Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-19

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, how one type of desert, known as the rain shadow desert is formed.

Overall, total 7 stages complete the process. It is a linear process beginning when wind approaches the coast and culminating with dry wind reaching the inland areas. The process consists of formation of clouds before raining over mountains, which are thousands of kilometers wide.

Initially, when the wind reaches the coast of the mountains, which are thousands of kilometers wide by sea. It is then pushed upwards where moist air rises and cools to form clouds. After the formation of clouds, it starts raining over the windward side of the mountains.

Furthermore, The dry air continues over mountains towards the leeward side, after some time the dry winds reaches the inland areas and as a result forms Rain-shadow deseret.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the process as having seven stages and give a relevant overview from winds approaching the coast to dry winds reaching inland areas. The account also correctly includes cooling, cloud formation, rainfall on the windward side, and the movement of dry air over the mountain. However, the description is not fully precise: the mountains are not described as thousands of kilometres wide; that label indicates the horizontal scale of the diagram. The final result is also slightly unclear in “forms Rain-shadow deseret.” The response contains 135 words, below the required 150, and some stages and the windward/leeward contrast are therefore only briefly developed. Add detail about the sea-to-inland sequence and clarify how the rain shadow forms.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall structure: an introduction, an overview, and a chronological description of the process. Sequencing expressions such as “Initially,” “After the formation of clouds,” and “Furthermore” help the reader follow the stages. The progression is generally logical, but some links are mechanical or imprecise. For example, “Furthermore” suggests an additional point rather than the next stage in a process, and “after some time” does not clearly express the transition from the mountain’s leeward side to inland areas. The opening process sentence also breaks off after “mountains,” making the relationship between the coast and the scale label harder to follow. Use more precise stage links and keep each sentence’s reference clear.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use a suitable range of process vocabulary, including “moist air,” “windward side,” “leeward side,” “formation,” and “culminating.” These terms help convey the diagram’s main stages, and the meaning is generally understandable. Some choices are inaccurate or awkward, however: “mountains are thousands of kilometers wide” misinterprets the scale label, while “forms Rain-shadow deseret” is unclear and includes a spelling error. “Raining” is less precise than the noun “rainfall” when describing precipitation as a stage. Aim for accurate collocations and consistent spelling, and use the diagram’s labels carefully. For example, describe the scale as covering thousands of kilometres rather than attributing that width to the mountains.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

There is a mix of simple and more complex forms, including the overview sentence with “beginning when” and the sequence “where moist air rises and cools to form clouds.” Most of the process remains understandable, but some grammatical errors reduce accuracy. The opening has an unnecessary comma in “illustrates, how,” and “Overall, total 7 stages complete the process” is not a natural or complete construction. In “the dry winds reaches,” the plural subject does not agree with the verb; “It is then pushed upwards” also has an unclear pronoun reference. The sentence beginning “Initially” is a fragment because it ends after “by sea.” Use complete clauses, check subject–verb agreement, and make pronouns refer clearly to the relevant air or wind.

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