Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-24

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 how different stages lead to the formation of rain-shadow desert.

Overall, the figure shows the seven steps involved in the process. It starts with winds approaching near the seacoast, formation of clouds and rainfall, leading to the creation of rain-shadow desert. The three geographical areas involved in this process include sea, mountains and inland.

The process begins with the winds arriving at the coast, pushing the water particles in upward direction from the sea. The moist air rises up in the atmosphere, where it cools down leading to cloud formation. These clouds then start to rain on the mountains.

During rainfall, on the Leeward side of the mountain, the dry air continues to flow and eventually these dry winds reaches the inland areas which is the final step of this process. This is how a rain-shadow desert is formed on the in land areas due to dry winds carrying the rain particles.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The response identifies the process as a sequence and includes its main stages: moist air rises and cools, clouds form, rain falls over the mountains, and dry air continues inland. The overview also names the sea, mountains and inland areas. However, some details are inaccurate or unclear. The diagram shows winds being forced upwards by the mountains; it does not show them pushing water particles upwards from the sea. The final explanation that dry winds carry rain particles is also inconsistent with the dry air reaching the leeward side. To make the account more complete and precise, explain the contrast between rainfall on the windward side and the dry conditions beyond the mountains, where the rain-shadow desert forms.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction and overview are followed by the earlier and later stages of the process. Sequencing phrases such as “The process begins,” “These clouds then,” and “eventually” help the reader follow the diagram, and the paragraphing is appropriate. This gives the account a coherent progression. Some links between stages are less clear, however. For example, “During rainfall, on the Leeward side” makes it difficult to understand how rainfall relates to the dry air on that side, while “This is how” introduces a conclusion that repeats the process rather than clarifying the cause. Use more precise references to the windward and leeward sides and connect each stage explicitly to the next.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The vocabulary is adequate for describing the process, with relevant terms such as “moist air,” “cloud formation,” “Leeward side,” and “dry winds.” The writer also uses process language, including “eventually” and “formation,” to describe sequence and outcome. Some word choices and collocations are imprecise: “pushing the water particles in upward direction” does not accurately describe the diagram, and “carrying the rain particles” gives a misleading account of the dry winds. “In land” is also incorrectly separated, and “winds reaches” reflects a word-form issue that affects clarity. Aim for precise process vocabulary and natural combinations, such as “air is forced upwards” and “rain-shadow desert forms inland.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The response uses a mix of simple and more complex structures, including the relative clause in “where it cools down” and the sequence “leading to cloud formation.” Most sentences communicate the process clearly, and the overall meaning remains accessible. Some grammatical errors persist. In “these dry winds reaches,” the plural subject requires “reach”; “in upward direction” needs an article or a different construction, such as “upwards”; and “the inland areas which is” has a subject–verb agreement problem. The final sentence also has an awkward structure after “formed.” Review agreement, articles and clause construction, and use a wider range of controlled sentence patterns to explain cause and sequence more accurately.

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