Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

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

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 illustrates how a rain - Shadow deserts formed when moist air rises over passes the mountain.

Overall, this process only have four main steps. The moist air rises on the windward side of the mountain, causing into rainfall, while the descending air on the opposite become increasingly dry, which resulting in the formation of the deserts.

Initially, the moist air from the sea move towards the mountain range. As it reached it force air to rises and become cools on the windward side of the mountain. This side receives considerable amount of rainfall.

After crossing the mountain peak, the air begins to descend on the leeward side of the mountain. As it moves downward, it became warmer. As result, a very little rainfall occurs on this side.

Finally, the dry air moves away from the mountain. Because there is little moisture produce to precipitation, the area on the leeward side remain of internal dry. Over time, this creates the deserts known as rain - Shadow.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The student successfully addresses all parts of the task by outlining the main stages of rain-shadow desert formation. An overview is presented in the second paragraph, capturing the essential mechanisms: moist air rising on the windward side to produce rainfall, and descending air on the leeward side becoming dry. Key features from the diagram—such as winds approaching from the sea, cooling and condensation on the windward side, and the resulting arid conditions on the leeward side—are reported accurately. However, some minor details are slightly imprecise, such as the claim that the process has only four main steps when the diagram delineates seven distinct points, but the overall summarization is clear, well-structured, and fulfills the prompt requirements effectively.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The response is logically organized with a clear overall progression from the introduction to the conclusion, guiding the reader step-by-step through the diagram. Paragraphing is used appropriately, separating the introduction, overview, and individual stages of the process. Cohesive devices are employed to sequence events, using transitional markers such as 'Initially', 'After crossing', and 'Finally'. However, referencing and cohesion are occasionally clumsy or mechanical—for instance, 'causing into rainfall' and 'opposite become increasingly dry' disrupt the natural flow. Additionally, pronoun reference is occasionally vague. Despite these minor lapses, the arrangement remains coherent and easy to follow throughout.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for describing a natural geographical process, incorporating terms like 'moist air', 'windward side', 'descending air', 'leeward side', and 'precipitation'. However, there are notable word-choice errors and awkward collocations, such as 'rain - Shadow deserts formed', 'causing into rainfall', and 'remain of internal dry'. Furthermore, spelling and morphological errors occur, such as 'produce' instead of 'produced'. While less common vocabulary is attempted with some success, these inaccuracies prevent the lexical score from reaching a higher band.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response exhibits a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, attempting multi-clause sentences such as 'As it reached it force air to rises and becomes cools' and 'Because there is little moisture produce to precipitation...'. However, grammatical control is inconsistent, marred by frequent errors in verb forms, subject-verb agreement, and prepositions (e.g., 'process only have four main steps', 'air from the sea move', 'it became warmer', 'little moisture produce'). These errors sometimes cause minor awkwardness for the reader, though they rarely impede overall communication. Complex structures tend to be faulty, placing this writing firmly in the Band 5 to 6 range.

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