Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-11-12

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 shows how rain-shadow desert form. starting from costal wind approching toward high mountains, gradually the winds moves upward the moist air rise as it moves upward and cools. rains started as the clouds reaches at maximum height as mountain. This path of wind from sea surface to top of mountain is known as windward side, although the dry air continues over other side of mountain called leeward side. The dry air continues moving downward to inland. Which is thousand of kilometer away from sea, the flow of dry air at inland cause formation of rain-shadow deserts, the high temperature of air with no moisture is the main reason for rain shadow desert

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the main sequence: coastal winds rise over the mountains, moist air cools and produces rain, and drier air continues inland to form a rain-shadow desert. The windward and leeward sides are also mentioned, so the response is relevant to the diagram. However, the account is brief and some stages are only loosely described; for example, it does not clearly explain that clouds form before rain falls or give a distinct overview of the process. The final claim that high temperature is the main reason for the desert is not shown in the diagram, which attributes its formation to dry winds reaching inland. The response is also 36 words below the required minimum. Develop the stages more fully and avoid adding unsupported causes.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The ideas follow the broad direction of the process, from winds approaching the coast to dry air reaching inland, and linking phrases such as “as it moves upward” and “although” help connect some details. However, the response is presented as one continuous paragraph, and the progression is weakened by unclear sentence boundaries. For instance, “The dry air continues moving downward to inland. Which is thousand of kilometer away from sea” separates a dependent fragment from the preceding idea. The sequence would be easier to follow if each stage were expressed in a complete sentence and the account were organised into an introduction, an overview, and a description of the stages. Use connectors to show sequence consistently rather than relying on loosely joined clauses.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “moist air,” “cools,” “windward side,” “leeward side,” and “rain-shadow deserts,” which allows the reader to understand the general topic. However, the range is limited and several word choices or forms are inaccurate, such as “costal wind,” “rains started,” and “at inland.” These errors sometimes make the description less precise, even though the main meaning remains recoverable. Aim for accurate, conventional collocations for describing a process, such as “winds approach the coast,” “rain falls,” and “inland areas.” Check spelling and plural forms carefully, and use a wider range of precise verbs to distinguish rising, cooling, condensing, and moving across the mountain.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response attempts to combine stages using clauses, as in “as it moves upward and cools,” and the overall sequence can generally be understood. However, the range of sentence structures is limited, and errors are frequent enough to affect clarity. Examples include “rain-shadow desert form,” “the winds moves upward,” and “the moist air rise,” where agreement or verb forms are incorrect. Sentence boundaries are also problematic: “Which is thousand of kilometer away from sea” is a fragment, while the preceding full stop breaks the connection to its main clause. Capitalisation after full stops is inconsistent as well. Practise forming complete sentences with accurate subject–verb agreement, and use a controlled mix of simple and complex structures to report each stage clearly.

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