Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-13

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 various stages involved in formation of rain-shadow desert from winds.

Overall, the process starts with winds being approached and ends with dry winds being reached. The process involves various stages such as, winds approach coast, winds pushed upward, moist air rises, formation of clouds, rain falls, dry air flows over mountain, and dry winds reach inland areas. In contrast, this process covers thousands of kilometers.

Starting with the initial stages, dry winds approaches coast from the sea. Once the winds reach the coast, it is pushed upwards from the sea level to the top of the mountain, from the windward side. Moreover, the moisture in the air rises and cools before forming the clouds. Once the clouds are formed, it starts rain falls over the mountain.

In the remaining stages, dry air continues to flow over the mountain and move downwards from the leeward side before reaching to inland areas. In addition, the dry air reaches the inland areas forming the rain-shadow desert.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You cover the main sequence from winds approaching the coast to dry air reaching inland, and you identify the rain-shadow desert and the diagram’s broad scale. The overview also signals the process’s beginning and end. However, some details are inaccurate or unclear: the diagram shows winds approaching from the sea, not “dry winds,” and the final stage is dry winds reaching inland areas, rather than simply “dry winds being reached.” The description of rain falling “over the mountain” could be more precise by locating it on the windward side. Your account addresses the task, but some stages are listed rather than clearly explained; specifying that moist air rises and cools, causing clouds and rain on the windward side, would make the key relationships clearer.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction, an overview, and two paragraphs describing the earlier and later stages. Sequencing phrases such as “Starting with the initial stages” and “In the remaining stages” help the reader follow the process. However, the overview repeats nearly the entire sequence, and some linking is mechanical or unclear. For example, “Once the winds reach the coast” repeats the preceding point, while “In contrast” does not express a contrast with the process’s stages. The reference in “it starts rain falls” is also difficult to follow. To strengthen progression, use the overview to summarise the main transformation, then connect each stage with precise cause-and-effect links.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

You use an adequate range of process vocabulary, including “moisture,” “windward side,” “leeward side,” and “rain-shadow desert,” which helps convey the diagram’s subject. Some variation is also evident in “approach,” “flows,” and “continues.” However, several word choices or combinations are inaccurate or unnatural, such as “winds being approached,” “dry winds being reached,” and “forming the clouds.” “From the windward side” is also imprecise for describing upward movement. These choices do not prevent the reader from understanding the general process, but they limit precision. Prefer standard process collocations such as winds “approach” or “are forced upwards,” moisture “condenses,” and clouds “form.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and more complex sentences, including time clauses beginning “Once” and a contrastive structure with “before.” The stages are generally understandable, but some errors in verb forms, agreement, and sentence construction remain. For example, “winds being approached” uses an unsuitable passive construction, “dry winds approaches” has a subject–verb agreement error, and “it is pushed upwards” has an unclear singular pronoun referring to plural winds. The phrase “it starts rain falls” is also grammatically faulty, while “before reaching to inland areas” has an incorrect preposition pattern. Work on keeping subjects and verbs aligned and using clear clauses, for example: “The winds are forced upwards, and the moist air cools as it rises.”

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.