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 diagram illustrates how the rain-shadow desert is formed when geological and meteorological changes occur due to the contrast in two faces of the mountain.

Overall, the seven-stage process describes how the wind, upon striking the coastal region, is forced upwards. As the moist air rises throughout the windward side of the mountain, it takes the form of the clouds. The clouds on reaching the upper region take the form of rain and falls along the same coastal region. Due to this, the dry air is left above and crosses the mountain and descends along the leeward side in the inland areas.

Initially, The moist air blows towards the coast. As the wind reaches the mountain range, it is forced to move upward. The moist air rises in altitude and forms clouds. As the cloud condenses and after enough precipitation takes place, rain falls heavily in the windward side of the mountain.

The remaining dry air continues to cross over the mountain and descends along the leeward region. The dry winds reach in the inland areas and due to the lack of moisture and proper precipitation rainfall cannot occur in this section. Thus the inland area is said to be a rain-shadow desert.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

The response gives a clear account of the main process and its outcome: moist winds approach the coast, rise over the windward slope, produce rain, and leave dry air to continue inland, creating a rain-shadow desert. The overview identifies the seven-stage sequence and the contrast between the two mountain sides, while the body follows the stages in a relevant order. This covers the task well. Some details are less precise than the diagram, however: it says the clouds “take the form of rain,” rather than explaining that rain falls from clouds, and it adds that rainfall “cannot occur” inland, which is stronger than the diagram’s indication that dry winds reach the desert. Keep the explanation closely tied to the stages shown and avoid absolute claims.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response is organised into an introduction, an overview and two process paragraphs, and the sequence is generally easy to follow. Time and sequence markers such as “Overall,” “Initially,” and “As” help guide the reader through the stages. This provides a coherent overall arrangement. However, some links are repetitive, particularly the repeated use of “As,” and the overview partly retells details that appear again in the body. The reference in “Due to this” is also somewhat vague, and the capitalisation of “The” after “Initially,” interrupts the flow. To strengthen progression, give the overview a concise summary of the windward/leeward contrast, then use clearer stage-to-stage links in the body without repeating the same causal pattern.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

There is an adequate range of process vocabulary, including “forced upwards,” “windward side,” “leeward region,” “precipitation,” and “rain-shadow desert.” These terms help describe the diagram and show some willingness to use more specific language. At times, however, word choice and collocation are imprecise: “takes the form of the clouds” and “the clouds … take the form of rain” do not naturally describe cloud formation and rainfall, while “rain falls heavily in the windward side” is awkward. “Geological and meteorological changes” is also broader and less accurate than the process shown. Use precise process verbs such as “condenses,” “forms,” and “falls,” and choose natural combinations such as “rain falls on the windward slope.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentences, including subordinate clauses beginning with “As” and a causal construction with “Due to this.” Most of the process remains understandable, and the writer attempts to describe several stages within connected sentences. Some grammatical errors and awkward constructions remain. For example, “rain falls … and falls” has a subject–verb agreement problem when referring to “rain,” and “rain falls heavily in the windward side” uses an incorrect preposition within the sentence pattern. In “The remaining dry air continues to cross over the mountain and descends,” the coordinated verbs do not match the subject consistently. Check agreement and parallel verb forms, and use “on the windward side” for the location.

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