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 diagram illustrates the process of forming rain-shadow desert . From wind approaching to the coast to reach far way to thousans of kilometres as dry winds in inland areas, it takes seven stages.

Overall, the diagram demonstrates two sides of mountains, one is windward side which has the sea coast near mountains, and Leeward side which is dry and has the Rain-shadow desert. The major transformation happens rain falls from the peak of mountains.

The initial stage starts by wind from sea-side approaching to the coast and the wind pushed upwards by the mountain. As the wind rises the moist air starts to become cool. Those cool air makes form of clouds.

When the rain falls from that cloud from the peak of the mountain to Leeward side, the dry air flows in downward trends. In the final stage dry wind reach the inland areas and made Rain-shadow desert.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You cover the main process from winds approaching the coast to dry winds reaching inland, and you identify the windward and leeward sides. The overview also recognises the key contrast between the wetter mountain-facing side and the desert inland. However, some details are unclear or inaccurate: rain is shown falling on the windward side near the mountain peak, not “from the peak ... to Leeward side,” and the diagram does not say that the desert itself is formed in the final stage; rather, dry winds reach inland areas where the rain-shadow desert is located. The overview could also explain the causal sequence more clearly: moist air rises, cools and forms clouds before precipitation, leaving dry air to cross the mountain. These omissions and imprecisions limit the completeness of the account.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction, an overview, and paragraphs describing the earlier and later stages. The sequence is generally easy to follow, with transitions such as “The initial stage” and “In the final stage.” However, some links between ideas are awkward or unclear. For example, “When the rain falls from that cloud from the peak ... to Leeward side” makes the direction and relationship between rainfall and the dry air difficult to follow. The overview also repeats the contrast between the two mountain sides without fully connecting it to the process. Use clearer stage-to-stage links and references, such as “After precipitation falls on the windward slope, the remaining dry air crosses the mountain.”

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “windward side,” “Leeward side,” “moist air,” “clouds,” and “inland areas,” which gives the response an adequate range for describing the diagram. Some less common terms are attempted, but word choice and spelling are not always accurate: “far way,” “thousans,” and “downward trends” are unsuitable or misspelled, while “made Rain-shadow desert” is not a natural description. “Cool air makes form of clouds” also shows imprecise phrasing. These errors do not prevent the reader from understanding the general process, but they reduce precision. Aim for standard process collocations such as “air descends,” “clouds form,” and “a rain-shadow desert develops,” and use consistent capitalisation for labels.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple sentences and more complex structures, including “As the wind rises...” and “When the rain falls...,” so there is some variety. However, grammatical control is uneven, and several errors occur in basic sentence patterns. For example, “one is windward side” needs an article, “the wind pushed upwards” should be “the wind is pushed upwards,” and “Those cool air makes form of clouds” has problems with agreement and sentence construction. In “dry wind reach ... and made,” the verb forms do not match the subject or the sequence. Improve accuracy by checking articles, singular/plural agreement, and consistent present-tense forms when describing a process. Clearer sentence structures will also help your complex clauses remain easy to follow.

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