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 shows the process of a type of desert, which is known as rain-shadow desert and how it is produced.

Overall, it contains total seven steps. In the start, the winds approaches from the coast. In the end, the wind becomes dry and reaches the inland areas, there it forms the rain-shadow desert.

Initially, on the sea coast area the wind surfaces above and approaches the coast side and it is pushed towards upwards side of the mountains. There, the moist air rises and cools it towards the windward side. Thats where the clouds appears in a proper form.

Now, on the top of the mountain the rain falls. Which then dries the air continues over the leeward side of the mountain. In the final stage, the dry winds finally reaches the inland areas after crossing the thousands of kiometeres distance. Finally, after reaching the inland area the rain shadow desert forms.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You identify the process as a sequence and give a useful overall summary: winds begin at the coast, become dry after crossing the mountains, and reach inland areas where the desert forms. The main stages—air rising and cooling, cloud formation, rainfall, and dry air continuing over the leeward side—are also included. This covers the task well, though some details are less fully or precisely described. For example, the opening says the wind “surfaces above,” which does not clearly explain that it is forced upward by the mountains, and the final reference to “thousands of kilometres” is presented as a distance the winds travel rather than the diagram’s horizontal scale. A more exact account of the windward-to-leeward sequence would strengthen the response further.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall arrangement: an introduction, an overview, and a chronological account of the stages. Sequencing phrases such as “Initially,” “Now,” and “In the final stage” help the reader follow the process. However, cohesion is sometimes mechanical, and a few links between ideas are unclear. For instance, “Which then dries the air continues over the leeward side” is not a complete, well-connected sentence, while “There” and “Thats where” do not always make their references precise. The repeated use of “Finally” also makes the ending feel repetitive. Use fewer, more varied transitions and connect each stage in complete sentences, with clear references to the air, clouds, and mountain sides.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “moist air,” “windward side,” “leeward side,” and “rain-shadow desert,” which helps communicate the diagram’s subject. There is some attempt to vary wording with phrases such as “approaches,” “crossing,” and “reaches.” However, several choices are imprecise or unnatural, including “the wind surfaces above,” “pushed towards upwards side,” and “clouds appears in a proper form.” “Kiometeres” is also misspelled, and “rain shadow desert” is not consistently hyphenated. These issues make the description less precise and sometimes awkward. Aim for accurate process collocations such as “is forced up the mountain,” “condenses to form clouds,” and “dry air descends on the leeward side.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, and the sequence is generally understandable. However, control is uneven, with errors in agreement, sentence boundaries, and clause structure. Examples include “the winds approaches” and “the dry winds finally reaches,” where plural subjects require plural verbs, and “There, the moist air rises and cools it,” where the pronoun creates an unclear structure. “Now, on the top of the mountain the rain falls. Which then dries the air continues…” is also incorrectly divided and joined. Work on forming complete clauses and checking subject–verb agreement, articles, and punctuation. More accurate complex sentences linking cause and result would improve clarity without sacrificing the range you are attempting.

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