Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-07

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 below gives us information of how one type of desert knowns as a rain shadow desert is formed.

overall, the mountains are located in thousands of kilometers and the process towards the rain start from the sea side with winds approach coast and ends up on dry winds when they reach inland areas.

Firstly, from the sea winds approaches towards the coast and then wind is pushed in upward direction. Moreover, the moist air rises and cools and after this they are converted in the clouds form and then the rain falls start. Besides this, left side of the mountains is called windward side.

Secondly, the right side of the mountains is known as leaward side. Furthermore, after rain falls dry air continues over mountain and then dry winds reaches to inland areas, which is called rain-shadow desert.

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 overview also recognises the sea-to-inland direction of the process. However, the description is not fully precise: “the mountains are located in thousands of kilometers” misrepresents the scale marker, which indicates the horizontal distance, and the final stage should make clear that the rain-shadow desert lies inland beyond the leeward side. Some stages are listed without explaining the causal link between rising, cooling air, rainfall on the windward side, and the resulting dry air. The response is also 10 words below the required minimum. Add a little detail to clarify these relationships and the diagram’s overall outcome.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable overall arrangement: an opening and overview are followed by two paragraphs describing the stages. Sequencing expressions such as “Firstly,” “Moreover,” and “Secondly” help the reader follow the process. However, the links sometimes feel mechanical, with repeated “and then” and “Furthermore,” and the division into “Firstly” and “Secondly” does not always clarify how the stages connect. For example, the transition from clouds forming to rain falling could be expressed as a direct cause-and-effect sequence. The reference in “which is called rain-shadow desert” is also unclear because it could refer to the inland areas rather than the dry winds. Use more precise links and references to make the progression smoother.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “moist air,” “windward side,” “leeward side,” and “rain-shadow desert,” which gives the description an adequate range for this diagram. There are also attempts to describe movement and change, such as “rises and cools” and “continues over mountain.” Some word choices and forms are inaccurate or awkward, however: “knowns as” should be “known as,” “the clouds form” is not a natural way to describe cloud formation, and “the rain falls start” is unclear. “Leaward” is also misspelled. Choose standard process collocations such as “clouds form” and “rainfall begins,” and check spelling and word forms to make the stages more precise.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and linked sentence forms, including the sequence “the moist air rises and cools and after this…” and the clause “after rain falls dry air continues over mountain.” The overall meaning is generally recoverable, but some grammatical errors affect clarity. Subject–verb agreement is inconsistent in “winds approaches” and “dry winds reaches”; articles and number are also problematic in “the clouds form” and “over mountain.” The opening phrase “gives us information of how” is not well controlled, and several long sentences join stages without clear punctuation. Practise accurate agreement and article use, and separate the process into clear clauses—for example, “The winds approach the coast and are forced upwards.”

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