Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

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

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 process diagram illustrates the stages involved in the formation of rain-shadow deserts.

Overall, the process invovles 7 steps, starting from the winds reaching the coast and ending at the dry winds resulting in a rain-shadow desert. The key features consist of winds travelling a considerable distance of thousands of kilometres and frequent rainfalls.

To begin with, strong winds blow from the coastal areas travelling upwards towards the mountaineous regions. As the air rises, it moistens and cools. Cooling of air leads to the formation of clouds on the windward side. Moving on, it is accompanied by the pouring of the rain.

The further process continues with the movement of dry air over the mountains at the leeward side. The dry air travelling downwards, approaches the inland areas and hence a rain-shadow desert is formed.

To conclude, the formation of rain- shadow desert is a highly structured process comprising of 7 stages. It demonstrates the involvement of winds and their movements in its formation.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the diagram as a seven-stage process and describe its main sequence: winds approach the coast, rise and cool, clouds form, rain falls, and dry air moves inland to create the desert. This covers the central mechanism accurately. However, some important details are less fully reported: the rain falls on the windward side, while the dry air crosses the mountain and descends on the leeward side. The overview also calls the rainfalls “frequent,” which is not shown, and treats the thousands-of-kilometres label as a distance travelled by the winds rather than the diagram’s horizontal scale. Focus the overview on the contrast between precipitation on the windward side and aridity inland, and avoid adding unsupported claims.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response is arranged in a clear sequence, with an introduction, an overview, and paragraphs describing the earlier and later stages. Linking phrases such as “To begin with,” “Moving on,” and “The further process” help the reader follow the process. The final “To conclude” sentence, however, repeats the overview rather than adding information, and “The further process continues” is an awkward transition. Some connections are also imprecise: “it is accompanied by the pouring of the rain” does not clearly identify what “it” refers to. To strengthen progression, use concise stage-to-stage links and make references explicit, while avoiding a separate conclusion that restates the process.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

You use a suitable range of process vocabulary, including “formation,” “windward side,” “leeward side,” “moistens and cools,” and “inland areas.” These terms make the explanation relevant and generally clear. There are, however, some inaccurate or unnatural choices: “frequent rainfalls” is unsupported and “pouring of the rain” is less appropriate than a neutral description of precipitation. “Travelling upwards towards the mountaineous regions” is also imprecise for winds being forced up over the mountains. Check spelling in “invovles” and “mountaineous,” and use standard forms such as “rainfall” or “precipitation.” More precise collocations would help you describe the diagram without overstating its features.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and more complex structures, including “As the air rises, it moistens and cools” and “Cooling of air leads to the formation of clouds.” Most sentences communicate the sequence successfully. Some grammatical control is less secure, particularly in “The dry air travelling downwards, approaches the inland areas,” where the participial phrase is separated from the main clause by an unnecessary comma. “The further process continues with the movement…” is also an awkward construction, and the overview’s “winds reaching the coast and ending at the dry winds” creates an unclear parallel structure. Aim to make each stage a complete, direct clause, and check punctuation around introductory or participial phrases. This would improve accuracy while retaining your sentence variety.

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