Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-10-12

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 formation of rain-shadow desert and it's various steps.

Overall,the process involves 7 stages main stage beginning,when winds get uplifted to mountain and ending when dry continues air moves downward resulting in formation of rain-shadowed desert in inland dry areas..

First of all, moist air from sea pushed towars coast and gets uphill.During this process mist air becomes cooler resulting in cloud formation those clouds reaches above mountain and rain starts to fall from moisture rich clouds this process occur in windwar side of mountain..

From mountain range air continues over mountain towards leeward side and decline towards inland areas where there is little rainfall.As result when dry winds touch the inland rain shadow desert formation begin to occur in the area beyond the mountains major 7 steps from moist wind to cooling of air and then rain to dry wind making desert is a very complicated steps...

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You cover the main sequence from moist air approaching the coast to dry winds reaching inland, and you identify the windward and leeward sides and the resulting desert. This gives the reader a generally accurate account of the process. However, some stages are less clearly reported: the opening says winds are pushed towards the coast, whereas the diagram shows them approaching it, and the key step of air rising and cooling is not explained precisely. The overview also describes the final air as moving downward, which is not clearly stated in the diagram. To strengthen the response, report each stage in order with precise cause-and-effect links, and make the overall summary distinguish the rainy windward side from the dry inland leeward side.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The response has a recognisable overall structure: an introduction, an overview, and two paragraphs describing the stages. Sequencing phrases such as “First of all” and “From mountain range” help signal movement through the process. However, progression is weakened by long, crowded sentences that combine several stages without clear boundaries, particularly the paragraph beginning “During this process mist air becomes cooler”. Some links are also unclear, and the final sentence repeats the process rather than providing a distinct concluding point. Use one sentence for each major group of stages, with clear connectors such as “As a result” and “After precipitation”, and check that each reference (for example, “those clouds”) has an unmistakable antecedent.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “formation”, “moist air”, “cloud formation”, “windward side”, “leeward side” and “rain-shadow desert”. These terms show awareness of the topic, but several choices are inaccurate or awkward, which sometimes makes the process harder to follow. For example, “mist air” is not the intended term, “dry continues air” is unclear, and “rain-shadowed desert” is less suitable than the diagram’s label. Spelling errors such as “towars” and “windwar” also reduce precision. Aim for accurate collocations and consistent terminology rather than adding repeated descriptions such as “major 7 steps” and “very complicated steps”.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and complex sentences, including cause-and-effect structures such as “moist air becomes cooler resulting in cloud formation”. However, control is uneven, and errors in sentence construction and punctuation sometimes make relationships between stages difficult to understand. Examples include “Overall,the process involves 7 stages main stage beginning” and the final sentence, which lacks a clear grammatical structure. There are also problems with articles, agreement and verb forms, as in “those clouds reaches” and “rain shadow desert formation begin”. Improve accuracy by using complete subject–verb clauses, checking singular and plural agreement, and separating independent ideas with full stops. More controlled complex sentences will make the sequence clearer.

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