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 process diagram gives information on the formation of a particular type of desert, which is known as a rain-shadow desert.

Overall, it is a linear process that involves seven stages which start with wind approaching the coast at the sea level and ending with dry reaching the inland areas. The distance from the coast to the rain-shadow desert formed takes about a thousands of kilometres.

At the first stage, the wind approached the coast from the sea level, which then pushed the wind upwards towards the mountain. After this, moist air rises and cools from the wind at the windward side. Following that, clouds are formed in preparation for rain fall.

At the next stage, the rain starts to fall and dry air continued over the mountain downwards towards the leeward side. Consequently, the dry winds reached the inland areas where rain-shadow desert is then formed. This process takes thousands of kilometres to reach the formation site.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You cover the main sequence, from winds approaching the coast through rainfall on the windward side to dry air reaching inland, and your overview identifies the seven stages and the broad distance involved. These details show a clear understanding of the diagram. However, some stages are less precisely described: “dry air continued over the mountain downwards” adds a downward movement not explicitly shown, and the final outcome—the rain-shadow desert forming inland—could be stated more directly in the overview. The distance is also repeated rather than used to clarify the diagram’s horizontal scale. To strengthen the response, describe the windward-to-leeward contrast explicitly and keep each stage closely tied to the labels shown.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a coherent overall arrangement: an introduction and overview are followed by two paragraphs that move through the process in order. Sequencing expressions such as “At the first stage,” “After this,” and “At the next stage” help the reader follow the stages. This clear progression is a strength. However, the linking is somewhat mechanical, with several transitions performing the same function, and “Following that” and “Consequently” do not always make the relationship between stages more precise. The final sentence repeats the distance point from the overview. For a more flexible progression, group related stages naturally and use concise references to connect them, while avoiding repetition.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

You use an adequate range of process vocabulary, including “formation,” “moist air,” “windward side,” “leeward side,” and “inland areas.” These terms are relevant and generally allow the process to be understood. There are also some imprecise or awkward choices: “dry reaching the inland areas” omits the noun “winds” or “air,” “rain fall” is better written as “rainfall” or “rain,” and “a thousands of kilometres” is not a natural expression. “Preparation for rain fall” also gives an unnecessarily purposeful tone to cloud formation. Aim for accurate collocations such as “dry air reaches inland areas” and “rain falls on the windward side,” and vary repeated wording without sacrificing precision.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including the overview clause “which start with wind approaching…” and the sequence “which then pushed the wind upwards.” Most of the process remains understandable, but some errors in tense, agreement, and sentence construction prevent consistently accurate control. For example, the description shifts from present tense (“rises and cools”) to past forms (“approached,” “pushed,” “continued,” “reached”), although the diagram describes a general process. In “dry reaching the inland areas,” the construction is incomplete, and “a thousands of kilometres” has an article and number error. Use the present simple consistently and check that each clause has a complete, correctly formed subject and verb.

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