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 process by which rain shadow dessert is formed.

Overall,the process invovles moist air travelling from the sea towards a mountain range,where it rises,cools and produce rainfall.As a result,the air becomes dry and moves inland,creating desert conditions on the leeward side of the mountains.

Intially the winds approaches coast from the sea from there the wind is pushed upward through the mountain then , it moist the air and cools it from which the cloud is formed. The side of the mountain from where the wind rise is called windward side and as the cloud goes upward the rain falls.

After losing much of the moisture,the air crosses through the leeward side of the mountain.As the air goes more deep into leeward side the air lost his all moisture and become dry and then dry winds reach inland areas . The area receives little rain fall and experience extremly dry conditon . Over time this results in the formation of a result shadow which may extend across thousands of kilometers inland.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The response gives a clear overview of the main sequence: moist air moves from the sea, rises and cools, rain falls on the windward side, and drier air continues inland to create desert conditions. It also identifies the windward and leeward sides and notes the inland scale. These details address the central features of the diagram. Some stages, however, are less clearly explained: the account says the wind “moist the air,” which obscures that the air is already moist before rising, and the final claim that the desert forms “over time” is not shown by the diagram. To strengthen the summary, describe the stages precisely and avoid adding unsupported timing or causal detail.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a coherent overall arrangement, with an overview followed by a description of the windward and leeward stages. The sequence is generally easy to follow, and phrases such as “After losing much of the moisture” help connect the stages. However, some links are awkward or mechanical, particularly “from there,” “from which,” and the repeated use of “as the air goes.” The long final paragraph also combines the mountain crossing, inland dryness, and desert formation without a clear separation of ideas. Use clearer stage-to-stage transitions and ensure each sentence has an unambiguous reference—for example, specify whether “it” refers to the wind or the air.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The response uses relevant process vocabulary, including “moist air,” “windward side,” “leeward side,” “rainfall,” and “inland areas,” which allows the main process to be understood. It also attempts more specific language such as “losing much of the moisture.” However, spelling and word-choice errors are noticeable, including “dessert,” “invovles,” “Intially,” and “result shadow.” Some combinations are also imprecise: “the air goes more deep” and “lost his all moisture” do not sound natural in this context. Aim for accurate process collocations and check spelling carefully; terms such as “rain-shadow desert” and “the air loses most of its moisture” would express the ideas more precisely.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

There is a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, including the overview sentence beginning “As a result” and the clause “After losing much of the moisture.” The main sequence remains understandable despite some grammatical errors. These include subject–verb agreement in “the winds approaches” and “the air … become dry,” as well as faulty clause construction in “it moist the air and cools it from which the cloud is formed.” Articles and sentence punctuation are also inconsistent, as in “the cloud” and the comma spacing throughout. To improve control, check agreement and verb forms, and divide the process into shorter, complete sentences. More accurate complex clauses would help convey the stages without obscuring who or what is acting.

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