Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-19

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 figure depicts the overall process of the creation of a certain type of desert which is known as a rain-shadow desert. It consists of seven steps.

Overall, the formation is a linear process covering multiple locations and thousands of kilometers. It starts with winds coming from the coast and forming rain-clouds in the mountain. From the rain, dry winds continue and reach land, which creates the aforementioned deserts.

At first, winds above the sea approach the coast. These winds are then pushed upwards through the windwards side due to the change of elevation of the mountain. As the winds are in contact with the sea, moisture is picked up by them. The wet air of the coastal winds gets picked up and gets cooled. After some time, the risen air forms clouds which proceeds to precipitate on the mountain.

The dryer air seperated from its moisture continues to push through the leeward side of mountains. Finally, it reaches the inland areas which proceeds to form rain-shadow deserts.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The response identifies the diagram as a seven-step process and gives a clear overview of the main sequence: moist winds arrive from the coast, rain falls around the mountains, and drier air reaches inland areas. It also includes the key windward-to-leeward transition. Some stages, however, are less fully and precisely reported. For example, the account says the air “gets cooled” but does not clearly connect its ascent with cooling and cloud formation, and it describes precipitation “on the mountain” rather than specifying the windward side. The final link between dry winds and the desert is present, but could be explained more explicitly as the rain-shadow effect. More precise coverage of these relationships would make the summary more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response is arranged in a sensible sequence, with an introduction, an overview, and paragraphs describing the earlier and later stages. Sequencing expressions such as “At first,” “After some time,” and “Finally” help the reader follow the process. However, some links between ideas are unclear or repetitive. In the overview, “From the rain, dry winds continue” makes the transition from rainfall to dry air difficult to follow, while the later paragraph repeats the movement from the mountains to inland areas. References such as “These winds” and “which” are not always precise, particularly in “the inland areas which proceeds.” Clarifying these connections and using references that clearly identify air, clouds, or locations would improve cohesion.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

The response uses a suitable range of process vocabulary, including “approach,” “pushed upwards,” “moisture,” “precipitate,” and “leeward side.” These terms help describe the diagram, and the meaning is generally clear. Some word choices and collocations are imprecise: “forming rain-clouds in the mountain” is less natural than describing clouds forming above the windward slope, and “the wet air … gets picked up” does not clearly express moisture acquisition. “Windwards side” is also an inaccurate form, and “seperated” is misspelled. The repeated use of “gets” makes parts of the description less precise. More accurate process collocations and careful spelling would strengthen the vocabulary control.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

There is a mix of simple and more complex structures, including the relative clause in “which is known as a rain-shadow desert” and the passive construction “are then pushed upwards.” Most sentences communicate the process, but some grammatical problems remain. In “the risen air forms clouds which proceeds to precipitate,” the verb does not agree with the plural noun “clouds,” and the clause is awkwardly constructed. Similarly, “the inland areas which proceeds to form” has an unclear subject and agreement problem. The phrase “the wet air … gets picked up and gets cooled” also creates an unclear structure. Aim to make the subject of each clause explicit and check agreement, while retaining the range of sentence forms already attempted.

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