Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-30

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 illustrates the formation of rain-shadow desert.

Overall, there are seven different steps which can take part in the formation of rain-shadow desert. The complete process would cover the area of thousands of kilometres.

To begin with, winds on the sea hits the coastal area of the sea from where coast section pushed the winds towards the upward direction on the mountains. This process can moist the air and makes the temperature of the winds low till the wind reaches to the windward side and then it forms clouds from the cool moist air. When the clouds reached the peak of the mountain, rain starts falling.

After the rainfall, dry air continues to move in downward direction to the leeward side on the mountains. From leeward side, dry winds move towards the inland areas which is located at the bottom of the mountains. When the dry winds reaches to inland aread, the Rain-shadow desert is formed there. The whole process covers thousands of kilometres to complete its stages.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You cover the main sequence and give a relevant overview: the process has seven stages, spans thousands of kilometres, and ends with a desert inland. The account correctly includes rising moist air, cloud formation and rain on the windward side, followed by dry air crossing to the leeward side. This is a solid description of the diagram. Some details, however, are unclear or imprecise: the coast does not itself push the winds upward; the air is forced up as it meets the mountains. The description also says the desert is at the “bottom of the mountains,” whereas the diagram places it inland beyond the leeward side. Clarifying these relationships and avoiding repeated reference to the distance would make the key features more fully developed.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response is arranged in a clear sequence, with an introduction, an overview and two body paragraphs that move from the coastal side to the inland desert. Connectors such as “To begin with” and “After the rainfall” help the reader follow the stages. This gives the report a coherent overall progression. However, some links are mechanical or make the sequence harder to follow: the long sentence beginning “This process can moist the air” combines several stages, and “from where” does not clearly identify what is pushing the winds. The final sentence repeats the distance already mentioned in the overview. Use shorter stage-focused sentences and clearer references to the air and mountain sides to make cohesion more flexible and precise.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “windward side,” “leeward side,” “moist air,” “rainfall” and “inland areas,” which allows you to describe the diagram’s main features. There is also some variety in how movement is expressed, such as “continues to move” and “move towards.” At times, however, word choice and collocation are inaccurate or repetitive. “Winds on the sea” is less precise than “winds from the sea,” while “the coast section pushed the winds” misrepresents the process. “The formation of rain-shadow desert” also needs a more natural plural or article construction, and “inland aread” contains a spelling error. More accurate process verbs and less repetition of “winds” and “process” would improve precision.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and complex sentences, including clauses with “from where,” “which” and “when,” and the overall meaning is usually understandable. However, errors in agreement, verb forms and sentence construction remain noticeable. For example, “winds … hits” should use a plural verb, and “dry winds reaches” has the same agreement problem. In “This process can moist the air and makes the temperature … low,” the verb forms do not match the modal construction, and the sentence is difficult to control. Articles and prepositions also need attention in phrases such as “reaches to the windward side.” Aim for accurate subject–verb agreement and build complex sentences around one clear sequence of actions; this would make your range more effective.

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