Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-11-06

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 5.5)

The diagram illustrates the process of formation of the rain-shadow desert.

The procedure ranges a thousand kilometers of a mointain having sea coast by the side. It consists of seven steps in total which starts from wind belows on the coastal regions and form clouds which after rain goes down by the other side to form rain-shadow desert.

When the wind belows and reach to the coastal area, pushed upwards by the coast and mountains. This moist air goes through the cooling process by touching the windward side of the mountain where this moist air glides with the icy tip of the mountain and form clouds. These clouds continue to absorb water by the wind coming from coastal areas and build up in cumulonimbus coluds. These clouds becomw the cause of raining on the top of the mountain. On the other side of the mountain dry air continues to below over the mountain on leeward side and continues to come down towards the inland areas to form rain-shadow desert.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the diagram as a process and describe its main direction: moist air arrives from the sea, rain falls around the mountains, and dry air continues inland to create the desert. The reference to seven steps also reflects the diagram. However, some important stages are unclear or inaccurately explained. For example, the wind is pushed upwards by the mountains, not by the coast, and the diagram shows air cooling as it rises before clouds form. The claim that clouds “continue to absorb water” and build into cumulonimbus clouds is not shown. Your overview also gives little emphasis to the contrast between the rainy windward side and the dry leeward side. Report the stages more precisely and avoid adding unsupported details.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response follows the process in a generally understandable order, moving from winds approaching the coast to rain and then dry air reaching inland areas. This gives the reader a coherent overall arrangement. However, the information is compressed into a short opening paragraph and one long process paragraph, so the stages are not clearly separated. Some links between ideas are also awkward: “which after rain goes down by the other side” makes it difficult to tell what is moving, while repeated use of “These clouds” creates a less controlled progression. Organise the account into a concise overview followed by clearly sequenced stages, using references such as “as a result” and “on the leeward side” accurately.

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. There are also attempts at more specific terms, such as “cumulonimbus,” although this detail is not supported by the diagram. A number of word-choice, collocation, and spelling problems reduce precision: “wind belows,” “icy tip,” “raining,” and “a mointain” are either inaccurate or misspelled. Prefer the diagram’s straightforward language, such as “air rises and cools,” “clouds form,” and “rain falls.” More accurate collocations and careful spelling would make the description easier to follow.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and complex sentences, including a relative clause in “These clouds … which after rain goes down” and a sequence linked with “where.” However, complex structures are often not controlled, and errors occur frequently enough to make some sentences difficult to interpret. For example, “When the wind … reach …, pushed upwards” lacks a clear grammatical subject for “pushed,” and “This moist air … form clouds” has problems with verb agreement. The opening sentence also has an unclear construction: “The procedure ranges a thousand kilometers.” Use shorter, complete sentences to describe each stage, checking subject–verb agreement, verb forms, and clause structure before adding subordinate clauses.

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