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)

This diagram ilustrat how one type of desert known as a rain-shadow desert is formed.

Overall seven stages in the diagram winds starting from coast and ending at inland due to dry air they creat rain shadow.

First, winds from the sea approach the coast and are pushed upwards towards the mountain. As the moist air rises along the windward side of the mountain, it becomes cooler. As a result, clouds form above the mountain. When the clouds become heavy, rain falls on the windward side.

After the rainfall the air becomes dry and continues moving over the mountain towards the leward side. As it discends, the air remains dry and eventually reaches the inland areas. Because there is very little rainfall on this side of the mountain, a dry region called a rain-shadow desert is formed.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

The response addresses the main purpose of the diagram by outlining the key stages in the formation of a rain-shadow desert, from winds approaching the coast to dry winds reaching inland areas. However, the response fails to meet the minimum length requirement of 150 words, containing only 137 words. Furthermore, while the overview sentence attempts to summarise the overall process, it is grammatically fused and lacks clarity. Some features, such as the moisture cooling and cloud formation, are adequately described, but the overall development remains somewhat limited and under-developed due to the missing word count and brief summarisation.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The response achieves a coherent overall arrangement and follows a logical chronological progression that mirrors the steps in the diagram. Paragraphing is utilised to separate the introduction from the body details. However, cohesion is at times mechanical or faulty. For instance, the transition between ideas relies on basic connectors like "First," and "After the rainfall," and the referencing could be smoother. The overview paragraph is also awkwardly structured as a single sentence fragment combined with the main thesis, which slightly disrupts the flow and prevents the response from reaching a higher band.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, successfully incorporating topic-specific terminology such as "moist air," "windward side," "rainfall," "leeward side," and "rain-shadow desert." However, there are several spelling errors and word-choice slips, such as "ilustrat" instead of "illustrates," "creats" instead of "creates," and "discends" instead of "descends." The range of vocabulary is somewhat limited and the student attempts less common items with noticeable inaccuracies, which keeps the lexical score at this level.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response displays a mix of simple and some complex sentence forms, such as "As the moist air rises along the windward side of the mountain, it becomes cooler." However, there are notable grammatical errors and punctuation lapses, particularly run-on sentences and missing punctuation in the opening overview ("Overall seven stages in the diagram winds starting from coast..."). Errors in articles, prepositions, and verb agreements also occur, though they rarely impede communication overall. The control over complex structures is inconsistent, reflecting the characteristics of this band level.

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

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