Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-20

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 process through which a rain-shadow desert is formed thousands of kilometres away from the coast.

Overall,it is a natural process involving seven stages starting with winds approaching the coast on the windward side and ending with dry winds reaching the inland areas to form the rain-shadow desert on the leeward side.

To begin with, winds blow above the sea and later blows further to reach the bottom of the mountain on the windward side. The wind is pushed upwards and this results in the moist air rising and cooling on the windward side. Consequently clouds are formed and this is follwed by rain falling on this side of the mountain.

As the wind continues blowing, the dry air is now forced to flow downwards on the leeward side of the mountain. After some time, dry winds reach the inland areas and as they blow above it, the rain-shadow desert is formed thousands of kilometres away form the coast.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You cover the main sequence and provide a clear overview: winds approach the coast, rise and cool, produce clouds and rain, then continue inland as dry air. This captures the diagram’s central contrast between the rainy windward side and the desert beyond the leeward side. Some details, however, are less fully or precisely reported. For example, “winds blow above the sea” and “reach the bottom of the mountain” add or imply positions not explicitly shown, while the diagram specifically shows the dry air continuing over the mountain before dry winds reach inland areas. The final explanation that the desert forms “as they blow above it” is also unclear. To strengthen the account, describe each transition precisely and distinguish the movement of air from the formation of the desert.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The response is organised effectively into an introduction, an overview and two chronological body paragraphs. The sequence is easy to follow, and linking expressions such as “To begin with,” “Consequently” and “As the wind continues blowing” help signal progression. This clear overall organisation is a strength. Some connections are less exact, however: “After some time” does not explain the transition from air crossing the mountain to reaching inland areas, and “as they blow above it” has an unclear reference. The overview also repeats several details that are then described again. For a more polished progression, use concise stage-to-stage links and make pronouns or references explicit, for example, specify that the dry air descends on the leeward side before travelling inland.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

You use a relevant range of process vocabulary, including “windward,” “leeward,” “moist air,” “cooling” and “rain-shadow desert,” which helps communicate the diagram’s subject. There is also some variation in how the stages are described, such as “is pushed upwards” and “continues blowing.” However, several choices are imprecise or repetitive: “blow above the sea” is less accurate than describing winds approaching from the sea, and “blow above it” is vague. Spelling slips in “follwed” and “form” (for “from”) also reduce accuracy. Aim for precise process collocations and check spelling carefully; terms such as “descend,” “cross the mountain range” and “travel inland” would make the account clearer.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex forms, including the overview clause “involving seven stages” and cause-and-effect structures such as “this results in the moist air rising and cooling.” Most of the sequence remains understandable. Some grammatical errors persist, though. In “winds blow above the sea and later blows,” the plural subject requires “blow”; “the wind” and “the moist air” also shift inconsistently between singular and plural references. The sentence beginning “After some time” has an unclear construction in “as they blow above it,” and punctuation is missing after “Overall” and “Consequently.” Review subject–verb agreement, maintain consistent references, and punctuate introductory linking words. More consistently accurate complex sentences would improve control.

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