Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-11-05

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 5.5)

The following diagaram illustrates the process of how a rain-shadow desert is formed.

Overall the winds travels thousands of kilometers from the sea towards the inland in order to form a rain-shadow desert.

The process starts from the winds approaching from the sea and as they come in contact with the coast of the mountain they are pushed upwards and as they reach the windward side the moist air rises and cools down and later on and forms the shape of clouds.

At the top the temperature becomes very low resulting in the clouds to form rainy clouds and thus resulting in rain .After the rain the dry air continues to move downwards over the leeward side whoch then reaches the inland areas which results in the formation of Rain-shadow desert.

In conclusion it can be said that the formation of rain-shadow forest occurs by the wind from the sea undergoing multiple processes travelling thousands of kilometers an reacing the inland to form a rain-shadow desert

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the main sequence from sea winds to the inland rain-shadow desert, and your overview notes the long movement inland. You also mention the key stages of uplift, cooling, cloud formation and rainfall. However, some details are unclear or not fully supported by the diagram: the winds are pushed upwards as they meet the mountains, rather than “the coast of the mountain,” and the diagram does not state that the temperature becomes “very low” or that clouds become “rainy clouds.” The final sentence also mistakenly refers to a “rain-shadow forest,” which conflicts with the task. To strengthen the response, describe the windward and leeward sides accurately and explain clearly that air loses moisture as rain before continuing inland as dry wind.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response follows the broad order of the process, moving from winds approaching the coast through rainfall to the formation of the desert. An opening statement and an overall summary are also present. However, the stages are compressed into long sentences, so the progression is not always easy to follow. The repeated use of “and” and “resulting” makes connections mechanical, while “At the top” and “After the rain” provide only basic links between stages. The final “In conclusion” repeats the overview rather than adding a useful closing point. Organise the description into clear paragraphs—an overview followed by a step-by-step account—and use precise links such as “as a result,” “once the air crosses the peak,” and “on the leeward side.”

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “windward side,” “leeward side,” “moist air,” “dry air,” and “inland areas,” which helps communicate the topic. However, the range is limited and some choices are inaccurate or awkward: “the coast of the mountain” does not clearly describe the mountain slope, and “rainy clouds” is not a natural way to describe clouds producing precipitation. There are also noticeable spelling errors, including “diagaram,” “whoch,” and “reacing,” and “forest” is an incorrect word in the final sentence. Aim for accurate geographical terms and avoid repeating general words such as “form” and “resulting.” More precise verbs such as “ascend,” “cool,” “precipitate,” and “descend” would make the process description clearer.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt to combine stages using subordinate clauses, as in “as they come in contact … they are pushed upwards,” and you use present-tense forms appropriate for describing a process. However, complex sentences are often faulty or overloaded, and errors occur frequently enough to make some relationships difficult to follow. For example, “the winds travels” has subject–verb disagreement, while “and later on and forms” contains a broken verb sequence. The sentence beginning “At the top” also joins several ideas without clear punctuation, and “the dry air … whoch then reaches” has an unclear grammatical reference. Use shorter sentences with one main stage in each, check agreement and verb forms, and punctuate sentence boundaries carefully.

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