Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-11-10

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 represents the formation of rain-shadow desert.It takes the land upto thousands of kilometres for observation which includes sea, coast, mountains-windward side and leeward side and inland.

Overall, it takes seven major steps to form rain-shadow desert. It starts from winds from shore side till the dry wind reach inland areas.

Initially, the bleeze from seashore moves towards upward direction of the mountains, while it moist and cools the air which form clouds. The clouds moving on windward side starts dipping which continues dry air towards leeward side of the mountain. Dry air continues to inland areas which results in rain-shadow desert.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the process as a sequence and give a basic overview that it has seven stages, beginning with winds from the sea and ending with a desert inland. However, the account only partially covers the diagram: it does not clearly explain that air is forced up the mountain, cools, forms clouds and produces rain on the windward side before dry air crosses the leeward side. The description “clouds … starts dipping” is unclear and does not accurately report the rainfall stage. The response is also 47 words below the required minimum, leaving important stages and relationships under-developed. To improve, describe each key stage accurately and explain how the contrast between the wet windward side and dry inland side creates the desert.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable overall arrangement: an introduction, an overview, and a final paragraph describing the process. Sequencing expressions such as “Overall” and “Initially” help the reader follow the general direction of events. However, the progression becomes difficult to track in the final paragraph, particularly in “while it moist and cools the air which form clouds” and “The clouds moving on windward side starts dipping.” These links do not make the sequence of rising air, cloud formation and rainfall clear. Some references, including “it” and “which,” are also ambiguous. Use one sentence for each connected stage and link them with precise sequence markers such as “as a result” and “afterwards”.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use some relevant process vocabulary, including “windward side,” “leeward side,” “inland areas,” and “rain-shadow desert,” which shows awareness of the diagram’s terminology. However, the range is limited, and several word choices or collocations make the description unclear: “bleeze” appears to be a misspelling, “moves towards upward direction” is awkward, and “clouds … starts dipping” does not clearly express rainfall. “Shore side” is also less precise than “coast” or “sea.” Aim to use accurate process verbs and collocations, such as “is forced upwards,” “cools and condenses,” and “rain falls,” while retaining the diagram’s key labels.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including a relative clause in “the air which form clouds,” but control is inconsistent. Errors in verb forms and agreement occur in “while it moist and cools” and “which form clouds”; the final sentence also combines several stages without a clear grammatical structure. Articles and sentence boundaries need attention: “formation of rain-shadow desert” would be clearer as “formation of a rain-shadow desert,” and there should be a space after the full stop in “desert.It.” These errors sometimes make the process difficult to understand. Build accuracy with shorter stage-by-stage sentences first, then combine related steps using correctly formed clauses, for example, “As the moist air rises, it cools and forms clouds.”

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