Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-30

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 illustrates how one type of desert which is rainshadow desert is formed.

Overall, it is clear from the picture that the whole process consists of several stages beginning from winds approach to the coast and ending up with dry winds reaching to inland areas. The wind has to travel thousands of kilometer to go to the final step which is inland areas.

First of all looking at the details, the first stage we see is when wind approach coast up to the sea. In the second stage wind is pushed upwards and become moist. In third step which then cools. As we move forward to the fourth stage clouds are produced from the moist air. From these clouds rain falls in the fifth step. In the sixth step, dry air which is left behind continues to move over mountains. This air then travels to the leeward side of hills. The air keeps travelling until it reaches to inland areas. This is the final step in which the rain shadow desert is formed.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The student successfully covers all the main stages of the diagram, explaining how a rain-shadow desert is formed from the initial winds approaching the coast to the dry winds reaching inland areas. An overview is provided in the second paragraph, capturing the overall sequence and scale ('thousands of kilometer'). Key features such as the windward side, the formation of clouds and rain, and the leeward side are identified and reported in a logical sequence. However, some minor inaccuracies appear in the description of specific steps, such as stating that the wind 'become moist' when pushed upwards rather than picking up moisture from the sea beforehand. Overall, the task is addressed well, fulfilling the requirements for an Academic Task 1 response.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response is arranged coherently with a clear overall progression from the beginning to the end of the process. The student uses a basic framework of transition signals, such as 'Overall', 'First of all', 'In the second stage', and 'In third step', to guide the reader through the sequence. However, paragraphing is underdeveloped, with the body of the response crammed into a single block of text alongside the introduction and overview. Furthermore, cohesive devices can be mechanical or repetitive, and referencing is occasionally unclear, such as 'which then cools' lacking a clear subject. Improving paragraph separation and varying cohesive links would elevate this score.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, successfully incorporating topic-specific terms from the diagram such as 'coast', 'moist air', 'clouds', 'leeward side', and 'rain shadow desert'. However, the lexical range is somewhat limited, and there are noticeable word-form and prepositional errors, such as 'winds approach coast' instead of 'winds approach the coast', 'thousands of kilometer' instead of 'kilometers', and 'reaches to inland areas' instead of 'reaches inland areas'. Less common vocabulary is attempted with occasional inaccuracies in collocation or phrasing, placing it firmly at band 6.0.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The student demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, such as 'The given diagram illustrates how one type of desert which is rainshadow desert is formed.' However, there are frequent grammatical errors, particularly missing articles ('winds approach coast', 'over mountain'), incorrect prepositions ('reaches to inland areas'), and subject-verb agreement issues ('when wind approach'). Complex structures are often faulty or awkward, such as 'the first stage we see is when wind approach coast up to the sea'. While these errors do not severely impede overall communication, they persist throughout the response, preventing the score from reaching a higher band.

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

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