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 diagram illustrates various steps involved in the formation of a desert known as rain-shadow desert.

Overall, it is a 7-stage process starting from the sea where wind moves from coastal areas to the mountains followed by rain formation and movement of dry air towards the inland area resulting in the formation of rain-shadow desert.

As far as the first step is concerned, wind from the sea approaches the coastal area where it is pushed upwards towards the cliff of the mountains. As it rises, it becomes more cooler. At the windward side of mountain, formation of clouds occurs. The rain falls on the peak of mountain beyond the windward side.

After the rainfall, air becomes dry and continues to move towards the leeward side. In the last step, this dry air progresses towards the inland area thus giving rise to the formation of rain-shadow desert. The air has to travel thousands of kilometres from the coastal area towards specific desert.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You identify the diagram as a seven-stage process and give a clear overview of the movement from sea to inland desert. The main sequence is mostly accurate: winds approach the coast, rise over the mountains, produce clouds and rain, then continue as dry air towards the inland area. This covers the key stages, but some details are less fully or precisely reported. For example, the diagram shows moist air rising and cooling before clouds form, whereas “it becomes more cooler” does not clearly explain this change. The description of rain falling “on the peak” is also more specific than the diagram supports. To strengthen the account, explain the windward-to-leeward contrast more explicitly and avoid adding unsupported location details.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a coherent overall arrangement: an introduction and overview are followed by the early stages and then the movement of dry air inland. Sequencing phrases such as “As far as the first step is concerned” and “After the rainfall” help the reader follow the process. However, some connections are mechanical, and the final sentence about air travelling thousands of kilometres feels added rather than integrated into the explanation. References such as “it” in “As it rises” are understandable, but could be made more precise by naming the air or wind. Grouping the stages into clearer phases—moist air rising and raining, then dry air crossing inland—would make progression smoother and cohesion more flexible.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

You use a suitable range of process vocabulary, including “approaches,” “formation,” “windward,” “leeward,” “progresses,” and “inland.” These terms help communicate the diagram’s stages, and the meaning remains clear. Some choices are repetitive or imprecise, however: “formation” appears several times, while “cliff” is not the most accurate term for the mountains shown. Phrases such as “rain formation” and “giving rise to the formation” are less natural than concise process descriptions. The response therefore has adequate vocabulary and some attempts at more specific language, but greater precision and more natural collocations would improve it. Use the diagram’s terminology consistently and vary repeated words without introducing unsupported details.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex forms, including the overview sentence with “starting from” and the final clause “thus giving rise to…”. Most sentences communicate the process, but some grammatical errors remain. “It becomes more cooler” uses an incorrect comparative form; write “it becomes cooler.” In “At the windward side of mountain,” the article and noun number need attention, for example, “On the windward side of the mountain.” The sentence beginning “Overall, it is a 7-stage process” is also somewhat awkwardly constructed, and “The rain falls on the peak of mountain” omits an article. More consistently accurate articles, comparatives, and sentence patterns would help you show stronger control while retaining complex structures.

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