Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-24

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 shows how one type of desert, known as a rain-shadow desert, is formed. Overall, the whole process consists of a total of seven steps starting from the approaching of winds from the sea towards the mountains and ending with the reaching of dry winds to inland areas. Also, the width of the mountains is nearly thousands of kilometres. The process commences with the wind approaching the coast from the sea, and then it winds pushed upwards after getting reflected by mountains. In the next step, moist air rises and then cools down, due to which clouds are formed at the windward side of the mountains. After that the rain falls at the peak point of the mountains. Following this, dry air continues to blow over the leeward side of the mountains, and then finally, dry winds reaches to the inland areas, which form the one type of desert, known as a rain-shadow desert.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The student successfully addresses all parts of the prompt by summarising the main features of the rain-shadow desert formation diagram. The overview captures the overall sequence of seven steps, starting from the winds approaching the coast from the sea and concluding with dry winds reaching inland areas. Key stages such as the windward side, cloud formation, precipitation, and the leeward side are accurately identified and reported. The data is properly grounded in the diagram, and no significant features are omitted, demonstrating a clear understanding of the visual data. This meets the criteria for a Band 7.0.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response demonstrates clear logical organisation and progression throughout. The student uses sequence markers effectively, such as 'starting from', 'The process commences with', 'In the next step', 'After that', and 'Following this', to guide the reader through the stages of the diagram. However, the text is presented as a single paragraph rather than being divided into logical paragraphs (such as separating the early oceanic stages from the later inland stages), which limits cohesion management. Referencing and cohesive devices are generally clear and functional. This corresponds to a Band 6.5.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully incorporating subject-specific terms such as 'rain-shadow desert', 'windward side', 'leeward side', 'moist air', and 'precipitation'. However, there are instances of unnatural phrasing and word choice, such as 'winds pushed upwards after getting reflected by mountains' and 'dry winds reaches to the inland areas', where 'reaches' contains a grammatical error and 'getting reflected' is colloquial. Less common items are attempted with some lack of precision. This performance aligns with a Band 6.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The student attempts a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing relative clauses ('known as a rain-shadow desert') and temporal conjunctions successfully. However, there are several noticeable grammatical errors, including 'it winds pushed upwards' (passive voice error) and 'dry winds reaches' (subject-verb agreement error). Punctuation is generally acceptable, but structural inaccuracies persist in complex clauses. These errors do not impede overall communication but prevent the response from achieving a higher band. This represents a solid Band 6.0.

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