Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-11-14

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 figure illustrates the specific kind of desert, known as a rain-shadow desert, how it is fomed.

Overall, there are seven stages involve for the formation of rain-forest desert from the first stage when winds approaches the sea cost to dry winds reach inland areas and hence formed the rain-shadow desert.

These seven processes happen in thousand kilometers of areas where the wind approaches sea coast , the sea coast pushed the winds in upward direction then the moist air becase of light weight rises upward and get cooled which helps the clouds to form and eventually result in rain.

In the part, the dry air continues over the mountain then begin to slide down through the leeward slide of the mountain. At the last the dry winds reach the inland area which result in formation rain-shadow forest.

In conclusion, Rain forest desert formation happened in seven stages and in thousands of kilometers of area.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the process as having seven stages and mention the main sequence from winds approaching the coast to dry winds reaching inland areas. However, some key details are unclear or inaccurate: the sea coast does not push the winds upward; the winds are forced up as they meet the mountains. The final result is a rain-shadow desert, not a “rain-shadow forest,” and the overview also calls it a “rain-forest desert.” The explanation of cooling, cloud formation and rainfall is present but underdeveloped, while the windward and leeward sides are not clearly distinguished. The response is also two words below the required minimum, which limits how fully the process can be reported.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, an overview, two paragraphs describing stages, and a concluding sentence. The sequence is generally understandable, and phrases such as “then” and “At the last” help signal order. However, progression is weakened by repetition: the conclusion largely repeats the overview, and the process is not consistently divided into clear stages. Some links are awkward or unclear, particularly “In the part,” and the long sentence beginning “These seven processes happen” combines several steps without clear boundaries. Organise the stages in a more direct sequence and use paragraphing to group the mountain-side processes and the inland outcome.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “moist air,” “clouds,” “dry winds,” and “leeward,” so the reader can follow the general topic. However, the range is limited and several inaccurate word choices affect precision. “Rain-forest desert” and “rain-shadow forest” misname the outcome, while “leeward slide” appears to mean “leeward side.” There are also spelling errors such as “fomed,” “becase,” and “kilometers,” and unnatural combinations such as “the sea coast pushed the winds.” These errors sometimes make the description difficult to interpret. Use the diagram’s exact labels where possible and choose precise verbs for each stage, such as “force,” “rise,” “cool,” and “descend.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more extended sentences, including a sequence linked with “which helps” and “eventually.” However, the range is limited, and complex sentences are often faulty. For example, “Overall, there are seven stages involve” needs a passive form (“stages involved”), while “winds approaches” has incorrect subject–verb agreement. In “the moist air … rises upward and get cooled,” the verbs do not agree, and the sentence beginning “In the part” lacks a clear grammatical structure. Articles and sentence boundaries also need attention, as in “formation rain-shadow forest.” Practise accurate passive constructions for processes and check agreement and clause structure before adding several stages to one sentence.

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