Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-29

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 adjoining diagram shows the formation of rain-shadow deserts. Winds travelling from the sea have to cross the mountains in order to reach inland and it looses all its moisture by the time it reaches inland hence creating rain-shadow desert. The name seems to come from the fact that only shadow of the rain remains by the time moisture carrying wind reaches inland.

The wind carrying moisture travels towards the coast from the sea. The immediate mountain at the coast (windward side) pushes the moist wind upwards. The air rises and becomes cooler with altitude. After reaching a high altitude the air starts to form clouds. Once the clouds become dense enough, they pour on the mountain, and the wind looses most of its moisture by the time it reaches the other side (Leeward side). The dry air descends toward the inland areas. By the time it reaches the inland area, the air looses all its moisture. The inland doesn't receive any rain, which over time leads to creation of a desert with infertile soi..

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The response covers the main sequence accurately: moist winds arrive from the sea, rise over the windward mountains, cool, form clouds and produce rain before dry air continues inland. The opening also gives a clear overall account of how the desert forms. This meets the task well, and the explanation that rainfall occurs on the mountain’s windward side while the inland area remains dry is relevant. To make the account more complete and precise, include the diagram’s broad horizontal scale (“thousands of kilometres”) and describe the air as continuing over the mountain to the leeward side, rather than saying it “looses all its moisture” before reaching inland. The claim that the desert has “infertile soil” is not shown in the diagram, so avoid adding unsupported outcomes.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall progression, moving from a brief introduction to the stages of the process, and the paragraph break helps distinguish the overview from the detailed account. Sequencing expressions such as “After reaching a high altitude” and “Once” make the order understandable. However, the first paragraph repeats the explanation of moisture loss and desert formation that appears again later, while the final sentences repeat that the air reaches inland without moisture. This makes cohesion somewhat mechanical. Some references are also imprecise: “the immediate mountain at the coast” is not a clear way to identify the windward slope. Organise the stages once in sequence and use concise references such as “the windward slope,” “the leeward side,” and “the inland area.”

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

There is an adequate range of process vocabulary, including “moisture,” “altitude,” “windward side,” “Leeward side,” and “inland areas,” which helps explain the diagram. Some choices are imprecise or informal for an academic process description. “The immediate mountain at the coast” is awkward, and “they pour on the mountain” is an unsuitable collocation for rainfall. The repeated phrase “looses all its moisture” also overstates the diagram, which shows dry air continuing over the mountain. In addition, “infertile soi” appears to be a spelling or typing error, and “shadow of the rain” is an unclear interpretation of the term. Use more precise process language and check spelling and capitalization, particularly for “leeward.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The response uses a mix of simple and complex structures, including the relative clause in “the wind carrying moisture” and the time clause beginning “Once the clouds become dense enough.” Most of the process remains understandable. Some grammatical errors and awkward constructions persist, however. In “Winds travelling from the sea … it looses,” the plural subject does not agree with “it”; “the wind … loses” would be consistent. The sentence beginning “The inland doesn’t receive any rain” uses an unsuitable subject for the intended meaning; “The inland area receives no rain” is clearer. The long opening sentence also joins several ideas without clear punctuation. Aim for accurate subject–verb agreement and divide long explanations into controlled sentences.

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