Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-08-23

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 a specific type of desert, named as a 'rain-shadow desert'.

Overall, the linear process involved in the creation of a rain-shadow desert follows seven stages, beginning with the winds approaching the coast and concluding with the dry winds reaching the inland areas. Notably, the first 4 steps take place on the windward side of the mountain, whereas the remaining steps are finished on the leeward side.

The first and foremost step starts on the windward side, where the wind approaching the coastal area gets pushed upwards, followed by moist air rising and cooling down to develop into clouds. Later, these developed clouds create rainfall on the mountain.

Additionally, on the leeward side of the mountain, dry air flows down the mountain and reaches inland spaces. Furthermore, the mountains involved in the creation of rain-shadow deserts are situated thousands of kilometres far away from each other. Finally, the rain shadow desert is formed by undergoing seven long stages.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5

The response covers the main features of the diagram, identifying the windward and leeward sides and the general process. However, the description is somewhat superficial. The student mentions 'seven stages' but does not clearly delineate or describe these stages in detail, leading to an under-developed response. The mention of mountains being 'thousands of kilometres far away' is an inaccurate interpretation of the diagram, which shows a cross-section of a single mountain range. To reach a higher band, the student needs to provide a more precise description of the physical changes (e.g., the cooling of air, the specific point of precipitation, and the warming of air on the leeward side) rather than just listing the number of stages.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is organized into logical paragraphs, with an introduction, an overview, and body paragraphs. The use of cohesive devices such as 'Notably', 'Additionally', and 'Finally' helps to guide the reader through the text. However, the progression of ideas is slightly mechanical, and the connection between the stages is not always smooth. For instance, the transition between the windward and leeward descriptions could be more fluid. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the overview from the detailed description, which is a positive feature of the response.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, with some subject-specific terms like 'windward', 'leeward', 'coastal', and 'precipitation' (though the latter was not used, 'rainfall' was). There is some repetition of basic verbs like 'create' and 'take place'. The phrase 'thousands of kilometres far away' is slightly unnatural and inaccurate in this context. To improve, the student should aim for more precise scientific vocabulary related to meteorological processes, such as 'condensation', 'orographic lift', or 'arid conditions', to demonstrate a wider and more flexible range of lexical items.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are some grammatical errors, such as 'named as a rain-shadow desert' (should be 'known as') and 'thousands of kilometres far away' (redundant). The sentence 'the first 4 steps take place' should ideally use the word 'four' rather than the digit. While the errors do not impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent the response from reaching a higher band. The control of punctuation is generally good, and the sentence structures are clear, even if they lack the complexity required for higher bands.

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

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