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 the peak, the air begins to descend on the leeward side of the mountain. As it moves downward, it become 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 response successfully addresses all parts of the task by outlining the main stages of rain-shadow desert formation. The overview correctly highlights the key mechanics, noting how moist air rises on the windward side to produce rainfall while descending air on the leeward side becomes dry. The student identifies the sequence from the sea and coast across the mountains to the inland desert. However, there are minor inaccuracies in phrasing and a slight under-development of the detailed stages, such as the scale of thousands of kilometres. Nevertheless, the core information is accurately reported and compared between the two sides of the mountain.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The text is logically organised with a clear overall progression from introduction to overview and subsequent sequential steps. Paragraphing is used appropriately, with each stage of the diagram given its own paragraph. Cohesive devices are employed to guide the reader through the process, such as 'Initially', 'After crossing', and 'Finally'. However, referencing and transitional phrases occasionally feel a bit mechanical or imprecise, as seen in sentences like 'As it reached it force air to rises'. Overall, the arrangement is coherent and easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for describing a scientific process, incorporating terms like 'moist air', 'windward side', 'leeward side', and 'precipitation'. However, there are notable word-choice and collocation errors throughout the text, such as 'deserts formed' instead of 'desert is formed', 'causing into rainfall' instead of 'resulting in rainfall', and 'internal dry' instead of 'inland arid/dry'. These errors demonstrate a limited control of lexical precision, placing the response firmly in the Band 5.5 to 6.0 range.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The writer attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as 'As it moves downward, it become warmer.' However, the text contains numerous grammatical inaccuracies, particularly involving verb forms, tense consistency, and subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'this process only have four main steps', 'air rises over passes the mountain', 'moisture produce to precipitation'). While these errors do not completely impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent the grammar score from reaching Band 6.0.

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

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