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 diagram shows how rain-shadow deserts are being formed. It gives a detailed, step by step process as to how this desert is being created over thousands of kilometres between the sea and the rain-shadow desert itself.

It all starts with the wind from the sea beside the mountain approaching the coast. The wind hits the coast and continues moving up the mountain.At a certain height, which is known as the windward side of the mountian the wind becomes moist air and cool which actually forms clouds in the sky.

Furthermore, after the cloud forms and becomes heavy rain then begins to fall which produces dry air that continues over the mountain top. This dry air goes down the side of the mountain known as the leeward side. As the go down the mountain they pick up the pace and become dry winds which slopes down the mountain reaching the inland areas.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You describe the main sequence from onshore winds rising over the mountains to rain on the windward side and dry air reaching inland, so the response is relevant and covers the central process. However, some stages are not fully or accurately explained. The diagram shows moist air rising and cooling before clouds form; your wording says the wind “becomes moist air,” which obscures that relationship. You also say the dry winds “pick up the pace,” a detail not shown, and do not clearly state the overall result: the dry conditions create a rain-shadow desert inland. Include a concise overview and report only the stages and outcomes supported by the diagram.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The process is presented in a generally logical order, and paragraphing separates the introduction from the sequence. Connectors such as “Furthermore” and “after” help signal progression, while references to the windward and leeward sides guide the reader through the diagram. This gives the response a coherent overall arrangement. To make the progression more consistently clear, use stage-focused links rather than relying on a few general connectors, and ensure each sentence has an unmistakable subject. For example, “As the go down the mountain” makes the reference unclear. A separate concluding overview of the inland desert would also give the description a more complete shape.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “windward side,” “leeward side,” “moist air,” “clouds,” and “dry winds,” which is adequate for describing the diagram. There are also attempts at more specific phrasing, such as “step by step process.” Some choices are imprecise or unsupported: “the wind becomes moist air” does not clearly describe the air’s changing condition, and “pick up the pace” is an informal expression that adds an unshown detail. “Mountian” is also misspelled. Aim for precise process verbs and natural collocations, such as air rising, cooling, and descending, and avoid adding descriptive language that the visual does not establish.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt a mix of simple and more complex sentences, including the time clause “after the cloud forms” and the relative clause “which is known as the windward side.” The sequence remains understandable, but some grammatical errors affect clarity. In “the wind becomes moist air and cool,” the adjective form and coordination are faulty; “rain then begins to fall” also needs a clearer sentence boundary after “heavy.” The phrase “As the go down” lacks a clear grammatical subject, and “they pick up” shifts to an unclear plural reference. There are also punctuation and spacing problems, such as the missing space after “mountain.” Check sentence boundaries, subject–verb relationships, and consistent verb forms when revising.

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