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 flow diagram illustrates how one type of rain-shadow desert is created.

Overall, it is an eight step procedure, which starts from approaching of air to coast of a sea and reaching of arid air to inland. Completion of the procedure occurs after travelling thousands of kilometres, involving coast, mountains and desert. The clouds formation happens in the windward side and dry air move towards desert from leeward side.

it starts with approaching of strong winds to coast, and winds are pushed upward to windward side of mountains. Due to low temperature in the mountains, air becomes cool and moist, leading to the formation of clouds. On the top of mountains, the clouds brust into rain.

After raining, air goes past the leeward side of the mountains, and travel thousand of kilometres. When it reaches inland areas, it dries down, and it forms the shape of shadows over the desert, which is called as rain-shadow desert.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You identify the main sequence from coastal winds rising over the mountains to dry air reaching inland, and your overview highlights the windward clouds and leeward desert. These are relevant central features. However, some details are inaccurate or unclear: the diagram shows seven numbered stages, not eight, and it does not say the winds are strong or that the air becomes moist because of low mountain temperatures. The final stage is that dry winds reach inland areas, where the rain-shadow desert is located; the explanation that the air “forms the shape of shadows” is not supported by the diagram. The process is covered, but a more precise account of the stages and their cause-and-effect relationships would make the summary more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, and two paragraphs describing the process in sequence. The progression from winds approaching the coast to rain and then inland dry air is generally easy to follow, and phrases such as “After raining” signal a transition. However, the overview repeats information that is explained later, while the final paragraph combines several stages without clearly distinguishing them. Some links are also awkward, such as “Completion of the procedure occurs after travelling thousands of kilometres,” which makes the sequence harder to interpret. Grouping the stages more clearly and using concise links to show cause and result would improve the flow and make cohesion less noticeable.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use a relevant range of process vocabulary, including “windward side,” “leeward side,” “formation,” and “inland areas,” which helps communicate the diagram’s subject. There are also attempts at more specific language, such as “arid” and “precipitation” (though the latter is not used). Some word choices and collocations are inaccurate or unnatural: “approaching of air,” “clouds formation,” “brust into rain,” and “dries down” do not express the process naturally. “Strong winds” also adds a quality not shown in the diagram. These errors generally do not prevent understanding, but more accurate collocations and consistent use of terms such as “moist air,” “rainfall,” and “dry winds” would improve precision.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex structures, including the cause-and-effect clause “leading to the formation of clouds” and the time clause “When it reaches inland areas.” The main sequence remains understandable, but some grammatical errors recur. For example, “it is an eight step procedure” should use a hyphen in the compound modifier, and “dry air move” has a subject–verb agreement error. The opening overview also contains awkward constructions such as “starts from approaching of air” and “Completion of the procedure occurs after travelling,” while “air goes … and travel” shifts verb form within one clause. Review articles, agreement, and parallel verb forms, and aim for clearer sentence patterns while retaining your complex clauses.

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