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 diagram illustrates the sequential stages involved in the natural formation of a rain-shadow desert.

Overall it shows us how the wind travels thousand of kilometers and also forming clouds during the travel. It includes total 7 stages which are described below.

At first the wind travelling with the sea approaches the coast line and then it pushes itself up toward the mountains. After that, the the moist air rises and cools itself for the further procedure, and then clouds are formed. After clouds are formed they holds water in them, so after some time the rain starts at the top the mountain.

When the rain comes to an end the remaining dry air contiues over the mountain to travel further. In all this procedure we have covered the windward side and now we are in leeward side. And at last, the dry winds reaches the inland areas where the rain-shadow desert in formed

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You cover the main sequence from winds approaching the coast to dry winds reaching inland, and you identify the windward and leeward sides. The opening overview also recognises that the diagram presents a staged natural process. However, the overview is not fully accurate: “the wind travels thousand of kilometers” refers to the diagram’s horizontal scale, not a stated distance travelled by the wind. Some explanations are also less precise than the visual, such as saying clouds “hold water” and rain begins “at the top” of the mountain; the diagram shows clouds and rainfall above the windward slope and peak. To strengthen the response, summarise the key cause-and-effect pattern clearly: moist air rises, cools and produces rain on the windward side, leaving dry air to create desert conditions inland.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The stages are presented in a generally logical order, and paragraphing separates the overview from the process details. Sequencing phrases such as “At first,” “After that,” and “at last” help the reader follow the progression. However, the repeated use of “and then” and “after” makes the linking somewhat mechanical, while “In all this procedure we have covered the windward side and now we are in leeward side” shifts awkwardly into a first-person account and interrupts the process description. Some references, including “it” in “it pushes itself up,” are not fully clear. Use more varied, precise links to show cause and result, and keep the description consistently focused on the air and its movement.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of process vocabulary, including “moist air,” “cools,” “clouds,” “dry air,” “windward side,” and “leeward side,” which helps communicate the diagram’s main stages. There are also attempts at more formal phrasing, such as “sequential stages” and “natural formation.” However, some choices are inaccurate or unnatural: “the wind travelling with the sea” does not clearly express that winds come from over the sea, and “the rain comes to an end” suggests a separate ending rather than the air becoming dry after precipitation. Spelling and word-form slips such as “contiues” and “in formed” also reduce precision. Choose standard process collocations and check spelling carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including a sequence linked with “After that” and a clause beginning “When the rain comes to an end.” The overall meaning remains understandable, but some grammatical errors recur. For example, “the the moist air” contains a repeated article, “they holds water” has incorrect subject–verb agreement, and “the dry winds reaches” also mismatches the plural subject and verb. Articles are missing in “at the top the mountain” and “in leeward side,” while “the wind travelling” lacks a finite verb in its clause. Aim for accurate subject–verb agreement and complete clauses, and proofread articles and repeated words. More consistently controlled complex sentences would improve accuracy and range.

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