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 illustrates the necessary stages for the formation of rain-shadow deserts, showing how wind from coast is converted into dry wind.

overall the process is linear, starting with coastal air from sea and ends with dry air in inland areas.

The process starts when moist wind from sea coast moves upward the mountains. as the coastal air rises it cools down while going up the windward side of mountains. Following this, the cooled air forms clouds and when these clouds reach the higher place, the rain falls from the clouds. As all the water is removed, the dry wind resumes moving down the leeward side of mountains. At last the air deprived of moisture continues its motion in the direction of inland areas, forming a region known as Rain-shadow desert.

In conclusion, water containing air from coastal region moves thousands of kilometer across the mountains to form desert with dry wind called as rain-shadow desert

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You cover the main sequence and give a clear overview: coastal air rises, cools, produces clouds and rain, then continues inland as dry air, creating the desert. This is relevant and broadly matches the diagram. The description of the windward and leeward sides also helps explain the process. To make the account more complete and precise, distinguish the initial movement of winds towards the coast from their subsequent upward movement over the mountains; your opening process detail begins with the wind already moving up the mountains. The final reference to air travelling “thousands of kilometer” is grounded in the diagram’s scale, but could be integrated more clearly. Some stages are explained more fully than others, so sharper coverage of the full sequence would strengthen the response.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response follows the process in a sensible order, and the overview is separated from the main description. Sequencing expressions such as “Following this” and “At last” help the reader track the stages. However, the paragraphing is limited, and the final “In conclusion” repeats the overview rather than adding a distinct concluding point. Some links are also slightly mechanical, while “when these clouds reach the higher place” leaves the reference and location imprecise. Organise the stages into a clear body paragraph after the overview, and use concise links that show cause and sequence—for example, explain directly that cooling leads to cloud formation and precipitation. This would make progression smoother and referencing clearer.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use a relevant range of process vocabulary, including “windward side,” “leeward side,” “moisture,” and “rain-shadow desert,” which allows the main stages to be communicated. There are also attempts at more formal phrasing, such as “deprived of moisture.” Some choices are awkward or imprecise, however: “water containing air” is less natural than “moist air,” and “higher place” does not clearly identify the mountain peak or higher altitude. “Converted into dry wind” also suggests a transformation that could be expressed more accurately as air losing moisture. Pay attention to natural collocations and precise process terms, while avoiding unnecessarily elaborate wording. These refinements would make the description more fluent and exact.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mixture of simple and complex structures, including the time clause “as the coastal air rises” and the conditional-style sequence “when these clouds reach…”. The process remains understandable despite some grammatical errors. For example, “wind from coast” needs an article, and “the process starts when moist wind… moves upward the mountains” has an incomplete prepositional pattern; air moves “up the mountains” or “over the mountains.” There are also sentence-boundary and punctuation issues, such as beginning sentences with lowercase letters and the final sentence’s spacing before “desert.” Review articles, prepositions, and sentence punctuation, and vary sentence structures while keeping each stage grammatically controlled. More consistently accurate clauses would improve clarity.

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