherent arrangement. However, the repeated use of “then” in the overview and the final sentence of the first body paragraph makes some linking feel mechanical. The reference to “this process” is also broad, and the division into halves is slightly imprecise because the second section contains two stages while the first contains five. More varied, precise transitions would strengthen the progression further.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The vocabulary is adequate for describing the process, and terms such as “windward side,” “leeward side,” “moist air,” “condense” and “rain-shadow desert” show useful topic-specific range. The meaning remains clear throughout. There are, however, some imprecise or unnatural choices: “picture diagram” is redundant, “steps that take part” is an awkward collocation, and “rain fall occurs” is less natural than a direct verb phrase. “Moutain” is also misspelled repeatedly, and “land” is less precise than “inland area.” These issues do not prevent understanding, but more accurate collocations and careful spelling would make the description more controlled and appropriately formal.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

The response uses a mix of simple and complex structures, including a relative clause in “the side where the wind from the coast first approaches” and a cause-and-effect clause in “which causes it to condense.” Most sentences communicate the process clearly, and the paragraphing supports the sequence. Some grammatical errors remain, however. In “from which then rain fall occurs,” the verb form and sentence construction are faulty; “rain falls” would be more accurate. The phrase “the entire process consists of about 7 steps” is understandable, though the article and number could be handled more naturally as “seven steps.” Repeated “then” constructions also limit structural variety. Greater control of verb forms and more varied sentence patterns would improve accuracy and range.

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