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 formation of a rain-shadow desert.

Overall, the process includes the winds travelling from the sea, up to the coast, along the Windward side. The winds travel thousands of kilometres over the mountains and then get transformed into clouds. The rain allows the dry air, travel down the Leeward side, reaching the inlands, forming a rain-shadow desert.

The process starts when the winds from the sea approach the coast. The winds are pushed upwards. Moist air rises and cools down. At this point, the winds have travelled thousands of kilometres along the Windward side. They get transformed into clouds, reaching the top of the mountain.

At the top of the mountain, rain falls down from the clouds, which allows the dry air to travel dow the mountains, also known as the Leeward side. The final step includes the dry winds reaching the inland areas, forming the rain-shadow desert.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You cover the main sequence from coastal winds rising to the formation of the inland desert, and the overview identifies the broad movement from sea to inland. The stages “Moist air rises and cools” and “Rain falls” are also reported accurately. However, the overview misstates the process: the winds do not travel thousands of kilometres over the mountains before becoming clouds; that label indicates the diagram’s horizontal scale. Clouds form before rainfall, while dry air continues over the mountain and reaches inland. The description also says rain “allows” dry air to travel, which suggests a causal link not shown. Your account is relevant and mostly complete, but clearer explanation of these relationships and a more accurate overview would strengthen it further.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall structure, with an overview followed by a chronological account, and the sequence is generally easy to follow. Linking expressions such as “The process starts,” “At this point,” and “The final step” help signal progression. However, cohesion is sometimes weakened by unclear references and connections. In the overview, “The rain allows the dry air, travel down” is difficult to interpret, and “They” in “They get transformed into clouds” could refer to the winds rather than the moist air. Repeating “At the top of the mountain” also makes the progression slightly mechanical. Use precise references such as “the moist air” and connect each stage directly to the next.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of process vocabulary, including “approach,” “pushed upwards,” “rises and cools,” “Leeward side,” and “inland areas.” These terms help communicate the diagram’s stages, and the key geographical labels are mostly handled appropriately. Some choices are imprecise or unnatural, however: “get transformed into clouds” does not accurately describe cloud formation, “inlands” is not the natural form here, and “travel down” is less precise than a verb such as “descend.” The spelling slip “dow” also detracts from accuracy. Aim for precise process collocations and check spelling, while retaining the useful technical vocabulary already present.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and more complex forms, including the relative clause in “rain falls down from the clouds, which allows…” and the participle phrase “forming the rain-shadow desert.” Most of the sequence remains understandable, but some grammatical errors and awkward constructions reduce control. For example, “allows the dry air, travel down” needs a grammatical pattern such as “allows the dry air to travel down,” while “The process includes the winds travelling…” is an awkward construction for describing the stages. The comma before “forming” in the overview also interrupts the sentence structure. Practise accurate verb patterns after “allow” and build clearer sentences around cause and sequence.

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