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 diagram illustrates how rain shadow deserts are formed over the mountain.There are 7 steps involved in it. It starts when the wind approaches to the coast from sea and is then pushed upwards towards the sky, after that the moist air rises and then cools which forms the clouds. After the formation of clouds rain falls and because of that the dry air countinues to go over the mountain towards leeward side. Wind coming down the mountain then reaches towards the inland which also becomes dry winds. When wind reaches the inland area it makes the rain shadow desert.The mountains are usually thousands of kilometers.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the process and report its main sequence: coastal winds rise, moist air cools, clouds form, rain falls, and dry air moves inland to create a desert. This is relevant and broadly matches the diagram. However, the account is very brief and some stages are not clearly distinguished; for example, the wind being forced up by the mountains and the dry winds descending on the leeward side could be explained more precisely. The statement that “the mountains are usually thousands of kilometers” misreads the scale: the arrow indicates the horizontal distance covered, not the mountains’ size. The response also falls short of the required minimum length. Add a clear overview and fuller, accurate descriptions of the windward and leeward stages.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The stages are presented in a generally logical order, and sequencing phrases such as “It starts when” and “After the formation of clouds” help the reader follow the process. However, the response is one continuous paragraph, and several steps are compressed into long chains joined by “and,” “then,” and “after that.” This makes the progression less clear, particularly where the account moves from dry air crossing the mountain to winds reaching inland. Use separate paragraphs for an overview and the detailed sequence, and vary the linking language while making each stage distinct. Clearer sentence boundaries would also improve the flow.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “moist air,” “clouds,” “leeward side,” and “rain shadow desert,” so the topic is understandable. However, the range is limited and some expressions are repetitive or imprecise, such as “wind approaches to the coast” and “reaches towards the inland.” “The mountains are usually thousands of kilometers” also uses the scale information inaccurately. There are spelling errors in “countinues” and “kilometers” is acceptable, though the diagram’s scale should be described as distance rather than mountain size. Aim for more precise terms such as “is forced up the windward slope,” “descends,” and “extends inland.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

The response includes some longer sentences and uses sequencing clauses to connect stages, but the structures are often joined together without clear punctuation. For example, the opening sentence runs through several actions with repeated “and” and “then,” making the relationships harder to follow. There are also errors in grammatical patterns, including “approaches to the coast” and “towards the inland,” and the missing space after “mountain.” Sentence forms are mostly similar, with limited control of more varied complex structures. Separate the stages into shorter, complete sentences, check prepositions and articles, and use punctuation to mark each step clearly.

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