Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

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

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 given chart illustrates the formation of a particular type of desert called rain-shadow desert. The process include number of steps.

Overall, the process begins with winds approach coast and ends with dry winds reach inland areas.

To begin with, winds come from the sea approach coast then pushed in upward direction of mountain's windward side. When the air reaches halfway it moist and cools and clouds are formed. At the peak of mountains, the clouds become dark due to which rain falls.

In the following step, on the leeward side of mountains dry air continues back over from the top of the mountain. After that, when this dry wind reached inland area or bottom of mountain it is known as rain-shadow desert. Lastly, for the formation of rain-shadow desert winds cover thousands of kilometers and have to indulge in number of stages on two different sides of a mountain.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You identify the process as a rain-shadow desert and give a clear overall sequence, from winds approaching the coast to dry winds reaching inland. The main stages are covered, including uplift on the windward side, cooling, cloud formation, rainfall, and the continuation of dry air over the mountain. This is a relevant account, though some details are less fully or precisely explained: for example, the diagram shows rain falling above the windward side, while the description that clouds “become dark” is an added detail not shown. The final sentence also repeats the scale and stages rather than clarifying how the rain shadow forms. To strengthen the response, explain more directly that the air loses moisture as rain before descending toward the leeward inland area.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a coherent overall arrangement: an introduction and overview are followed by the windward-side stages and then the leeward-side outcome. Sequencing phrases such as “To begin with,” “In the following step,” and “After that” help the reader follow the process. However, cohesion is sometimes mechanical, and a few references or links are unclear. For instance, “When the air reaches halfway” does not clearly identify what point or stage is meant, while “After that” and “Lastly” introduce information that partly repeats earlier points. The final sentence would work better as a concise concluding detail or could be omitted in favour of clearer stage-to-stage links. More precise referencing and less repetitive sequencing would make the progression smoother.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “windward side,” “leeward side,” “moist,” “clouds,” and “rain-shadow desert,” which gives the account an adequate range for this diagram. Some less common terms are attempted, but word choice and collocation are not always natural: “pushed in upward direction” and “indulge in number of stages” do not express the process idiomatically. “Back over from the top” is also awkward, and “dark” adds an unsupported description of the clouds. These choices do not prevent the reader from understanding the main sequence, but they reduce precision. Prefer direct process language such as “is forced upwards,” “passes over the mountain,” and “undergoes several stages.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including clauses linked with “then,” “when,” and “after,” and the overall meaning remains understandable. However, some grammatical errors occur in basic verb forms and sentence construction. For example, “The process include number of steps” needs subject–verb agreement and an article; “winds approach coast” is missing an article and has an awkward tense pattern; and “it moist and cools” lacks the verb “becomes.” In “when this dry wind reached inland area,” the tense and article use are also inconsistent. Aim to keep the process description consistently in the present simple and check agreement, articles, and complete verb phrases. Greater accuracy in these patterns would make your varied sentences more controlled.

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