Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-05

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 illustrates the process of rain-shadow desert formation.

It shows a sequential process, starting from the sea and ending with the formation of the rain-shadow desert.

It shows the inclusion of the sea, the mountains and the desert.

The mountains cover thousands of kilometres and sits between the sea and the land.

On the coastal side of the mountain, the air appears moist and cool. Whereas on the other side, the air is usually dry.

Additionally, there is no complex process involved on the leeward side unlike the processes on the windward side

As for the process, the wind approaches the coast and is pushed upwards. The moist air then rises and cools down forming the clouds.

Eventually, the heavy clouds lead to rainfall, after which the dry air continues travelling over the mountain down the leeward side.

It finally reaches the inland areas and thus leads to the formation of the rain shadow desert.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The response successfully covers all parts of the task by outlining the main stages of rain-shadow desert formation and identifying key features such as the sea, mountains, windward and leeward sides, and the resulting desert. The overview adequately highlights the sequential nature of the process from the sea to the inland desert. However, some aspects are slightly under-developed; for instance, the description of the air conditions and geographical features remains quite basic. To reach a higher band, the student should provide a more fully developed comparison of the climatic differences between the windward and leeward sides, integrating the visual data with greater precision and depth.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response maintains a coherent overall arrangement with a logical flow that mirrors the stages presented in the diagram. Information is grouped into sensible paragraphs, moving from an introductory overview to geographical features, and finally detailing the step-by-step process. However, cohesion occasionally feels slightly mechanical or disjointed due to the heavy reliance on short, simple sentences and basic transitional phrases like 'As for the process' and 'Additionally'. Referencing is generally clear, but paragraphing could be structured more fluidly to show stronger progression. To improve further, the writer should use a wider variety of cohesive devices to connect ideas more smoothly across sentences and paragraphs.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.5

The student demonstrates an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully incorporating topic-specific terms such as 'sequential process', 'coastal side', 'moist air', 'leeward side', and 'inland areas'. There are successful attempts to use less common vocabulary, though some word choices and phrasing remain basic or slightly unnatural, such as 'the mountains... sits' (subject-verb agreement aside, the choice of verb could be more precise). Spelling and word formation are generally accurate, and occasional lexical inaccuracies do not impede communication. To achieve a higher score, the writer needs to integrate a broader range of sophisticated academic vocabulary and demonstrate more precise collocation.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 6.0

The response features a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, demonstrating control over standard structures such as 'starting from the sea and ending with...' and 'after which the dry air continues...'. There are some grammatical errors, most notably the subject-verb agreement error in 'The mountains... sits' and minor punctuation issues. However, these errors are relatively infrequent and do not impede communication. Complex sentence attempts are generally handled well, though the overall grammatical range remains somewhat limited. To move up to the next band, the writer should incorporate a wider variety of complex grammatical structures with a higher proportion of error-free sentences.

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

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