Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-06

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 illustration demonstrates how a type of desert, called as a rain-shadow desert is formed over thousands of kilometers of area from sea to mountain and finally to the inlands.

Overall, the process begins from the sea where wind from the sea moves upward towards mountains and forms clouds which eventually turns into rain. The air then continues to move downward from the mountain and reaches an inland area where it forms a rain-shadow desert.

Initially, the wind approachs the coast from the sea and continues to move upwards in the mountain area where the moist air gradually increases and cools. This process forms a cloud which turins into rain at the top of the mountain. This side of the process is also called the windward side.

The dry air then continues over the montain and starts descending where the dry winds eventually reaches the inland areas and forms a rain-shadow desert. This side of the process is called Leeward side which faces the inland side.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.5

The response addresses all parts of the task by outlining the main stages of rain-shadow desert formation, satisfying the requirements for a Band 6.5 performance. The overview accurately captures the journey of air from the sea, over the mountains, and down to the inland desert. Key features such as the windward side, cloud formation, precipitation, and the leeward side are identified. However, some ideas are slightly under-developed or lack full elaboration—for instance, the mechanics of how moist air cools and the transition of dry air descending are explained in a somewhat simplified manner. To reach a higher band, the response would need to extend and support the scientific processes with greater precision and more fully developed explanations of each stage shown in the diagram.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.5

The writing demonstrates a coherent overall arrangement with a clear logical progression from the sea across the mountains to the inland area. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the introduction, the overall summary, and the individual stages of the process. Cohesive devices are employed to guide the reader, such as 'Overall', 'Initially', and 'The dry air then continues'. However, cohesion is occasionally mechanical or repetitive in structure, and referencing can be slightly loose, such as the pronoun use in linking sentences. To achieve a higher level of coherence, the response would benefit from more varied and flexible cohesive links that seamlessly integrate the spatial and sequential relationships between the different geographical zones.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The student uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, successfully incorporating topic-specific terms such as 'moist air', 'precipitation' alternatives, 'windward side', 'leeward side', and 'inland areas'. There are attempts to use less common vocabulary, but this is accompanied by some inaccuracies in word choice, collocation, and phrasing, such as writing 'called as a rain-shadow desert' instead of 'known as a rain-shadow desert' or 'wind approachs' instead of 'wind approaches'. Spelling errors like 'turins' for turns and 'montain' for mountain also occur. These errors do not impede communication, placing the lexical range firmly at the requested level, though greater precision and flawless spelling are needed for higher bands.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response displays a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, attempting relative clauses and participial structures. There are several noticeable grammatical errors, such as subject-verb agreement issues ('wind approachs'), incorrect prepositions ('over thousands of kilometers of area from sea'), and awkward passive or article usage ('over the montain'). While these errors do not prevent the reader from understanding the overall process, they occur regularly enough to restrict the score at this level. To move up, the writer needs to demonstrate a higher frequency of error-free complex sentences and tighter control over articles, plurals, and verb forms.

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

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