Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-20

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 illustrated diagram presents the step by step process of formation of a rain-shadow desert. The process starts when winds approach the sea cost, from there they are pushed upward to a higher altitude of mountains. As winds move upward from windward side they start becoming cool and moist. This moist air then form clouds and after formation, the clouds reach the mountain peak and cause heavy rainfall over there. After receiving rainfall, the dry air moves downward from leeward side till it approaches the inland areas. These inland areas start transforming into deserts because of receiving no rainfall at all.mThe possible distnace between an inland area and sea cost is of thousands of kilometers and due to mountain ranges lying between them major portion of rain is received by them leaving little to no rainfall for inland areas and thats how they get transformed to into deserts and because mountains cause a shadow over them blocking their rainfall they are known as rain shadow deserts commonly.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The response covers the main sequence: coastal winds rise over the mountains, moisture forms clouds and rain on the windward side, and drier air continues inland, where a rain-shadow desert develops. This is relevant and generally matches the diagram. However, some details are imprecise: the air is described as becoming “cool and moist” while rising, whereas the diagram specifically shows moist air rising and cooling; and “heavy rainfall” and “receiving no rainfall at all” overstate what is shown. The final explanation repeats the mountain’s role rather than adding a clear overview of the process. To strengthen the report, distinguish the windward and leeward stages more precisely and summarise the contrast between rainfall on the mountain’s coastal side and dry conditions inland.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The stages are presented in a broadly logical order, and sequencing phrases such as “The process starts,” “then,” and “After receiving rainfall” help the reader follow the process. However, the response is written as one long paragraph, and the final sentence combines several ideas—distance, the mountain barrier, rainfall distribution, and the desert’s name—making the progression less clear. Some links are also repetitive, particularly the repeated use of “after” and “and.” Organise the description into a brief introduction and a process paragraph, and use clearer links to mark the transition from the windward to the leeward side. This would make the overall sequence easier to follow without changing its content.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

There is adequate vocabulary for describing the process, including “formation,” “altitude,” “windward side,” “leeward side,” and “rainfall.” These terms help convey the diagram’s main features. Some word choices and collocations are inaccurate or informal, however: “sea cost” should be “sea coast,” “winds…becoming cool” is less precise than describing the air as cooling, and “cause a shadow over them” does not naturally express the rain-shadow effect. Spelling errors such as “distnace” and “thats” also reduce accuracy. Aim for precise process vocabulary and standard spelling; for example, describe air as “drying” after precipitation and the inland region as lying in the mountain’s “rain shadow.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response uses both simple and more complex structures, including time clauses (“when winds approach…”) and a cause-and-effect clause (“because of receiving no rainfall”). The sequence remains understandable, but some grammatical errors occur. For example, “This moist air then form clouds” has subject–verb disagreement, and “the clouds reach the mountain peak and cause heavy rainfall” gives the clouds an unclear role in the sentence. The final sentence is also overloaded, with several clauses joined together and punctuation missing before “and thats how.” Improve agreement, use clearer clause structures, and divide long sentences where the relationship between ideas becomes difficult to track. These changes would make the process description more controlled.

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