Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-22

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 of the phases of water formation in rain-shadow deserts.

Overall, the formation of rain-shadow involves several sequential stages, beginning with winds approaching the coast and ending with dry winds reaching inland areas. The process includes clouds, rain falls, dry air and so on.

Initially, seawater is pushed upwards by the wind, which then forms clouds on the windward side, it also depends on the temperature.

Next, the cloud releases rain on the top, which then, with dry air over the mountain, comes down into the inland areas. The side where water forms as clouds and then rain is called the windward side, but the angle where rain turns into dry wind is called the leeward side.

After one cycle, it starts repeating the same without a gap. The formation of water needs thousands of kilometers and days or months to reach the end of the cycle.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You give a relevant overview of the sequence, from winds approaching the coast to dry winds reaching inland, and you identify the windward and leeward sides. These points show a sound understanding of the diagram’s main process. However, some stages are reported inaccurately or left unclear: it is moist air, rather than seawater, that rises and cools; the diagram does not say that the process depends on temperature or repeats without a gap. The claim that formation takes “days or months” is also unsupported; the scale refers to thousands of kilometres. To strengthen the report, describe the key cause-and-effect stages precisely, including rain falling on the windward side and dry air crossing the mountain before reaching the inland desert.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and paragraphs describing the process. Sequencing expressions such as “Initially” and “Next” help the reader follow the stages, and the ending attempts to describe what happens after the air crosses the mountain. However, progression is weakened by unclear links and references. In “which then forms clouds …, it also depends on the temperature,” the relationship between the clauses is difficult to follow, while “the cloud” does not clearly refer to the earlier plural “clouds.” The final paragraph introduces repetition and duration without a clear connection to the diagram. Organise the stages in order and use linking words to show cause and result, rather than adding unsupported concluding details.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use several relevant terms, including “windward side,” “leeward side,” “dry air,” and “inland areas,” which help communicate the process. There is also some attempt to vary vocabulary with phrases such as “approaching the coast” and “releases rain.” However, imprecise or unnatural choices sometimes obscure the meaning: “phases of water formation” misidentifies the process, “seawater is pushed upwards” confuses water with moist air, and “the angle where rain turns into dry wind” is not an accurate description of the leeward side. “The process includes clouds, rain falls, dry air and so on” is also vague. Use the diagram’s precise terms and choose natural process vocabulary to describe rising, cooling, precipitation, and drying.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including clauses with “which” and a contrast introduced by “but.” The overall meaning is usually recoverable, but some sentence structures and punctuation are not well controlled. For example, “Initially, seawater is pushed upwards by the wind, which then forms clouds …, it also depends on the temperature” joins separate ideas with a comma and leaves the reference of “which” unclear. In “Next, the cloud releases rain …, which then, with dry air over the mountain, comes down,” the long construction makes it difficult to identify what is moving. Aim for shorter, complete sentences with clear subjects, and check clause boundaries and pronoun references when combining ideas.

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

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