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 given process diagram depicts how one type of desert, named rain-shadow, is formed.

The process consists of several stages, beginning with how wind approaches the coast from the sea and then ending with the dry wind reaches inland areas.

Initially, the process begins in the sea and then the winds approach the coast. After that the winds pushed upwards the mountains and following this stage moist air rises and then cooled down in the Windward side. Furthermore, the cooled air forms clouds and once the color of the clouds has been changed and then rain falls on the top of mountains.

Subsequently, when the rain stops and dry air continues over mountain in the Leeward side. Finally, the dry wind reaches the inland areas and this is how rain-shadow desert is formed. The wind travels thousands of kilometers from the sea to the land to form a desert known as rain-shadow desert.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You cover the main sequence from winds approaching the coast to dry winds reaching inland, and you correctly identify the windward and leeward sides and the rain-shadow desert. This makes the response relevant and gives the reader a basic account of the process. However, the overview is limited: it would be clearer to state that moist air rises over the mountains, loses moisture as rain on the windward side, and leaves dry air to create desert conditions inland. Some details are unclear or unsupported, particularly the claim that the clouds change colour and that the process begins “in the sea.” Explain the causal links more precisely and avoid adding visual details not shown in the diagram.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The stages are presented in a generally logical order, and sequencing expressions such as “Initially,” “After that,” “Subsequently,” and “Finally” help the reader follow the process. The response also moves from the coastal stages to the inland outcome. However, the linking is somewhat mechanical, with several transitions doing similar work, and the opening repeats the idea of the process beginning before the stages are described. Some references are not fully clear, such as “once the color of the clouds has been changed,” which interrupts the progression. Grouping the stages into a clearer introduction/overview and a concise sequence, while using fewer but more precise links, would make the organisation smoother.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “moist air,” “cooled,” “clouds,” “rain falls,” “dry air,” and “inland areas,” as well as the diagram’s terms “Windward side” and “Leeward side.” This is adequate for describing the stages, and the meaning is generally understandable. Some choices are imprecise or unnatural, however: “the color of the clouds has been changed” is not supported by the diagram, while “the dry wind reaches” is less suitable than describing dry winds moving inland. There is also repetition of “process,” “wind,” and “desert.” Aim for accurate collocations and a little more variety, such as “moisture-laden air,” “precipitation,” and “arid conditions,” where these fit the diagram.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and more complex sentences, including clauses linked with “After that,” “once,” and “when,” and the sequence remains understandable. Some grammatical errors are present, particularly in verb forms and sentence construction. For example, “the winds pushed upwards the mountains” needs a passive form (“are pushed upwards”) and a more natural word order, while “ending with the dry wind reaches inland areas” mixes verb patterns. “When the rain stops and dry air continues” also shifts awkwardly between a subordinate clause and the main clause. Use consistent present simple or passive forms for a process, and check that each dependent clause is attached to a complete sentence.

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