Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-15

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 picture displays how a certain type of desert is created. The desert is called rain-shadow desert.

The process involves 7 stages, starting with the wind approaching the coast and ending with dry winds reaching inland areas. Some of the stages include, winds push upwards, moist air rises and cools, clouds form, rain falls, and dry air continues over mountain.

In the initial stage winds from the sea approach the coast and the winds are pushed upwards as they reach the mountains on the windward side. During the third stage, moist air rises and cools forming clouds. As the clouds reaches the mountain crest, they result in precipitation.

After the falling of the rains, dry air continues over the mountain on the leeward side. The mountains ranges thousand of kilometers. During the last stage dry winds reach the inland areas depositing sand, resulting in the formation of the rain-shadow desert. Generally the windward side experience moist air and dry air on the leeward side.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You cover the main sequence accurately, from winds approaching the coast to dry winds reaching inland, and identify the windward and leeward sides. The final contrast—moist air on the windward side and dry air on the leeward side—also captures the process’s central outcome. However, the overview is mostly a list of stages rather than a clear summary of the key cause-and-effect pattern. Some details are unclear or unsupported: “depositing sand” is not shown in the diagram, and “the mountains range thousand of kilometers” appears to confuse the horizontal scale with the mountains themselves. Explain more clearly how rain removes moisture before the air crosses the mountain and creates a dry inland area.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a coherent overall arrangement: an introduction, a summary of the stages, and paragraphs describing the process in sequence. Time markers such as “In the initial stage,” “During the third stage,” and “After the falling of the rains” help the reader follow the order. However, the second paragraph repeats the sequence without adding much overview, and the transition from rainfall to the mountain’s scale is abrupt. The final sentence gives a useful contrast, but it could be integrated more smoothly into the summary. Organise the response around an overview followed by the windward and leeward stages, and use references such as “this moisture” or “the resulting dry air” to connect causes and outcomes more clearly.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of process vocabulary, including “approach,” “windward,” “leeward,” “precipitation,” and “formation.” These terms are relevant and generally make the stages understandable. Some choices are imprecise or awkward, however: “the falling of the rains” is less natural than a direct description of rainfall, while “depositing sand” adds a detail not represented in the diagram. “The mountains range thousand of kilometers” also uses the wrong expression for the scale shown. Aim for precise process collocations and avoid adding physical effects that the visual does not establish. More accurate wording for moisture loss and the inland dry zone would make the description clearer and more controlled.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentences, including the clause “as they reach the mountains” and the participle phrase “forming clouds.” Most of the process remains understandable, but some agreement and sentence-form errors persist. For example, “the clouds reaches” should be “the clouds reach,” and “the windward side experience” should be “the windward side experiences.” In “moist air rises and cools forming clouds,” a comma before “forming” would improve punctuation. The phrase “The mountains ranges” also needs a grammatical correction, such as “The mountain range extends…”. Check subject–verb agreement and sentence boundaries, while continuing to use varied clauses to explain the stages.

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