Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-15

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 process diagram illustrates a process by which a desert is formed, known as rain-shadow desert.

Overall, this process presents information process how a rain-desert is formed. This formation process involved seven staged. This process started from winds approach coast, and ending of this formation process on dry winds reach to inland areas.

Initially, the winds started to the coast of sea, then the airy layers of sea pushing the wind layers in upward direction. However, the moist air rises from the surface of sea and cooled the wind layers.

Then, clouds are formed from the windward side. The water vapours in the cloud are released in the form of rain.Moreover, dry air flowing continuously over the surface of mountain from leeward side.

Then, this dry winds reached and enter the inland areas covered the distance of thousands kilometre from the sea to the inland. In this consequence, rain-shadow desert is formed.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response covers the main stages of the process, from the initial wind movement to the formation of the desert. However, the description is somewhat mechanical and lacks a clear overview of the key features. While the stages are identified, the explanation of the 'rain-shadow' mechanism is slightly underdeveloped. The student mentions 'moist air rises' and 'clouds are formed', but the connection between the mountain barrier and the precipitation on the windward side versus the dry air on the leeward side could be more explicitly linked to the term 'rain-shadow'. The response meets the minimum length requirement and provides a sufficient summary of the diagram.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The response is organised into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the sequence of events. However, the use of cohesive devices is often repetitive or slightly unnatural. For example, the frequent use of 'Then' at the beginning of sentences makes the flow feel mechanical. The referencing is sometimes unclear, such as in the phrase 'In this consequence', which is not standard English. While there is a logical progression from the sea to the inland areas, the transitions between sentences could be more varied and sophisticated to improve the overall flow of the text.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary is adequate for the task but lacks precision and variety. There are several instances of awkward phrasing, such as 'airy layers of sea' and 'cooled the wind layers', which do not accurately describe the meteorological process. The student uses basic terminology like 'started', 'formed', and 'reached' repeatedly. While the meaning is generally clear, the lack of more precise scientific or descriptive vocabulary (e.g., 'moisture-laden', 'precipitation', 'leeward slope') limits the score. There are also minor errors in word choice that slightly impede the professional tone of the report.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, but there are frequent grammatical errors throughout. Issues include subject-verb agreement ('winds started', 'clouds are formed'), incorrect verb tenses ('cooled the wind layers'), and awkward sentence construction ('This formation process involved seven staged'). Punctuation is generally functional, but the sentence structure often feels disjointed. While the errors do not completely prevent the reader from understanding the process, they are frequent enough to indicate a lack of control over more complex grammatical forms.

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