Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-22

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 below demonstrates the process of how a rain-shadow desert is formed.

Overall, it involves seven steps, began with the winds approaching to coastal areas and ends with the winds reaching inland areas to form desert. All the steps are interlinked with each other hence, the ominssion of any single step can halt the entire procedure od rain-shadow desert.

Firstly, the winds approaching to the coastal areas and sea water makes the air cooler which allows the winds to flow up in the upward direction. As the wind speed reached at higher level, moisture in the air makes the wind more cool and therefore the formation of clouds took place. Followed by rainfall, when the clouds were on the top of the mountains.

Probing further, the wind loses its moisture and air becomes drier and as the wind speed moves the air in a downward direction, its getting more drier along the lewward side. Finally, dry winds reaching to the bottom level of the inland areas and hence a rain-shadow desert is formed.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response covers all key stages of the rain-shadow desert formation process depicted in the diagram, ranging from winds approaching the coast to the creation of the desert inland. The overview touches upon the seven numbered steps and the overall sequence. However, some of the descriptions of physical phenomena contain inaccuracies or confusion—for instance, stating that moisture 'makes the wind more cool' and that 'wind speed reaches at higher level'—which reflects a slight misinterpretation of the underlying diagrammatic data. Furthermore, the claim that the omission of any single step can halt the entire procedure is an unnecessary generalization not supported by the visual data. Overall, the response addresses the prompt adequately but falls short of complete clarity and precise reporting.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The response is organized into four paragraphs, including an introduction and a logical progression through the steps of the diagram. Cohesive devices are employed to link ideas, such as 'Overall', 'Firstly', 'Followed by rainfall', 'Probing further', and 'Finally'. However, some cohesive links and referencing are awkward or mechanically used, as seen in 'hence, the ominssion of any single step can halt the entire procedure od rain-shadow desert' and 'Probing further'. Paragraphing is generally appropriate, separating the introduction, overview, and body steps, but overall cohesion occasionally feels disjointed due to phrasing and spelling errors.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, attempting some less common items related to geographical processes such as 'coastal areas', 'moisture', 'precipitation' (implied by rainfall), and 'leeward side'. However, there are notable word-choice and collocation errors throughout the text, including 'ominssion' (spelling), 'procedure od', 'winds approaching to', and 'getting more drier'. These lexical inaccuracies and occasional spelling mistakes occasionally detract from the clarity of the writing, placing the response firmly in the band 6 category.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, incorporating subordinate clauses and participial phrases (e.g., 'As the wind speed reached at higher level...', 'when the clouds were on the top of the mountains'). However, grammatical accuracy is inconsistent. There are frequent errors in verb tense consistency, prepositions, and comparative forms, such as 'began' instead of 'beginning', 'approaching to' (unnecessary preposition), 'more cool' instead of 'cooler', and 'more drier' (double comparative). While these errors do not completely impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent the score from reaching band 7.

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

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