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 provided diagram illustrates the stages involved in the formation of a type of desert which is called rain-shadow desert.

Overall, seven stages; winds approach coast, winds pushed upwards, moist air rises and cools, clouds form, rain falls, dry air continues over mountain and dry winds reach inland areas, are involved. All thses stages together cover thousands of kilometres to create rain-shadow desert.

From sea winds approach coast. Winds then pushed upwards along the windward side where moist air rises and cools down which result in the formation of clouds. These clouds turn into rain fall on the higher top of mountains. After that, dry air continues over the mountain following the leeward side. Finally, these dry winds reach the bottom area of the inland to complete the cycle and form a kind of desert which is known as a rain-shadow desert. The cycle covers thousands of kilometers of area from sea coast to inland to establish this rain-shadow desert.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the diagram as a process and give a broad overview that all seven stages lead to a rain-shadow desert across a large distance. The main sequence is also mostly accurate: moist air rises and cools, clouds form, rain falls on the mountain’s windward side, and dry air continues over the leeward side towards inland areas. However, some details are less fully or precisely reported. For example, “the bottom area of the inland” is not a clear description of the desert’s position, and the response does not explain the contrast between rainfall on the windward side and dry conditions beyond the mountain. Develop that contrast and describe the stages without suggesting that the process is a cycle, as the diagram presents a directional sequence.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall structure: an introduction, an overview, and a paragraph describing the process in sequence. Connectors such as “then,” “After that,” and “Finally” help the reader follow the stages. However, the overview repeats the full sequence in a list, and the final paragraph repeats the distance and desert formation already mentioned. This makes some cohesion mechanical rather than purposeful. The opening of the overview, “Overall, seven stages; winds approach coast…,” is also not smoothly connected as a sentence. Aim to summarise the key pattern in the overview, then use the body to explain the stages, with clearer links between the mountain’s two sides and the resulting inland conditions.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of relevant process vocabulary, including “windward side,” “leeward side,” “moist air,” and “formation,” which helps communicate the diagram’s main features. Some less precise or awkward choices limit the clarity and naturalness of the description. “These clouds turn into rain fall” does not accurately express that rain falls from the clouds, while “bottom area of the inland” is an imprecise way to locate the desert. There is also a spelling error in “thses.” Choose concise, conventional terms for the process and avoid repeating “create,” “form,” and “establish” for the same outcome. More precise collocations would make the account clearer without requiring a much wider vocabulary.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and complex sentences, including a relative clause in “a type of desert which is called…” and a sequence linked with “where” and “which.” The stages remain understandable, but some grammatical errors recur. The overview is a sentence fragment: “Overall, seven stages; winds approach coast…” The passive construction “Winds then pushed upwards” needs an auxiliary, and “which result” does not agree with its singular subject. Articles and sentence structure also need attention in phrases such as “From sea winds approach coast” and “rain fall on the higher top of mountains.” Practise forming complete overview sentences and checking verb forms, agreement, and articles. These corrections would improve accuracy while preserving the range of structures you are attempting.

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