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 give diagram illustrates the process which forms the rain-shadow desert - a types of desert.

The formation of a rain-shadow desert takes place where a rain fall meets with clouds formed by a rising moist air at the intersection of a mountain and a sea coast. The whole process is streched across the length of thousands of kilometers.

The process of the formation of a rain-shadow desert starts when winds blowing across a sea approaches its coast and pushed upward by mountains. This high humidity air cools down as it rises upwards and forms clouds. After passing through clouds and due to a rain fall, it becomes dry air which continues to move over the mountain passing through windward side and leeward side. After passing over the mountains, wind starts moving downward and passes over inland area. This process is spanned over thousands of kilometers and results in the formation of a rain-shadow desert.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

The response attempts to describe the process of rain-shadow desert formation, covering the main steps from winds approaching the coast to reaching inland areas. However, the coverage is somewhat uneven and lacks a clear, distinct overall summary or overview of the entire process, which prevents it from reaching a higher band. Some key details are slightly confused, such as stating that the process takes place where rainfall meets with clouds. While all parts of the prompt are touched upon, the information is somewhat limited and mechanical in its reporting of the individual stages without drawing together the broader significance of the geographic features shown in the diagram.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a coherent overall arrangement and follows a chronological sequence corresponding to the steps in the diagram. Ideas are generally grouped logically into an introduction, an intermediate description, and a concluding summary paragraph. However, cohesion is at times mechanical or repetitive, relying heavily on transitional phrases like 'After passing through' and 'After passing over'. Paragraphing is used, but the progression between sentences could be smoother. Referencing is generally clear, though minor issues with logical flow prevent it from achieving a higher level of seamless cohesion.

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

The vocabulary used is adequate for the task, successfully communicating the main concepts related to the diagram, such as 'humidity', 'moist air', 'windward side', and 'leeward side'. There are attempts to use less common vocabulary, though this is accompanied by some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'The give diagram' instead of 'given' and 'a types of desert'. Spelling is generally accurate, and vocabulary errors do not impede overall communication, placing the response solidly in the middle band for lexical resource.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The writing demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence structures, such as relative clauses and participial phrases. However, there are frequent errors in grammar and punctuation, particularly with articles ('the give diagram', 'a rain fall', 'a rising moist air'), prepositions, and subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'winds... approaches its coast and pushed upward'). Complex structures tend to contain faults, and while communication is rarely impeded entirely, the density of grammatical slips keeps the score at this level.

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

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