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 diagram shows the formation of the desert which is known as the rain shadow desert.Outline the information by selecting and reporting the main features.

overall,the formation of desert consist of 7 main steps . The wind approach at the sea coast area of mountain then cloud forms, rain falls then reaches the inland as a form of rain shadow desert.

First step in rain-shadow desert formation when the wind approach at coast on to the sea the the wind pushed upwards where the moist air rises and cools at the windward side of mountain where the clouds are formed then at the top of mountain rains falls which moved down the moutain at the leeward side.

The rain which falls on mountain gets dry by the air then this dry air moves down at leward side of mountain the dry wind reaches at the inland areas where the rain-shadow desert is formed. The distance involve in formation thousands of kilometer.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You cover the main sequence and identify the key outcome: winds arrive from the sea, rise over the mountains, cool and produce clouds and rain, then dry winds continue inland where the desert forms. This is relevant and broadly matches the diagram. However, some stages are less clearly or accurately explained. For example, “the rain which falls on mountain gets dry by the air” confuses the process: it is the air that loses moisture as rain falls, not the rain that becomes dry. The overview also compresses several stages and does not clearly contrast the wet windward side with the dry leeward side. A more precise summary of that contrast and the final inland result would make the key features clearer.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable overall order: an introduction, a brief overview, and descriptions of the stages before and after the mountain. Sequencing words such as “First step,” “then,” and “where” help the reader follow the process. However, progression is sometimes difficult to track because several stages are packed into long sentences, and links between ideas are occasionally unclear. The overview repeats information that is explained again in the body, while the final paragraph revisits the dry-air stage. Paragraphing is present, but the stages would be easier to follow if grouped into a clear sequence, with one sentence for the windward process and another for the leeward process. Use transitions consistently and avoid run-on sentences.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “moist air,” “windward side,” “leeward side,” “dry wind,” and “inland areas,” which helps communicate the diagram’s subject. There is some repetition of “wind,” “mountain,” and “desert,” and several word choices or forms are inaccurate, such as “the rain … gets dry by the air” and “the distance involve.” Spelling errors including “moutain” and “leward” also reduce precision. These issues do not prevent the reader from understanding the general process, but they make parts of the description less natural and exact. Build a wider set of accurate process verbs and collocations, and check spelling and word forms when revising.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including clauses linked with “where” and “then,” and the overall meaning is usually recoverable. However, control is uneven: the opening “The diagram shows … Outline the information” shifts from a statement to an instruction, and “First step in rain-shadow desert formation when…” lacks a complete grammatical structure. There are also errors in articles, agreement, and verb forms, as in “the wind approach” and “clouds are formed,” as well as punctuation and sentence-boundary problems. These errors sometimes make relationships between stages unclear. Practise forming complete sentences with a clear subject and verb, and check tense, articles, agreement, and punctuation while keeping some complex structures.

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