Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-11-13

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 7 main steps causing the formation of rain shadow desert starting from the coastal wet winds to dry winds reaching the inland areas.

It Formation at inital stage starts when the sea winds reach the coastal area, when reached near the mountains the pressure causes the winds to push upwards, further the moist air continue to rise from windward side and gets cooled, causing the the clouds to form. When these formed clouds reach at the top of the mountain the start raining, where as the dry air continues over passing the mountain top at leeward side, here the winds follow a sequence in windward and leeward in the whole process the moist air causes to form clouds, where as dry wind coontinue to follow onwards, Finally the dry winds reach towards the inland areas forming the rain shadow desert

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the process as a sequence and include its main stages: coastal winds rise over the mountains, moist air cools and forms clouds, rain falls, and dry air continues inland to create the desert. This shows relevant understanding, but the account is not fully clear or developed. For example, “the pressure causes the winds to push upwards” adds a cause not stated in the diagram, while the key contrast between the wet windward side and dry leeward side could be explained more directly. The response also falls seven words short of the required minimum, limiting the space available to report the stages clearly. Add a concise overview and clarify how rainfall on the windward side leaves dry winds to reach the inland area.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The opening sentence gives the reader a useful sense of the process, and the stages are generally presented in the correct order. However, the response is written as two paragraphs with the main explanation compressed into one long, difficult-to-follow sentence. The repeated links “when,” “further,” “where as,” and “here” do not always show the relationships between stages clearly; the phrase “here the winds follow a sequence in windward and leeward” is especially hard to interpret. Organise the explanation into a clear overview followed by a step-by-step account, using separate sentences for rising and cooling, rainfall, and the movement of dry air. This would make the progression easier to follow and reduce repetition.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “coastal,” “moist air,” “windward side,” “leeward side,” and “inland areas,” which helps communicate the diagram’s subject. However, the range is limited and some word choices or combinations are inaccurate or repetitive. “Sea winds” is less precise than “winds from the sea,” and “the start raining” does not express the rainfall stage naturally. “Dry winds” and “dry air” are repeated without much variation, while spelling errors such as “inital” and “coontinue” reduce accuracy. Aim for precise process language and natural collocations, for example “moist air rises,” “condenses,” and “precipitation falls.” Proofreading spelling and avoiding repeated wording would make the description clearer.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

There is an attempt to use complex sentences to connect stages, but these are often faulty, and sentence boundaries are not controlled consistently. For instance, “It Formation at inital stage starts when…” has an unclear subject and structure, while “when reached near the mountains” lacks a clear subject. In “the moist air continue to rise,” the verb does not agree with its subject, and “the start raining” is grammatically incomplete. The long second paragraph also joins several clauses with commas, making relationships difficult to follow. Use a mix of short, accurate sentences and carefully formed subordinate clauses: for example, “As the moist air rises over the windward side, it cools and clouds form.” Check articles, verb forms, and punctuation during revision.

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