Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-17

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 following diagram illustrates the formation of rain-shadow desert. This process takes at least seven steps. These steps are widely discussed below that how rain-shadow deserts formed.

First of all, the first step is that winds approach coast from the sea level. The meeting of sea and mountain is known as coast. Secondly, the wind is pushed upward to the mountains. Mountains are thousands of kilometer wider. Moreover, in the third step the moist air raises and cools to the windward side. After this clouds are formed. Then due to the cloud formation rain falls.

However, after the rain, the dry air continues to move to the leeward side of the mountain. In short, the dry air is coming down from the mountain from leeward side. In the last step, when the dry air or dry wind reaches down to the land area, then the formation of rain-shadow deserts occurred.

Taking everything in account, from my perspective the formation of rain-shadow desert is a time taking process. In short, initially the wind approaches after this clouds are formed than it started raining after this dry wind reaches land area then this formed.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The student covers the main stages of the rain-shadow desert formation diagram, moving from the sea and coast through the windward side to the leeward side and inland area. However, the response includes inappropriate personal commentary in the conclusion ('from my perspective'), which is a feature to avoid in Academic Task 1 writing. Furthermore, some descriptions are overly simplistic or repetitive, lacking a fully sophisticated overview of the overall mechanism. While all main features from the visual data are identified, the development is somewhat mechanical and limited by the register used. Therefore, it meets the criteria for Band 6.0, as it addresses all parts of the task with relevant ideas, though some parts are under-developed or expressed inappropriately.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The text is organized into paragraphs with clear attempts to sequence ideas chronologically using transition words such as 'First of all', 'Secondly', 'Moreover', and 'In the last step'. However, the overall logical progression feels somewhat mechanical, and referencing is occasionally clunky, such as 'These steps are widely discussed below that how rain-shadow deserts formed'. Paragraphing is used, but the concluding paragraph repeats summary phrases redundantly ('Taking everything in account, from my perspective... In short...'). These cohesive faults and somewhat repetitive transitions place the response securely in Band 5.5 to 6.0. Awarding a 6.0 reflects the coherent overall arrangement, despite some mechanical and faulty cohesion.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for describing a simple physical process, employing terms like 'moist air', 'windward side', 'leeward side', and 'dry air'. However, there are noticeable word choice and collocation issues, such as 'raises' instead of 'rises', 'thousands of kilometer wider' instead of spanning thousands of kilometers, and 'formation of rain-shadow deserts occurred'. The concluding section also suffers from repetitive phrasing ('time taking process', 'after this... after this'). This demonstrates an adequate range for the task with attempts at less common vocabulary that contain inaccuracies, aligning with Band 5.5 to 6.0. Band 6.0 is appropriate as communication is not impeded.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The response contains a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, though complex structures are frequently flawed. Examples of grammatical errors include 'These steps are widely discussed below that how rain-shadow deserts formed', 'the moist air raises and cools to the windward side', and 'then it started raining after this dry wind reaches land area'. Punctuation and verb tense consistency also show weaknesses, particularly in mixing present and past time frames. Despite these frequent errors in grammar, they rarely impede overall communication of the steps. This matches the Band 5.5/6.0 threshold, and a score of 6.0 is given for maintaining a mix of sentence structures despite the persistent inaccuracies.

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

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