Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-19

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 process diagram illustrates the information about how the single kind of desert, which is called as a rain-shadow desert, is formed.

Overall, the process is consist of 7 steps, which begins with approaching winds coast and ended with reaching inland areas by dry winds and thousands of kilometers are covered by the winds during this process from seaside to Inland.

Initially, winds from the sea side approach the coastand pushed upwards to the hill, at Windward side the moist air rises and get cooler while pushing it towards the mountain. After that, clouds are formed from these steps and rainfalls happen from the top of the hill. Once this has been completed than dry air continues over mountain and dry winds reached the inland area by passing the Leeward side and reached Rain-shadow desert. This process is completed by covering the thousands of kilometers of the mountain from sea side to inland by the wind by which this process gets completed.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The student successfully identifies the main features and stages of the rain-shadow desert formation process diagram. The response covers the key geographic locations such as the sea, coast, windward side, mountains, leeward side, and inland, as well as the sequential steps from winds approaching the coast to reaching the rain-shadow desert. An overview is provided, noting the 7-step process and the horizontal scale of thousands of kilometres. However, the expression is at times repetitive and phrasing is a bit awkward, though all parts of the visual prompt are adequately addressed to satisfy a Band 6.0.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The essay is organized into an introduction, an overview paragraph, and a body paragraph detailing the sequence of events. Cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'Initially', 'After that', and 'Once this has been completed' are used to guide the reader through the process. However, some transitions are mechanical or slightly repetitive, and the paragraphing could be better balanced, as the detailed step-by-step description is clustered into a single dense paragraph. Referencing is generally clear, but overall cohesion occasionally feels slightly laboured, fitting the Band 6.0 descriptor.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary relevant to the diagram, including terms like 'process diagram', 'windward side', 'moist air', 'leeward side', and 'rain-shadow desert'. There are several lexical and collocation errors, such as 'the single kind of desert' instead of 'a specific type of desert', 'is consist of' instead of 'consists of', and 'approaching winds coast' instead of 'winds approaching the coast'. These errors do not impede communication, but they limit the score to a 5.5.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, attempting relative clauses ('which is called as a rain-shadow desert') and passive constructions ('clouds are formed'). However, there are frequent grammatical errors and awkward phrasing, such as 'is consist of 7 steps', 'winds pushed upwards to the hill' (missing passive auxiliary), 'get cooler while pushing it' (dangling modifier), and redundant phrasing ('this process gets completed'). Punctuation is basic, and while the meaning remains generally clear, the density of errors keeps the grammar score at 5.5.

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