Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-04

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 diagram depicts the flow of events during the creation of rain-shadow deserts.

It can be seen from the digram, the process involves winds approaching the mountains from the sea. The winds progress on the windward side of the mountains and eventually cause clouds to form. These clouds cause rainfall. Over on the leeward side the remaining dry air goes down the mountains; towards the inland area, where the deserts form.

The formation of rain-shadow deserts, initiates with winds approaching the coastal area from the sea. These winds push upwards on the windward side of the mountains. As the moist air rises in the atmosphere, it is cooled and causes the creation of clouds. These clouds help rain pour over the top of the mountains.

The remaining dry air continues to travel downwards, on the leeward side of the mountain. These winds then move towards the inland areas, where rain-shadow deserts are formed. The whole process occurring over the mountains spans over thousands of kilometres.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The response successfully addresses all parts of the task by outlining the main features of the rain-shadow desert formation process and presenting a clear overview in the introductory sentence. It covers the sequential stages from winds approaching the coast to reaching inland areas and accurately notes the scale of thousands of kilometres. However, some parts of the response are under-developed or slightly repetitive, notably when describing the cloud formation and rainfall stages across paragraphs. To reach a higher band, the student should ensure that information is integrated more smoothly without redundant restatements of the same steps, providing a fully extended description of each stage.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The text maintains a coherent overall arrangement with a logical progression from the sea and coast across the mountains to the inland desert. However, paragraphing is somewhat disjointed, featuring very short paragraphs, including a single-sentence opening, which detracts from the flow. Cohesive devices are used, but referencing can occasionally feel mechanical or repetitive, as seen in the frequent restarting of descriptions. To achieve a higher score, the student needs to use a more sophisticated range of transitional phrases and structure the body paragraphs into a cohesive, well-balanced format that connects the physical stages more fluidly.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary suitable for the task, attempting less common geographical and process-related terms such as 'windward side', 'leeward side', and 'moist air'. There are, however, some minor vocabulary and spelling errors, such as the typo 'digram' in the second paragraph and awkward phrasing like 'initiates with', which slightly lowers precision. To move up to the next band, the student should demonstrate greater control over less common lexical items, ensure correct spelling, and refine collocations to enhance naturalness and precision.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The response employs a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as 'As the moist air rises in the atmosphere, it is cooled and causes the creation of clouds.' There are some errors in punctuation and grammar, including a comma splice in the third paragraph ('Over on the leeward side the remaining dry air goes down the mountains; towards the inland area...') and unnecessary comma usage. Nonetheless, these errors are relatively infrequent and rarely impede communication. To reach a higher band, the student should aim for a greater variety of error-free complex sentences and exercise tighter control over punctuation.

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

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