Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-17

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 provided diagram illustrates the multi-stage process of formation of rain shadow deserts, consisting of seven main steps, beginning with winds approaching the coast and culminating in dry winds reaching inland areas.

Overall, it is a natural linear process, and involves series of atmospheric and geographical stages, transitioning from moist air rising over mountains to dry condition.

Looking at the first part of the natural process, the procedure commences with winds approaching coast. Following the initial stage, the winds pushed upwards to rise the moist air and cool them. subsequently clouds are formed on the windward side.

Turning to the final stages, rain falls heavily over the mountain peek. Once this is completed, dry air continues over the mountains towards the leeward side. Finally these dry winds reach inland areas, which creates a Rain shadow desert environment. This whole linear process cover thousands of kilometers to reach inland areas from sea.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You identify the diagram as a seven-stage process and give a clear overall account of its movement from coastal winds to dry inland conditions. The main sequence is mostly accurate: air rises over the mountains, clouds form, rain falls on the windward side, and dry air continues towards the leeward side. However, some stages are compressed or imprecisely described. For example, “the winds pushed upwards to rise the moist air” does not clearly distinguish the upward movement of the winds from the subsequent cooling of moist air. The claim that rain falls “heavily” is not shown, and the final reference to thousands of kilometres is better presented as the diagram’s horizontal scale, rather than as a distance the process itself must travel. More precise coverage of each stage would strengthen the summary.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The response is organised into an introduction, an overview, and two body sections, with a clear progression from the initial stages to the final ones. Sequencing phrases such as “Following the initial stage,” “Turning to the final stages,” and “Finally” help the reader follow the process. The overall progression is clear, although the division into “first part” and “final stages” leaves the middle transition somewhat compressed, and the overview repeats the general idea of a linear process without summarising the key contrast between the wet windward side and dry leeward side. Some linking is slightly mechanical, but it does not obscure the sequence. To improve, connect each stage more explicitly through cause and effect, and make the overview more informative rather than repeating the process structure.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

You use a suitable range of process vocabulary, including “multi-stage process,” “culminating,” “windward side,” “leeward side,” and “atmospheric.” These choices show some flexibility and are generally appropriate to the diagram. However, several word choices or collocations are inaccurate or awkward: “rise the moist air,” “mountain peek,” “dry condition,” and “creates a Rain shadow desert environment.” “Heavily” also adds an intensity not indicated by the visual. Spelling and form need attention in “peek” and in the inconsistent capitalisation of “Rain shadow desert.” Aim for precise, conventional process language, such as “moist air rises,” “mountain peak,” and “a rain-shadow desert forms.” This would make the description more natural and exact.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

There is a mix of simple and more complex structures, including the opening participial phrase “beginning with winds approaching the coast and culminating…” and the overview sentence describing a transition from moist to dry air. Meaning remains clear overall, but some grammatical errors recur. For example, “involves series” needs an article, “winds approaching coast” needs an article, and “the winds pushed upwards” lacks the auxiliary required for a passive construction (“are pushed upwards”). In “cool them,” the pronoun does not agree clearly with “air,” and “This whole linear process cover” has a subject–verb agreement error. Punctuation and capitalisation are also inconsistent, including the lowercase “subsequently” after a full stop. Check articles, passive forms, agreement, and sentence boundaries carefully.

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