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 given diagram illustrates the formation of rain-shadow deserts.

Overall the formation of rain-shadow deserts contains of several steps, starting with winds approach coast, and after travelling tousands of kilometers ending with dry winds reach inland areas.

Initially, the wind approach to coast line of mountains which will than pushed upwards to the mountains. Than after the moist air will rise and cools, and will form into clouds which will create rain fall on top of the mountains. The name of this phase is called windward side.

In the second phase, the dry air from the top of the mountains will come downwards, and it will reach inland areas where it will create rain-shadow. The name of this pahse is leeward side. However, to complete this process winds have to travel for thousands of kilometres.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the process and give a basic overview from winds approaching the coast to dry winds reaching inland, then describe the main windward and leeward stages. The account is generally relevant, but some details are unclear or incomplete: for example, the diagram shows moist air rising and cooling, clouds forming, and rain falling on the windward side before dry air crosses the mountain; your description compresses these into one sentence. You also say the dry air “will create rain-shadow,” rather than clearly explaining that the rain-shadow desert forms in the inland area. The response is 15 words below the required minimum, which limits the space available to report the stages fully. Add a little more precise detail about the transition over the mountain and the desert’s inland location.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall sequence, supported by paragraphing: an introduction and overview are followed by descriptions of the windward and leeward sides. Sequencing expressions such as “Initially” and “In the second phase” help the reader follow the process. However, some links are mechanical or unclear. “The name of this phase is called windward side” does not connect smoothly to the preceding explanation, and “However” introduces no real contrast in the final sentence. The overview also repeats the diagram’s endpoint without clearly summarising the key change from moist air to dry air. To improve, use transitions that express the actual relationship between stages, and make each paragraph’s focus explicit.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “moist air,” “clouds,” “rainfall,” “windward side,” “leeward side,” and “rain-shadow.” This gives you an adequate range for describing the diagram, and the main meaning remains understandable. Some choices are imprecise or unnatural, however: “the wind approach to coast line of mountains” and “create rain-shadow” do not describe the process clearly, while “phase” is not the most suitable term for naming the mountain sides. There are also spelling errors, including “tousands” and “pahse.” Aim for accurate collocations such as “winds approach the coast” and “a rain-shadow desert forms inland,” and proofread spelling before submitting.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including a sequence linked with “which” and a sentence beginning “However.” The stages are usually understandable, but some grammatical errors recur and occasionally make relationships less clear. For example, “the formation … contains of several steps” has an incorrect verb pattern, and “starting with winds approach coast” does not use a grammatical clause after “starting with.” Verb forms are also inconsistent in “the wind approach” and “will rise and cools”; the latter should keep the verbs in a parallel form. Articles and sentence construction need attention in phrases such as “to coast line.” Practise accurate present-simple descriptions of processes and check agreement and parallel verb forms.

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