Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-13

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 creating one kind of desert, which is named a rain-shadow desert.

Overall, it is evident that the process consists of seven stages, beginning with winds approaching the coast and ending with dry winds reaching inland areas, where a rain-shadow desert forms.

To begin with, winds from the sea are approaching to the coast. Next, winds is pushed to the windward side of the mountain. Moreover, the moist air rises up the windward side and gradually cools. As the air cools, clouds form and rain falls.

However, after rainfall, in the sixth stage, dry air continues over mountain and arrives at the leeward side of the mountain. Finally, dry winds reach inland areas and create a rain-shadow desert. The rain-shadow desert lies thousands of kilometres inland from the coast.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the diagram as a process and give a clear overview of its seven stages, from winds approaching the coast to dry winds reaching inland. The account also includes the key sequence of rising, cooling air, cloud formation and rainfall, followed by dry air crossing the mountain. However, some details are incomplete or imprecise: the desert is said to be created by the winds, rather than explained as forming in the inland rain-shadow area, and the windward and leeward sides could be contrasted more clearly. The final statement about thousands of kilometres inland is relevant, but the diagram presents this as a horizontal scale rather than a precise distance. The response is also 19 words below the required minimum, limiting the detail provided.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a coherent overall arrangement: an introduction and overview are followed by the stages in sequence, with a final sentence locating the desert. Sequencing expressions such as “To begin with,” “Next,” and “Finally” help the reader follow the process. However, some linking is mechanical or not quite suited to the relationship between ideas. “Moreover” does not add a separate point, while “However” suggests a contrast where the process is simply continuing after rainfall. The paragraphing is understandable, but the description could group the windward-side stages and the leeward-side stages more deliberately. Clearer links between cause and result would make the progression smoother.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of process vocabulary, including “moist air,” “windward side,” “leeward side,” “clouds form,” and “rain falls.” These terms are relevant and generally make the stages easy to understand. There are, however, some imprecise or awkward choices: “illustrates creating” is not a natural way to introduce the process, and “winds … create a rain-shadow desert” overstates the role of the winds. “Arrives at the leeward side” is also less precise than describing the air as descending or continuing across the mountain. More accurate process collocations and varied verbs would improve precision, while retaining the clear technical terms already used.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple sentences and more complex structures, including the overview clause “beginning with … and ending with …” and the time clause “As the air cools, clouds form and rain falls.” Most sentences communicate the intended sequence, but some grammatical errors remain. In “winds is pushed,” the plural subject requires a plural verb, and “winds from the sea are approaching to the coast” has an unnecessary preposition and an awkward tense choice for a general process. Articles and number are also inconsistent in “over mountain” and “the mountain.” Aim to describe the diagram consistently in the present simple and check subject–verb agreement, articles and prepositions.

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

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