Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-11-09

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)

This diagram illustrates about the formation of rain shadow deserts.

Overview, the procedure demonstrates the formation of rain shadow deserts in which there are parts from 1 to 7 showing the winds approches towards coast to the dry winds reaches to the inland areas.

The windside of the mountain shows the starting wind approching the coast then pushed upwardes to the mountains then moisture of the air rises and the temperature gets down and it forms clouds and the clouds merge and the rain pours down from the clouds .

The Leward side of the mountain the air which was formed by the raining on the top of the mountain gets a dry air over the mountain and shows the dry air is reaching fas down to the ground to reach the inland areas the area then covers it with dry air and settles down to inland this process is called rain shadow desert.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You cover the main stages and give a broad overview, tracing the process from winds approaching the coast to dry winds reaching inland. You also identify the windward and leeward sides and explain that rain falls over the mountains before dry air continues inland. This meets the task well, and the sequence is mostly grounded in the diagram. Some details are less clear or precise: “the clouds merge” is not shown, and the description that the air “settles down” is not a stated stage. The explanation of how the rain-shadow desert results from the dry conditions could also be more direct. To strengthen the response further, report the stages accurately and distinguish clearly between the windward rainfall and the dry leeward region.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has an overall progression: an opening overview is followed by a paragraph on the windward side and one on the leeward side. This makes the broad sequence understandable. However, the paragraphing and linking are not fully controlled. “Overview,” is an awkward standalone transition, while repeated uses of “then” make the process sound like a list rather than a smoothly connected explanation. The final paragraph also combines several stages in a long sentence, so the relationship between rainfall, dry air and the desert becomes difficult to follow. Use clear stage-based paragraphs and connectors such as “as a result” or “after crossing the mountain,” while keeping each sentence focused on one or two linked steps.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “windward side,” “mountain,” “moisture,” “clouds,” “rain” and “inland areas,” so the topic is generally clear. There are also attempts at more specific language, such as “rain shadow desert.” However, spelling and word-choice errors are noticeable: “approches,” “upwardes” and “Leward” make key terms less reliable, and “the clouds merge” is not an accurate description of the diagram. Some phrases are also imprecise, including “the air which was formed by the raining.” Aim for accurate spelling of the diagram’s labels and use natural process collocations, for example “moist air rises,” “rain falls” and “dry air moves inland.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple statements and longer sentences to describe the sequence, but control is uneven. The opening, “This diagram illustrates about the formation,” uses an unnecessary preposition, and “the procedure demonstrates … in which there are parts” is structurally awkward. Several sentences run together without clear punctuation, particularly the windward-side description, which joins rising air, cooling, cloud formation and rainfall with repeated “then.” There are also problems with articles and sentence construction in phrases such as “gets a dry air.” These errors sometimes make relationships between stages unclear. Build shorter, complete sentences first, then add a controlled range of clauses using “when,” “as” and “after.”

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