Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-11-05

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 6.0)

The process diagram illustrates how a rain-shadow desert is formed.

Overall ,it is clear that the seven steps of process started from sea where wind approaches to the cost to pushed upwards in Windward side, then after the rain falls over the mountains these side converted dry air continues to leeward side to inland where rain shadow desert is formed.

Initially, the process started from sea where winds approach coast and pushed upwards over the mountains. Then, wind added with moist air rises and cools at the windward side .After this clouds are formed then started rain falls in windward side and water again moving back to sea coast level.

After rain falls at the windward side, dry air continues over mountains at the leeward side. Furthermore, these dry winds reach inland areas where rain-shadow desert is formed. From sea coast to inland areas where desert is formed winds move over the thousand of kilometres of mountains.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You cover the main sequence and give an overview that identifies the movement from the sea, across the mountains, and towards the inland desert. The details about moist air rising, cloud formation, rainfall on the windward side, and dry air continuing over the leeward side are relevant and mostly match the diagram. This also shows some of the precision expected at a higher level. However, the overview is difficult to follow, and the explanation that “water again moving back to sea coast level” is not shown in the diagram. The final reference to winds moving over “thousand of kilometres of mountains” also misreads the scale: the arrow indicates the horizontal distance, not the length of the mountains. Clarifying these points would make the account more consistently accurate and complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and two paragraphs describing the stages in sequence. Linking expressions such as “Initially,” “After this,” and “Furthermore” help the reader follow the process. However, cohesion is sometimes mechanical, and some references are unclear. For example, “these side” does not clearly identify the windward side, while “these dry winds” follows more naturally from the previous sentence than the earlier references to “these.” The overview also combines several stages in one long sentence, making the progression harder to grasp. Use clearer stage-by-stage sentences and refer explicitly to the windward and leeward sides to improve the flow.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “moist air,” “windward side,” “leeward side,” “rain falls,” and “inland areas,” which allows the reader to understand the main stages. There is also an attempt to vary wording with phrases such as “continues over” and “reach inland areas.” Some word choices and collocations are inaccurate, however: “wind added with moist air” does not express the intended relationship, and “these side converted dry air” is difficult to interpret. “Cost” is also a spelling error for “coast,” and “thousand of kilometres” is not correctly formed. Choose precise verbs such as “rises,” “cools,” and “moves,” and use the diagram’s labels consistently.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple sentences and longer structures, including a sequence linked with “then” and a clause beginning “where rain-shadow desert is formed.” However, control is uneven, and errors in verb forms, articles, and sentence construction sometimes make the process difficult to follow. For instance, “winds approach coast and pushed upwards” shifts tense and omits an article, while “these side converted dry air continues” lacks a clear grammatical structure. The overview also runs several stages together without effective punctuation. Aim for accurate present-simple passive forms where appropriate, such as “the winds are pushed upwards” and “rain falls on the windward side.” Shorter, complete sentences would help you demonstrate greater control.

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