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 process diagram illustrate the creation procedure of a rain-shadow desert.

Overall, the formation of the desert has intotal seven steps.starting from winds approach coast to reaching the dry winds to inland areas took Thousands of kilometers and also it need to surpass the high mountains.

Before reacing the top hill Rain falls mainly 4 important steps has been done.From approaching to upward pushes of coast by the winds are the begining steps.During the rise of moist air it gets cool and trasform into cloude.Next it crosses the Windward side area and afterwards the Rain falls stage starts.

Finishing the fifth step dry air keep moving over the mountain and start going downward. Crossing Leeward side and moved to the last stage where the dry winds reach inland areas.This is the place of the desert known as Rain-shadow desert. Througout this process it need to cover a distance almost many Thousands of kilometers and surpass the hills.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You cover the main sequence from winds approaching the coast to dry winds reaching inland, and you identify the desert’s position beyond the mountains. The overview also notes the seven stages and the long horizontal distance, both relevant features. However, some stages are described imprecisely: “Before reaching the top hill Rain falls mainly 4 important steps has been done” is unclear, and the account does not clearly explain that moist air rises and cools, clouds form, and rain falls on the windward side. The final description of dry air moving over the mountain is relevant, but the process could be reported more accurately and systematically. To strengthen the response, give a concise overview of the windward/leeward contrast, then describe each stage in order without adding unclear details.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 6.0

The response has a recognisable overall structure: an introduction, an overview, and paragraphs describing the earlier and later stages. Sequencing expressions such as “Next,” “Finishing the fifth step,” and “last stage” help the reader follow the process. However, cohesion is sometimes mechanical or unclear. For example, “Before reaching the top hill Rain falls mainly 4 important steps has been done” does not connect the stages logically, while “This is the place of the desert” has an unclear reference. Some information is also repeated, particularly the distance and the need to cross the mountains. Use clearer links between cause and result, and ensure each paragraph advances the sequence rather than restating earlier points.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant process vocabulary, including “moist air,” “Windward side,” “Leeward side,” “dry winds,” and “Rain-shadow desert,” which helps communicate the diagram’s subject. There are also attempts at more specific wording, such as “creation procedure” and “surpass.” However, several choices are unnatural or imprecise: “creation procedure” is less suitable than “formation,” and “surpass the high mountains” does not clearly describe air moving over them. Spelling errors such as “reacing,” “begining,” “cloude,” and “Througout” are noticeable, and some phrases are repeated. Build accuracy by learning common process collocations and checking spelling, while retaining the useful technical terms already used.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt both simple and more complex sentence forms, including a sequence of actions linked with “and” and a clause beginning “During the rise of moist air.” The overall meaning is usually recoverable, but some errors in agreement, verb forms, articles, and sentence boundaries reduce clarity. For example, “The process diagram illustrate” needs subject–verb agreement, and “the formation of the desert has intotal seven steps” is not a well-formed construction. In “dry air keep moving … and start going downward,” the verbs do not agree with the singular subject. Capitalisation and punctuation are also inconsistent, especially where sentences run together. Practise accurate present-simple descriptions and use shorter, correctly punctuated sentences to control the sequence.

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