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)

The diagram illustrates how one type of desert well known as a rain shadow are formed.

Overall, the process of formation of rain shadow desert consist of seven stages beginning with winds approach coast and ending with dry winds reach inland areas. The rain falls in five stage from the top of mountain.

First, winds approach coast from the sea after some while winds pushed upwards in coast to mountain and then it moist air rises and cools the wind, after moist and becomes cool then it convert into clouds which is fourth stage, as sky becomes dark and which leads to rain falling from peak of mountain.

In the sixth stage, rain water flow to mountain as it convert into dry air continues over mountain in leeward side, Finally dry winds reach inland areas and falls Rain shadow desert. There are thousands of kilometres gap from sea coast to inland.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the diagram as a rain-shadow desert process and give a clear overall sequence: winds approach the coast, rise over the mountains, and dry winds reach inland areas. You also include the key contrast between rainfall on the windward side and the desert beyond the leeward side. However, some stages are not fully or accurately explained. For example, “rain water flow to mountain” does not clearly describe the diagram, which shows rain falling on the windward side before dry air continues over the mountain. The overview’s claim that rain falls “in five stage” is also unclear. To strengthen the response, explain the cause-and-effect links precisely, including that moist air cools as it rises, clouds form, and precipitation leaves the air dry.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure, with an introduction, an overview, and paragraphs describing the earlier and later stages. Sequencing expressions such as “First,” “In the sixth stage,” and “Finally” help the reader follow the process. However, some links are mechanical or unclear, particularly in the long first-stage sentence, where several events are joined with repeated “after” and “then.” The reference in “it convert into clouds” is also difficult to follow. Organise the stages into shorter, clearly connected sentences and use linking language to show cause and result—for example, rising air cools, which leads to cloud formation and rainfall. This would make the progression smoother and the relationships between stages clearer.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “winds,” “coast,” “mountain,” “clouds,” “dry air,” and “inland areas,” and you attempt more specific terms such as “leeward side” and “rain-shadow desert.” This gives you an adequate vocabulary base for describing the diagram. Some choices are imprecise or unnatural, however: “rain shadow are formed” does not name the desert correctly, and “falls Rain shadow desert” does not express where the desert is located. “Rain water flow to mountain” also misrepresents the process. Choose accurate collocations and use the diagram’s labels consistently, such as “rain falls on the windward side” and “a rain-shadow desert forms inland on the leeward side.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more extended sentence forms, and the overall sequence can generally be understood. However, some grammatical errors affect clarity. In the overview, “the process … consist” needs subject–verb agreement, while “winds approach coast” and “winds pushed upwards” have inconsistent verb forms and missing articles. The sentence beginning “First, winds approach coast” also combines several stages without clear sentence boundaries, and “it moist air rises” has an unclear structure. Practise consistent present-simple forms for process descriptions and check articles, agreement, and sentence boundaries. For example: “The winds approach the coast, then rise over the mountains. As the moist air rises, it cools and forms clouds.”

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