Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-28

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 demonstrates the 7-step formation of a rain-shadow desert from start to finish.

Overall, the process undergoes a significant phase to form the rain first, followed by two additional steps until the completion of desert. Several natural resources play a vital role in the formation. These include a sea, a coast, the wind, clouds, mountains, rain and land. These resources occupy thousands of kilometres of land in order to be formed.

The first half of the process consists of 5 steps. In the first step, wind above the sea approaches the coast, followed by the upward push reaching the top of the mountain. While that happens, 3rd step takes place, the moisture in the air rises and the temperatures starts to cool down. Clouds are formed in next step which is on the windward side of Mountain. When arrived at the peak of mountain, rain fall takes place.

Then comes the second-half of the process including two significant steps. The rainy cloudes move down from the hill, at this point the rain drops are evapourated into air and continues to cross the leewardside of the mountain. Finally, the wind reaches the inland area resulting the formation of rain-shadow desert. This whole procedure covers thousands kilometre of the land.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You cover the main sequence from winds approaching the coast to dry winds reaching inland, and you identify the windward and leeward sides. The opening overview, however, is unclear: “a significant phase to form the rain first” does not clearly summarise the process’s key pattern, which is moist air rising and producing rain on the windward side, followed by dry air crossing the mountains and creating an inland desert. Some details are also inaccurate or unsupported. The diagram shows dry air continuing over the mountain; it does not show rainy clouds moving down or raindrops evaporating. The claim that “resources” occupy thousands of kilometres is also not conveyed by the diagram, where the distance label indicates horizontal scale. A more precise overview and faithful reporting of the later stages would strengthen the response.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response is arranged in a generally logical order, with an introduction, an overview, and paragraphs describing the first and second parts of the process. Sequencing phrases such as “In the first step,” “Then comes,” and “Finally” help the reader follow the stages. However, the division into “first half” and “second-half” is somewhat mechanical, and the overview does not clearly connect the two main phases. Some references are also unclear: “While that happens” and “at this point” do not precisely identify which stage is being described. The sentence about “resources” interrupts the process description rather than helping its progression. Use clearer links between the rising, cooling, rainfall, and drying stages, and keep each paragraph focused on the process.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use a reasonable range of process vocabulary, including “approaches,” “upward push,” “windward side,” “peak,” and “inland area.” These terms help communicate the diagram’s stages, although some less natural choices reduce precision. “Natural resources” is not an appropriate label for the sea, wind, clouds, and mountains in this context, while “significant phase” is vague. There are also spelling and word-form errors, including “cloudes,” “evapourated,” and “leewardside.” “Rain fall” should be written as “rainfall” or expressed as “rain falls.” Aim for accurate geographical and process collocations, such as “moist air,” “precipitation,” and “dry air,” rather than adding broad or imprecise wording.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including the sequence “followed by the upward push” and the clause beginning “While that happens.” The overall meaning is usually understandable, but some grammatical errors remain. For example, “the temperatures starts” has a subject–verb agreement error, and “When arrived at the peak of mountain” is an incomplete construction with missing articles. In “resulting the formation,” the participle pattern is not formed correctly; use “resulting in the formation.” The sentence “the rain drops are evapourated into air and continues to cross” also has unclear subject agreement and an awkward passive construction. Check articles, agreement, and clause structure, especially when combining several stages in one sentence.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

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