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 figure illustrates how rain-shadow deserts are formed by undergoing different natural stages.

Overall, the process of formation has seven main steps, starting from wind comming close to costal area then moving in upward direction from windward side towards mountain and finally dry air comming down to land from leeward side travelling thousands of kilometers across the mountain.

At the beginning, the moist winds over the ocean coast are pushed upward which will cool down after reaching certain height which causes formation of clouds. These clouds cause rainfalls when they reach the top.

Soon after the rainfall the wind moves down from the peak by loosing all of the moisture and reaches the inland areas near to montain which will contribute for rain-shadow desert formation.

Direction from which air travels upward is named as the windward side. Meanwhile, leeward side is the part of mountain from where air comes down to land.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The student successfully covers all parts of the visual diagram, outlining the seven main stages of rain-shadow desert formation from the sea to inland areas. An overview is provided, noting the seven main steps and the general progression from the coast across the mountain to the inland region. Key features such as the windward side, moisture cooling, cloud formation, precipitation, and the leeward side are reported. However, some minor details could be extended further, and there are slight generalisations in how the spatial relationships are described. Nevertheless, the response clearly fulfills the requirements of Task 1 by summarizing the main features and comparisons accurately based on the provided visual data.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The text exhibits a clear overall progression, guiding the reader logically through the sequential stages of the diagram from the ocean to the inland desert. Paragraphing is used to separate the introduction, overall summary, initial stages, and concluding steps. Cohesive devices such as 'At the beginning', 'Soon after', and 'Meanwhile' are employed to link ideas, although some transitions feel slightly mechanical or repetitive in structure. Referencing is generally clear, though occasional awkward phrasing affects the smoothness of the flow. Overall, the organization is coherent and easy to follow.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary appropriate for describing a scientific process, including terms like 'moist winds', 'precipitation' (though 'rainfalls' is used), 'moisture', 'inland areas', and 'windward side'. However, there are multiple spelling errors throughout the text, such as 'comming' instead of coming, 'costal' instead of coastal, 'loosing' instead of losing, and 'montain' instead of mountain. These lexical errors and simple word choices limit the band score, although communication is not impeded as the meaning remains clear.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

The response demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as 'The figure illustrates how rain-shadow deserts are formed by undergoing different natural stages.' There are several grammatical errors and punctuation issues, including missing articles and awkward relative clauses (e.g., 'wind comming close to costal area then moving in upward direction', 'reaches the inland areas near to montain which will contribute for rain-shadow desert formation'). While complex structures are attempted, the control over them is inconsistent, and frequent minor errors persist throughout the text.

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