Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-11-03

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 curcial steps which helps to form the rain-shadow deserts. Wind approach coast is the initial step and the formation reached to its end wiith dry winds reach inland areas. Distance are measured in thousands of kilometres.

Initialy, winds approached coast from the sea. Then these winds pushed upwards.After reaching a certain height moist air rises and began to cools, those cold air form light clouds but these clouds went up and get hevier so rains began to fall from those clouds. This all happened on windward side, after falling rain dry air continues to wondering from windward side to leeward side over the mountain

By contrast, dry air continues to flow over the mountain on the leeward side and it continues towards till reaching inland areas. Thus rain-shadow desert is formed far thousands of kilometres from the coast.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

You cover the main sequence and provide an overview identifying seven stages, from winds approaching the coast to dry winds reaching inland areas. You also correctly locate rainfall on the windward side and the desert inland beyond the mountains, and note the diagram’s horizontal scale. This gives the response a clear, relevant account of the process. Some details, however, are unclear or not supported by the diagram: clouds are described as becoming “heavier” and rising, whereas the diagram simply shows clouds forming before rain falls. The final distance is also phrased as “far thousands of kilometres,” which does not clearly report the scale. More precise descriptions of how moist air cools, rain falls, and dry air crosses the leeward side would make the account more complete and accurate.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable structure: an overview is followed by the early stages and then the movement of dry air inland. Sequencing words such as “Overall,” “Then,” and “By contrast” help the reader follow the process. However, the progression is not consistently smooth. The long middle sentence combines several stages, making the sequence harder to track, and “By contrast” suggests a comparison even though the final paragraph continues the same process. Some references, such as “these clouds” and “This all,” are also imprecise. Separate the stages into clearer sentences and use connectors that show sequence or result, such as “Next” and “As a result,” to improve cohesion.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “windward side,” “leeward side,” “moist air,” and “rain-shadow desert,” which helps communicate the diagram’s subject. There are also attempts to vary wording with phrases such as “pushed upwards” and “continues to flow.” However, several word-choice and spelling errors reduce precision: “curcial,” “Initialy,” and “wiith” are misspelled, while “wondering” does not express the movement intended. Phrases such as “formation reached to its end” and “far thousands of kilometres” are also unnatural. Aim for accurate, conventional process language and check spelling; this will make the description clearer without requiring more elaborate vocabulary.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including a sequence linked with “Then” and a result introduced by “Thus.” The overall meaning is generally recoverable, but errors in verb forms, agreement, articles, and sentence construction are frequent enough to make some stages difficult to follow. For example, “seven curcial steps which helps” has a plural subject with a singular verb, and “moist air rises and began to cools” mixes tenses and uses an incorrect verb form. “Winds approach coast” also lacks an article, while “dry air continues to wondering” has an incorrect grammatical pattern. Use consistent present tense for the diagram and check each clause for subject–verb agreement and a complete, correctly formed verb.

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