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 diagram explains the way in which the formation of rain shadow desert take place.

Overall, there are seven stages in the process,begining with the wind passes through the sea approaches the junction of sea and mountains where due to unavailability of space, air is pushed in a upward position from the windward side. In the third step as the moist air rises up it cools down which eventually results in the formation of clouds,following this rain fall will happened at the top of the mountain. Interestingly, all of the process untill now happened on the windward side. Futhermore after the rain fall, dry air continues over mountain from the leeward side in the downward direction untill it reached the inland areas where it formed rain shadow desert.

One important thing that has to be noticed is that, all of the process of rain shadow desert formation take place over thousands of kilometre area.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You cover the main sequence and give an overall account, including the movement from the sea towards the inland desert. The description correctly identifies rising, cooling moist air, cloud formation and rainfall on the windward side, followed by dry air crossing the mountain. This supports a clear response to the process. However, some details are unclear or imprecise: “wind passes through the sea approaches the junction” does not accurately explain that winds approach from the sea towards the coast, and “due to unavailability of space” introduces a cause not shown in the diagram. The final point about thousands of kilometres is relevant, but could be integrated more clearly as the scale of the process. More precise reporting of the stages would strengthen the overview and coverage.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response follows the process in a sensible order, and phrases such as “In the third step,” “following this,” and “Furthermore” help signal progression. The distinction between the windward and leeward sides also gives the account a useful organising thread. However, most of the description is packed into one long paragraph, so the stages and overall summary are not clearly separated. Several transitions are attached to lengthy sentences, making relationships harder to follow; for example, the sentence beginning “Overall” moves through nearly the entire process. The connectors are sometimes mechanical, and “all of the process” is repeated. Use a brief overview followed by a clearly sequenced body paragraph, with shorter sentences and more precise referencing.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “moist air,” “windward side,” “leeward side,” “rain fall,” and “inland areas,” so the reader can generally understand the subject. There are also attempts at more descriptive phrasing, such as “continues over mountain.” However, several choices are inaccurate or unnatural: “wind passes through the sea approaches” obscures the direction of movement, while “unavailability of space” is not an appropriate description of air being forced upwards. “Rain shadow desert” and “rain shadow desert formation” would be clearer with consistent hyphenation as “rain-shadow desert.” Spelling slips such as “begining,” “untill,” and “Futhermore” also reduce control. Aim for precise process collocations, such as “winds approach the coast” and “air is forced upwards.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt complex sentences and subordinate clauses, for example, “as the moist air rises up it cools down,” and you use sequencing language to connect stages. However, control is limited: the opening overview contains a faulty construction (“begining with the wind passes through the sea approaches”), and “rain fall will happened” combines an incorrect verb form with an unsuitable tense. There are also errors in agreement and tense in “where it formed rain shadow desert,” as well as article and preposition problems in “from the leeward side” and “over mountain.” Long sentences joined mainly by commas make these errors more noticeable. Build accuracy with shorter sentences, and check subject–verb agreement, articles, and consistent present simple forms for describing a process.

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