Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-23

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 given diagram demonstrates the process of formation of rain-shadow deserts.

Overall, this process involves series of steps which starts from the sea, moving on to the mountains and ending on the land. There are 7 steps in series out of which first two steps take place on sea level while next four steps take place on the mountains and last step of the series takes place on the land.

In first step, winds bove the sea approach the coastal areas. In second step, these winds from coastal areas are pushed upwards to mountains. Thirdly, the moist air rises and cools, moving towards the windward side of mountains. Afterwards, clouds are formed here in fourth step. Moving on to the fifth step, these clouds cause rainfalls on the peak of mountains.

In sixth step, after rainfalls the dry air continues over the mountain towards the Leeward side which continues to the seventh step of dry winds reaching inland areas which results in the formation of the rain-shadow desert.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The student provides a clear overview of the process and covers all seven distinct steps shown in the diagram, tracing the formation of a rain-shadow desert from the sea across the mountains to inland areas. The main features are reported accurately, such as the winds approaching the coast, rising and cooling to form clouds and precipitation on the windward side, and dry air descending on the leeward side. The response fulfils the requirements of Task 1 well, establishing a logical progression that aligns with the visual data. Minor mechanical referencing of step numbers ('In first step', 'In sixth step') is somewhat formulaic, but overall the content selection is appropriate and accurate.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response is logically organised and easy to follow, with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and an overall summary statement. Cohesive devices are used to sequence the stages chronologically, such as 'Overall', 'In first step', 'Thirdly', 'Afterwards', and 'Moving on to the fifth step'. Paragraphing is handled reasonably well, separating the introduction, general overview, and detailed sequential stages. However, some cohesive transitions feel slightly mechanical or repetitive, such as the constant reliance on numbering steps ('In second step', 'In sixth step'), which prevents the cohesion from being entirely natural or sophisticated.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, successfully incorporating key geographical terms from the diagram such as 'coastal areas', 'windward side', 'leeward side', 'rain-shadow desert', and 'moist air'. However, there are a few lexical inaccuracies and awkward word choices, such as 'involves series of steps' (missing an article), 'bove' instead of 'move' or 'blow' ('winds bove the sea'), and 'rainfalls' used as a countable noun ('cause rainfalls'). While the range is sufficient to communicate the main processes clearly, these minor slips and the reliance on basic terminology restrict the lexical score to a Band 6.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The student demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as 'There are 7 steps in series out of which first two steps take place on sea level...' and relative clauses like 'which results in the formation of the rain-shadow desert'. There are several grammatical errors throughout the text, including missing articles ('involves [a] series of steps', 'on [the] sea level', 'on [the] land', 'in [the] first step'), spelling mistakes ('bove' instead of blow), and minor prepositions issues ('takes place on the land' instead of 'in'). Despite these recurring slips, communication is not impeded, and the sentence structures remain comprehensible.

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