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 the formation of rain-shadow desert. The moist winds approach the coastal area of sea, it subsequently attracted towards the mountain range. As moist air moves to upto the mountain by the process of orographic lifting, it became coolar and condense into clouds. Clouds then pour the precipitation on the top- hills of mountain.

As rain falls, wind became dry air that continues down to the leeward side which is ultimately sheltered from the wind. Dry winds reach to the inland areas which is thousands of kilometres from the sea.

If we focus on the wind from sea-side it is moist while when it is nearer to the rain shadow desert the wind is quietly dry in inland areas. Near the sea area the windward side can be found whereas leeward side is on the other side. In this process the atmospheric as well as the geological transformation played key role.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The response covers the main sequence: moist winds arrive from the sea, rise over the mountains, cool and form clouds, produce rain, and continue as dry air towards the inland desert. It also identifies the windward and leeward sides and notes the great distance inland. These details are relevant and broadly match the diagram. However, there is no clear, concise overview of the process as a whole, and some stages are less precisely described: the diagram shows rain falling on the windward side, not specifically on the mountain tops, and the winds are pushed upwards by the mountains rather than “attracted” to them. The final comment about atmospheric and geological transformation is vague. A stronger summary would foreground the contrast between the wet windward side and dry leeward region, then report the stages accurately.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The information is presented in a generally understandable order, moving from the coast and mountain ascent to rainfall and the dry inland area. The paragraph break also separates the process description from the later comparison. However, progression is not consistently smooth: the second paragraph repeats information about dry winds and inland areas, while the final paragraph returns to windward and leeward locations rather than adding a clearly organised concluding point. Linking phrases such as “As rain falls” and “whereas” help, but some connections are awkward, including “If we focus on the wind from sea-side.” Grouping the stages into a clear beginning-to-end account, followed by a brief overview or comparison, would make the organisation more coherent and reduce repetition.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The response uses a suitable range of process vocabulary, including “orographic lifting,” “condense,” “precipitation,” “windward,” and “leeward.” These terms show an attempt to describe the diagram precisely, and the overall meaning remains clear. Some choices are inaccurate or unnatural, however: winds are “pushed upwards” rather than “attracted” to the mountains, “coolar” is not the correct form, and “quietly dry” does not express the intended degree of dryness. “Top-hills” and “geological transformation” are also imprecise in this context. Aim for accurate collocations and straightforward process language; for example, describe air as rising, cooling, and condensing, then state that dry winds descend on the leeward side.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

There is a mix of simple and more complex structures, including the sequence “As rain falls, wind became dry air that continues down to the leeward side” and the comparison beginning “If we focus on the wind from sea-side.” The stages can generally be followed, but some grammatical errors remain. Tense and agreement are inconsistent: “winds approach … it subsequently attracted” shifts from present to past and mismatches the plural subject, while “wind became” and “the transformation played” also depart from the present tense normally used for a process diagram. Articles and sentence boundaries need attention in “formation of rain-shadow desert” and the opening sentence, where two clauses are joined with a comma. Consistent present-tense verbs and more controlled clause joining would improve accuracy.

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