Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

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

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 illustration successfully demonstrates the creation of a certain desert called rain-shadow deserts.

Overall,the diagram potrays the use of arrows to show the ongoing procedure and labelled each information chronologically with numbers. The bold arrow at the bottom highlights the distance the formation continues to cover.

Firstly, the winds blows across the cross over the sea and flows upwards towards the peak of the mountains. The moist air increases in height and its temperature drops. Hence, clouds are created at the windward side of the mountains - which rises to the peak of the mountains- and showers the environment with rain. Moreover, the dry air proceeds along the leeard side and the dry winds drop towaes the inland. Rain shadow desert finally reaches the inland after a long journey.

In conclusion, the main establishment of such particular desert is carried by the wind, crossing the sea and the mountain and finally reaching the inland.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The response identifies the process as the formation of a rain-shadow desert and reports several key stages: winds move from the sea, moist air rises and cools, clouds form, rain falls on the windward side, and dry air continues inland. This gives the reader a generally accurate account of the sequence. However, some details are unclear or imprecise: “winds blows across the cross over the sea” does not clearly describe the initial movement, and “the dry winds drop” could be more accurately expressed as dry winds reaching inland areas. The overview focuses partly on arrows and numbering rather than summarising the main transformation from moist coastal air to dry inland conditions. Make that overall change explicit and describe the mountain’s role more precisely.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure, with an introduction, an overview, a paragraph describing the stages, and a concluding sentence. The sequence is mostly logical, and connectors such as “Firstly,” “Hence,” and “Moreover” help guide the reader through the process. However, cohesion is sometimes mechanical or unclear. For example, “which rises to the peak of the mountains” has an uncertain reference, and the final sentence repeats the general idea of winds crossing the sea and mountains without adding a clear summary. The overview also gives attention to the arrows and labels rather than the process’s main pattern. Improve progression by grouping the stages into a clear cause-and-effect sequence and using references that unmistakably identify the air, clouds, and winds.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

There is an adequate range of vocabulary for describing a process, including “moist air,” “temperature drops,” “windward side,” “dry air,” and “inland.” These terms help convey the main stages, and the writer attempts more formal wording such as “illustration” and “procedure.” Some choices, however, are inaccurate or awkward: “creation” and “establishment” are less natural for describing how a desert forms, while “showers the environment with rain” is imprecise. Spelling errors such as “potrays,” “leeard,” and “towaes” also reduce accuracy. Use standard process language consistently, and check spelling and collocations so that the technical description sounds precise and natural.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response uses a mix of simple and more complex sentence forms, including cause-and-effect structures with “Hence” and a relative clause beginning “which.” Most of the process remains understandable, but some grammatical errors affect clarity. For example, “the winds blows” has subject–verb disagreement, and “the winds blows across the cross over the sea” contains a faulty construction. In “labelled each information,” the sentence structure and determiner use are problematic; “information” is uncountable. Punctuation is also inconsistent, as in “Overall,the diagram.” Aim for accurate agreement and complete sentence patterns, and check commas and spacing. More controlled complex sentences would help explain how rising air cools and produces rainfall.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

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