Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-12

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 illustration depicts the formation of rain-shadow deserts from air.

Overall, the seven-step process involves turning the wind into rainfall and then dry wind over the mountain. The air from the sea gets transformed in the mountain and goes to the inland to form rain-shadow desert by covering a distance of thousands of kilometers.

At first, winds from the sea approach the coastal mountain from the windward side and gets pushed upwards where it forms clouds due to its moistness. After reaching the top of the mountain, the clouds can't handle the moistness anymore and the water starts releasing from the clouds as rainfall.

After that, the cloud again turns to dry air as the moisture is released, and comes down the mountain from the other side, also called Leeward side. At last, the dry winds reach the bottom of the mountain and then proceed towards the inland areas where the rain-shadow dessert is formed consequently.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

The response covers the main stages and gives a clear overview: moist air rises, rain falls on the mountain’s windward side, and drier air continues inland to create the desert. The sequence is generally accurate, including the sea-to-coast movement and the rain-shadow desert’s inland location. The explanation is extended enough to show how precipitation leads to dry air, although some details are imprecise: the diagram shows air being pushed up and cooling before clouds form, whereas the response links cloud formation mainly to the air’s “moistness.” It also says the air “comes down the mountain,” a detail not explicitly shown. To strengthen the account, describe the cooling stage directly and distinguish the windward rainfall from the dry leeward flow more precisely.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The information is arranged in a clear sequence, with an introduction, an overview, and paragraphs describing the early and later stages. Time markers such as “At first,” “After that,” and “At last” help the reader follow the process, and the progression from sea to inland is easy to understand. Some linking is slightly mechanical, however, and the overview repeats information that is then explained in the body. References such as “it” in “where it forms clouds” and “the cloud again turns to dry air” are not fully clear, since the process concerns air losing moisture rather than a cloud changing into air. Use more precise references and connect stages through cause and effect, rather than relying mainly on sequence markers.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The response uses an adequate range of process vocabulary, including “approach,” “pushed upwards,” “moistness,” “rainfall,” and “inland areas,” so the stages remain understandable. It also attempts more specific terms such as “windward” and “Leeward.” However, some choices are inaccurate or unnatural: “the air … gets transformed in the mountain” is vague, “clouds can’t handle the moistness” is informal and imprecise, and “the rain-shadow dessert” contains a spelling error that changes the word’s meaning. “Covering a distance” is also an awkward way to describe the diagram’s scale. Aim for precise process collocations such as air “cools,” moisture “condenses,” and dry air “continues across” the mountain; use consistent capitalization for named sides.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

There is a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including a relative clause in “where it forms clouds” and a time clause in “After reaching the top of the mountain.” Most sentences communicate the intended sequence, but some grammatical errors remain. In “winds … approach … and gets pushed upwards,” the plural subject requires “get pushed”; “the air … gets transformed … and goes” also has an awkward shift in construction. The phrase “where it forms clouds” has an unclear grammatical reference, and “the cloud again turns to dry air” does not express the process clearly. Review subject–verb agreement and make sure pronouns refer unambiguously to air, moisture, or clouds. More consistently accurate complex sentences would improve control.

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