Band 6.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-11-04

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 given figure illustrate how rain-shadow deserts are formed.

Overall, this is a natural linear process that contains 7 steps, commencing with winds approaching to the coast and concluding with dry winds reaching inland areas.

The formation of a rain-shadow desert due to a mountain, roughly thousands of kilometers wide, situated between the land and the sea. The wind coming to the coastline from the sea is meeting the mountain, also know as windward side, starts the process. Because of the mountain, wind pushed upwards before reaching inland. The rising moist air currents cools down with the altitude. After rising for a while, clouds will be formed.

At the top of the mountain rain will occur from the formed clouds. Over the inland side of the mountain, also know as the leeward side, dry air will continue to blow. The area where the dry air and inland meeting point onward is known as the rain-shadow desert.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

The response gives a clear account of the main sequence, from winds approaching the coast to dry winds reaching inland, and identifies the key relationship between the mountain, rainfall on the windward side, and the desert beyond the leeward side. This covers the central features of the diagram and maintains a relevant focus. The overview that it is a seven-step natural process is useful, although the explanation could be more precise about how moisture is lost as air rises and rain falls, leaving dry air to cross the mountain. The claim that the mountain is “roughly thousands of kilometers wide” misreads the diagram: the scale refers to the horizontal distance across the landscape, not the mountain’s width. Avoid assigning a measurement to a feature unless the visual clearly supports it.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The information is arranged in a sensible sequence, with an overview followed by the stages before and after the mountain. Transitions such as “Because of the mountain,” “After rising for a while,” and “Over the inland side” help the reader follow the process. This gives the response a coherent overall structure. However, some links are awkward or unclear, particularly “The formation … due to a mountain” and “The area where the dry air and inland meeting point onward.” The final paragraph also compresses several stages, so the transition from rainfall to dry air could be made more explicit. Use clearer references and connectors to show that the air crosses the mountain before reaching the inland desert.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “windward side,” “leeward side,” “moist air currents,” “altitude,” and “rain-shadow desert.” This shows an adequate range for describing the diagram, and the main meaning remains clear. Some word choices and collocations are less natural or imprecise: “winds approaching to the coast,” “the wind … is meeting the mountain,” and “the area where the dry air and inland meeting point onward” do not express the relationships smoothly. “Thousands of kilometers wide” also uses the scale label inaccurately. Aim for precise process language and natural combinations, such as winds “approaching the coast,” air “being forced upwards,” and dry air “continuing inland.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response attempts a mixture of simple and more complex structures, including “Because of the mountain…” and “After rising for a while…,” but control is inconsistent. Several sentences contain errors in verb form or agreement: “The given figure illustrate” should be “illustrates,” “wind pushed upwards” needs an auxiliary (“is pushed”), and “air currents cools” should be “air currents cool.” The sentence “The formation … due to a mountain” is a fragment, while “The wind … is meeting the mountain … starts the process” combines clauses without a clear grammatical link. Articles and prepositions also need attention, as in “approaching to the coast.” Practise complete sentence patterns and check subject–verb agreement and auxiliary verbs; this will make the process easier to follow.

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

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