Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

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

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 illustrates the process by which a rain-shadow desert is formed.

The seven-stage process of forming the rain-shadow desert starts all the way along the coast. The process continues as the moist air rises and forms into a rain fall along the windward side of the mountain. The remaining air crosses the mountain and descends over the leeward section. The mountains go along thousands of kilometers from costal region to the inland areas.

The process begins right at the coast when moist air is pushed in upward direction. As it encounters the mountain, the moist air is converted into clouds. The clouds get high up in the sky and rain fall occurs in the windward side along the coastal region.

Further, the dry air remaining after the rain fall goes over the leeward region of the mountain. It goes down along the side and reaches the inland area. Due to the dry air coming down, this side of the mountain cannot rain and thus it's called a rain-shadow desert. The rain-shadow desert lies across the coastal area in an inland.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You identify the process as a sequence and cover its main movement from the coast, over the mountains, and into inland areas. The account also recognises the key contrast between rain on the windward side and dry conditions beyond the leeward side. However, some stages are blurred or inaccurately described: the diagram shows winds approaching from the sea, being forced upwards by the mountains, then cooling before clouds form; your account says the air is pushed upward at the coast and that it is converted into clouds. The overview also claims the mountains extend thousands of kilometres, whereas the arrow indicates the horizontal scale of the process. Clarifying these stages and the scale would make the summary more complete and precise.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response is divided into paragraphs and generally follows the process from the coast towards the inland desert, so the reader can identify its broad direction. However, the progression is not consistently clear because the first paragraph repeats information later and introduces stages out of sequence. For example, it says the air rises and forms rainfall before explaining that it is pushed upwards and forms clouds. Connectors such as “Further” help signal continuation, but the links between stages are sometimes mechanical or unclear, and “The process begins” restarts the sequence rather than developing it. Organise the account in one chronological progression, with a concise overview followed by the stages in order, and use clear references such as “this air” or “the resulting clouds.”

Lexical Resource: Band 6.0

You use a relevant range of process vocabulary, including “windward,” “leeward,” “moist air,” “dry air,” and “rain-shadow desert,” which allows you to describe the main features. There are also attempts at more specific phrasing, such as “remaining air crosses the mountain.” Some word choices and collocations are inaccurate or imprecise, however: “forms into a rain fall” and “rain fall occurs” are awkward, while “the mountains go along thousands of kilometers” does not accurately express the scale label. Spelling in “costal” also reduces precision. Aim for standard process collocations such as “clouds form,” “rain falls,” and “dry air moves inland,” and use “coastal” correctly.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You use both simple sentences and some longer structures, including “As it encounters the mountain…” and “Due to the dry air coming down…,” showing an attempt to vary sentence forms. The main sequence remains understandable, but some grammatical errors and awkward constructions limit accuracy. For example, “is pushed in upward direction” is missing an article and has an unnatural structure, and “rain fall occurs in the windward side” has an incorrect preposition. The final sentence, “lies across the coastal area in an inland,” is also difficult to interpret grammatically. Work on articles, prepositions, and sentence patterns for describing processes; for instance, “is forced upwards by the mountain” and “rain falls on the windward side” are clearer models.

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