Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

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

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 given diagram illustrate the procedure how the rain-shadow desert is formed. The whole formation process is displayed in 7 different steps. Initially, the procedure starts at sea. The winds approach at seashore. Here the winds travel upward to the mountain. At height moisturizer level gets high and winds become cool. In step 4, when when ration in air becomes very high, winds convert into clouds in windward side. In step 5, rain falls at the top of the mountain. Then in next step, winds become dry and it continued to move leeward side of the mountains. The same dry winds travels down and reach inland areas. So this inland area is called desert. It is named Rain-shadow area. From the beginning at sea to the end of inland (Rain-shadow desert) the winds travel thousands of kilometers. So this is the whole procedure how Rain-shadow is formed with winds travel.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You cover the main sequence, from winds approaching the coast to dry air reaching inland, and correctly identify the windward and leeward sides and the rain-shadow desert. This gives the reader a relevant account of the process. However, some stages are less fully or clearly explained: the diagram shows moist air rising and cooling before clouds form and rain falls, whereas “moisturizer level gets high” and “when ration in air becomes very high” do not clearly report those changes. The overview is also limited; it would be stronger to state directly that mountains cause rainfall on the windward side and leave dry conditions inland. Avoid adding unsupported detail such as winds travelling “thousands of kilometers” as a precise distance; the diagram indicates a horizontal scale, not a measured journey.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response follows the diagram’s sequence, using markers such as “Initially,” “In step 4,” “In step 5,” and “then in next step,” so the reader can generally follow the process. The overall arrangement is coherent, but the account is presented as one continuous paragraph and relies heavily on step-by-step transitions. Some links are unclear or repetitive, particularly the closing sentences, which restate that the process involves winds. The reference in “So this inland area is called desert” is also imprecise because the diagram specifically labels it a rain-shadow desert. Grouping the stages into a brief overview and a logically connected description of windward and leeward effects would make progression smoother and cohesion less mechanical.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “windward,” “leeward,” “clouds,” “rain,” and “inland,” which helps communicate the diagram’s subject. However, several word choices or collocations are inaccurate and make parts of the explanation difficult to interpret. “Moisturizer level” does not describe the moisture in the air, and “ration in air” appears to be an unsuccessful attempt to name a change in moisture. “Winds convert into clouds” is also imprecise: clouds form as moist air cools. Repetition of “winds” and “procedure” limits flexibility. Choose precise terms for the stages and vary references to the air and wind; this would improve clarity while retaining the relevant technical vocabulary you already use.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and longer sentences, and the sequence is usually understandable. However, errors in agreement, verb forms, articles, and sentence construction are frequent enough to affect fluency. For example, “The given diagram illustrate” needs subject–verb agreement, while “the same dry winds travels” has a plural subject with a singular verb. In “it continued to move,” the pronoun reference and tense are unclear, and “the procedure how” is not a well-formed clause. There is also an accidental repetition in “when when.” Practise accurate present-simple descriptions of processes and use clear clauses such as “The dry air continues over the mountain and reaches inland areas.” Greater control of these patterns would make your meaning easier to follow.

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