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 depicts the formation of desert know as a rain-shadow desert.

It is clear that the formation of desert consist of seven different stages from wind approaching from sea to dry wind reach to inland area. It is a linear process.

At the first stage of the formation, wind approach from the sea, while it is hit by a mountain that change the direction of the wind to upward. From there moist air rises and cool down same time near Winward side. At the next stage moist air passes through the Windward side and transformed into clouds. After that when cloud reached at the peak of the mountain it start rain falls.

In the following stage, the dry air continue to flow down over mountain through the Leeward side. Finally, the dry winds reach the inland area after thousand of kilometers travelling from sea and create the Rain-shadow desert.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You cover the main sequence and give a clear overview that this is a seven-stage, linear process, from winds approaching from the sea to the formation of a desert inland. The account also correctly identifies the windward and leeward sides and explains that rain falls near the mountain peak before dry air continues inland. Some details are less fully or precisely described: the diagram shows moist air rising and cooling before clouds form, whereas your wording suggests it passes through the windward side and then becomes clouds. The final claim that the winds travel “thousand of kilometers” is not clearly supported as a distance travelled by the winds; the scale indicates the horizontal extent. Clarifying these points would make the process more complete and precise.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a coherent overall arrangement: an introduction and overview are followed by the stages in sequence, with transitions such as “At the first stage,” “At the next stage,” and “Finally.” This makes the process easy to follow. The paragraphing also separates the overview from the detailed account. However, some links between stages are mechanical, and a few references are not fully clear. For example, “From there” does not specify the precise point in the process, while “After that when cloud reached” combines transitions awkwardly. The final sentence also joins the inland arrival and desert formation without clearly distinguishing the diagram’s last stage from the resulting location. More varied, precise linking and clearer reference would strengthen progression.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “formation,” “moist air,” “windward side,” “Leeward side,” and “dry winds,” which is adequate for describing the diagram. There are also attempts at more specific wording, such as “linear process” and “transformed into clouds.” Some word choices and collocations are inaccurate or imprecise, however: “wind is hit by a mountain” is less natural than describing the mountain as forcing air upwards, and “create the Rain-shadow desert” overstates the role of the winds. Spelling and form errors such as “Winward” and “kilometers” also reduce accuracy and consistency. Aim for precise process verbs and consistent spelling of the diagram’s key terms.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and complex sentences, including a contrast with “while” and a time clause beginning “when,” and the overall meaning remains understandable. Some grammatical errors recur, particularly in subject–verb agreement and verb forms: “formation … consist,” “wind approach,” “it start,” and “dry air continue” need agreement or tense correction. Articles and plurals are also inconsistent, as in “formation of desert” and “when cloud reached.” The sentence “After that when cloud reached at the peak … it start rain falls” contains several errors that make the sequence less smooth. Use consistent present simple for process descriptions, check singular and plural subjects, and simplify clauses when needed to maintain accuracy.

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