Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-11-06

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 picture given under represents the procedure of forming a specific desert named as rain-shadow desert.

Overall, it is clearly seen in the photo that a big mountain spread in the thousands of kilometers is drawn with a lot of arrows on the sides of it showing the various steps in the formation of rain-shadow deserts. The whole process completed in 7 different stages starting from a sea and ending at the inland.

Initially diagram depicts the winds approach coast in the first level and going to the next, where the air is pushed upwards to the mountain, moreover, the in next steps the moist air rises and cools down and forming the clouds at the windware side of the hill followed by the rain fall in the fifth level on the top of the big rock.

Furthermore, an arrow coming down from the last steps shows the dry air continues over mountain and finally the no-moist air reach the inland area at the bottom of the mountain and formed a desert at the final step.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You cover the main sequence from winds approaching the coast to dry air reaching inland, and your overview identifies seven stages and the sea-to-inland direction. The account also correctly links rising, cooling moist air with cloud formation and rain on the windward side. Some details, however, are less fully or precisely reported: the diagram shows the dry air continuing over the mountain before dry winds reach the inland area, while “an arrow coming down from the last steps” is unclear and may misrepresent that movement. The claim that the mountain “spread in the thousands of kilometers” also confuses the diagram’s horizontal scale with the mountain’s size. A more precise overview and clearer description of the leeward side would strengthen the report.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a coherent overall arrangement: an introduction, an overview, and two paragraphs describing the stages in sequence. Time markers such as “Initially,” “in the next steps,” and “finally” help readers follow the process. However, some linking is mechanical or awkward, particularly “going to the next” and “moreover, the in next steps,” and the final paragraph’s reference to “the last steps” is not clear. The long sentences also combine several stages, making the progression harder to track. To improve, use shorter sentences for distinct stages and connect them with precise references, for example, “After rain falls on the windward side, the remaining dry air crosses the mountain.”

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “moist air,” “rises and cools,” “clouds,” and “rain-shadow desert,” so the main ideas are generally understandable. There is also some attempt to vary wording, such as “procedure” and “formation.” However, several choices are inaccurate or unnatural for describing a diagram: “the picture given under,” “windware side,” “big rock,” and “no-moist air.” “Spread in the thousands of kilometers” also gives the wrong meaning for the scale label. These errors make parts of the description imprecise. Aim for standard geographical terms and natural collocations, such as “mountain range,” “windward side,” “dry air,” and “extends for thousands of kilometres.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including clauses linked by “where” and “followed by,” and the overall sequence can usually be understood. However, complex sentences are often faulty, and errors in articles, agreement, verb forms, and sentence construction sometimes make the relationships between stages unclear. For example, “the in next steps the moist air rises” has a broken structure, while “the no-moist air reach” lacks correct agreement and phrasing. The final clause, “and formed a desert,” also shifts tense and does not clearly connect to its subject. Practise building accurate sentences around one or two stages at a time, using consistent present simple forms for process descriptions.

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