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 represents how rain-shadow is formed.

Overall, the whole process consist of seven different steps, intiate when winds approach coastal area of sea and ends at dry winds reaching inland areas to form deserts which are called rain-shadow deserts.

First of all when winds reached to the coastal area of sea and strike to the mountain. Consequently, winds move upwards to the sky through windward side. When air rises it becomes moist and start cooling down to form clouds. After the formation of clauds rains start falling on the top of mountains. The air molecules become separated from moisture and start moving over mountains through leeward side. At the end dry winds reached inland areas to form the rain-shadow deserts. These deserts are thousand kilometers away from the sea.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the main sequence, from winds approaching the coast to dry winds reaching inland, and include the key contrast between the windward and leeward sides. The overview also recognises that the process has seven stages. However, some details are unclear or inaccurate: the diagram shows moist air rising and cooling before clouds form, whereas “air rises it becomes moist” reverses this relationship. The description of air molecules becoming separated from moisture is also not a clear account of the process. The final point about the desert being thousands of kilometres from the sea is relevant, but could be integrated more precisely. The response is 20 words below the required minimum, limiting the detail available to report the stages fully.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a clear overall order: an introduction and overview are followed by a chronological account of the process. Sequencing phrases such as “First of all,” “After the formation,” and “At the end” help the reader follow the stages. However, the body is presented as one long paragraph, and some links are mechanical or do not express the relationship precisely. For example, “Consequently” introduces the upward movement, but the cause-and-effect connection could be stated more directly. The transition from rainfall to air continuing over the mountain is also abrupt. Use separate paragraphs for the overview and process, and connect each stage with clear, accurate references to what happens next.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “windward side,” “leeward side,” “moist,” “cooling,” and “inland areas,” which helps communicate the diagram’s main features. However, the range is limited and some word choices or collocations are inaccurate, making parts of the explanation less precise. “Strike to the mountain” is not a natural way to describe the wind’s movement, and “air molecules become separated from moisture” is an unclear description of the air becoming dry. There are also spelling errors in “intiate” and “clauds.” Aim for precise process language and check spelling; for example, describe moisture being released as rain and the remaining air continuing across the mountain.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and complex sentences, including a time clause in “when air rises” and a result clause introduced by “Consequently.” The sequence remains understandable, but errors in verb forms, agreement, articles, and sentence construction occur across the response. For example, “the whole process consist” should use subject–verb agreement, while “winds reached to the coastal area” has an unsuitable tense and preposition pattern. In “air rises it becomes moist,” a conjunction or punctuation is needed between the clauses. The past-tense forms “start cooling” and “rains start falling” are also inconsistent with a general process description. Practise using the present simple consistently and proofreading each sentence for complete clause structure.

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