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 illustrates the formation of an arid region, which is currently known as a rain-shadow desert. This process is completed by the travelling of air of thousands of kilometres.

Overall, the process of building a desert consists of seven different steps,which start from sea winds to condensation, precipitation, drying of water droplets, and eventually end in forming a desert. Mountains play a vital role in the whole method.

First of all, air blows at coastal area that evaporates water, and pushes them upaward toward the sky. As the moist air reaches at higher altitudes, it cools down, and begins to strike with the peaks of hills. Consequently, this moisture in air condenses with the dropping of temperature, and clouds are formed.

After thick clouds accumulation, rain falls on the mountains. In the aftermath, dry air initiates blowing over the higher areas before reaching at inland areas after covering several kilometers of distance. Finally, rain shadow desert builds up in this territory.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.5

The student successfully addresses all parts of the task by reporting the main stages in the formation of a rain-shadow desert. The overview captures the seven-step process effectively, moving from sea winds to precipitation and finally desert creation. Key features such as moist air cooling, cloud formation, precipitation on the windward side, and dry air reaching inland areas are properly noted and sequenced. However, some minor details could be slightly more precise regarding the geographical labels provided in the diagram, such as distinguishing the windward and leeward sides more explicitly. Nevertheless, the response covers all main features and makes relevant connections throughout, aligning well with the Band 7 descriptors.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The response shows a clear logical organisation and progression from start to finish. The essay is divided into an introduction, an overview paragraph, and two body paragraphs that follow the chronological sequence of the diagram. Cohesive devices such as 'Overall', 'First of all', 'Consequently', 'After', and 'Finally' are used reasonably well to guide the reader through the stages. Paragraphing is used appropriately, and referencing between sentences is generally clear. While some transitions feel slightly mechanical, the overall structure remains coherent and easy to follow, supporting a solid Band 7 score.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The student demonstrates a sufficient range of vocabulary for the task, attempting less common lexical items such as 'condensation', 'precipitation', 'altitudes', and 'aftermath'. There are, however, some noticeable lexical inaccuracies and awkward phrasing, such as 'building of a desert' instead of 'formation of a desert', 'air blows at coastal area' instead of 'blows over the coastal area', and 'rain shadow desert builds up' instead of 'forms'. Spelling is generally accurate, but word choice and collocation issues prevent the response from reaching a higher band, placing it firmly at Band 6.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The student employs a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, incorporating relative clauses and adverbial phrases (e.g., 'As the moist air reaches at higher altitudes, it cools down'). However, there are several grammatical errors and awkward preposition uses throughout the text, such as 'air blows at coastal area', 'pushes them upaward', and 'reaches at higher altitudes'. Punctuation is mostly acceptable, and despite the recurring grammatical slips, they rarely impede overall communication. This mix of structures and frequency of minor errors is characteristic of Band 6 performance.

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

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