Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-01

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 the formation of rain-shadow desert.

Overall, the formation involves seven steps involving two major sides (one on the up-hill and other on the down-hill) starting from the sea, coast and ending thousands of kilometers away in the inland.

Initially, the heavy winds approach the coast from the sea and the wind is pushed in an upward direction where it further gets moistened and cools down in order to form clouds, and the cloud formation takes place in a particular place called the windward side(up-hill), which is the final step of the formation of the mountain.

The moistened clouds then get emptied when the rain falls and, as the air gets de-moistened now the dry air continues its journey down the mountain towards the leeward side(down-hill) and finally the dry winds reach the inland areas, which is thousands of kilometers apart from its initial position and reaches the rain-shadow desert.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The response addresses all parts of the task by outlining the main stages of rain-shadow desert formation, satisfying the basic requirements. However, certain parts are more fully developed than others, which keeps the score at this level. For instance, the opening overview mentions seven steps and two major sides, but some details are slightly inaccurate or confusing, such as stating that wind 'gets moistened' when pushed upward (whereas it actually loses moisture as it cools and rains). The body paragraphs successfully trace the sequence from the sea and coast across the mountain to the inland desert, citing features like the windward and leeward sides and thousands of kilometres. To reach a higher band, the description of the natural process needs to be scientifically accurate and fully extended without minor confusions.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The text maintains a coherent overall arrangement with a clear logical progression from the initial steps at the coast to the final rain-shadow desert. Paragraphing is used to separate the introduction, overview, and body stages. However, cohesion is at times mechanical or somewhat repetitive in its referencing ('The moistened clouds then get emptied...', 'and as the air gets de-moistened now...'). Pronoun referencing and transition words are adequate for the task, but they occasionally lead to run-on sentences that affect the smoothness of the flow. To achieve a higher band, the writer should employ a wider variety of sophisticated cohesive devices and ensure that referencing between clauses is seamless and unobtrusive.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully incorporating topic-specific terms such as 'windward side', 'leeward side', 'moistened', and 'rain-shadow desert'. There are, however, noticeable attempts at less common vocabulary that result in slight inaccuracies or awkward word choices, such as 'heavy winds' instead of prevailing winds, and 'gets moistened' instead of moisture condenses. Spelling and word choice errors are present ('thousands of kilometers', 'up-hill'), but they do not impede communication. For a higher band score, the writer needs to demonstrate more precise lexical control and appropriate collocation when describing scientific processes.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The writing exhibits a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing relative clauses and participial phrases, such as 'starting from the sea, coast and ending thousands of kilometers away'. There are some errors in grammar and punctuation throughout the response, including missing articles ('formation of rain-shadow desert', 'approach coast') and slightly run-on sentence structures joined by coordinating conjunctions ('and the wind is pushed... and cools down... and the cloud formation takes place...'). These errors are noticeable but rarely impede communication. To move to the next band, the student should produce more frequent error-free sentences when using complex structures and improve punctuation control.

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

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