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 how one type of desert, that is also called rain-shadow desert, is formed.

Overall, this process have seven main stages, beginning with the winds approch coast from sea, and ending with the becoming of rain-shadow desert after the dry winds reach inland areas.

initially, winds from the sea level approch coast and pushed winds to upwards side, afterwards moist air rises and cools that makes clouds in the fourth stage, after making the clouds, rain falls on the top of the mountain, while dry air continues over mountain to the leeward side.

Dry air that continues moved to leeward side reached to the final stage where dry winds reach inland areas and formed a rain-shadow desert.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the process as a sequence and include its main stages: winds arrive from the sea, rise and cool, clouds form, rain falls, and dry air moves inland to create the desert. The overview also gives the correct start and end points. However, the account is underdeveloped and does not fully explain the key contrast between the wet windward side, where rain falls, and the dry leeward side, which produces the rain-shadow effect. Some stage descriptions are unclear, and the response is 31 words below the required minimum, limiting the detail provided. To strengthen the report, explain how the mountain forces moist air upward and how the air becomes dry after precipitation before reaching inland areas.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable overall sequence, supported by markers such as “Overall,” “initially,” “afterwards,” and “after making the clouds.” This helps the reader follow the broad movement from the coast to the inland desert. However, the stages are compressed into two long body sentences, so the progression is not consistently clear. For example, “afterwards moist air rises and cools that makes clouds” joins steps without a clear grammatical or logical link, and the final sentence repeats the movement of dry air already mentioned. Use separate sentences or a clearly organised paragraph for the windward and leeward stages, and use references such as “this air” carefully to avoid repetition and ambiguity.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “moist air,” “clouds,” “rain,” “leeward side,” and “inland areas,” so the topic is generally understandable. However, the range is limited and several word choices or forms are inaccurate, such as “approch,” “sea level,” “pushed winds to upwards side,” and “the becoming of rain-shadow desert.” These expressions make parts of the process difficult to interpret and do not describe the diagram naturally. Aim for precise process collocations, for example, winds “approach the coast,” are “forced upwards,” and dry air “crosses the mountain.” Check spelling and use the established terms “windward” and “leeward” to distinguish the two sides accurately.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt to connect stages in longer sentences, and the response includes both a general overview and descriptions of the sequence. However, the range of structures is limited, and errors occur frequently enough to make some relationships unclear. Examples include “this process have seven main stages,” where the subject and verb do not agree, and “dry air continues moved,” which combines incompatible verb forms. The sentence beginning “initially” also lacks a capital letter, while “rain falls on the top of the mountain” is embedded in a sentence with several loosely connected clauses. Use a mix of short, accurate sentences and controlled complex structures, checking agreement, tense, and clause boundaries.

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