Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-11-01

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 image below illustrates the step-by-step natural mechanism behind the formation of one of the types of deserts, known as a rain-shadow desert.

The whole process starts from the sea, winds collect water droplets and humidity from the sea before hitting the coast of the mountains. These winds rise towards the peak of the mountain because of the mountain's natural steepness. As air travels towards the peak of the mountain, it cools down because of the low temperature near the top, forming clouds. This side of the mountain is called the windward side, where the moist air rises. These clouds cause rainfall near the top of the mountain and become dry.

The opposite side of the mountain is called the leeward side, which in comparison to the windward side is dry. After rainfall and cloud formation, the winds that travel on this side are deprived of water content. This air travels towards the inland, going downward from the steep mountains. As these dry winds reach inland areas, it causes the formation of a rain-shadow desert.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You cover the main sequence accurately: moist winds arrive from the sea, rise on the windward side, cool and form clouds, produce rain, then continue as dry air towards the inland desert. The contrast between the windward and leeward sides is also relevant. This is a solid account of the process, but some details are less fully or precisely reported. For example, the diagram shows winds being pushed upwards by the mountains, whereas “because of the mountain’s natural steepness” adds an explanation not explicitly shown. The overview could also state more directly that the mountain’s rain-producing windward side leaves the inland leeward area dry, creating the desert. A more concise, diagram-focused summary would strengthen coverage.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The stages are presented in a sensible order, and the paragraph break between the windward and leeward sides helps distinguish the two parts of the process. Linking phrases such as “As air travels” and “After rainfall” guide the reader through the sequence. However, cohesion is sometimes repetitive or slightly mechanical: “mountain” and “winds” recur frequently, and the second paragraph restates that the air is dry in several ways (“is dry,” “deprived of water content,” and “dry winds”). Some references could also be clearer, particularly “These clouds … and become dry,” where the subject seems to shift from clouds to air. Grouping the stages more efficiently and using clearer references would make the progression smoother.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

You use an adequate range of process vocabulary, including “formation,” “windward side,” “leeward side,” “rainfall,” and “inland areas,” which makes the explanation understandable and appropriately focused. There are also attempts at more descriptive phrasing, such as “deprived of water content.” Some choices are less natural or precise for this diagram: winds do not “collect water droplets and humidity” in the way stated, and “natural steepness” is an awkward description of the mountain’s role. “The whole process starts from the sea” is also less idiomatic than “begins over the sea.” Aim for concise, conventional process language and avoid adding physical explanations that the diagram does not establish.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The response includes a mix of simple and complex forms, including time and reason clauses such as “As air travels towards the peak … it cools down” and “because of the low temperature near the top.” Most meaning remains clear, but some grammatical errors and awkward constructions persist. In “winds collect … before hitting the coast of the mountains,” the plural subject is followed by an unclear participle phrase; “winds are pushed upwards by the mountains” would express the stage more cleanly. In “These clouds cause rainfall … and become dry,” the coordinated verbs appear to refer to the clouds, creating an unclear subject relationship. There is also an agreement error in “these dry winds … it causes.” Check that pronouns match their antecedents and that subjects and verbs agree.

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

Browse more IELTS Writing model answers or get your own writing scored by the same AI examiner.