Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-31

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 how one type of desert called as rain-shadow desert, is formed.

Overall,it is noticeable that this procedure starts from moist wind move from sea towards the mountain range. Rain falls on windward side and dry air start to travel down the other side and createsa desert inland.

It is evident that the mountain palys an crucial role in this process. Firstly,the wind approaches the coast on sea and then winds pushed upward direction. As the moist rises it boecomes cooler and clouds are formed. This lead to the rainfall on the windward side.

A closer look reveals that after the rain is falling the air is continues over the mountain on the leeward side,but at this point the airis dry. Then it moves to the slope and become an dry wind. Finally these dry wind reach an inland where is very little rain fall. As a result, the rain-shadow desert is formed.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 7.0

The response covers the main stages and gives a clear overview: moist winds move from the sea towards the mountains, rain falls on the windward side, and dry air continues inland to create a rain-shadow desert. The sequence is generally accurate, including cloud formation and cooling. This is a strong account of the process, although a few details could be more precise: for example, explain explicitly that the mountains force the moist air upwards, and distinguish the air crossing the mountain from the dry winds descending on the leeward side. The final reference to “very little rainfall” is a reasonable summary of the desert outcome, but the diagram does not show this as a separate stage.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 7.0

The information is arranged in a clear progression, moving from an overview to the windward-side stages and then to the leeward side and inland desert. Sequencing expressions such as “Firstly,” “Then,” and “Finally” help the reader follow the process, and the paragraph breaks support this structure. The links are generally effective, though some transitions are slightly mechanical, and the opening overview repeats information that is then described in the body. Cohesion would be more flexible if the stages were connected through cause-and-effect relationships—for example, showing directly how rising air cools, forms clouds and produces rain—rather than relying mainly on sequence markers.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The response uses relevant process vocabulary, including “windward side,” “leeward side,” “moist,” “rainfall,” and “inland,” so the main ideas remain understandable. However, the range and control are uneven, with several inaccurate word forms, spelling errors and awkward collocations. Examples include “called as,” “palys,” “creat,” and “dry wind reach an inland.” These errors make the description less precise and sometimes interrupt fluency, even though the intended meaning can usually be recovered. Aim to use standard process collocations and check spelling carefully; terms such as “descends,” “crosses the mountain range,” and “arid inland area” would help describe the stages more accurately.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

There is some variety in sentence structure, including a complex time clause in “As the moist air rises…” and a result clause beginning “As a result.” However, attempts at longer structures are often faulty, and errors occur frequently. For example, “winds pushed upward direction” lacks a correctly formed verb phrase, while “the air is continues” combines incompatible verb forms. Agreement and articles are also problematic in “these dry wind reach an inland,” and punctuation spacing is inconsistent. These errors sometimes make the reader pause to interpret the process. Practise forming complete clauses with consistent tense, subject–verb agreement and appropriate articles, then proofread each sentence for verb structure.

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