Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

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

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 illustrates how one type of desert, known as a rain-shadow desert, is formed.

To summarise,the formation of the rain-shadow desert streches across thousands of kilometers,including steps such as , rising, cooling,formation, falling and dry air circulation.

Firstly, looking at the diagram, the very start of this process begins at the sea bed where the first layer of the sea is heated by the sun and vapour form,and is swept along the coast by the wind to reach a hill still going upwards.The moist and heated vapours then reach a colder region in the mountain,where clouds are formed .

After the clouds have formed heavy rain starts to pour down along the mountain's windward side falling back into the ocean .The remaning dry air continues its journey opposite to the mountain's leeward side settling at the inland area creating the phenomena rain-shadow desert

Overall,the formation of the rain-shadow desert is primarily affected by the gasping mountain blocking the rain and only pushing dry air with no moisture.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the process as a rain-shadow desert forming over a long distance and describe the main sequence from moist air rising to rain and dry air reaching inland. However, some details are not supported by the diagram: it does not show the sea being heated by the sun, vapour forming, or rain falling back into the ocean. The key mechanism is that winds are forced upwards over the mountains, where moist air cools, clouds form and rain falls on the windward side; dry air then crosses the mountain and reaches the inland leeward area. Your overview mentions the mountain blocking rain, but “gasping mountain” makes the explanation unclear. A more precise account of the stages and their locations would make the summary more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure, with an opening, a sequence of process details and a concluding overview. “Firstly” and “After the clouds have formed” help signal progression, and the stages are generally presented in the right order. However, the overview is placed before the detailed account and the final paragraph repeats the central idea without clearly summarising the whole process. Some links between stages are also awkward: the first long sentence combines sea heating, vapour formation, wind and movement to the mountain, making the sequence harder to follow. Use one clear paragraph for the overview, then organise the stages in order with concise transitions such as “As a result” and “On the leeward side”.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “moist,” “clouds,” “windward side,” “leeward side” and “dry air,” which helps communicate the diagram’s subject. There are also attempts at more descriptive language, such as “continues its journey.” However, several choices are inaccurate or unnatural for this process: “sea bed” refers to the ocean floor, “vapours” is not the best term here, and “gasping mountain” does not convey the intended idea. Spelling errors such as “streches” and “remaning,” along with imprecise phrases like “the phenomena rain-shadow desert,” reduce control. Prefer standard process terms and accurate collocations, for example “winds approach the coast” and “a rain-shadow desert forms inland.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and complex sentence forms, including the time clause “After the clouds have formed” and the relative clause in “the mountain, where clouds are formed.” The overall meaning is usually recoverable, but some grammatical and punctuation errors make sentences less controlled. For example, “the first layer of the sea is heated … and vapour form” has a subject–verb agreement problem, while “the remaining dry air continues … settling” has an unclear relationship between the actions. Several sentences are joined with commas or run on for too long, and spacing around punctuation is inconsistent. Build the process description with shorter, clearly punctuated sentences, and check agreement, articles and clause structure when combining stages.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

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