Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-11

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 different steps needed for the formation of rain-shadow deserts. The whole process is a stepwise process and it happens ina span of time.

The area is spanning over thousands of kilometers and mountains is present at the middle whereas on the one side is sea while on the other side of the mountains is rain-shadow desert.

The formation of rain-shadow desert begins at the sea level as the air approach the sea coast and then the winds start pushing in the upper level but after reaching a certain level only moist air goes in the upper direction and cools, from which clouds are formed and after a little while rain starts from the clouds.

The wind then flow in the downward level, also the dry air after the rain continues on the top of mountain and then reach gradually to the inland areas of the earth. Rain-shadow desert is present at the earth beneath the inland.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5

You identify the diagram as a sequence and include its main elements: sea, coast, mountains, rainfall, dry air and the inland desert. The account also broadly follows the correct order, from winds approaching the coast to dry winds reaching inland. However, the overview is vague: “a stepwise process” does not explain the key cause-and-effect pattern, namely that moist air rises and rains on the windward side, leaving dry air to descend or continue over the leeward side. Some details are unclear or inaccurate, such as saying the desert is “beneath the inland” and introducing a downward movement of wind that is not clearly shown. A clearer overview and more precise description of the mountain sides would make the main features more fully addressed.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response generally follows the process in sequence, and expressions such as “then” and “after” help the reader track the stages. The opening also attempts to give an overview before describing the details. However, the ideas are presented in only a few long paragraphs, with several stages crowded into one sentence. The progression becomes difficult to follow in the final paragraph, where the wind’s downward movement, dry air crossing the mountain and arrival inland are combined without clear links. Some references, including “from which clouds are formed,” are also not fully clear. Organise the account into a concise overview and a step-by-step description, using clearer sentence boundaries and more precise links between each stage.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “moist air,” “clouds,” “rain,” “dry air” and “inland areas,” so the reader can understand the general subject. There are also attempts to describe movement, such as “approach” and “continues.” However, several phrases are imprecise or unnatural for this diagram: “the winds start pushing in the upper level,” “rain starts from the clouds,” and “the desert is present at the earth beneath the inland.” Repetition of “process” and “level” also limits the range. Choose more exact terms for the stages and locations, such as air being forced upwards, precipitation falling, and the desert lying beyond the leeward side. This would improve precision without requiring unnecessarily complex vocabulary.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt to connect stages using longer sentences and clauses, for example, “after reaching a certain level only moist air goes in the upper direction and cools.” However, complex sentences are often faulty or difficult to control, and errors occur in basic agreement and verb forms. Examples include “mountains is present,” “the air approach,” and “The wind then flow.” Articles and prepositions are also problematic in phrases such as “at the earth beneath the inland,” while “ina” shows a spacing or punctuation slip. These errors sometimes make the sequence harder to interpret. Practise accurate subject–verb agreement and use shorter sentences to describe each stage; then combine them with subordinate clauses only when the relationships are clear.

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