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 diagram illustrates the process by which the rain-shadown desert is formed.

Overall, the formation of rain-shadow desert involves seven main stages starting with moist air from the sea to the coast of the mountain and dry air to the inland area, where the windward side of the mountain experience rainfall and the leeward side remains dry creating desert condition.

Initially, sea breeze reached the coast and pushed upwards then moist air rises which cools the air into the cloud form subsequently rainfall occurs on the windward side of the mountain.

After passing over the mountain, the air descends towards the leeward side of the mountain till this stage most of its moisture has been lost due to rainfall on the other side of the mountain and the air becomes dry and when then this dry air reaches the inland area, overtime the lack of rainfall results in formation of the rain-shadow desert which may spread across thousands of kilometers.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You cover the main process and give a clear overview: moist air rises on the windward side, rain falls, and drier air reaches inland to create a desert. The sequence is generally accurate, including the loss of moisture over the mountains and the desert’s inland location. This meets the task well, though some details are less fully or precisely reported. For example, the diagram shows winds approaching from the sea and being forced upwards by the mountains; “sea breeze” is a less exact description, and the overview’s wording about air moving “to the coast of the mountain” is unclear. You could also make the contrast between the rainy windward side and dry leeward side more directly and precisely.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a sensible overall structure: an introduction, an overview, and two paragraphs describing the stages in sequence. Time and sequence markers such as “Initially,” “After passing over the mountain,” and “when” help the reader follow the process. The progression is coherent, but some linking is mechanical or unclear, particularly in the final paragraph, where several stages are joined in one long sentence. The phrase “till this stage” also makes the relationship between the air crossing the mountain and losing moisture difficult to follow. To improve, separate the descent and inland desert formation into clearer clauses or sentences, and use punctuation to show the stages without relying on repeated “and” connections.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use an adequate range of process vocabulary, including “moist air,” “windward side,” “leeward side,” “rainfall,” and “formation.” These terms are relevant and help communicate the diagram’s main features. There are also some imprecise or awkward choices: “sea breeze” does not describe the diagram as precisely as “winds from the sea,” while “desert condition” and “cloud form” are not natural collocations in this context. “Rain-shadown” is a spelling error, and “overtime” is not the intended expression for gradual change. These slips do not prevent understanding, but more accurate collocations and careful spelling would make the description more precise and fluent.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex structures, including a relative clause in “where the windward side…” and time clauses such as “when this dry air reaches the inland area.” The main sequence remains understandable, but some grammatical errors recur. In the overview, “the windward side … experience rainfall” has subject–verb disagreement, and “the formation … involves” would need an article before “rain-shadow desert.” The final sentence is a run-on, with several clauses joined without adequate punctuation, and “the air descends … till this stage” is structurally unclear. Aim to control agreement and articles, and divide long sentences so each stage has a clear grammatical structure.

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