Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-23

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 given picture shows the formation of rain shadow desert from the very begining.

At first the wind approaches from the one side of the mountains towards the coast from the sea. Then it gets pushed upwards on the windward side on the mountain where the moist air rises and cools down. Those moist air which rises results in the cloud formation. This cloud formation eventually will result in rain on the top of the mountains on the windward side.

On the leeward side the dry air from the top continues to flow down from the mountain. This dry wind then flow down which finally reaches the inland areas. As a result, there is formation of rain shadow desert on the inland area which is on the other side to the sea. The place from coast to the rain shadow desert will be approximately around thousands of kilometeres in distance

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You cover the main sequence: winds arrive from the sea, rise on the windward side, cool and form clouds, produce rain, and then continue as dry air towards the inland desert. This is relevant and generally matches the diagram. However, some details are less fully or clearly reported. The opening says the wind approaches “towards the coast from the sea,” which makes its direction confusing, and the description does not clearly explain that the mountain forces the air upwards. The final distance statement is also imprecise: the diagram indicates a span of thousands of kilometres, rather than saying the place is “approximately around” that distance. A clearer overview of the overall change from moist coastal air to dry inland conditions would make the summary more complete.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response follows the process in a sensible order and separates the windward and leeward stages into paragraphs, so the reader can follow the broad progression. Sequencing phrases such as “At first,” “Then,” and “As a result” help connect the stages. This is a coherent overall arrangement, with some effective progression towards the outcome. To make the organisation more polished, reduce repeated references to “cloud formation” and “dry wind,” and use clearer links between cause and result. For example, the transition from rainfall to the air crossing the mountain could explicitly show that the air loses moisture before descending on the leeward side. The final distance point would also fit more naturally alongside the diagram’s geographical description.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “windward side,” “leeward side,” “moist air,” “cloud formation,” and “inland areas.” These terms show an adequate range for describing the diagram, and the meaning is generally clear. Some choices are imprecise or repetitive, however: “dry wind” is repeated where “dry air” or “descending air” would be more exact, and “formation” appears several times. There are also spelling errors in “begining” and “kilometeres,” and the phrase “approximately around” is redundant. Aim for more precise collocations and vary the wording for stages in the process, while retaining the useful technical terms you already use.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including the relative clause in “the mountain where the moist air rises and cools down” and the result clause beginning “As a result.” The sequence remains understandable, but some grammatical errors recur. For example, “Those moist air” has incorrect agreement, “this dry wind then flow down” needs a singular verb, and “the rain shadow desert” would usually require an article or plural form. The opening sentence also uses an unclear construction for the wind’s direction. Practise subject–verb agreement, articles, and accurate clause construction, then check each sentence for a clear subject and verb. More consistent control would make the process description smoother.

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