Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-26

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 image illustrates that how a desert called rain-shadow desert, is formed by passing through different procedures.

Overall, there are total seven stages of the formation of rain-shadow desert. The whole process starts from sea and ends at inland areas. The diagram shows how a the cool wind from sea change into dry wind by passing over the mountain.

Initially, the wind from sea approaches to coast. The wind then, change its direction showing upward movement along the mountain. After, reaching windward side, the moist air rises and becomes cool. The cloud formation is start at this stage.

Furthermore, by reaching at the top of mountain the rain falls from upward direction and dry air alters its path towards the other end of mountain. Dry air continues its path over the rock by passing through the leeward side. Ultimately, the dry wind reaches at the inland areas, which can make rain-shadow desert. The wind travels thousands of kilometers to accomplish the formation.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You cover the main sequence and give a clear overall account: winds move from the sea towards the coast, rise over the mountains, produce rain on the windward side, and continue as dry air inland, where the desert forms. This addresses the task, and the seven-stage overview is relevant. Some details, however, are less fully or precisely reported. For example, “the rain falls from upward direction” is unclear, and the description does not clearly explain that moist air cools before clouds form and rain falls. The final reference to the wind travelling “thousands of kilometers” is grounded in the diagram, but its significance is not explained. Make the causal links between cooling, precipitation, and the dry leeward conditions more explicit.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a coherent overall arrangement: an introduction and overview are followed by the stages in sequence, with paragraph breaks that help separate the process. Time and sequence markers such as “Initially,” “Furthermore,” and “Ultimately” guide the reader through the diagram. However, some linking is mechanical or does not express the relationship clearly. “After, reaching windward side” interrupts the flow, while “Furthermore” suggests an additional point rather than the next stage. The reference in “which can make rain-shadow desert” is also not fully clear. Use more precise transitions such as “As the air rises,” “Consequently,” and “On the leeward side,” and connect each stage directly to its cause or result.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “windward side,” “leeward side,” “moist air,” and “dry air,” which helps communicate the diagram’s subject. There is also some variety in verbs such as “approaches,” “rises,” and “continues.” However, several choices are imprecise or unnatural for describing this process: “passing through different procedures,” “change its direction,” and “over the rock” do not accurately convey the stages. “The cloud formation is start” also shows difficulty selecting the correct word form. Aim for precise process collocations and avoid adding details not shown, such as “rock.” More natural choices such as “stages,” “is forced upwards,” and “crosses the mountain range” would make the account clearer.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and more complex sentences, including clauses with “which” and “by passing,” and the sequence is generally understandable. Some grammatical errors remain, though they rarely prevent the reader from following the process. Examples include the unnecessary construction “illustrates that how,” the article error in “a the cool wind,” and subject–verb or verb-form problems in “the wind then, change” and “The cloud formation is start.” Commas also interrupt some sentence structures, as in “After, reaching windward side.” Practise forming accurate passive and present-simple process descriptions, for example, “The air is forced upwards” and “Clouds form at this stage.” Check articles, verb agreement, and punctuation when editing.

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