Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-09

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 data discribes the formation of rain-shadow in desert. Formation of shadow occurs by movement of moist air over mountain thousands kilometers to reach the desert.

For beginning the wind that blows at costal level of the sea. Its is pushed above the surface level, the air now is cold and moist. As air gets cold and moist it is transform into cloud in the sky. The clouds are now heavy with mosit air.Which then pass half a thousand kilometer from sea. Clouds drops in the form of rain at the highest level from the sea at the peak of mountain.

Secondly, the air on the other side of mountain gets dry. This air travels over the mountain through leeward side. As the dry air reaches the inland area in the desert where it has reached thousands of kilometers from the sea and above the mountain. In Inland this dry air create an rain-shadow on the surface of the desert.

Overall, the air moves from the sea level over the mountain to reach the desert. The moist air at the sea as moves over the mountain thousands kilometers is then converted to dry air. This dry air gives illusion of rain-shadow in the desert as it reach the surface.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You cover the main sequence from coastal winds rising over the mountains to rain on the windward side and dry air reaching the inland desert. The final paragraph also gives an overall summary of the change from moist to dry air. These are relevant features and broadly match the diagram. However, some stages are less fully or clearly explained: for example, the diagram shows moist air rising and cooling before clouds form, while your account says the air “is cold and moist” and later describes the clouds as heavy with moist air. The claim that clouds pass “half a thousand kilometer” is not shown, and the description of a rain-shadow as an “illusion” is inaccurate. A more precise account of the cooling, rainfall and leeward drying would strengthen coverage.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, a description of the windward process, a paragraph about the leeward side, and a concluding overview. This gives the reader a general sense of progression. However, the sequence is not always easy to follow because some links between stages are unclear, and the conclusion repeats much of the introduction rather than adding a concise overview. Connectors such as “For beginning” and “Secondly” are awkward or do not clearly signal the process stages. References such as “This air” and “it” can also be unclear. Grouping the stages in order and using straightforward links such as “As a result” and “On the leeward side” would make the progression more coherent.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “moist air,” “leeward side,” “inland area” and “rain-shadow,” so the topic is generally identifiable. However, the range and precision are limited, and several word-choice or spelling errors make parts of the account difficult to interpret. Examples include “discribes,” “costal,” “mosit,” and “create an rain-shadow.” Some expressions are also unsuitable for describing the diagram: “illusion of rain-shadow” suggests the feature is not real, while “clouds are now heavy with moist air” is imprecise. Aim for accurate process terms and natural collocations, such as “precipitation falls” and “dry air descends over the leeward side.”

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentences, including a time clause in “As air gets cold and moist…” and a contrast between the two sides of the mountain. However, control is inconsistent, and errors sometimes make relationships between ideas unclear. For example, “Its is pushed above the surface level” has an incorrect subject and verb form, while “As the dry air reaches the inland area in the desert where it has reached…” creates an incomplete and confusing structure. There are also problems with articles, agreement and sentence boundaries, as in “create an rain-shadow” and “Which then pass…”. Use shorter, complete sentences to explain each stage, then check verb forms, articles and punctuation.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

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