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 process represents how a desert named as rain-shadow desert is produced.

Overall, in the whole process it is shown that winds are the major factor. Winds after approaching coast rises and cools down forming clouds and then producing rainfall. Whereas, the dry air continues moving towards the other side and rain-shadow desert is formed.

In the beginning, winds from the sea approaches the coast where there is a huge mountain covering approximately thousands of kilometers on surface area. The winds after reaching the coast starts moving upwards towards the windward side, where now the moist air rises and cool down and form clouds and then rains. Whereas, on the other side, the dry air continues its path without any hurdles and travel to the other side of the mountain on the leeward side as soon as the wind reaches there it get into the inland areas and thus, the inland rain shadow desert is formed sinc.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You cover the main stages and give an overview of the contrast between rain on the windward side and dry air reaching the inland leeward side. This captures the central cause-and-effect sequence, and the account is mostly grounded in the diagram. However, some details are unclear or inaccurate: the mountain is described as “covering approximately thousands of kilometers on surface area,” whereas the diagram’s scale refers to horizontal distance, not the mountain’s surface area. The overview also says winds “rises and cools down,” which blurs the distinction between the wind being forced upward and the moist air cooling. The key features are present, but more precise reporting and fuller explanation of how rainfall leaves the air dry would strengthen the response.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and a paragraph describing the sequence. The stages are generally presented in the correct order, and linking expressions such as “In the beginning” and “Whereas” help show progression and contrast. However, cohesion is sometimes mechanical or unclear. “Whereas” begins sentences that are not fully balanced contrasts, and “the other side” is repeated without always making the reference precise. The final sentence also runs through several stages without clear punctuation, making the movement from dry air crossing the mountain to the desert’s formation harder to follow. Use shorter, clearly connected sentences and refer consistently to the windward and leeward sides.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use a relevant range of process vocabulary, including “windward side,” “leeward side,” “moist air,” “inland areas,” and “rain-shadow desert.” These terms show awareness of the diagram’s subject, and the meaning is generally understandable. Some word choices and collocations are imprecise, however: “a desert named as” is unnatural, “huge mountain covering … on surface area” does not accurately describe the scale, and “without any hurdles” is not suitable for describing air movement. There is also a spelling error in “sinc.” Aim for more precise process language and natural collocations, such as describing air as being forced over a mountain and becoming dry as it descends on the leeward side.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and complex sentences, including clauses linked with “where” and “as soon as,” but control is uneven. Subject–verb agreement errors occur in “winds … rises,” “winds … approaches,” and “the winds … starts.” There are also problems with verb forms and sentence construction, such as “cool down and form clouds and then rains,” and the final sentence joins several clauses without adequate punctuation. These errors sometimes make the sequence difficult to process, although the overall meaning remains recoverable. Practise keeping the subject and verb aligned, using consistent present-tense forms for a process, and dividing long sequences into complete sentences. More accurate control of these structures would make your description clearer.

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