Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-15

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 diagram demonstrate the formation process of the rain-shadow desert.

The formation of rain-shadow desert is due to the travelling of wind over mountains from the sea towards the land. The mountains are in the middle of the dry land and the moist coastal region. The windward side lies on the coastal area where clouds are formed and rain takes place while leeward side lies on the drier area near the inland where desert is formed.

The process is expanded over thousands of kilometers from the starting point when the winds reaches the coast till the inland area where rain-shadow desert is formed. As the winds come near the coast, they are pushed upwards due to the pressure of warmth, on the windward side of the mountains. The moisture level rises in the air and it cools down to become the clouds. the clouds rise above the mountains that leads to raining. The other side is the leeward side, where the dry air flows down the mountain from the top. As the dry winds arrive near the inland, the rain shadow desert is formed.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The student successfully covers all the key features of the diagram, explaining the sequential stages of rain-shadow desert formation from the sea across the mountains to the inland area. The overview provided in the second paragraph effectively highlights the main geographical layout and contrast between the windward and leeward sides. However, the explanation of certain steps could be slightly more precise; for instance, the text mentions 'due to the pressure of warmth' which is not explicitly shown in the visual data, and the sentence structure could be more tightly integrated to show cause and effect across the steps. Overall, the response fulfills the task requirements well.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The response is logically organised into an introduction, an overview/summary paragraph, and a detailed process paragraph. The student uses basic cohesive devices and transitional phrases such as 'As the winds come near' and 'The other side is the leeward side' to guide the reader through the diagram. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the macro-level description from the sequential steps. However, referencing is occasionally mechanical, and the progression could be smoother with a wider variety of cohesive links. Overall, the information flows coherently and is easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully employing subject-specific terms such as 'moist coastal region', 'windward side', 'leeward side', 'moisture level', and 'rain-shadow desert'. There are some minor lexical inaccuracies and awkward phrasings, such as 'The diagram demonstrate' (should be demonstrates) and 'pressure of warmth'. Less common vocabulary is attempted with mixed success, but the errors do not impede communication. To reach a higher band, the student should use more sophisticated collocations and ensure absolute precision in word choice.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The student uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as 'As the winds come near the coast, they are pushed upwards...' and 'The mountains are in the middle of the dry land and the moist coastal region.' There is a notable grammatical error in the opening sentence: 'The diagram demonstrate' instead of 'demonstrates'. Other minor issues include missing articles or slight awkwardness in phrasing (e.g., 'that leads to raining' instead of 'resulting in rainfall'). However, the majority of sentences are grammatically sound, and errors do not impede overall comprehension.

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

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