Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-02

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 natural process diagram shows how one type of desert, known as rain shadow desert is formed in the leeward side of the mountain.

Overall, this process of formation of rain shoadow desert starts thousands of kilometers away from inland, near coastal area. It is the phenomena where due to presence of mountain between C and protected land departs the land from any rain leading to formation of rain shadow desert.

At initial movements wind blow over the sea and approaches the coastal area, due to high rise coastal area the wind move upward and as the air rises, filled with moisture, clouds are formed due to colder temperature. As the clouds mature rain starts pouring in the windward side of mountain, all these events of rain end in the windward side of mountain.

Moving further, after raining, remaining dry air blows over the mountain, moving downstream in leeward side. As the wind reach inland area, the dry air which contain no moisture at all creates 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 for this level. There is a clear overall summary provided, and the key features—such as winds approaching the coast, moisture cooling to form clouds and rain on the windward side, and dry air descending on the leeward side—are all mentioned. However, some parts are underdeveloped or lack precision, such as the vague reference to 'C' in the second paragraph, and the explanation lacks a fully polished integration of the visual details across the thousands of kilometres span. To reach a higher level, the response would need to extend and support all steps of the process more fully and clearly without minor gaps in explanation.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The text presents a coherent overall arrangement with a logical progression from the initial winds over the sea to the final formation of the desert inland. Paragraphing is utilised to separate the introduction, overview, and sequential stages of the process. Cohesive devices and transition markers such as 'Overall', 'At initial movements', and 'Moving further' are employed, although some referencing and connective choices feel a bit mechanical or awkward (e.g., 'At initial movements' instead of 'Initially'). Referencing is generally clear, but smoother transitions between sentences would elevate the organizational flow to the next tier.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

An adequate range of vocabulary is used to accomplish the task, demonstrating attempts at less common lexical items related to geographical processes, such as 'coastal area', 'moisture', 'windward side', and 'leeward side'. However, there are noticeable word-choice and spelling errors that prevent a higher score, such as 'shoadow' for 'shadow', 'phenomena' (singular/plural confusion), and awkward phrasing like 'due to high rise coastal area the wind move upward'. While communication is not impeded, greater precision in word choice and correct spelling of key terms are needed for higher bands.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The writing exhibits a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating attempts at subordinate clauses and participial phrases (e.g., 'filled with moisture, clouds are formed'). There are some errors in grammar and punctuation, including comma splices and run-on sentences (e.g., '...coastal area, due to high rise coastal area the wind move upward and as the air rises...'), as well as minor verb agreement and article inaccuracies. These errors occur fairly frequently but rarely impede overall communication. To achieve a higher score, the writer needs to demonstrate better control over complex sentence structures and punctuation, ensuring error-free syntax across a wider variety of forms.

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