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 typical creation process of rain-shadow desert. It has totally 7 stages that we will see in detail in the following sections.

As per the diagram, the mountains located between the sea and the inland is the main cause of formation of rain-shadow deserts. There is 1000km distance between the coast and the inland. Winds formed at the sea, travel over the coast first, from there it travels along the mountain slope facing upward. After reaching the certain level in the atmosphere, moisture content in the flowing air rises and starts cooling which ultimately turns to clouds. When clouds meet at the tip of the mountain, it starts pouring and mix with the snow on the cliff tip and creates more dry air which descends downward the mountain and enters in to inland areas as warm and dry air.

Over time, this lack of precipitation creates an extremely dry region known as rain-shadow desert. Thus, the mountain range effectively separates a wetter windward environment from a much drier leeward environment.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You cover the main sequence from sea winds and uplift to rainfall, dry air crossing the mountains, and desert formation, and your final comparison between the wetter windward and drier leeward sides is a useful overview. However, some details are not supported by the diagram: it does not state that the coast-to-inland distance is 1,000 km, nor that rain mixes with snow or that the air descends as warm air. The diagram instead shows dry air continuing over the mountain and dry winds reaching inland. The stages are generally clear, but the explanation of how the air changes and reaches the desert needs to follow the visual more precisely.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a clear overall progression: an introduction, a description of the process, and a concluding statement about the resulting contrast between the two sides of the mountains. Sequencing expressions such as “After reaching” and “Over time” help connect stages, and the final sentence effectively links the process to the desert. This meets the expected level of coherent organisation. To make the progression more consistently clear and flexible, avoid the formulaic announcement “we will see in detail in the following sections,” especially as the response is not divided into sections. You could also separate the long process description into shorter stages or sentences, making the transitions between cloud formation, rainfall, and inland movement easier to follow.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

You use a suitable range of process vocabulary, including “moisture content,” “precipitation,” “windward,” “leeward,” and “formation,” which allows you to describe the diagram with reasonable precision. Some less common terms are used, although a few choices are inaccurate or awkward in context: “winds formed at the sea” is not the same as winds approaching from the sea, and “mix with the snow” introduces an unsupported detail. Phrases such as “tip of the mountain” and “enters in to inland areas” could also be expressed more naturally. Greater control of collocation and more exact use of the diagram’s labels would add flexibility and precision while preserving your generally clear meaning.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of sentence forms, including a complex explanation beginning “After reaching the certain level in the atmosphere,” and a concluding sentence that uses “Thus” to draw a result. The overall meaning remains understandable, but some grammatical errors recur. For example, “the mountains … is” has subject–verb disagreement, while “the moisture content … rises and starts cooling” shifts awkwardly between the noun and its actions. Articles and prepositions are also sometimes inaccurate, as in “the certain level” and “enters in to inland areas.” The long sentence describing clouds, rain, and dry air would benefit from clearer clause boundaries. Check agreement, articles, and sentence structure when revising complex process descriptions.

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