Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-11

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 PICTORIAL DIAGRAM DEPICTS THE PROCESS OF FORMATION OF RAIN SHADOW DESSERTS. OVERALL, THIS PROCESS CONSIST OF 7 MAJOR STEPS. WHILE, SEA AND THE MOUNTAIN PLAYS A VITAL ROLE IN THIS PROCEDURE. THE SIDE WERE CLOUDS ARE FORMED IS KNOWN AS THE WINWARD SIDE. HOWEVER, THE SIDE WHERE THE DRY AIR TRAVELLED TO INLAND IS KNOWN AS LEEWARD SIDE.

MEANWHILE, IT INITIATE WITH THE INCOMIMG OF WINDS FROM THE SEA TO THE COASTAL REGIONS. AFTERWARDS, WINDS ARE UPLIFTED DUE TO THE SURFACE OF MOUNTAIN AFTER TRAVELLING THOUSANDS OF KILOMETERS FROM THE SEASHORES , FOLLOWED BY FORMATION OF CLOUDS DUE TO THE RISE AND COOLING OF MOIST AIR. THE SIDE WERE THIS PROCESS TAKES PLACE IS KNOWN AS WINDWARD SIDE.

FURTHERMORE, DRY AIR PRODUCED FROM THE RAINFALL TRAVEL TO THE OTHER SIDE OF MOUNTAIN TOWARDS THE LEEWARD SIDE. THAN THESE DRY WIND FINALLY REACHES THE INLANDS. WHERE THE DRY MOISTURE COMES IN CONTACT OF THE INLAND AND RAIN SHADOW DESERTS ARE FORMED NEARS THE MOUNTAINS.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response covers the main features of the diagram, identifying the windward and leeward sides and the process of cloud formation and precipitation. However, the description is somewhat superficial. For instance, the mention of '7 major steps' is not clearly reflected in the text, and the explanation of how the rain-shadow desert is specifically formed is slightly vague. The summary would benefit from a more precise description of the moisture levels and the specific transition from moist air to dry air as it crosses the mountain range. While the main points are present, the development of these ideas is limited.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The response is organised into logical paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the process. However, the use of cohesive devices is sometimes mechanical or inaccurate. For example, 'While, sea and the mountain plays a vital role' is grammatically awkward and does not function well as a cohesive link. The transition 'Than these dry wind' is a spelling error ('Then') that disrupts the flow. While there is a clear progression from the sea to the inland, the referencing (e.g., 'the side were') is occasionally unclear, and the overall structure could be improved with more sophisticated linking phrases.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task but lacks precision and variety. There are several spelling errors, such as 'DESSERTS' instead of 'deserts', 'WINWARD' instead of 'windward', and 'THAN' instead of 'then'. The student uses basic terminology and struggles with collocations, such as 'incomming of winds' and 'dry moisture'. To achieve a higher band, the student should focus on using more precise scientific terminology related to meteorological processes and ensure correct spelling of key terms used in the prompt.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors that occasionally impede clarity. Subject-verb agreement is a recurring issue, such as 'sea and the mountain plays' (should be 'play') and 'winds are uplifted' (should be 'uplift'). There are also persistent errors with relative clauses and prepositions, such as 'The side were clouds are formed' (should be 'where'). While the meaning is generally understandable, the frequency of these errors prevents the response from reaching a higher band. More attention to basic sentence construction and proofreading is required.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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