Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-18

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 illustrates how rain- shadow desert occures.

Overall, the formation included seven steps including winds approach from the coastal area and rain falls into windward side of the mountain, while dry air flows downward from leeward side, and creates the rain-shadow desert.

Firstly, left side of the mountain has a sea and coast, resulting winds approach through coastal area, and winds pushed upwards to the mountain from the windward side. After that moist air rises and cools, developing clouds form near top of the mountain and it tends to create rain falls on top of the mountains.

Secondly, leeward side, air becomes dry over the mountain, and flow downward from the right side, which does not create any clouds and dry winds reach inland areas, which is thousands of kilometres away from it started, resulting creates rain-shadow desert. As a result of dry air, clouds form has not created from the leeward side and the area becomes desert.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response covers the main features of the diagram, identifying the key stages of the rain-shadow effect. However, the summary is somewhat mechanical and lacks a sophisticated overview of the process as a whole. While the student identifies the windward and leeward sides, the explanation of the physical process—specifically the cooling of air and the lack of moisture on the leeward side—is slightly repetitive and could be more concisely integrated. The description of the 'seven steps' is unnecessary and does not accurately reflect the flow of the diagram. To reach a higher band, the student should focus on synthesizing the information into a more cohesive narrative rather than listing steps.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The response is organized into paragraphs, which helps the reader follow the progression from the windward to the leeward side. However, the use of cohesive devices is somewhat repetitive and occasionally awkward, such as 'resulting winds approach' and 'resulting creates'. The transition between the two main paragraphs is clear, but the internal flow within the paragraphs is hindered by clunky phrasing and repetitive sentence structures. Referencing is sometimes unclear, particularly in the final sentence where the connection between dry air and the lack of cloud formation is stated twice in a redundant manner.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, with terms like 'windward', 'leeward', 'moist air', and 'coastal area' correctly applied. However, there are several instances of awkward word choice and grammatical errors that affect the precision of the writing, such as 'occures' (spelling), 'developing clouds form' (redundant), and 'clouds form has not created'. The range of vocabulary is limited, and the student relies on basic verbs and repetitive structures. To improve, the student should focus on more precise collocations and avoid repeating the same terms within short sentences.

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 the flow of information. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues ('clouds form has not created'), missing articles ('left side of the mountain'), and awkward phrasing ('winds approach through coastal area'). While the meaning is generally clear, the frequency of these errors prevents the writing from reaching a higher band. The student should focus on mastering basic sentence construction, particularly the use of articles and correct verb tenses, before attempting more complex structures.

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

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