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 illustrates tthe process of formation of rainshadow desert from winds approaching the sea coast.

Overall, the process of formation of rain shadow desert is divided into various steps. The rain shadow desert is formed after passing through 7 different steps.

As the winds approach the sea coast, they are pushed upwards where the moist air rises and cools. This moist air results in the formation of clouds. This all happens in the windward side. Once the clouds are formed, the rain falls.

The next steps occur at the leeward side of teh mountain. After the rain falls, the dry air continues over mountain and reaches the inland areas. Finally, in the inland areas the rain shadow desert is formed as a result of winds travelling thousands of kilometers across the mountain.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the process and report its main sequence, including uplift, cooling, cloud formation, rainfall, and the movement of dry air inland. The overview also recognises that the desert forms after the stages are completed. However, the account is brief and some details are underdeveloped: it does not clearly explain that the mountains force the moist coastal air upwards, or distinguish the windward and leeward sides as the key contrast. The final claim that winds travel “thousands of kilometers across the mountain” is imprecise; the diagram uses this to indicate the horizontal scale, not a specific final stage. The response is also 17 words below the required minimum. Add a little more accurate detail about the mountain’s role and the dry conditions on the leeward side.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall order, moving from winds approaching the coast through rainfall to dry air reaching inland areas. Paragraphing separates the overview from the process description, and sequencing phrases such as “Once” and “Finally” help the reader follow the stages. Cohesion is generally effective, though some links are repetitive or slightly mechanical: “The next steps occur” and “After the rain falls” largely repeat the sequence rather than explaining the relationship between stages. The reference in “This all happens” is also broad, as it could refer to several preceding actions. To improve progression, group the stages more deliberately and use precise references to the air, clouds, and mountain sides.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “moist air,” “formation of clouds,” “dry air,” “windward side,” and “leeward side,” which makes the subject understandable. There is some repetition of “rain shadow desert,” “steps,” and “formed,” and a few expressions are not precise or natural for describing the diagram. For example, “winds approaching the sea coast” is less exact than describing winds coming from the sea, while “winds travelling thousands of kilometers across the mountain” misuses the scale label. Spelling and presentation slips such as “tThe,” “teh,” and “kilometers” also reduce accuracy. Aim for a wider set of accurate process verbs and use the diagram’s labels consistently.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, and most of the sequence remains easy to understand. The clause “As the winds approach the sea coast, they are pushed upwards” shows an attempt to connect stages within a sentence, while “Once the clouds are formed, the rain falls” is also clearly structured. Some grammatical inaccuracies remain, including the missing article in “formation of rainshadow desert” and “over mountain,” and the awkward construction “the rain shadow desert is formed after passing through 7 different steps,” where the subject of “passing” is unclear. The sentence beginning “Finally” also has an unclear relationship between the desert’s formation and the winds’ travel. Check articles and make sure each participle clearly refers to the intended subject.

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