Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

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

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 mechanism of the formation of rain-shadow desert.

Overall, there are seven consecutive steps involved in this process, where the winds travel thousands kilometres of horizontal distances to form the rain-shdaow desert. A mountain i included in the process, which plays a major role in the mechanism. Notably, a sea is visible on the windward side of the mountain. However, the desert is formed on the leeward side.

First, the winds approach the coast and rises upward while touching the mountain surface on the windward side. Then, the moist air rises up into the atmosphere and cools down. For instance, the clouds is formed in the next step. When the clouds reach the top of the mountain, the rain starts to fall.

This rainfall makes the air dry, which then continues to flow over the mountain on the leeward side. Then, this dry air reaches the inland areas as winds, which transfroms these areas into rain-shadow desert. During this whole process, the winds travel thousands of kilometres in the horizontal direction.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

The response covers the main stages and gives a clear overview: it identifies seven steps, the mountain’s role, and the contrast between the windward side, where rain falls, and the leeward inland area, where the desert forms. The sequence from coastal winds to rising, cooling air, clouds, rainfall and dry winds is generally accurate. The explanation that rainfall makes the air dry is a reasonable summary of the transition shown. To make the account more precise, avoid adding that the winds travel thousands of kilometres as part of the process itself: the diagram presents this as a horizontal scale. Also, the overview could state more directly that the mountain causes moisture to be lost on the windward side, leaving dry air to create desert conditions inland.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The information is organised clearly into an introduction, an overview and two chronological paragraphs. Sequencing is easy to follow through “First,” “Then,” and “in the next step,” and the final paragraph appropriately explains what happens after rainfall. The contrast between the windward and leeward sides also helps the reader understand the process. Some linking is less effective or slightly repetitive: “For instance” does not introduce an example, but another stage, and “Then” is used again near the end. The reference to “this whole process” also repeats the horizontal-distance point from the overview. Use transitions that signal sequence directly, and keep each sentence focused on a distinct stage to make the progression more economical.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The response uses a suitable range of process vocabulary, including “mechanism,” “moist air,” “atmosphere,” “rainfall,” and “leeward side,” so the stages are generally communicated clearly. However, some word choices and collocations are inaccurate or awkward, such as “horizontal distances,” “touching the mountain surface,” and “transforms these areas into rain-shadow desert.” There are also spelling errors in “rain-shdaow” and “transfroms,” and “a mountain i included” contains a missing letter. These slips do not prevent understanding, but they limit precision and control. Aim for standard process collocations such as “is forced upwards,” “crosses the mountain,” and “leads to the formation of a desert,” and check spelling carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

There is a mix of simple and more complex sentence forms, including the relative clause in “which plays a major role” and the time clause “When the clouds reach the top of the mountain.” Most ideas remain understandable, but some grammatical errors occur. In “the winds … rises upward,” the plural subject requires “rise”; “the clouds is formed” should be “the clouds are formed”; and “a mountain i included” needs “is.” The phrase “thousands kilometres” also needs the preposition “of” in this construction. These errors show that agreement, articles and sentence patterns need more consistent checking. Proofread each sentence for subject–verb agreement and use a range of structures while keeping the forms accurate.

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

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