Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-09
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 given diagram illustrates the formation of rain-shadow desert. It shows the geographical aspects of the desert formation.
Overall, the process depicts, how the rain-shadow desert is formed across the thousands of kilometers. However, it begins from the sea coast area and end up with the inland area. Additionally, the mountain separates the sea and the inland. The desert spreads around thousands of kilometer.
According to the diagram the formation of desert begins from the winds that approaching coast towards the mountains. Meanwhile, the winds pushed upwards followed by rising the moist air and cools. After that formation of cloud appears at the windward side.
Furthermore, the formed clouds pushed upwards to the mountain peaks and the rain fall begins at the highest peak of mountain. In contrast, the movement of dry air is continuously approaching to the downwards of the mountain. In addition, the dry air crosses the leeward side and reached to the inland areas. At the end, in the inland the rain-shadow desert is formed.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.0 |
| Lexical Resource | 6.0 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 6.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
The response provides a clear overview of the process, identifying the main stages from the sea to the inland area. It successfully highlights the key features, such as the role of the mountain and the difference between the windward and leeward sides. However, the description is somewhat repetitive, and the explanation of the scientific process could be more precise. For instance, the phrase 'thousands of kilometer' is vague and does not add specific value to the summary. While all parts of the task are addressed, the development of the ideas is slightly mechanical, and the summary could benefit from a more integrated approach to the stages of the cycle.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0
The response is organized into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the progression of the process. Cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'Additionally', 'Furthermore', and 'In contrast' are used to link ideas. However, some of these transitions feel slightly forced or mechanical. The referencing is generally clear, but the flow between sentences is occasionally interrupted by awkward phrasing, such as 'the movement of dry air is continuously approaching to the downwards of the mountain'. Improved sentence-level cohesion would elevate the score.
Lexical Resource — Band 6.0
The vocabulary is adequate for the task, covering essential terms like 'geographical aspects', 'windward side', and 'leeward side'. However, there are instances of imprecise word choice and awkward collocations, such as 'rising the moist air' instead of 'the moist air rises' or 'moist air rising'. The range is somewhat limited, relying on basic structures to describe the process. To reach a higher band, the student should incorporate more precise scientific terminology and avoid repetitive phrasing like 'formed' and 'approaching'.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede the flow. Examples include 'the process depicts, how the rain-shadow desert is formed' (unnecessary comma and awkward structure) and 'the winds that approaching coast' (missing verb 'are' or incorrect participle). There are also issues with article usage and prepositional phrases, such as 'to the downwards of the mountain'. While the meaning remains clear, the frequency of these errors prevents the writing from being considered highly accurate.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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