Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-09

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 the formation of a kind of desert named rain-shadow desert.It involves 7 stages starting with the winds approach of sea coast and ending with dry winds reach inland areas.

Overall,the process begins with the approach of winds from the sea and concludes with dry winds reaching in inland areas.The process can be divided into 7 phrasres.From the sea to the end of rain-shadow area it is approximiately thousands of kilometres.

The first step of the process is the wind approach then the winds gets pushed upwards from the coast to the mountain.Following this,moist air rises and cools in a mountains windward side.In that area clouds form.From the windward side's cloud,the rain falls.Subsequently,dry air continues over mountains to the Leeward side.

Thereafter,it comes the last stage of the process which is in the inland areas.Finally,the dry winds reaches in that area of inland and it becomes the rain-shadow desert.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You cover the main sequence accurately, from winds approaching the coast through uplift, cooling, cloud formation and rainfall to dry air crossing the mountains and reaching inland. The opening and overview identify the process and its start and end, while the reference to the windward and leeward sides shows useful attention to the diagram. This meets the task well, and the main stages are relevant. However, some details are less fully explained: for example, the final sentence says the dry winds reach inland and “it becomes” the desert, without clearly explaining that the rain-shadow desert lies beyond the leeward side. The distance is also mentioned, but its significance as the horizontal scale could be stated more clearly. A more precise overview and fuller explanation of the final stage would strengthen the response.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction and overview are followed by the stages in sequence, and transitions such as “Following this,” “Subsequently,” and “Finally” help the reader track the process. This gives the description a coherent progression. However, cohesion is sometimes mechanical because several transitions simply announce the next step, and some references are unclear. For instance, “From the windward side’s cloud, the rain falls” is an awkward link, while “it comes the last stage” and “it becomes the rain-shadow desert” make the relationships between stages less direct. The overview also repeats the opening’s start-to-finish summary. Use clearer links that show cause and effect, and avoid repeating the same information.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “moist air,” “windward side,” “Leeward side,” “dry air,” and “rain-shadow desert,” which allows the main features to be identified. There is also some attempt to vary wording with “approach,” “pushed upwards,” and “continues.” However, several choices or forms are inaccurate or unnatural, such as “winds approach of sea coast,” “7 phrasres,” and “rain-shadow area.” Spelling errors such as “approximiately” and “phrasres” also reduce precision. The repeated use of “area” and “process” limits flexibility. Aim for accurate collocations such as “winds approach the coast” and “rain falls on the windward side,” and check spelling and word forms carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including “Following this, moist air rises and cools…” and “Subsequently, dry air continues…,” and the sequence remains understandable. However, some grammatical errors recur in verb agreement, articles, prepositions and sentence construction. Examples include “the winds gets pushed upwards,” “the dry winds reaches,” and “reaching in inland areas.” The opening also joins sentences without adequate spacing or punctuation, and “Overall,the process” shows inconsistent punctuation spacing. These errors do not generally prevent the reader from following the stages, but they limit accuracy and control. Practise subject–verb agreement and standard patterns such as “reach inland areas,” then proofread each sentence for articles, prepositions and punctuation.

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